Bought clocked car from Dealer

Bought clocked car from Dealer

Author
Discussion

coopertrooper79

Original Poster:

16 posts

69 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
quotequote all
Hi,
Bought a car from a supposedly reputable dealer two years ago.
Was looking to trade it in recently, when it came to light the car has had approx 20k miles clocked from the mileage.
The terms and conditions say the cars are HPI clear.
Had a few calls and emails from the dealer dating it is an typing error etc, but they are now ignoring calls and emails.
I have emailed Trading Standards.
Had anyone been in this this situation and know what a likely outcome could be? Thanks!

ZX10R NIN

27,756 posts

127 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
quotequote all
It could well be a typing error, it's more common than you may believe.

Check the MOT history against the service history & go from there.

coopertrooper79

Original Poster:

16 posts

69 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
quotequote all
I do think it's a typing error, as I phoned BMW and checked before I bought it the service history dates etc, it was only on 2k miles, and I checked the tyre dates, factory weights, brakes and everything was as new.
The dealer said over six weeks ago, he could sort it, I have given them plenty time, but they are now blanking calls and emails.
Doesn't really help 45k later when I'm looking to trade it in though, and this comes up. 🤷
Feel dodgy about it now when going looking at cars when and if one comes up.
The date clearly show it happened before I bought it.
Thanks

ZX10R NIN

27,756 posts

127 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
quotequote all
Is the dealer near you? It may be worth going down in person, personally even if it's not close I'd be making the journey as you need to get it rectified or you're stuck with the car.

coopertrooper79

Original Poster:

16 posts

69 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
quotequote all
The garage is now closed unfortunately and was about 50 miles away.

The Dealership are a big company though with several franchises and showrooms all over.

When I first contacted them, they were helpful and responsive, but now ignoring all contact, have emailed Trading Standards and put a complaint on Twitter / X

Pain in the ***

ZX10R NIN

27,756 posts

127 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
quotequote all
Go down there, as it'll shake them into action (the thought that you could come back again being the motivator) it's a pain but you'll have to put a bit of leg work in.

coopertrooper79

Original Poster:

16 posts

69 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
quotequote all
Yeah - your probably right.

I'm too busy for the next week, I will wait another week then go in person.

Thanks

andymc

7,370 posts

209 months

Sunday 19th November 2023
quotequote all
MOT input error?

Dan W.

1,196 posts

80 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
What are you wanting to happen here ?

Do you believe it has been clocked or that it was just an error ?

errors happen a lot usually an mot error or someone putting incorrect mileage when its bought or sold.


julian64

14,317 posts

256 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
I had this with a BMW once in the nineties. It comes down to the fact that HPI checks ask someone enquiring what the current mileage is and then tells you whether it is fraudulent or not. In my case someone did an HPI check when they were trying to buy a car off me.

Their first attempt to ask about the mileage they put in an extra 1 in front by accident when it asked them what the current mileage displayed was. It came up with fraudulent alert understandably.

Despite the fact that I had all the mots since new showing a progression of mileages I could not get HPI to clear that stupid mileage off the car. Not sure if they've change that particular aspect of their system since. I had at least one person who called me to try and knock money off the sale after that on the basis of the HPI check.
Eventually sold the car to someone who obviously didn't HPI it.

Learning point, HPI uses any old crap they receive from people enquiring and represents it as fact.

48k

13,279 posts

150 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
julian64 said:
I had this with a BMW once in the nineties. It comes down to the fact that HPI checks ask someone enquiring what the current mileage is and then tells you whether it is fraudulent or not. In my case someone did an HPI check when they were trying to buy a car off me.

Their first attempt to ask about the mileage they put in an extra 1 in front by accident when it asked them what the current mileage displayed was. It came up with fraudulent alert understandably.

Despite the fact that I had all the mots since new showing a progression of mileages I could not get HPI to clear that stupid mileage off the car. Not sure if they've change that particular aspect of their system since. I had at least one person who called me to try and knock money off the sale after that on the basis of the HPI check.
Eventually sold the car to someone who obviously didn't HPI it.

