# Former keepers mis sold a car.



## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

I was sold a car last July by a dealer it had 10000 miles they where selling about 20 of the same car.
The advert said ex demo cars.

When i had done the deal i notice the log book had said 1 former keeper and the owner at the time i then asked why and i was told it was a tax thing where they used the car as a demo and then a courtesy car i was not happy about this but it was in Scotland i lived in Belfast and it was the only way home.

I went to trade it in for another car and was asked why it had 4 owners myself and 3 others the dealer would not give me a good trade in value about £700 less. He said because it had 12900 miles and 4 owners they would find it hard selling it because people would think there was something wrong.

Now i have a letter from the sales manager saying the car only had 2 owners before myself The dealer and courtesy car part of the company.
I have rang the DVLA they say i am the 4th owner the dealer say tough they have it on there books as 3 owners total.

What can i do where can i go now i have a car that will be very hard to trade in at a good value or very hard to sell Its a Nissan.

This post has been changed because i had put 2 former keeps.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Sorry to hear that mate. I think you'll have little in the way of any comeback with the dealer to be honest. All they'll say is that it was an error in their records, and that it wouldn't have an impact in what you paid for the car. Hopefully some of the guys on here will say that you do have some comeback!

It's for this very reason I genuinely dont trust what dealers say. I'll always do an HPI check, and get invoices to prove services etc. I'm in the same kind of scenario with Mrs Cooks a5. Dealer wrote on the sales invoice that the car was serviced on 20th March 2020. I asked for the invoice as proof. Emails, calls, texts, eventually, 2 months since we bought the car, an invoice appears with the correct date, but only for brake pads. No oil or filters... anyhoo it's being done now.......

Good luck mate. 

Cooks

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Unless you have written proof of what they said I doubt you'd get very far. Even then they would still argue it out.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Some people see low owners as a key selling or buying point. 

However, I don't see one extra owner making that much of a difference. 

Have a play on we buy any car or HPI valuations and see if an extra owner makes much difference. My suspicion is the garage is trying to knock you down more than they should.


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## The happy goat (Jun 26, 2019)

The times i have used a ‘car dealer’ they have all lied! Unfortunately unless you have some proof original advert) i don’t t think you have a leg to stand on.

As mentioned already HPI is the only way to go, no lies.

I hope you get it sorted.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

BillyT said:


> I was sold a car last July by a dealer it had 10000 miles they where selling about 20 of the same car.
> The advert said ex demo cars.
> 
> When i had done the deal i notice the log book had said 2 former keepers i then asked why and i was told it was a tax thing where they used the car as a demo and then a courtesy car i was not happy about this but it was in Scotland i lived in Belfast and it was the only way home.
> ...


Sorry to hear about your issues - but what does it say on your logbook ? Surely this said 2 previous owners when you received it after purchasing the car (which tallied with what the dealer said) ???

So how can this then change to 3 previous - you making it 4 ???


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## Andy from Sandy (May 6, 2011)

If you get the list of previous owners it will show the dealer and not private individuals. That ought to explain why it has the number of owners it does.


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## Alfie7777 (Jul 25, 2018)

Billy did you travel to Scotland from Ireland because the vehicle was cheaper? 
If so that’s where your £700 is


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

When i bought the car i saw the V5 and it said 1 former keeper so the Dealer and then the fleet company was the keeper at the time. The dealer wrote me a letter saying the car had 2 keepers before me and i am the 3rd.
Also i did an HPI and again it also said one former keeper with the fleet company as the 2nd.

I never checked the keepers on the V5 when it arrived but if it was sent to DVLA with myself being the 3rd owner then it must be a mistake with DVLA.
Under the freedom of information act i can send in a V888 form to get the history of the car a friend has said.
Alfie7777 the dealer told me it was because of 4 owners he offered £700 less the car was no cheaper in Scotland maybe £50 cheaper. There where none in Northern Ireland.
He would not know it was from Scotland it has a Northern Ireland Reg.


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

Darlofan said:


> Unless you have written proof of what they said I doubt you'd get very far. Even then they would still argue it out.


I do mate i have the letter here it says.
I can confirm that your new car (My reg) Nissan has 2 owners.
One owner is Nissan Dealer and the other was Fleet company who we use to fund the car. I can also confirm the car was used by us only as courtesy car by are service department.

Signed by Sales Manager with dealer stamp on headed paper.
I think it may be a DVLA mix up because as i said before the V5c when i saw it in dealers only said one former keeper.


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## robbo777 (Jul 31, 2013)

Billy in your first post you say the V5 said 2 former keepers BEFORE you drove home,
In post 9 you say when you bought the car the V5 said 1 former keeper ?


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

robbo777 said:


> Billy in your first post you say the V5 said 2 former keepers BEFORE you drove home,
> In post 9 you say when you bought the car the V5 said 1 former keeper ?


Sorry i put it wrong what i meant was it said 1 former keeper on the V5C and the owner at the time fleet company.
Just changed it thank you for pointing that out to me.


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

I have sent the V888 of this morning with all the paperwork at the time just incase its DVLAs fault. If it comes back the dealer lied i dont know what to do as its near impossible to win against dealers.


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## sshooie (May 15, 2007)

Sadly I think you will be ****ing in the wind trying to get any recompense from the dealer.

