Be gentle....!

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OxFord

Original Poster:

13 posts

69 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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Hi! So, I went to test drive a car today.

It was SORN, so the owner and I thought the most sensible thing to do was for me to tax it using the new keeper slip reference. I also got 24 hour insurance.

I had every intention of purchasing the car as it drove like a dream. However, as we were about to do the deal, my other half tested the windows and the drivers side failed miserably. It went half way down and made an awful crunch, then wouldn’t go back up. Owner said it had been repaired not but a few weeks ago.

Anyway, didn’t buy the car because of this. It is still showing online as SORN but neither of us now know what to do re my tax application for it-any ideas? Obviously I don’t want to pay tax on a car I don’t own. I opted for direct debit. The owner won’t be sending the logbook in of course, but is there anything I can do to cancel the tax? I have the confirmation and thought it might be showing online by now? I taxed it 24 hours ago..

Thanks for any advice (I won’t be so stupid again!!)

944 Man

1,741 posts

131 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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Cancel/yank the DD. Call the DVLA.

RVB

1,985 posts

80 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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Seems a shame to abandon a purchase based on a sticking window.

A worn/perished/damaged window seal can cause windows to jam. A bit of lube works as a temporary fix, or to confirm that's the problem.

Several years ago my wife's Zafira had a window seal replaced (door panel had to come off etc) due to window not operating properly and although I can't remember the exact price it was only a couple of hundred quid at most including labour.


Edited by RVB on Sunday 7th March 21:18

InitialDave

11,856 posts

118 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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Agreed, seems like a very minor thing to make you turn down a car that's otherwise what you want.

What car is it? Some will have known issues with things like window regulators. It's unlikely to be a showstopping issue.

Gman20

8,832 posts

145 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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I taxed my wife's car late January the direct debit was due to take 2 months payment early feb, sorned it again on the last day of January I legitimately ow a month's tax for the week it was taxed for, but I've not been charged at all, still not sure what will happen.

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

223 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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What car is it?

if it crunched it will be the window regulator, probably a piece of the plastic has snapped and the cable has caught itself up in there.

You can buy new ones from amazon/ebay etc. for £50-100 and they take around and hour to fit, easy enough to do on the drive even if you are not technically minded. A local garage would probably charge £100 tops to do it.

OxFord

Original Poster:

13 posts

69 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
quotequote all
Thanks everyone.

Yeah the seller said they’d had the regulator repaired. The fact it’s gone again means my partner has veto’d the sale, unfortunately. It drove like a dream and was very tidy, but he didn’t take to the seller (and the seller didn’t mention the repair before we drove up to view). I’d be happy to let the seller get it repaired and go get it, but my other half has said no and I can’t face the argument!

I will contact the DVLA tomorrow. Happy to have to pay the month of needs be.. silly mistake to make!

Mr Tidy

22,065 posts

126 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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OxFord said:
Thanks everyone.

Yeah the seller said they’d had the regulator repaired. The fact it’s gone again means my partner has veto’d the sale, unfortunately. It drove like a dream and was very tidy, but he didn’t take to the seller (and the seller didn’t mention the repair before we drove up to view). I’d be happy to let the seller get it repaired and go get it, but my other half has said no and I can’t face the argument!

I will contact the DVLA tomorrow. Happy to have to pay the month of needs be.. silly mistake to make!
I think the silly mistake was letting your partner veto it just because of a window problem - I'd have just tried to get a better deal from the seller if everything else about it was right. rolleyes

InitialDave

11,856 posts

118 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
quotequote all
OxFord said:
Thanks everyone.

Yeah the seller said they’d had the regulator repaired. The fact it’s gone again means my partner has veto’d the sale, unfortunately. It drove like a dream and was very tidy, but he didn’t take to the seller (and the seller didn’t mention the repair before we drove up to view). I’d be happy to let the seller get it repaired and go get it, but my other half has said no and I can’t face the argument!
I wouldn't say to let the seller get it repaired (as that clearly hasn't worked once already), but a bit of negotiation down to allow for the fix and then having it done would be sensible.

Your partner sounds like hard work.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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Can't understand how you taxed it, how did the DVLA know it was insured on a 24 hour cover?

Levin

2,019 posts

123 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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What kind of car is it? BMWs, at least, are infamous for eating window regulators. Truly, if the car meets all your criteria apart from that one thing, I'd say ring the seller tomorrow and see if you can hammer the price down. It can be fixed and then forgotten entirely.

OxFord

Original Poster:

13 posts

69 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
quotequote all
I know.. but you have to pick your battles I guess..

It was a 90 minute drive to get there and the price was already low (about £800 cheaper than equivalents). Anyway, sadly that’s neither here nor there anymore!

I taxed it 12 hours before I insured it, too.. not sure how that worked.. I was unaware you shouldn’t be able to tax it if it’s uninsured. Perhaps the DVLA will just say no and cancel it?

HTP99

22,444 posts

139 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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A car can be taxed without it being insured.

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

223 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
quotequote all
Many window regulators can be repaired, the cable jumps off the spindle, you can sometimes put it back on, however the reason it comes off is the cable has stretched a bit, so when you put it back it can be fine for years or it can go after a few more uses.

I would guess most owners have no idea what has happened, and when they take it to a garage who asks "Do you want us to try repair it for half an hours labour or we can replace it for an hours labour and and a new regulator, so £100-150?" I would guess most people will say "If you can repair it for £50 do that."

I have done 3 on BMWs over the last 12 months or so and just done one on a Porsche.

If the rest of the car drove great it seems silly to walk away from the purchase.



The fact is you will have paid for a months tax, just cancel the direct debit, the next owner should still be able to tax it using the same green slip.

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

223 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
quotequote all
mybrainhurts said:
Can't understand how you taxed it, how did the DVLA know it was insured on a 24 hour cover?
I would presume the owner still has it insured, but does it need to be insured or just MOT'd>?

Baldchap

7,510 posts

91 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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Sounds like your partner needs to be kept away from car purchasing decisions if a great, cheap example with a single fault can never again be considered or repaired.

InitialDave

11,856 posts

118 months

Monday 8th March 2021
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gizlaroc said:
I would presume the owner still has it insured, but does it need to be insured or just MOT'd>?
You're not allowed to tax the car without it being insured, but I don't think they actually check before letting you do it.

Trackdayer

1,090 posts

40 months

Tuesday 9th March 2021
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The only check they make is for an MOT

OxFord

Original Poster:

13 posts

69 months

Wednesday 10th March 2021
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Thank you all for your replies.

The car was SRON, no insurance, but it has an MOT. I taxed it online using a photo of the new keeper slip, and got 24 hour insurance.

DVLA have asked me to write to them to explain the situation, so I will do that, and cancel the direct debit once the first payment has gone out.

It is being repaired next week, but we're still not going back for it. The owner understands, and I am sure will be able to get the price they want for it very easily! My loss is someone else's gain!

I have decided though I won't be test driving any other SORN cars..! I'm not going through this again ,and if the seller wants to sell it, they will have to do all of the taxing etc.! Happy to get additional insurance (my policy will only cover me third party on a vehicle insured in another name), so for the sake of a few £s I'm fine with that..!

Piersman2

6,596 posts

198 months

Wednesday 10th March 2021
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I'd have just taken it for a quick run, sorn'd, taxed or not.

But then we all have our own standards I guess. smile