Advice needed for buying a used car

studentbaker

Hi,

I would appreciate any advice anyone could give me, thanks in advance.

This is the first used car I have ever bough, in fact the only car I have ever bought! Basically I've been look at this car that I like and have done a test drive in it, and checked everything that I think I should of checked. Everything about the car seems fine. The problem is the the legitimacy of the seller. The guy has been pretty up front (I think!) about who he is, he is a dealer buying and selling (probably not officially). He buys at local auctions uses it as his own car until he can sell it then buys a new one. I think this is fair enough just someone trying to make a little extra money. I have also paid for a full history check from icarcheck.net and the car is not registered a stolen or anything.

The only problem I have is that he does not have the log book. He claims to have only had the car for about a month and has sent the logbook into the DVLA but is waiting to get it back which can take up to 4 weeks. He has all the MOT receipts from the previous owner, all the numbers match up etc. He said once he has it bk from the DVLA he will pass it on to me. He does however have the green slip which myself and him fills out which I then have to send the DVLA to register it as officially mine.

So the the car is fine, it has MOT certs, numbers match up, history is fine. My main question is how important is the log book. I have called the DVLA to check and I asked if it did turn out that it didn't have a logbook what do I do? They told me that I would just have to fill out a V62 form and send it off then I will get another logbook

so should i buy or not?

Thanks

securityguy

studentbaker wrote: »

The only problem I have is that he does not have the log book.

Run away. There are lots of cars out there. Why is this one so special?

forgotmyname

Your cheap check may not be accurate. Cheap checks are useless.

Do a proper check, HPI, AA, RAC etc.

Auto Express did a review some time back and cheap ones failed to spot cars on finance or written off.

Leave a deposit and say you will take it when the V5C comes back. A month should be plenty of time.
Is it taxed? When was it taxed last?

motorguy

studentbaker wrote: »

Hi,

I would appreciate any advice anyone could give me, thanks in advance.

This is the first used car I have ever bough, in fact the only car I have ever bought! Basically I've been look at this car that I like and have done a test drive in it, and checked everything that I think I should of checked. Everything about the car seems fine. The problem is the the legitimacy of the seller. The guy has been pretty up front (I think!) about who he is, he is a dealer buying and selling (probably not officially). He buys at local auctions uses it as his own car until he can sell it then buys a new one. I think this is fair enough just someone trying to make a little extra money. I have also paid for a full history check from icarcheck.net and the car is not registered a stolen or anything.

The only problem I have is that he does not have the log book. He claims to have only had the car for about a month and has sent the logbook into the DVLA but is waiting to get it back which can take up to 4 weeks. He has all the MOT receipts from the previous owner, all the numbers match up etc. He said once he has it bk from the DVLA he will pass it on to me. He does however have the green slip which myself and him fills out which I then have to send the DVLA to register it as officially mine.

So the the car is fine, it has MOT certs, numbers match up, history is fine. My main question is how important is the log book. I have called the DVLA to check and I asked if it did turn out that it didn't have a logbook what do I do? They told me that I would just have to fill out a V62 form and send it off then I will get another logbook

so should i buy or not?

Thanks

If he has applied for a new log book, then that green slip will be invalid as its linked to the previous log book.

Ring the DVLA and check the status.

If the cars not currently taxed, you wont be able to tax it until that book is issued.

studentbaker

motorguy wrote: »

If the cars not currently taxed, you wont be able to tax it until that book is issued.

forgotmyname wrote: »

Your cheap check may not be accurate.
Is it taxed? When was it taxed last?

Thanks for the replies.

He got the car MOTed last month so its has a whole years MOT and Its has 6 months tax left.

From what I have been told he would of had to have the log book when he got the MOT done. I saw the receipt for the MOT.

colino

Simply don't bother. Look upon it as part of the, "first car" chase on what not to buy. Plenty of driveway dealers do this, but wait for the docs to be all in order before claiming they, "bought it for their wife, and now she thinks it's too big", or one of the million other excuses these tax dodging vermin come up with.
He's either too lazy to have went to the local DVLA, too low a volume to discover it's shut, or has found a problem he doesn't want stuck with.
Find your local, friendly trader who will ask what you need the car for, advise you on it and be there if there is a fault in the future.

EdGasket

You don't need the log book to get an MoT. I would advise to wait for the log book to turn up before buying it. If you lose the car, there are plent of other ones to buy.

securityguy

studentbaker wrote: »

From what I have been told he would of had to have the log book when he got the MOT done.

You don't need a logbook to get a car MoT'd, for the simple reason that you don't have to be the owner or registered keeper of a car to get it MoT'd. Who on earth told you otherwise?

Richard53

securityguy wrote: »

You don't need a logbook to get a car MoT'd, for the simple reason that you don't have to be the owner or registered keeper of a car to get it MoT'd. Who on earth told you otherwise?

The person who is trying to convince him that the car is legit. 'I had it last week, honest'.

Run away, run away. I have occasionally sold a vehicle on quickly when I found it didn't suit my needs, but I have always waited until I got the V5 through in my name before I put it up for sale. I wouldn't expect any buyer to pay money for a vehicle without a V5.

As others have said, loads of good cars out there. Don't take the risk.

john_white

You only get the negatives buying froma driveway dealer.

The positives of buying from a proper trader, are, PX, finance, warranty, SOGA etc.

The negative being they are a business and want to make money out of you.

Private sales have little protection, but, 2 positives, 1 being they are generally cheaper than buying from a dealer, and 2, in lots of sales the owner has owned it for a couple of years and you'll be able to get a bit more info (in theory).

So by buying from a driveway dealer you don't get the positives of either!

Hoof_Hearted

Please take somebody with you who knows a bit about owning a car.