Learning point, HPI uses any old crap they receive from people enquiring and represents it as fact.
Do you think that perhaps HPI could have refined their processes and improved their data quality over the last 23+ years since your example took place?

julian64

14,317 posts

256 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
48k said:
julian64 said:
I had this with a BMW once in the nineties. It comes down to the fact that HPI checks ask someone enquiring what the current mileage is and then tells you whether it is fraudulent or not. In my case someone did an HPI check when they were trying to buy a car off me.

Their first attempt to ask about the mileage they put in an extra 1 in front by accident when it asked them what the current mileage displayed was. It came up with fraudulent alert understandably.

Despite the fact that I had all the mots since new showing a progression of mileages I could not get HPI to clear that stupid mileage off the car. Not sure if they've change that particular aspect of their system since. I had at least one person who called me to try and knock money off the sale after that on the basis of the HPI check.
Eventually sold the car to someone who obviously didn't HPI it.

Learning point, HPI uses any old crap they receive from people enquiring and represents it as fact.
Do you think that perhaps HPI could have refined their processes and improved their data quality over the last 23+ years since your example took place?
Hmm possible .Do you know, or should we just assume they are now not doing stupid stuff?

George-B96

2 posts

11 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
Correct me if I'm wrong but technically the HPI part of this is irrelevant and if I'm correct the milage on the dash has been clocked, however when scammed with an OBD reader shows +20k miles on a part within the system?


Olivera

7,270 posts

241 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
It can't be a typing error if it's on the BMW side, for many years (at least 10) mileages have been recorded onto the key, which is what the dealerships use. Absolutely nothing mileage wise is 'typed in' by BMW dealers.

coopertrooper79

Original Poster:

16 posts

69 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
Is the car clocked? I would say no given the checks I mentioned above - factory tyres and wheel weights, general condition etc.

It was however extremely low mileage /, just under 3k in 2.8 years, although from the service history, it must have sat about in a showroom or somewhere for a year or something as the first service history item on the BMW Idrive was new brakes at 97 miles which is strange? Confirmed as correct with BMW.

Clocked or not, it leaves me with the same problem of trading it on, due to HPI. I'm not desperate to do, happy to hold onto the car, but if the right car came up, I would possibly change on impulse. Car is M240i is makes any odds.

Thanks for your inputs.

coopertrooper79

Original Poster:

16 posts

69 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all


Purchased by me in April 2021 before the anomalies.
Feel stupid not doing my own HPI check, but their terms and conditions state all cars are are HPI checked.

Dealer in question has 10 other branches.


Edited by coopertrooper79 on Monday 20th November 16:58

Dan W.

1,196 posts

80 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
Sorry to ask this again, What are you wanting the dealer to do ?

coopertrooper79

Original Poster:

16 posts

69 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
I'm not really sure to be honest - get the HPI changed, if it can't be changed maybe compensation and, or buyback?

What would you expect?

The Gauge

2,133 posts

15 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
Can't offer any advice Im afraid, other than for any future purchases you make - I would never just accept a sellers claim of being HPI clear, I would always do my own.

Dan W.

1,196 posts

80 months

Monday 20th November 2023
quotequote all
coopertrooper79 said:
I'm not really sure to be honest - get the HPI changed, if it can't be changed maybe compensation and, or buyback?

What would you expect?
Working for a dealer myself we cant change the hpi or request it to be changed.

again compensation and buy back wont happen, you would need to prove the hpi they did at time of sale showed an issue and they didnt inform you.

Even then i dont think you would get anywhere, we often have cars which when we value them it shows a caution marker, Again 99% of these always turn out to be a mot test incorrect mileage or a lazy sales person / car owner who just rounds up numbers and gets it wrong when buying or selling.

as a customer i would like and expect to be reassured its just an error and it wont affect the value when i part exchange it.