Buying a car - 1 year MOT but untaxed for over a year?
Buying a car - 1 year MOT but untaxed for over a year?
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Discussion

Dunno123

Original Poster:

22 posts

92 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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Hello. I am going to buy a car, but I am not sure what to think of this. The car has a fresh mot (expires on 23 April 2019), but it's been untaxed since 15 December 2017. What could be the reason for this? It's being sold by a "trade seller" on Autotrader whose address seems to be a regular residential building.

This is the first car I am (might be) going to buy on my own (my first one was arranged by my parents), so I am a bit wary.

Thank you in advance for your opinions.

A500leroy

7,427 posts

138 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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How old is it?
Could be the previous owner was of the older generation and has passed away and maybe there was an issue with who the car would be inherited by?

Integroo

11,585 posts

105 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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Has it been sitting on a dealer forecourt?

SlowcoachIII

309 posts

241 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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Traders don’t have to tax cars as they have trade plates so they could have bought the car untaxed hence the long period of no tax.

Then they could have MOT’d the car last April if they have held it for that long. Does it seem like they have the storage to hold stock for a long period?

Dunno123

Original Poster:

22 posts

92 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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Oops, now I see it's actually been untaxed for 4.5 months, not over a year. Sorry.

It still seems like a long period to me, given that the car seems good, is priced low and has no advisories on the last 2 mot's.

SlowcoachIII: The trade seller's address is a regular residential building with a driveway. That's where he keeps the car based on the pictures and there's only one more car in there (no more space).

davek_964

10,498 posts

195 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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I don't think it being untaxed for 4.5 months is a particularly big deal - since tax can't be transferred with the vehicle now, it probably just means he bought it 4.5 months ago. However - it does make you wonder what he was doing with it for that period of time if he's only just MOT'd it? Maybe it needed some major repair when he bought it?

If you do buy it, I think you need to consider it a private sale from what you've said about his premises, even if he is describing himself as a trader. Buyer beware and all that.

t400ble

1,804 posts

141 months

Monday 30th April 2018
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4 and half months is nothing at all