Was sold a car that was flagged as stolen
Discussion
Thanks for letting me join this forum. I just wanted some advice or thoughts.
I recently bought a car for my son, who had just passed his test, from a well known dealer. On viewing the car it had bodywork damage which the seller agreed to sort out, which they did.
Within a week of picking the car up, my son took it on a weekend break. On his journey he was stopped by the police who said it came up red as stolen on their computer. He was searched, the car and his belongings searched and then quizzed in the back of the police car for 20 minutes while the police investigated his story of purchase. The police eventually contacted the force down south who had put the mark on the car, and were told the car was part of a civil matter and eventually took the mark off and let him go on his way.
We've since spoken to the dealer who is being very vague and said it had a hpi check done when they purchased the vehicle and one done the day it was sold to us, (why two checks?) and nothing came up regarding it being stolen.
Apart from the experience my son endured we have concerns as to why it was flagged as stolen, whether it had been recovered in a damaged state and whether the seller had actually done a hpi check. Also we are concerned that the person who reported it stolen could do it again?
Should we be concerned and do you think the seller has acted responsibly and done the appropriate checks.
Thanks for any replies.
Dave
I recently bought a car for my son, who had just passed his test, from a well known dealer. On viewing the car it had bodywork damage which the seller agreed to sort out, which they did.
Within a week of picking the car up, my son took it on a weekend break. On his journey he was stopped by the police who said it came up red as stolen on their computer. He was searched, the car and his belongings searched and then quizzed in the back of the police car for 20 minutes while the police investigated his story of purchase. The police eventually contacted the force down south who had put the mark on the car, and were told the car was part of a civil matter and eventually took the mark off and let him go on his way.
We've since spoken to the dealer who is being very vague and said it had a hpi check done when they purchased the vehicle and one done the day it was sold to us, (why two checks?) and nothing came up regarding it being stolen.
Apart from the experience my son endured we have concerns as to why it was flagged as stolen, whether it had been recovered in a damaged state and whether the seller had actually done a hpi check. Also we are concerned that the person who reported it stolen could do it again?
Should we be concerned and do you think the seller has acted responsibly and done the appropriate checks.
Thanks for any replies.
Dave
Hi, we've requested a copy of the alleged hpi checks, still waiting. We didn't see one on the day it was sold, realise now that we should have asked but with this being a large well known and 'award winning' dealer and with all the excitement of buying our son his first car, we trusted what we were told. We are also concerned that while he was driving with a 'stolen' mark on the car, whether any accident in it would have meant his insurance would have been void.
While I sympathise that the experience of being stopped and all subsequent checks can't be pleasant, I think you need to look at this pragmatically.
If it is a "civil matter" it is possible that the car was under some dispute in the past (buyer owed some money for it, never paid, called police who said it's a civil matter, take it up with the court etc. etc.).
I'm not 100% sure what data HPI uses, so while it would flag an insurance marker on a car that was stolen, if it was only a police marker in their own systems it may not even flag it.
If they've removed the stolen marker so "easily" on it I wouldn't worry as long as you have got a sales invoice from the dealer, and you've raised it with them. If they provide you with the HPI print out and it's clear, they genuinely may not know if it was stolen/under dispute or not. This doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't some underlying ownership issue, but you're on fairly solid ground I would've thought.
For piece of mind and depending how much this car cost, you could just get your own HPI check for £10, or maybe someone on here could help out who has access to them...
If the car is otherwise good, don't let this detract from the rest of it.
If it is a "civil matter" it is possible that the car was under some dispute in the past (buyer owed some money for it, never paid, called police who said it's a civil matter, take it up with the court etc. etc.).
I'm not 100% sure what data HPI uses, so while it would flag an insurance marker on a car that was stolen, if it was only a police marker in their own systems it may not even flag it.
If they've removed the stolen marker so "easily" on it I wouldn't worry as long as you have got a sales invoice from the dealer, and you've raised it with them. If they provide you with the HPI print out and it's clear, they genuinely may not know if it was stolen/under dispute or not. This doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't some underlying ownership issue, but you're on fairly solid ground I would've thought.
For piece of mind and depending how much this car cost, you could just get your own HPI check for £10, or maybe someone on here could help out who has access to them...
If the car is otherwise good, don't let this detract from the rest of it.
You can't "buy" a stolen car - it still belongs to the original owner. You've lost your money - the owner gets their car back.
However, you have a valid legal claim against the seller to recover your money because the seller has failed to deliver the goods you thought you were buying.
However, you have a valid legal claim against the seller to recover your money because the seller has failed to deliver the goods you thought you were buying.
This is interesting and something I hadn't considered.
In the same way I wouldn't automatically claim on my insurance if I damaged my car, I suppose I may not claim if it was stolen, if it was a cheap car.
