Mercedes E class 2010 black hole in paperwork

[Hollytreserden]

I have a Mercedes e class 2010

It got registered to dvla in 2010 and then nothing was on a private plate in Guernsey then came back to uk in 2018 and back with dvla

I am now trying to sell it and all the car dealers are put off by the 8yr black hole I have service history but there worried was in a accident or something where they can’t find anything

So is it an import ?

Should the car dealer I bought it off told me this ?

And why does it always come up as a 2018 Mercedes when I type it into anything?

Just need some advice on it at this point

Edited by Hollytreserden on Tuesday 25th February 17:32

Edited by Hollytreserden on Tuesday 25th February 17:35

[smokey mow]

Hollytreserden said:

I have a Mercedes e class 2010

It got registered to dvla in 2010 and then nothing was on a private plate in Guernsey then came back to uk in 2018 and back with dvla

I am now trying to sell it and all the car dealers are put off by the 8yr black hole I have service history but there worried was in a accident or something where they can’t find anything

So is it an import ?

Yes, see here

https://www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk#:~:te...

Hollytreserden said:

Should the car dealer I bought it off told me this ?

They have no legal obligation to tell you and may not have known themselves. If you have the service history from Guernsey would this have not been obvious to you when you bought it?

Hollytreserden said:

And why does it always come up as a 2018 Mercedes when I type it into anything?

Because that is the date it was registered in the U.K. after being imported.

[Hollytreserden]

Honestly it was my first car never bought a car before this car and now it’s a massive regret

[smokey mow]

Hollytreserden said:

Honestly it was my first car never bought a car before this car and now it’s a massive regret

It’s a 15 year old car so it will have little value as a trade-in to a dealer. Either sell it privately or put the details into WBAC.

[Hollytreserden]

Yes I know 15 year old car but still has finance on it ATM so needs to at lest cover that

[Hollytreserden]

I know it 15 year old car but still has finance on it

[charltjr]

Why is the finance a problem? You can still sell it privately, will be a bit of extra hassle unless you clear it first but it’s not unusual.

You should easily get more in a private sale than a trade in.

[anonymous-user]

Not classed as import, car was UK supplied when new. 1000's cars each year come back from Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man with no issues. Unsure why your having issues but it's nothing new or major

[bigmowley]

With a bit of detective work you should be able to sort out its complete history. Are you sure it was registered in the UK before it went to Guernsey? I only ask because if it was then it would normally have been reallocated its original registration number when it came back from Guernsey. It would also be correctly identified as a 2010 car. This would simplify things for you.
You can use the VIN number and chase the Merc garage in Guernsey, Jacksons Guernsey, and find out if it was serviced or repaired there. Even easier if you have the Guernsey registration number on any old paperwork? They might be a bit huffy and puffy about GDPR but persevere as you don’t need any personal info. about the owners.
The speed limit in Guernsey is 35MPH, there are very few roads and what there is are crap. Despite that it’s dripping with brand new cars that never go anywhere. I suspect it was very low mileage in 2018 when it came back? A new E-class is an expensive car so most likely it was serviced when it was there.
I would do a simple spread sheet detailing its history and put that with any advert or use it in any negotiation with a dealer for trade in or whatever. A Guernsey car shouldn’t be the kiss of death it won’t have done much.