Trader conned me out of my private plate

craigdaddy

Hi,

I'm writing this but pretty sure I know the answer to it!

I bought a car off a trader at christmas time and he seemed so helpful and sincere. I was with the family so I guess I didn't have my car hat on at the time.

Anyway we all liked the car and my car was getting to the end of it's time but I had a personalised number plate on it which I was given for my birthday. At the time he did offer a discounted price for it but I wanted to transfer it to this car I was buying from them.

Anyhow, over christmas the DVLA was shut and when I went down there I could not do the transfer. They convinced me to take this one home and leave my old car there so they can find a buyer for it. Then once the DVLA open they will transfer the plate for me.

They convinced me to leave the V5 and keys with them so they could sell it, and I would return in a few days to do the transfer of plates unless the sold it and do it for me. When I returned a few days later he said the car is sold for export and that the person buying it will transfer it to me.

All along it didn't sit comfortably with me, and that was when it all started sinking it that I had been conned. I bought the car on 28th December 2011 and even now when I call him about my number plate he's not telling me to go away, but still maintaining that he's left messages etc with the buyer to transfer the number plate to me.

I asked him for the contact details but he said he doesn't have them. In the meantime I wrote to DVLA requesting new owners details so I can contact them.

However my burning question is, do I have any options to claim either money back for the number plate or my number plate back!

The only thing I have in writing is the sales invoice that states my number plate to be removed before the sale of the vehicle, but it doesn't state by who.

Any help or advice is appreciated even if it means I'm conned and get over it. I just can't sleep right now as I'm extremely annoyed at how I was taken in by this trader!

Thanks for listening.

spiro

craigdaddy wrote: »

The only thing I have in writing is the sales invoice that states my number plate to be removed before the sale of the vehicle, but it doesn't state by who.

Is the invoice just for him buying your old car off him or does it show your old car as being given in part exchange? Not sure if it will make a difference because both are bills of sale which means the old car has been sold unless it specifcally states it will be removed from tyour old car before the delaer sells it in which case he has not kept his part of the bargain. I would speak to the CAB or a solicitor if you have a free one.

Is the plate likely to be worth much to anyone else?

Premier_2

craigdaddy wrote: »

Hi,

I'm writing this but pretty sure I know the answer to it!

I bought a car off a trader at christmas time and he seemed so helpful and sincere. I was with the family so I guess I didn't have my car hat on at the time.

Anyway we all liked the car and my car was getting to the end of it's time but I had a personalised number plate on it which I was given for my birthday. At the time he did offer a discounted price for it but I wanted to transfer it to this car I was buying from them.

Anyhow, over christmas the DVLA was shut and when I went down there I could not do the transfer. They convinced me to take this one home and leave my old car there so they can find a buyer for it. Then once the DVLA open they will transfer the plate for me.

They convinced me to leave the V5 and keys with them so they could sell it, and I would return in a few days to do the transfer of plates unless the sold it and do it for me. When I returned a few days later he said the car is sold for export and that the person buying it will transfer it to me.

All along it didn't sit comfortably with me, and that was when it all started sinking it that I had been conned. I bought the car on 28th December 2011 and even now when I call him about my number plate he's not telling me to go away, but still maintaining that he's left messages etc with the buyer to transfer the number plate to me.

I asked him for the contact details but he said he doesn't have them. In the meantime I wrote to DVLA requesting new owners details so I can contact them.

However my burning question is, do I have any options to claim either money back for the number plate or my number plate back!

The only thing I have in writing is the sales invoice that states my number plate to be removed before the sale of the vehicle, but it doesn't state by who.

Any help or advice is appreciated even if it means I'm conned and get over it. I just can't sleep right now as I'm extremely annoyed at how I was taken in by this trader!

Thanks for listening.

The plates are only worth £10-£20; its not worth worrying about.

Of course that is entirely different to transferring a number, but that is not what your written agreement says ...

craigdaddy

spiro wrote: »

Is the invoice just for him buying your old car off him or does it show your old car as being given in part exchange? Not sure if it will make a difference because both are bills of sale which means the old car has been sold unless it specifcally states it will be removed from tyour old car before the delaer sells it in which case he has not kept his part of the bargain. I would speak to the CAB or a solicitor if you have a free one.

Is the plate likely to be worth much to anyone else?

The invoice just states that my car is being sold in part exchange and that my number plate is to be removed before the sale.

The number plate is worth approx £1000.

I'll give the CAB a go I guess, got nothing to lose!

TrickyWicky

You've been had good and proper mate. Sorry to say he saw you coming and you were a mug for going along with it.

If something doesn't seem right then it isn't - it's called instinct and its there to protect you.

s_b

to be honest it is quite feasable that he did sell it to go abroad but your biggest mistake was giving him the logbook
why?
because you are now liable for any consequential losses like parking tickets speeding tickets road tax,etc etc

legal advice needs to be taken and quickly in case this car is out there killing a pedestrian as we speak and the politzia come knocking at your door

it beggers belief the advice we give on this site yet people still dont read it until they have been kippered

EdGasket

s_b wrote: »

to be honest it is quite feasable that he did sell it to go abroad but your biggest mistake was giving him the logbook
why?
because you are now liable for any consequential losses like parking tickets speeding tickets road tax,etc etc

legal advice needs to be taken and quickly in case this car is out there killing a pedestrian as we speak and the politzia come knocking at your door

it beggers belief the advice we give on this site yet people still dont read it until they have been kippered

You do not make any sense! When you sell or PX a car to a dealer, of course you hand over the registration document. You get a slip of paper back saying it has been sold to 'the trade'. End of story.

s_b

EdGasket wrote: »

You do not make any sense! When you sell or PX a car to a dealer, of course you hand over the registration document. You get a slip of paper back saying it has been sold to 'the trade'. End of story.

from op

They convinced me to leave the V5 and keys with them so they could sell it

and again from op

I asked him for the contact details but he said he doesn't have them.

attention is in the detail in this case you havent read the detail
the op was talked into giving all the v5 to trader and if trader is to be believed he gave all v5 to buyer so he could export it

pretty straight forward to me when i see a skank

getzls

Tell the dealer if you don't get compo for your plate you will name and shame him on this.

ThatWayneBloke

Pretty sure that if you apply a cherished registration to a vehicle, the plate belongs to the vehicle and not to the owner/registered keeper. If you were to sell it, you should have put the plate on retention with the DVLA, then you would own the plate, and they would re-register the car with its original reg.

The dealers taken advantage of the fact that you didnt know this, and when the car was signed over, the reg was too, as it belongs to the car. Looks like you've lost it for good.

spiro

ThatWayneBloke wrote: »

Pretty sure that if you apply a cherished registration to a vehicle, the plate belongs to the vehicle and not to the owner/registered keeper. If you were to sell it, you should have put the plate on retention with the DVLA, then you would own the plate, and they would re-register the car with its original reg.

That is one of the reasons that if you have a private plate that you need to advise your insurance that you want to retain the car in a total right off situation otherwise the plate becomes theirs with the remainder of your car.