Private sellers posing as dealers?
Discussion
Hi
Ive heard of many dealers posing as private sellers, so they can avoid, well, all the regulations that come with selling as a dealer?
How often does this happen the other way around??
Ive spotted an absolutely CRACKING deal on autotrader for the car im looking at, its got the listing as a 'trade seller', given the car's price and specs, id have expected this to be a private sale, looks too good to be true if from a 'dealer'
Ive called him up, he says he only works from home? He cant arrange finance, and he's been very clear in saying he's only a small dealer
Other than providing your customers security (and how far does that go? If you give someone a postcode, they're gonna pull up to a house, and see you're clearly not a shop?) - why would you pose as a trade seller if your private? Ive done a google search and it seems that this only happens the other way around? (traders posing as private)
Am i missing something?
Ive heard of many dealers posing as private sellers, so they can avoid, well, all the regulations that come with selling as a dealer?
How often does this happen the other way around??
Ive spotted an absolutely CRACKING deal on autotrader for the car im looking at, its got the listing as a 'trade seller', given the car's price and specs, id have expected this to be a private sale, looks too good to be true if from a 'dealer'
Ive called him up, he says he only works from home? He cant arrange finance, and he's been very clear in saying he's only a small dealer
Other than providing your customers security (and how far does that go? If you give someone a postcode, they're gonna pull up to a house, and see you're clearly not a shop?) - why would you pose as a trade seller if your private? Ive done a google search and it seems that this only happens the other way around? (traders posing as private)
Am i missing something?
Butter Face said:
He advertises as a dealer, he says he’s a dealer, but you think he’s a private seller?
Well, yeh He doesn't have a website, he doesnt have any grounds so to speak of, but he said he's a trader and actually gave me the name that he 'trades' as
It just seems so weird, because the 'internet' doesn't make any mention of this, almost like theres no reason for anyone to do it?
keirik said:
He's not posing as a trader. He's told you he's a small scale trader.
That way he doesn't get into bother posing as a private seller, and he's doing the right thing.
Would you prefer him to pose as private seller zo you have no comeback if there's a problem?
I don't mean to be dense, but what do you mean? lolThat way he doesn't get into bother posing as a private seller, and he's doing the right thing.
Would you prefer him to pose as private seller zo you have no comeback if there's a problem?
Does a small scale 'trader' have to abide by different rules/laws than a large dealer?
I guess what i'm asking is, do i have any comeback if theres a problem?
kelevraz said:
keirik said:
He's not posing as a trader. He's told you he's a small scale trader.
That way he doesn't get into bother posing as a private seller, and he's doing the right thing.
Would you prefer him to pose as private seller zo you have no comeback if there's a problem?
I don't mean to be dense, but what do you mean? lolThat way he doesn't get into bother posing as a private seller, and he's doing the right thing.
Would you prefer him to pose as private seller zo you have no comeback if there's a problem?
Does a small scale 'trader' have to abide by different rules/laws than a large dealer?
I guess what i'm asking is, do i have any comeback if theres a problem?
Trade sale - you have more comeback and ‘rights’, of course, enforcing them on any dealer, large or small is another matter.
kelevraz said:
Butter Face said:
He advertises as a dealer, he says he’s a dealer, but you think he’s a private seller?
Well, yeh He doesn't have a website, he doesnt have any grounds so to speak of, but he said he's a trader and actually gave me the name that he 'trades' as
It just seems so weird, because the 'internet' doesn't make any mention of this, almost like theres no reason for anyone to do it?
Its the buying and selling of cars makes you a trader, not the premises.
kelevraz said:
rallycross said:
Sounds like you are missing a few brain cells.
Wow, so you went out of your way to quote me, cut down what i said, and post that replyI hope it's made you feel accomplished and proud of yourself
There are lots of “home traders” about, some shady, some not so. As far I understand, they’re trading from home but operating as a dealer. They’ll have trade insurance and allow test drives, take part ex etc. They will offer a warranty which might be an insurance policy or they may under write it themselves. They don’t have the margins and overheads of a dealer with premises so often occupy the middle ground between private and forecourt in terms of facilities and pricing.
I’ve bought two cars from such a guy in Bristol. It was more or less like buying privately but I felt a bit more confident about the transaction. Didn’t bother HPIing the car etc as he did that for me.
The guy you’ve found sounds above board.
I’ve bought two cars from such a guy in Bristol. It was more or less like buying privately but I felt a bit more confident about the transaction. Didn’t bother HPIing the car etc as he did that for me.
