Bought a car privately am i being paranoid about V5?
Discussion
So a few days ago I bought a car for my father from a private seller. The location of the sale was at a petrol station around the corner from his house because there was no off road parking (foolish of me I know but I went ahead with it as it was so close to his house). I did all my checks, he showed me the V5 and the HPI was all clear. I made sure I entered the V5 issue date and serial number into the HPI too. Transferred the money into his account and the name on the account matched the name on the V5 and he confirmed there and then that he had received the money via online banking. He wrote me a sold as seen receipt and gave me the green new keeper slip which I used to tax the car with.
I completely forgot though that you can tell the DVLA that you've sold the car online instead of posting the V5. That night for some reason I started to become paranoid as to why he didn't use the online system and who in this day and age posts the V5. I called him the following day and he told me he had posted the V5 off. I guess it's a waiting game now but I could register the car myself online - I took photos of the V5 so I have the document reference number. Any advice and could I be the victim of a potential scam here? Thanks in advance.
I completely forgot though that you can tell the DVLA that you've sold the car online instead of posting the V5. That night for some reason I started to become paranoid as to why he didn't use the online system and who in this day and age posts the V5. I called him the following day and he told me he had posted the V5 off. I guess it's a waiting game now but I could register the car myself online - I took photos of the V5 so I have the document reference number. Any advice and could I be the victim of a potential scam here? Thanks in advance.
Edited by JS1902 on Monday 19th July 12:41
If you have details of the V5 then why not transfer ownership yourself using the online system?
It doesn’t sound like a scam though, my parents recently sold a car and posted off the V5, then they worried that they would be liable for any fines that the new owner incurred before DVLA processed the transfer.
It doesn’t sound like a scam though, my parents recently sold a car and posted off the V5, then they worried that they would be liable for any fines that the new owner incurred before DVLA processed the transfer.
Scrump said:
If you have details of the V5 then why not transfer ownership yourself using the online system?
It doesn’t sound like a scam though, my parents recently sold a car and posted off the V5, then they worried that they would be liable for any fines that the new owner incurred before DVLA processed the transfer.
I could do but he told me he had sent off the V5. DVLA online transfer system says not to use it if the V5 has been posted off. If I did, would I receive two logbooks assuming the seller has sent it off?It doesn’t sound like a scam though, my parents recently sold a car and posted off the V5, then they worried that they would be liable for any fines that the new owner incurred before DVLA processed the transfer.
I last sold a car around November, before selling it I had no idea there was now an online form to notify dvla. It was only because I thought "I wonder if they've digitised this yet?" and googled it that I found out about it.
Point being the change hasn't been well publicised so not surprising your seller didn't know of it
Point being the change hasn't been well publicised so not surprising your seller didn't know of it
shouldbworking said:
I last sold a car around November, before selling it I had no idea there was now an online form to notify dvla. It was only because I thought "I wonder if they've digitised this yet?" and googled it that I found out about it.
Point being the change hasn't been well publicised so not surprising your seller didn't know of it
I've sold and bought two car/motorbike in the past 6 months, didn't use the online system either times. First time never even knew it was a thing, second time my phone was being awkward and just couldn't seem to get through the process so decided, sod it, I'll do it the same old way I've done it for past 20 years.Point being the change hasn't been well publicised so not surprising your seller didn't know of it
It definitely wouldn't raise any alarm bells with me if someone decided to post off the V5... Meeting at a petrol station definitely would though.
M4cruiser said:
I wouldn't worry just yet, post takes a long time with DVLA.
But ...
Did you actually go to the seller's house at all to verify that it exists?
Despite the parking story, i would have temporarily "forgotten" that bit and gone round to his house.
Didn’t go to his house but drove right past it to get to the petrol station, which is a minutes walk away. But ...
Did you actually go to the seller's house at all to verify that it exists?
Despite the parking story, i would have temporarily "forgotten" that bit and gone round to his house.
Sound like your getting worked up about nothing, hopefully it’ll all be fine.
That said, here’s an example of the online transfer saving me a pile of grief.
A couple of years ago I sold a vehicle which belonged to my business, I knew the guy and we did a deal right there and then at my place of work, he gave me a cheque, I handed him the keys and left him to it. It was near the end of the month so as a true Scot, I went straight on line to notify the DVLA of the sale and maximise the tax refund, the chap had barely left the yard when I had the transfer of ownership confirmed.
Anyhow, the very next morning the police arrive at the door asking about the car, when I said I’d sold it, they wanted to know exactly when and if I’d be paid. Turns out, the chap I’d though was a mild mannered, level headed sort, went on a personal vendetta in the car, he set fire to a combine harvester and tried to run another chap off the road in the car, a chase ensued but the guy gave them the slip and dumped the car at a quarry, later to claim it wasn’t him and the car had been nicked.
The bobbies knew it wasn’t me, they said the new owner was “helping them with their enquiries “
but had to investigate, thank goodness the transfer was time stamped. It took a further week, but to my amazement, the cheque cleared! Seems he didn’t have a grudge against me after all.
More bizarre acts of vengeance continued after this event, with hindsight the chap must have had a sudden onset of a mental condition, the poor sod topped himself rather than face the music.
