Writing to previous owners of your car.
Discussion
Difference of opinion in the Stu - B household.
Have written to previous owners to try and track down any remaining info on my SL. Missus says saddo stalker, but I reckon it is acceptable. I enclosed stamped addressed envelope and current pics of car as a sweetener.
If you received a letter asking for info would you think....warning, warning weirdo or cool, why not help...if only to gloat that it was a clocked write-off when sold.
Have written to previous owners to try and track down any remaining info on my SL. Missus says saddo stalker, but I reckon it is acceptable. I enclosed stamped addressed envelope and current pics of car as a sweetener.
If you received a letter asking for info would you think....warning, warning weirdo or cool, why not help...if only to gloat that it was a clocked write-off when sold.
Have done this lots of times, mostly no problems at all. One guy sent me a big folder full of receipts, the service book all stamped up and the spare key!
Only once did I receive abuse - I bought a damaged motor home from a salvage auction, sent off a letter to previous owner and included my phone number in the letter - he rang me with a load of abuse because he had wanted to buy it from his insurance company but they refused saying he had to take the cheque and there was no possibility of him buying his motor home, he demanded to know what right I had to purchase it!
Only once did I receive abuse - I bought a damaged motor home from a salvage auction, sent off a letter to previous owner and included my phone number in the letter - he rang me with a load of abuse because he had wanted to buy it from his insurance company but they refused saying he had to take the cheque and there was no possibility of him buying his motor home, he demanded to know what right I had to purchase it!
My neighbour had a Rover SD1 four year long restoration project and wanted to get all the previous owners together for a garden party when the restoration was complete. He sent invitations along with a file of photo's of the build (this was pre-build threads and people kept scrap books) and only got one RSVP that was a polite "Sorry (get a life you sad act but nice job on my old car) I won't be able to make it" letter.
When I bought my current car, there were gaps in the service history but I thought I'd ring up the previous owner who had sold it to the guy I bought it from (found his number in a service receipt). Glad I did - he was a really nice guy, told me why he'd sold the car on, where it had been serviced etc, and a few niggles he had found with the car. He was happy to hear from me.
I paid the DVLA a £5.00 got photocopies of the old log books, sent out SAE to the owners address.
I got back some replies, even from the first owner twenty years ago.
It was nice to add some history, to my car got some picture etc.
He was very happy that someone was still enjoying his old car.
I got back some replies, even from the first owner twenty years ago.
It was nice to add some history, to my car got some picture etc.
He was very happy that someone was still enjoying his old car.
SEE YA said:
I paid the DVLA a £5.00 got photocopies of the old log books, sent out SAE to the owners address.
I got back some replies, even from the first owner twenty years ago.
It was nice to add some history, to my car got some picture etc.
He was very happy that someone was still enjoying his old car.
How do you go about doing this?I got back some replies, even from the first owner twenty years ago.
It was nice to add some history, to my car got some picture etc.
He was very happy that someone was still enjoying his old car.
I bought a car from the auction a while back and having been told a spare key was >£100, I thought I'd try.
I wrote to the lady saying that I'd bought it and wondered if she had the spare key? Also, if there was any other previous reciepts or anything, would I be able to have them for my records?
I sent it with my parents address incase the previous owner was a scally and fancied nicking the car in the middle of the night. I couldnt have been more wrong....
Went to my parents at Christmas and my Mum said "this came for you a couple of weeks ago" MONTHS after. Inside was a really nice letter from the previous owner, saying how she was sorry for the delay and that was pleased to hear that her "Little Billy Whizz" (its a Mini) had gone to a good home and that she's love it. Inside was a load of reciepts and further info.
All in all, very pleased with the result.
Would I mind if someone did that to me? Not at all!
I wrote to the lady saying that I'd bought it and wondered if she had the spare key? Also, if there was any other previous reciepts or anything, would I be able to have them for my records?
I sent it with my parents address incase the previous owner was a scally and fancied nicking the car in the middle of the night. I couldnt have been more wrong....
Went to my parents at Christmas and my Mum said "this came for you a couple of weeks ago" MONTHS after. Inside was a really nice letter from the previous owner, saying how she was sorry for the delay and that was pleased to hear that her "Little Billy Whizz" (its a Mini) had gone to a good home and that she's love it. Inside was a load of reciepts and further info.
All in all, very pleased with the result.
Would I mind if someone did that to me? Not at all!
Absolutely acceptable, when my S2000 was written off the guy who bought it from the insurance company wrote to me, gave me his number and asked for bakcground info. The insurance company hadn't asked for any of the paperwork/spare keys/stereo front etc so I happily sent it all to him along with the previous V5, service history, original receipts etc... We had a chat on the phone, he expected a lot less and was just looking for info... I was happy it was being fixed and put back on the road.
I saw my old 3.2 Carrera sport at a Porsche club meeting once and approached the current owner who bought it off the guy I sold it to some three years previous. Bloke was not a bit interested in what I had to say and his wife was rude tutting and making like I'm delaying their day. Bloody hell, if a prevous owner of my car made himself known I'd be all ears.
Lucas North said:
How do you go about doing this?
Send off DVLA form V888 (PDF), enclose £5. They send copies of the car's old V5s. My car had seven previous owners, so it was a pretty fat envelope. Here's the form:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_...
Stu - B said:
Difference of opinion in the Stu - B household.
Have written to previous owners to try and track down any remaining info on my SL. Missus says saddo stalker, but I reckon it is acceptable. I enclosed stamped addressed envelope and current pics of car as a sweetener.
If you received a letter asking for info would you think....warning, warning weirdo or cool, why not help...if only to gloat that it was a clocked write-off when sold.
Hello stu.Have written to previous owners to try and track down any remaining info on my SL. Missus says saddo stalker, but I reckon it is acceptable. I enclosed stamped addressed envelope and current pics of car as a sweetener.
If you received a letter asking for info would you think....warning, warning weirdo or cool, why not help...if only to gloat that it was a clocked write-off when sold.
I have had owners contacting me about a car that I have owned, TBO I don't mind it at all, I'm more than happy to help people.
The new owner only wanted to know if there had been any previous accident damage. With a car like the one you have I suspect the previous owner will be happy to see that it is still on the road.
Hitler Hadrump said:
Send off DVLA form V888 (PDF), enclose £5. They send copies of the car's old V5s. My car had seven previous owners, so it was a pretty fat envelope.
Here's the form:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_...
Thanks, you beat me to it with the answer.Here's the form:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_...
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