HPI check: VIN and VRM don't match, plate not changed

[eastsider]

Views please.

Helping a mate buy an E46 BMW. Found a car private sale, agreed price. HPI check (pre-purchase), VIN and VRM don't match. It hasn't had a reg change whilst current owner has it, in fact on the HPI report in vehicle ownership, plate transfer states: "vehicle not recorded as having previous plates".

Ringer?
Cloned?
HPI database wrong?

Any other possibility?

Doubt we will proceed (£20 well spent) but interested in what it might be.

[Defcon5]

Got a link?

[eastsider]

Link to the ad for the car? Unfortunately not, it was on autotrader but seller has taken ad down. We viewed 9am Sat morning. Car had quite a few bodywork scratches so we went away to consider (and research cost to tidy up bodywork). Deal done on phone Sunday evening. HPI info supplied via email, intention to go back and collect later this week. Seller might have taken down ad as he thinks its sold, or he could be hiding something.

[E30M3SE]

Re-check all the numbers, cross ref the VIN on paperwork to car (suspension turret, w/screen & MOT's), get the VIN checked by BMW to see what the original build on the car was to see if it matches the car your friend is looking to buy.

Clerical errors do occur, at DVLA and Hpi, could be a totally innocent like I had a few years ago where HPi had th VIN down incorrectly so shows error, rectified once they had confirmation from DVLA that their info was wrong.

[GreigM]

How far out is the VIN number? The V5 I got on a brand new porsche had 1 digit recorded incorrectly - I only discovered it when going to sell and the buyer figured it out...I was glad he put in the effort and let me know, as previously I had a buyer disappear after an HPI and I had no clue why.

Apparently its surprisingly common for the DVLA to make a mess of the V5.