However, it's not uncommon for the DVLA to balls up, personally I would press them but bearing in mind with GDPR they are limited to the information they can release so you may just have to take it on the chin.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Dealers always find some excuse to knock the price down. I've even had colour once when trading in the wife's car(it was white).


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Darlofan said:


> Dealers always find some excuse to knock the price down. I've even had colour once when trading in the wife's car(it was white).


I think this plays a big part in it. The dealer is haggling you down Billy.

The difference between a 3 or 4 owner car isn't going to be much if anything.

You haven't said what type of Nissan it is?

Describing it as an ex-demo car will probably be a bigger lie. If they've got 20 of the same car it would have been an ex hire car through one of the big hire companies.


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

Kerr said:


> I think this plays a big part in it. The dealer is haggling you down Billy.
> 
> The difference between a 3 or 4 owner car isn't going to be much if anything.
> 
> ...


2018 Nissan Micra yeah after doing some research today i have found out the dealer brings in 20 to 30 cars registers them in there name and then sells them to another part of the company after using them as a demo.

This company leases them out to the dealer. Its all a big tax thing how it works i dont know. Days Fleet it says on paperwork in service manual.

I found a blog from some guy that is going thru the courts in Scotland at the minute after buying a car as a demo but later finding out it was a fleet car with 2 owners before he bought it.

Heres the link he has on his blog.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...r-mis-selling-scandal-could-lead-compensation


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## AndyQash (Jul 28, 2019)

Maybe you should show that story to your dealership.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

BillyT said:


> 2018 Nissan Micra yeah after doing some research today i have found out the dealer brings in 20 to 30 cars registers them in there name and then sells them to another part of the company after using them as a demo.
> 
> This company leases them out to the dealer. Its all a big tax thing how it works i dont know. Days Fleet it says on paperwork in service manual.
> 
> ...


The article says 
Simple steps such as checking the log book, using the DVLA's vehicle information checker and verifying MOT history can all offer peace of mind to car buyers.

Would any of that pick up the fact of what a car has been used for?


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## robbo777 (Jul 31, 2013)

BillyT said:


> Sorry i put it wrong what i meant was it said 1 former keeper on the V5C and the owner at the time fleet company.
> Just changed it thank you for pointing that out to me.


If that is the case in theory you are now the third owner, I've been in the motor trade over 35 years (not a dealer) and I've seen a lot of DVLA mistakes regarding V5's. 
Unfortunately not all of those mistakes were able to be corrected easily but if it is a genuine DVLA mistake and you get to TALK with someone within the correct department you should be able to get it sorted out.


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

robbo777 said:


> If that is the case in theory you are now the third owner, I've been in the motor trade over 35 years (not a dealer) and I've seen a lot of DVLA mistakes regarding V5's.
> Unfortunately not all of those mistakes were able to be corrected easily but if it is a genuine DVLA mistake and you get to TALK with someone within the correct department you should be able to get it sorted out.


robbo777 Cheers and thank you:argie:

Thinking back i honestly do think its a DVLA fault they will only change it if the dealer proves with a photocopy of the log book and a fee but the fee was only £2.50 so not to bad.

I am wondering could the mistake have happened when the wife's cherished plate was put on.
The cherished plate is in my name so is the car.
I saw the log book and it 100% said 1 former keeper thats why i asked for the letter so i could show to anyone if i was selling private.


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## packard (Jun 8, 2009)

This concept is common, in Norfolk Apex Car rental buys a brand new car, it goes for genuine rental but often for less than 3k miles, the car is then “sold” to Richard Nash (sister company) who then sell them on a favourable rates .. long as your happy with an ex hire.

Short story we hired a fiat 500 for a few days to see if other half liked it as the local fiat garage is awful, the lady who we rented it from even joked with our rationale ans said I can put your name on it as it will be up for sale in a few days.

This happens all the time, and with DVAL they make so many mistakes it’s awful, and if you get hit with a mistake it can take a long time to resolve.. been there with their stuff ups in the past.


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi everyone the dealer has given me a call asking what i would want in compensation.
Honestly i dont know he said having an extra person on the log book wont make any difference to trading it in. 

The only problem i have it online at the minute trying to sell it and every single person has asked why it has 4 owners with such low miles. I have even been asked is the car clocked.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Going off your initial post - if he’s offering you compensation for the extra owner, you could ask for the £700 as that’s what you reckon it’s costing you ?


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

The dealer rang me to say i was wrong and he sent me the log book with 2 former keeps on the front.

I said this is not my first rodeo i know that means the car had 3 owners when i bought it making me the 4th.
He argued i was wrong and i read out a email from the DVLA saying how the former keepers worked.

He sent me the V5C copy and i have just noticed they registered the car in there name on the 11/07/2019 i put the deposit down on the 08/07/2019 and collected the car on the 24/07/2019.
Andyblue he laughed at the £700 refund and said i will see you in court are Solicitors are very good.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

BillyT said:


> The dealer rang me to say i was wrong and he sent me the log book with 2 former keeps on the front.
> 
> I said this is not my first rodeo i know that means the car had 3 owners when i bought it making me the 4th.
> He argued i was wrong and i read out a email from the DVLA saying how the former keepers worked.
> ...


Well call his bluff if you are correct and you have proof, nothing worse than bully boy threats, just say fine, you will go down small claims courts route, and then bombard their social media if you don't want to do that, or find out big boss mans email


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

Derekh929 He is just ignoring my emails and calls it looks like a small claims court job anyway.


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