I’m looking for some advice urgently please..

longy79

I am a sole motor trader and bought a car off a private individual for £15.500 in cash about 2 weeks ago. I HPi’d the car as I always do when purchasing any car and it came back clear.
I needed to buy a second key and took the car to the local dealer to do this.
I found out that key to the car was not the one supplied with the car when first built (locks had been changed) which made me suspicious.
I contacted the dealer who originally supplied the vehicle and was informed that their local police had expressed an interest in this car. I then contacted DVLA and asked for confirmation of the ownership and V5 details. They informed me after asking me a series of questions that the V5 was fraudulent and from a batch that had been stolen in 2007 which were going to be destroyed.

I then contacted my local police and explained the situation to them. They came the following morning and seized the car to enable them to carry out investigations on it. They took all my documents relating to the car and said they would be in touch.

Throughout the last week I have been contacting the guy I bought the car from and explained that it was potentially a stolen car and I and the police would need information and details of where he had purchased it. He informed me that his HPi report had also shown the vehicle to be clear. He has still not provided me with details of his purchase despite several calls and messages.

I have been in touch with my HPI Company who are also investigating but I am not hopeful of any positive outcome even though I took out an indemnity policy out with them to protect me if their report turned out to be incorrect.

I have heard today from the local police that after examination of the vehicle they are able to confirm that the car was stolen in February down south from a burglary. They say it was a professional job and the vehicle will be returned to the insurance company. The registration details are linked to a 58 plate car rather than the 09 I assumed it was.

As you can appreciate I am now £15.500 out of pocket and do not know where to go next. I believe my only hope of getting any money back is from the person I bought the car from. I will also try and see if I can buy the vehicle back from the insurance company to enable me to recoup some of my loss. I am so angry but embarrassed that I have been duped and remain determined to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
I have tried to speak to several solicitors for advice but getting no-where.
Trading standards have told me that my fight is with the person who sold me the vehicle but I am not hopeful of this getting a positive outcome.

I’m due to get married next year and looks like it will be put on hold due to losing this huge amount of money

Apologies for the long message.

Chippy_Minton_2

What advice do you want?

The law states in the case of a stolen car, the buyer is the one out of pocket. The car lawfully belongs to the insurance company.

Trading standards are right and many here will tell you to chace the seller through the small claims court. What really is the point? He seller will himself either have been an innocent purchaser of the car, so how would you prove he knew it was stolen? Or more likely the case he knew he sold you a stolen car as thats how he makes his living. What are the chances of this person then paying you compensation? None what so ever or 20p a week.

If he does make a living from selling stolen goods and he cannot prove how he maintains he standard of living the police may chase him under the proceeds of crime act. This MAY assist in your compensation, but I'd bet the government take their slice first.

longy79

advice on whether any solicitors or someone who specialises in this problem who could maybe help me on whether i should pursue a claim

thanks

Chippy_Minton_2

Thats up to you, I've told you bluntly how it will be.

vaio

longy79 wrote: »

………………I have been in touch with my HPI Company who are also investigating but I am not hopeful of any positive outcome even though I took out an indemnity policy out with them to protect me if their report turned out to be incorrect…………….

Isn’t this your get out of jail free card?

longy79

thanks for the advice, but unfortunatley bluntly doesnt seem to have such a good effect on me right now, when im asking if there are any lawyers or solictors, as im not prepared to sit down and accept that i have lost that huge amount of money without trying to claw it back

regards hpi report, they will say that the reg was in fact a fake and say that they only gave clearance on that not the original which was stolen

thanks

gilbert_and_sullivan

I shall be watching this thread and hoping for a good result for the OP.

Should this not be forthcoming i for one won't be giving any of my money to HPI or their competitors in the future, might as well consult Mystic Meg.

vikingaero

Sounds like the car is a ringer. You'll probably find HPi to be chocolate fireguard in relation to ringers with no indemnity.

motorguy

longy79 wrote: »

thanks for the advice, but unfortunatley bluntly doesnt seem to have such a good effect on me right now, when im asking if there are any lawyers or solictors, as im not prepared to sit down and accept that i have lost that huge amount of money without trying to claw it back

regards hpi report, they will say that the reg was in fact a fake and say that they only gave clearance on that not the original which was stolen

thanks

Did you only get the HPI check done on the reg not the chassis number?

longy79

hey again, i hpi'd it inputting chassis number and reg and both came up clear, then when i went to purchase it, i confirmed chassis numbers from v5 and hpi check to ones on the car, they all matched

so what else can i do

Inactive

Sorry to hear of your unfortunate purchase, I would think that your only hope is to continue to chase the seller, even if that entails a visit to his home to discuss the matter.

Sorry that I cannot be of any further help.

Good luck.