The guy you’ve found sounds above board.
griffter said:
There are lots of “home traders” about, some shady, some not so. As far I understand, they’re trading from home but operating as a dealer. They’ll have trade insurance and allow test drives, take part ex etc. They will offer a warranty which might be an insurance policy or they may under write it themselves. They don’t have the margins and overheads of a dealer with premises so often occupy the middle ground between private and forecourt in terms of facilities and pricing.
I’ve bought two cars from such a guy in Bristol. It was more or less like buying privately but I felt a bit more confident about the transaction. Didn’t bother HPIing the car etc as he did that for me.
The guy you’ve found sounds above board.
I did it for years - decades even. Always operated from home, always declared i was trade.I’ve bought two cars from such a guy in Bristol. It was more or less like buying privately but I felt a bit more confident about the transaction. Didn’t bother HPIing the car etc as he did that for me.
The guy you’ve found sounds above board.
At the sub £5K end of the market, ultra low overheads are your only hope of making profit.
The only reason I can think of someone doing this is to be able to sell the car for a higher amount than a private sale because the buyer will be under the illusion that they will have extra rights and be prepared to pay more.
If the whole "I'm a small scale trader" is verbal then he could deny it and claim to be a private seller should the car go wrong.
I think this is extremely unlikely though. He sounds like what he says he is.
If the whole "I'm a small scale trader" is verbal then he could deny it and claim to be a private seller should the car go wrong.
I think this is extremely unlikely though. He sounds like what he says he is.
griffter said:
Didn’t bother HPIing the car etc as he did that for me.
It's funny you say that, i've just done one and its come back with a pretty significant mileage discrepancy lol Even more annoying, its a 2016 plate and not due to have had its first MOT yet
Edited by kelevraz on Sunday 19th May 17:53
kelevraz said:
griffter said:
Didn’t bother HPIing the car etc as he did that for me.
It's funny you say that, i've just done one and its come back with a pretty significant mileage discrepancy lol Even more annoying, its a 2016 plate and not due to have had its first MOT yet
Edited by kelevraz on Sunday 19th May 17:53
I must've done something because weird on the page, because the graph i had showing, along with the people that reported the mileage to the NMR the exact numbers have disappeared, its saying i should come back later and theyll be able to display again, but, from what i remember:
i told HPI it had done 18,000 miles, as thats what the advert and the trader said
HPI Says that at the beginning of 2018, it had done 39k miles
In July 2018, it went down to around 12.5k miles
And at the beginning of this month - it was showing 18k miles
I'd say thats significant lol
i told HPI it had done 18,000 miles, as thats what the advert and the trader said
HPI Says that at the beginning of 2018, it had done 39k miles
In July 2018, it went down to around 12.5k miles
And at the beginning of this month - it was showing 18k miles
I'd say thats significant lol
[quote=kelevraz
i told HPI it had done 18,000 miles, as thats what the advert and the trader said
HPI Says that at the beginning of 2018, it had done 39k miles
In July 2018, it went down to around 12.5k miles
And at the beginning of this month - it was showing 18k miles
I'd say thats significant lol
[/quote]
You might have dodged a bullet there, well done.
It could be a mistake, so you need to call Hpi, they should put you through to the mileage check people who can look to see where the reading has come from.
If it's had a keeper change between the 39k reading and the 12.5k reading then it could have well had a haircut.
i told HPI it had done 18,000 miles, as thats what the advert and the trader said
HPI Says that at the beginning of 2018, it had done 39k miles
In July 2018, it went down to around 12.5k miles
And at the beginning of this month - it was showing 18k miles
I'd say thats significant lol
[/quote]
You might have dodged a bullet there, well done.
It could be a mistake, so you need to call Hpi, they should put you through to the mileage check people who can look to see where the reading has come from.
If it's had a keeper change between the 39k reading and the 12.5k reading then it could have well had a haircut.
ninjag said:
The only reason I can think of someone doing this is to be able to sell the car for a higher amount than a private sale because the buyer will be under the illusion that they will have extra rights and be prepared to pay more.
If the whole "I'm a small scale trader" is verbal then he could deny it and claim to be a private seller should the car go wrong.
I think this is extremely unlikely though. He sounds like what he says he is.
If he’s a trader he should have the V5 in the previous owners name. If it’s in his name, yes, grey area. If the whole "I'm a small scale trader" is verbal then he could deny it and claim to be a private seller should the car go wrong.
I think this is extremely unlikely though. He sounds like what he says he is.
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