KNOW THE SIGNS
I’m a motors expert but even I fell for a crafty sales scam when buying a car… here’s how you can avoid it
You could even end up having to fight it out in court
A MOTORS expert has revealed how even he fell for a crafty car sales scam - and explained how you can avoid it.
Drivers caught up in the crime could find themselves facing the stress of a hefty, unexpected bill.
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Grant, who runs Scottish Car Clan, shared his experience on his YouTube channel.
He said: "I was scammed when buying a used car.
"Here's the thing, I've bought and sold hundreds of cars over the years and I've always been quietly proud that I've never fallen victim to a scam.
"But this one got me good."
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Grant claimed that he bought a second-hand car through a private sale (i.e. directly from its owner not from a dealership) to use in his social media videos.
He said the car had no issues while he used it, the only odd thing he found was that he apparently never received the full V5 registration document, instead only having the new keeper form that is filled in as part of a sale.
And when he quoted the information on it to the DVLA, Grant was allegedly told that it did not correspond to the most up-to-date V5 for that car.
However, he said he "thought nothing of it" as "these sorts of mix-ups must happen all the time".
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All he had to do was fill out some paperwork and receive a new V5 directly from DVLA.
After using the car in a couple of clips, he found he had no further use for it and sold it on to a friend for the same price as when he bought it.
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The pal didn't make an HPI check (which looks into a vehicle's history) on the motor as the pair "trusted each other".
Besides which, Grant allegedly conducted his own check when he had picked it up just a few months earlier.
It was only when they tried to trade the car in at an actual dealership that, according to Grant, his friend was told that the motor had an outstanding finance loan against it.
Grant went on: "Cue a very confused situation and phone call from my friend."
He alleged: "To cut a long story short, what had happened here is that the guy who sold it to me had basically given me an old V5 keeper slip (we know that because DVLA confirmed it).
"And he had kept the current one and used it to refinance the car while I owned it.
"So he got my money and he got the finance company's money."
UK hotspot for car scams revealed amid warnings of 'resteals'
Brits have been warned about the growth of "resteal" scam in the used car market.
This is when scammers sell you a second-hand motor only to steal it back just hours later.
They can then repeat the act several times on the same car, making thousands in the process.
Philip Swift, boss of loss adjustment firm Claims Management & Adjusting, warned that this practice is on the rise across the nation.
However, it's particularly prevalent in the North of England, he claimed.
He fumed: "These unscrupulous crooks leave havoc in their wake, for both the innocent purchasers and the owner of the legitimate vehicle whose identity has been replicated."
Not only would this sort of scam leave a loan company worse off, but it can also lead to the new owner running into some financial trouble.
The loan is secured against the car so whoever owns it could find themselves slapped with a bill for thousands in repayments on a sum they never borrowed.
Most companies would likely try and track down the person who signed the initial agreement but if they used a fake name this could be tricky.
Even if they find them it can lead to a lengthy and expensive court case to prove you are not responsible for the loan.
Thankfully, Grant was able to share some advice as to how you can spot the signs of this scam and try and avoid it.
There are so many bad sellers out there
First of all, you can use the DVLA's online V5 transfer tool to register the change of ownership.
Try and do this as close to the time of purchase as possible.
This is a great protection against any V5 shenanigans as the site will only accept the details of the latest document.
You can also use the DVLA website to check the MOT and tax status of a vehicle by entering its registration, which includes the date of the last V5 being issued.
Likewise, it's a good idea to go for an HPI check whenever you buy a second-hand car.
This costs as little as £10 online and will flag if the car has been stolen, written off or has outstanding finance.
Just be aware that in Grant's situation, the finance was only allegedly taken out after the dodgy sale, hence why it didn't show up on his HPI.
Grant concluded: "This is why we need to be so careful when buying cars.
"Cover your back on this one.
"There are so many bad sellers out there.
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"If they opt to take finance out after they've sold us the car, there's not really any way we can get round that."
A DVLA spokesperson told The Sun that the agency is responsible for recording the registered keeper of a vehicle and that this may differ from the legal owner, meaning that a V5 could be issued on a vehicle with oustanding finance.
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