Buying a used vehicle is serious business.<\/p>\n
Buyer beware<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re buying a used vehicle from a private seller, dealer or auction house, make sure you know your consumer rights.<\/p>\n Step 1:\u00a0 Before seeing the vehicle<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are some things to consider before you see the vehicle:<\/p>\n \u2022be careful of mobile phone numbers \u2013 owners are hard to trace<\/p>\n \u2022watch out for adverts giving a landline number and times to call \u2013 criminals often use phone boxes<\/p>\n \u2022check the market value of the vehicle \u2013 if it\u2019s offered much cheaper, ask yourself why<\/p>\n \u2022check the Vehicle Identification number (VIN) and engine number against the registration certificate (V5C) – your main dealer can help you locate them<\/p>\n \u2022arrange to see the vehicle in daylight at the seller\u2019s home and not in a public car park; always consider your personal safety<\/p>\n \u2022ask if the seller is the registered keeper, so you can view at the registered keeper\u2019s address (shown on the V5C)<\/p>\n \u2022be careful, some dishonest dealers pose as private sellers to offload unsafe and ‘clocked’ cars<\/p>\n \u2022consider taking a qualified vehicle examiner with you – a number of companies provide this service if you don\u2019t know anybody with sufficient knowledge of vehicles<\/p>\n \u2022ask the seller for the registration number, make and model of the vehicle<\/p>\n \u2022ask the seller for the expiry date of the tax disc, and the MOT test number<\/p>\n \u2022check whether the vehicle has outstanding finance or has been stolen or written off<\/p>\n You can check this information before you see the vehicle.<\/p>\n Step 2: Checking the vehicle\u2019s registration certificate (V5C)<\/strong><\/p>\n Thieves can change a stolen vehicle and its paperwork to make it look like a real one (this is known as \u2018cloning\u2019).<\/p>\n Hold the V5C up to the light \u2013 there should be a \u2018DVL\u2019 watermark.<\/p>\n Make sure the seller has the right to sell the vehicle. If the seller has had the vehicle for some time, they should have any of the following:<\/p>\n \u2022a bill of sale (receipt)<\/p>\n \u2022service records<\/p>\n \u2022MOT certificate<\/p>\n Remember, the V5C is not proof of ownership.<\/p>\n Make sure the V5C matches the vehicle\u2019s details and all other documentation provided.<\/p>\n Look out for stolen V5Cs. If the seller has a blue V5C with a serial number in the following ranges don\u2019t go ahead with the sale and contact the police when it\u2019s safe to do so:<\/p>\n \u2022BG8229501 to BG9999030<\/p>\n \u2022BI2305501 to BI2800000<\/p>\n The serial number is in a white circle in the top right hand corner of the V5C.<\/p>\n Be careful, even if the serial number doesn\u2019t fall within the above ranges. Don\u2019t buy the vehicle if you think the serial number has been altered, or if part of the V5C is missing.<\/p>\n From\u00a015 August 2010 the V5C\u00a0 Changed include a new colour and improved customer information.<\/p>\n Step 3: Checking the vehicle<\/strong><\/p>\n Remember<\/p>\n Don\u2019t buy the vehicle if the VIN has been tampered with or is missing<\/p>\n Before buying a vehicle you should check:<\/p>\n \u2022if the engine has been changed in any way<\/p>\n \u2022that all locks open with the same key \u2013 thieves change locks that have been damaged<\/p>\n \u2022if there are two keys available \u2013 clones are rarely sold with both<\/p>\n \u2022that the VIN and engine number match those on the V5C and that the surrounding areas have not been altered or covered<\/p>\n You should also check the condition of the vehicle.<\/p>\n If you decide to buy the vehicle, avoid paying in cash. Pay by a banking system and get a receipt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Buying a used vehicle is serious business. Buyer beware If you\u2019re buying a used vehicle from a private seller, dealer or auction house, make sure you know your consumer rights. Step 1:\u00a0 Before seeing the vehicle Here are some things to consider before you see the vehicle: \u2022be careful of mobile phone numbers \u2013 owners […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123457,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[136,4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1534"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123457"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1534"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1536,"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1534\/revisions\/1536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speedyreg.co.uk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}