(Excess to pay and future premiums may go up?)
Unlikely,I agree, but possible.
The car could then be sold with nothing to alert the buyer that it was stolen?
In the same way I wouldn't automatically claim on my insurance if I damaged my car, I suppose I may not claim if it was stolen, if it was a cheap car.
(Excess to pay and future premiums may go up?)
Unlikely,I agree, but possible.
The car could then be sold with nothing to alert the buyer that it was stolen?
Thanks for all your thoughts, I will await the dealers response regarding the two hpi checks they said were carried out. I will take onboard the advice about getting my own hpi check in future. We paid £10,000 for a 14 reg Fiesta automatic. The more I delve into the records there seems to be
a story behind the vehicle. The mileage records show 25,000 miles from 2014 to 2019 then only 3000 miles from there to 2023. When we first viewed it, it appeared as if it had been standing somewhere unused for a long time, possibly because of a civil dispute? I'd like to see if I could get any info from the police force that pulled my son, his account is sketchy due to nerves being stopped so soon after passing his test and being his first journey.
The concern is whoever reported it as stolen must obviously had claim to the car to do so.
DVLA will only give details of previous owners if the vehicle in involved in a legal dispute of some kind.
I'll report back with any results.
Dave
a story behind the vehicle. The mileage records show 25,000 miles from 2014 to 2019 then only 3000 miles from there to 2023. When we first viewed it, it appeared as if it had been standing somewhere unused for a long time, possibly because of a civil dispute? I'd like to see if I could get any info from the police force that pulled my son, his account is sketchy due to nerves being stopped so soon after passing his test and being his first journey.
The concern is whoever reported it as stolen must obviously had claim to the car to do so.
DVLA will only give details of previous owners if the vehicle in involved in a legal dispute of some kind.
I'll report back with any results.
Dave
Edited by Stellaman123 on Thursday 14th September 10:30
Stellaman123 said:
Thanks for all your thoughts, I will await the dealers response regarding the two hpi checks they said were carried out. I will take onboard the advice about getting my own hpi check in future. We paid £10,000 for a 14 reg Fiesta automatic. The more I delve into the records there seems to be
a story behind the vehicle. The mileage records show 25,000 miles from 2014 to 2019 then only 3000 miles from there to 2023. When we first viewed it, it appeared as if it had been standing somewhere unused for a long time, possibly because of a civil dispute? I'd like to see if I could get any info from the police force that pulled my son, his account is sketchy due to nerves being stopped so soon after passing his test and being his first journey.
The concern is whoever reported it as stolen must obviously had claim to the car to do so.
DVLA will only give details of previous owners if the vehicle in involved in a legal dispute of some kind.
I'll report back with any results.
Dave
A vcheck is always worth while as well starts from £2.99 and will give you a good idea of the history.a story behind the vehicle. The mileage records show 25,000 miles from 2014 to 2019 then only 3000 miles from there to 2023. When we first viewed it, it appeared as if it had been standing somewhere unused for a long time, possibly because of a civil dispute? I'd like to see if I could get any info from the police force that pulled my son, his account is sketchy due to nerves being stopped so soon after passing his test and being his first journey.
The concern is whoever reported it as stolen must obviously had claim to the car to do so.
DVLA will only give details of previous owners if the vehicle in involved in a legal dispute of some kind.
I'll report back with any results.
Dave
Edited by Stellaman123 on Thursday 14th September 10:30
If you want a hpi message me the reg and ill do it.
Edited by Dan W. on Thursday 14th September 10:42
Stellaman123 said:
The mileage records show 25,000 miles from 2014 to 2019 then only 3000 miles from there to 2023.
So an average of 5k a year, and then 3k for 4 years, 2 of which were mostly lockdown (and some people are still working from home). Or they might have bought an additional household car. Assuming it's even the same owner, I don't know if that would bother me so much.
CLX said:
This is interesting and something I hadn't considered.
In the same way I wouldn't automatically claim on my insurance if I damaged my car, I suppose I may not claim if it was stolen, if it was a cheap car.
(Excess to pay and future premiums may go up?)
Unlikely,I agree, but possible.
The car could then be sold with nothing to alert the buyer that it was stolen?
I was thinking that there must be reports made to the police that never turn out to be theft, be that they do not meet the threshold of theft, are mistakes, malicious, non payment etc.In the same way I wouldn't automatically claim on my insurance if I damaged my car, I suppose I may not claim if it was stolen, if it was a cheap car.
(Excess to pay and future premiums may go up?)
Unlikely,I agree, but possible.
The car could then be sold with nothing to alert the buyer that it was stolen?
Not so much cars are stolen with out claims.
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