Angry Bought a Stolen Car without Knowing it

fridgeracer

to the OP:

it's a shame that your HPI check and VIN check still ended up landing you a stolen car and in debt with no car.

however, it is a mistake although very careless and stupid to go buy any car from anywhere, where you are greeted by a 3rd party and not the actual seller, not even at the address given to you (you were taken somewhere else), and you are expected to pay over £21000 in cash. Who walks around with £21000 cash? What idiot would expect someone to pay that amount of money for something in cash? There is no transaction record with banking institutes, therefore you are not covered to claim it back and now probably have to battle a long case against the seller - that's if they don't go to jail for the theft, in which case you`ll get no money back until they are out for you to take them to court.

Very bad move. Do not buy a car in cash of that amount, make sure the seller does not look dodgy, and do not buy it at a different place other than the seller's actual home or trade dealership. If you can, ask for a warranty as well.

also, consider not ever buying a BMW of that model again - clearly it was able to be broken into and sold to you with no sign of a break in, which shows it's security is rubbish - something i was not expecting from a highly expensive and respected german car manufacturer.

Sgt_Pepper_2

fridgeracer wrote: »

to the OP:

it's a shame that your HPI check and VIN check still ended up landing you a stolen car and in debt with no car.

however, it is a mistake although very careless and stupid to go buy any car from anywhere, where you are greeted by a 3rd party and not the actual seller, not even at the address given to you (you were taken somewhere else), and you are expected to pay over £21000 in cash. Who walks around with £21000 cash? What idiot would expect someone to pay that amount of money for something in cash? There is no transaction record with banking institutes, therefore you are not covered to claim it back and now probably have to battle a long case against the seller - that's if they don't go to jail for the theft, in which case you`ll get no money back until they are out for you to take them to court.

Very bad move. Do not buy a car in cash of that amount, make sure the seller does not look dodgy, and do not buy it at a different place other than the seller's actual home or trade dealership. If you can, ask for a warranty as well.

I think the op realises it was a bad move.

ado

fridgeracer wrote: »

to the OP:
also, consider not ever buying a BMW of that model again - clearly it was able to be broken into and sold to you with no sign of a break in, which shows it's security is rubbish - something i was not expecting from a highly expensive and respected german car manufacturer.

The original theft might have come about following a car key burglary or someone defrosting their car on the street whilst finishing their breakfast.

wba31

malichi wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]So the car has been taken away by the police I and my pregnant girlfriend are £21,500 out of pocket we are expecting our first child. Now I don’t know what to do any advice[/FONT]

If the missus is pregnant and the money is important why spend so much on a car in the first instance?

Where does insurance stand on stuff like this, the OP did the checks anyone of us would do, and as people have said a clone would not appear on a HPI check anyway...

Aretnap

Car security these days is generally pretty good across the board. As a result new-ish cars tend only to be stolen when the thieves can get their hands on the keys - by breaking into the house, a bit of wire through the letterbox (you don't keep your keys on a hook next to the door do you?) or picking up dropped keys in a shop then seeing which car in the car park opens when you press the button. A survey last October found that that the owners' keys are used in two thirds of the 150,000 cars stolen each year. The same survey discovered that only one in 50 cars is now being stolen in the traditional manner by hotwiring. (Linky - not sure about how the other third get stolen)

steve-L

Some very silly criticism here......

I for one bought a BMW after meeting the sellers dad and paid cash to the seller! Nothing BAD has happened!

I think the OP needs good legal advice....
This probably involves checking the wording of the HPI check and guarantee's. Ensure you did/do within the time the VIN etc.

Report the fraud as fraud and make sure it is treated as such not just used in a police sting.... (i.e Make sure it's your fraud, logged and reported with a fraud number) this way the police have to pursue it differently. (in theory)

Hackman_2

wba31 wrote: »

If the missus is pregnant and the money is important why spend so much on a car in the first instance?

Where does insurance stand on stuff like this, the OP did the checks anyone of us would do, and as people have said a clone would not appear on a HPI check anyway...

His car insurance won't cover it and I'd guess the HPI companies get out is they checked the genuine car and that is ok.

oldagetraveller

"[FONT=&quot]a week later i sent the log book to DVLA to register as the new owner of the car about 2 weeks later I received a letter from the metropolitan police informing me that they have received a letter from the DVLA for a new keeper but they need to come."

I thought it was the seller who sent the V5C (log book) to the DVLA? You should have been given the new keeper supplement.
Below from DVLA website.
[/FONT]Vehicle has a registration certificate (V5C)

The seller must:

• complete section 6 of the V5C (‘new keeper or new name/new address details’)
• sign the declaration in section 8 (you must do this too)
• fill in section 10 (‘new keeper supplement’) and give it to you - this section is also known as the V5C/2
• send the V5C to DVLA

spacey2012

It matters not if the HPI check throws it up.
The real ones, come with an insurance policy, if this is the case, a trip to a solicitor with the policy is the first call.
Let a legal expert decide on the HPI insurance issue.
At £21k it is worth a court case to enforce the policy.

Sgt_Pepper_2

spacey2012 wrote: »

It matters not if the HPI check throws it up.
The real ones, come with an insurance policy, if this is the case, a trip to a solicitor with the policy is the first call.
Let a legal expert decide on the HPI insurance issue.
At £21k it is worth a court case to enforce the policy.

Why do you state this?

How can the hpi company be liable if the op checked a different car to the one he bought?