That said, here’s an example of the online transfer saving me a pile of grief.
A couple of years ago I sold a vehicle which belonged to my business, I knew the guy and we did a deal right there and then at my place of work, he gave me a cheque, I handed him the keys and left him to it. It was near the end of the month so as a true Scot, I went straight on line to notify the DVLA of the sale and maximise the tax refund, the chap had barely left the yard when I had the transfer of ownership confirmed.
Anyhow, the very next morning the police arrive at the door asking about the car, when I said I’d sold it, they wanted to know exactly when and if I’d be paid. Turns out, the chap I’d though was a mild mannered, level headed sort, went on a personal vendetta in the car, he set fire to a combine harvester and tried to run another chap off the road in the car, a chase ensued but the guy gave them the slip and dumped the car at a quarry, later to claim it wasn’t him and the car had been nicked.
The bobbies knew it wasn’t me, they said the new owner was “helping them with their enquiries “
but had to investigate, thank goodness the transfer was time stamped. It took a further week, but to my amazement, the cheque cleared! Seems he didn’t have a grudge against me after all.
More bizarre acts of vengeance continued after this event, with hindsight the chap must have had a sudden onset of a mental condition, the poor sod topped himself rather than face the music.
The chap I bought my car from didn’t know that you could do it online and he eyed me with some suspicion when I put it all into the (govt) website to confirm the transfer. He was probably sweating for a couple of days before the sale notification and the tax refund came through.
You seem to have done the diligence on the documents but a sale away from the house would have been enough of a red flag for me to not go and visit the car in the first place (regardless of the story given by the seller).
You seem to have done the diligence on the documents but a sale away from the house would have been enough of a red flag for me to not go and visit the car in the first place (regardless of the story given by the seller).
Right so I could potentially have f*cked up big time by not buying at his address even though it was around the corner. Assuming the biggest risk is that the car is reported as stolen in the near future?
I’ve been given 2 keys, full service history, signed receipt loads of paperwork and invoices showing the seller’s name and address which match the V5. I should also add that he insisted on bank transfer and not cash don’t know if that’s a good thing?
I’ve been given 2 keys, full service history, signed receipt loads of paperwork and invoices showing the seller’s name and address which match the V5. I should also add that he insisted on bank transfer and not cash don’t know if that’s a good thing?
Edited by JS1902 on Sunday 2nd May 20:05
JS1902 said:
Right so I could potentially have f*cked up big time by not buying at his address even though it was around the corner. Assuming the biggest risk is that the car is reported as stolen in the near future?
I’ve been given 2 keys, full service history, signed receipt loads of paperwork and invoices showing the seller’s name and address which match the V5. I should also add that he insisted on bank transfer and not cash don’t know if that’s a good thing?
I'm confused as to what the issue is? You know the details check out, you know it's as described and you have seen his house and seen it matches the V5. Some people still prefer to use post, some don't even know you can do it online. If you're really worried then just do it online yourself, it's what I always do when I buy a car and they want to send it of via post, I just send it off myself online via the green slip. Most people prefer bank transfer as they don't have the risk of dealing with dodgy notes then. There's absolutely nothing to be concerned about, especially when you know where he lives and have his bank details. When you do shed motoring and go through a dirt cheap car every month or two, a full V5 in the sellers name is a luxury I’ve been given 2 keys, full service history, signed receipt loads of paperwork and invoices showing the seller’s name and address which match the V5. I should also add that he insisted on bank transfer and not cash don’t know if that’s a good thing?
Edited by JS1902 on Sunday 2nd May 20:05
Edited by aaron_2000 on Sunday 2nd May 20:45
aaron_2000 said:
I'm confused as to what the issue is? You know the details check out, you know it's as described and you have seen his house and seen it matches the V5. Some people still prefer to use post, some don't even know you can do it online. If you're really worried then just do it online yourself, it's what I always do when I buy a car and they want to send it of via post, I just send it off myself online via the green slip. Most people prefer bank transfer as they don't have the risk of dealing with dodgy notes then. There's absolutely nothing to be concerned about, especially when you know where he lives and have his bank details. When you do shed motoring and go through a dirt cheap car every month or two, a full V5 in the sellers name is a luxury
I guess I got paranoid over the V5 thing no idea why but now that others on here have highlighted the buying location it’s got me thinking even more so. Edited by aaron_2000 on Sunday 2nd May 20:45
JS1902 said:
aaron_2000 said:
I'm confused as to what the issue is? You know the details check out, you know it's as described and you have seen his house and seen it matches the V5. Some people still prefer to use post, some don't even know you can do it online. If you're really worried then just do it online yourself, it's what I always do when I buy a car and they want to send it of via post, I just send it off myself online via the green slip. Most people prefer bank transfer as they don't have the risk of dealing with dodgy notes then. There's absolutely nothing to be concerned about, especially when you know where he lives and have his bank details. When you do shed motoring and go through a dirt cheap car every month or two, a full V5 in the sellers name is a luxury
I guess I got paranoid over the V5 thing no idea why but now that others on here have highlighted the buying location it’s got me thinking even more so. Edited by aaron_2000 on Sunday 2nd May 20:45
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