Grand Auto Theft
by David Bradley
Don't get scammed by the last grand auto theft scam. According to E-Cops here's
how it works: You buy a car from a private seller, they give you the tear-off
slip from the vehicle registration document (more on
DVLA and
www-direct-gov-uk-taxdisc)
and they fill in your details (including your home address) on the document (as
they should). You give them the money and they give you a key to the car, and
come up with some spurious excuse as to why they don't have the spare.
You drive off and within 48 hours the car is stolen from your house as the seller has kept the second key and then comes to your house and takes the car. According to E-Cops, numerous vehicles have been stolen in this way within a day or two of a private sale, those that have been recovered have no damage consistent with an auto theft.
Here are the top seven tips for protecting yourself when buying a used car privately:
- Check that the engine and chassis numbers (from the registration document) are correct
- Check that the chassis number plates are "tight" to the metal and don't appear to have been tampered with or replaced.
- Be especially cautious if the seller doesn't have a registration document- they may not be lawfully entitled to sell the vehicle
- If you are given only one key, then satisfy yourself as to why (all new cars should come with two
- If you unhappy with any of 1-5 above then walk away, there are plenty more fish in the sea
- If the deal appears too good to miss then walk away; there's no such thing as a free lunch
- If you want to have a trouble free purchase, get a vehicle from a reputable garage as they vet all their vehicles carefully prior to sale.
