car trader posing as private buyer

psychic_teabag

I've heard of traders posing as private sellers. Should I have any reason to worry about a trader posing as a private buyer ? Is this a case of don't dig if you don't want to know the answer. Might be perfectly legit : eg the family trades but this genuinely for private use.

I don't really care too much about getting less than the car's worth (which isn't much anway - it's very old). I'm buying a nearly-new car, and the dealer's trade-in offer was rather derisory. I'm lazy and don't feel like making much extra effort to sell the thing : I figured I'd just offer it up, and if I happened to get more than the trade-in offer before the purchase completed, that was a win. If he's able to sell it on for more then we're both happy. (Well, would have preferred openness over deceit, but ...)

But the last thing I want is any hassle / comeback on me. eg I think I have to fill in the V5C document differently for a private sale vs a sale to a trader. Any comeback if I, in good faith, complete the paperwork as a private sale.

Tilt

Sorry, your post is as clear as mud. It is a serious breach of the SOGA for a trader to pose as a private seller. Are you asking on behalf of yourself being the seller or because you are a potential buyer from a supposed 'private seller'?

psychic_teabag

Sorry, I'll try that again. I posted an ad to sell a car privately. Someone replied, offering to buy the car, saying it was for private use. I have a vague suspicion he might actually be a trader. Should I care ?

Concern is only over any legal comeback on me. Not bothered about the money - if he can sell it on for more than he gave me, good luck to him.

Joe_Horner

Not a problem for you as long as you fill out and send off the paperwork as required - sign and date the V5, fill in his details and get him to sign and date as well. Then post if off yourself - do NOT allow him to take the whole form to deal with it.

If he's trading he may try to convince you to let him deal with the docs because it keeps one keeper off the paperwork and makes it less obvious that he's only just acquired it but don't let him. It's YOUR responsibility to send it.

The only difference in filling it out as a sale to trade is that it stops them going on the V5 as a keeper, which keeps the numbers down. A bona fide trader will use this rather than holding onto the V5 with it still in your name, but the possible "extra" keeper isn't your problem once it's sold

s_b

to clarify
if you sell to a private purchaser the new keeper gets the new keeper supplement only
if selling to trade you get the sold to trade slip that you post to swansea rest goes to trade buyer
if you want to do your little bit to stop the black economy and make great britain great again then dont let a non tax paying fiddlind two bit underhand lowlife get hold of all the log book if hes playing the private jobbie approach because it may well come back to bite even though you did your bit for our great leader

interstellaflyer

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Not a problem for you as long as you fill out and send off the paperwork as required - sign and date the V5, fill in his details and get him to sign and date as well. Then post if off yourself - do NOT allow him to take the whole form to deal with it.

If he's trading he may try to convince you to let him deal with the docs because it keeps one keeper off the paperwork and makes it less obvious that he's only just acquired it but don't let him. It's YOUR responsibility to send it.

The only difference in filling it out as a sale to trade is that it stops them going on the V5 as a keeper, which keeps the numbers down. A bona fide trader will use this rather than holding onto the V5 with it still in your name, but the possible "extra" keeper isn't your problem once it's sold

Filling in the trader section of the V5 does not put an extra keeper on the V5, that used to happen with the old style V5.

Joe_Horner

s_b wrote: »

To clarify:

[...] dont let a non tax paying fiddlind two bit underhand lowlife get hold of all the log book if hes playing the private jobbie approach because it may well come back to bite even though you did your bit for our great leader

I was trying to think of a way to word it without using that phrase, but you're right - it is much clearer when written honestly like that

Tilt

psychic_teabag wrote: »

Sorry, I'll try that again. I posted an ad to sell a car privately. Someone replied, offering to buy the car, saying it was for private use. I have a vague suspicion he might actually be a trader. Should I care ?

Concern is only over any legal comeback on me. Not bothered about the money - if he can sell it on for more than he gave me, good luck to him.

Should you care? No, there would be no legal comeback if you sold the car privately and you are not a trader.

Joe_Horner

interstellaflyer wrote: »

Filling in the trader section of the V5 does not put an extra keeper on the V5, that used to happen with the old style V5.

I thought that's what I wrote - filling in as trader "saves" one RK, filling it in as privare buyer adds one.

Hence why most non tax paying fiddlind two bit underhand lowlifes (who don't want it done as a sale to trade because that could draw attention) will offer to "sort the paperwork out for you" then fail to do anything about it till they sell on.

Meanwhile you get sorn penalties, speeding fines from them hooning around and so on, plus a failing to notify fine when you try to explain why it's not your fault.

So, either fill it out as a private sale and post yourself, or fill out as a trade sale and send the slip off yourself. Either way, make sure that YOU'VE told DLA of the change rather than relying on the buyer doing so!

interstellaflyer

Joe_Horner wrote: »

I thought that's what I wrote - filling in as trader "saves" one RK, filling it in as privare buyer adds one.

Hence why most non tax paying fiddlind two bit underhand lowlifes (who don't want it done as a sale to trade because that could draw attention) will offer to "sort the paperwork out for you" then fail to do anything about it till they sell on.

Meanwhile you get sorn penalties, speeding fines from them hooning around and so on, plus a failing to notify fine when you try to explain why it's not your fault.

So, either fill it out as a private sale and post yourself, or fill out as a trade sale and send the slip off yourself. Either way, make sure that YOU'VE told DLA of the change rather than relying on the buyer doing so!

Yep, sorry, I'll book an appointment to get my eyes tested.

psychic_teabag

Thanks all. I did assume that it was in a trader's interests to do the paperwork accordingly so as to not impact the number of owners (or something).

I'll certainly not let him take away my bit of the documentation "for my convenience". If he does start trying to play silly games, might be simplest just to ask him outright if he's a trader and wants the paperwork done accordingly. (And that I don't mind.)

Of course, he might then renege if doing it on the books reduces his profit margins. He'd presumably have to offer some kind of gaurantee when he sells it on, for example. (And he'll probably ask for the deposit back. And being a coward, I'll probably give it to him - he knows where I live, after all :-( )

Should have just settled for the original offer.