Dealership sold me a diplomat car??

[Carbuy-321]

Hi All, I’ve just been out to buy a new car, as part of which I was looking to PX my 2018 5 series which I had bought from a main dealer second hand almost three years ago. Come to the part where we PX and the seller does an HPI check on my 5 series. Turns out it’s listed in HPI as previously registered overseas, and registered in the UK in 2021 (ie just before I bought it) meaning they won’t buy it as it appears to be imported (“previously registered overseas: yes” on HPI)

I called the original BMW dealer, their stance is that this is a UK based diplomat car which are technically UK registered but will not show up like that in the HPI check. Apparently only an BMW database would know this which seems convenient. After the call I went home and checked the sales documents, they show car is ‘registered in 2018’. Technically they don’t say UK but this seems disingenuous to me.

The knock on here is I feel missold on a car which is now more difficult to shift/lower value. BMW dealer says it has no impact on price but a quick search of webuyanycar shows that’s not the case, plus the fact I wasn’t able to PX.

Would love your thoughts on this and whether the story about diplomatic registration has any basis in reality? Has anyone been in a similar situation?

[Arrivalist]

Or maybe somebody will answer!

[Deerfoot]

I had a 3 series from BMW Park Lane Military and Diplomatic sales a few years back.

Picked it up from London and immediately drove it overseas where it spent the next 2 years. Once I was back in the UK it was re-registered as a UK car (BFG plates removed and originals back on) and I sold it as a UK supplied car.

Does it say where the PDI was carried out on any of your paperwork?

[BenS94]

Sell it back to the dealer you bought it from. Simple.

[CB 987]

Or try selling in on Motorway, I expect you might get similar money to the dealer px offer, you might even do slightly better.

Good luck.