Sold a car, have I been tricked?

[gaijintendo]

I just sold a car which has been sat SORNed in my driveway. The Gumtree buyer sent a flatbed driver, which was a prerequisite for me.

The guy paid me, we loaded it, and we signed the v5 form... But he kept both the new owner and trade bits. It didn't seem right, and he didn't fill his details... But he was a proxy for the purchaser...

It felt like a confidence trick, performed badly, but I just watched, it felt. He laughed a weird giggle when he secured it, and seemed to feel sorry for me when I said I took so long to shift it because I had to get a new v5 form... Which is a waste of £25 quid perhaps to his mind (>quarter of the sale price...).

I am not sure what to do of anything, but I am looking back with some regret. No name. Gumtree name is meaningless. Feel a bit stupid.

 

[Drago]

Write a letter then the DVLA, inform them you're no longer the keeper. Explain you made an oversight in error. Send the letter today.

 

[gaijintendo]

Write a letter then the DVLA, inform them you're no longer the keeper. Explain you made an oversight in error. Send the letter today.

Will do. Real sense of dread with that transaction. Thanks.

 

[I like Skol]

You should have kept most of the logbook and got the buyers details to fill in before sending it off. All might not be lost though because it might be doable online - www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle

 

[dan_bo]

Do wot Drago and Skol sez but don't be hard on yourself. There's some crooked daffodils about.

Be hard on yourself if it happens again though.

 

[annedonnelly]

It is doable online. I bought a vehicle this week & the seller forgot to fill in the details he did it online & I got e-mail confirmation.

Of course, you need to know what name to transfer it to.

 

[gaijintendo]

I just noticed in the picture I took to send my brother, the guy splayed himself over the registration plate of the truck. Perfectly covered it...

 

[gaijintendo]

It is doable online. I bought a vehicle this week & the seller forgot to fill in the details he did it online & I got e-mail confirmation.

Of course, you need to know what name to transfer it to.

Precisely. And he'd need to know my email address... I asked the purchaser on gumtree chat what to put... Oh well...

 

[Electric_Andy]

Sorry, I don't see what the trick is? You have been paid, and the new owner can now do what with the new keeper slip and trade bits? You still have the V5 with their signature and yours on it don't you? What would they gain from paying for the car and keeping the bits of paper you mentioned, if you then failed to notify DVLA as has been advised?

 

[gaijintendo]

Sorry, I don't see what the trick is? You have been paid, and the new owner can now do what with the new keeper slip and trade bits? You still have the V5 with their signature and yours on it don't you? What would they gain from paying for the car and keeping the bits of paper you mentioned, if you then failed to notify DVLA as has been advised?

They have the trade bit with their signature and mine. I have a blank form... I almost forgot all about the paperwork, and he "walked me through it". So all have is half the paperwork I had before with nothing on it.

What do they gain? I'm not in the business, but, they have a car which appears to belong to me. They have the trade bit, which perhaps I should have kept... And could pretend to be me selling it to another party. They can benefit from the SORN that they might not have a right to...

Not sure why those things would be helpful, but presumably they are.

Essentially I am suspicious because I dontd have any records of what happened.

 

[NorthernDave]

Did you have insurance on the car? If so cancel it now if you haven't done so already.

ETA - as well as informing DVLA you've sold it.

 

[I like Skol]

The problem comes when they fail to register it but begin using it. You then get letters demanding overdue 'road tax', speeding fines, parking tickets etc and have the uphill battle of proving you have sold the car because you don't have the buyers details.
It is increasingly hard for the crims to get a car that is unregistered these days so they could use tricks like this to get around the rules and obtain a vehicle that they can use untaxed, unregistered, uninsured and for illegal means........

Not trying to worry you @gaijintendo as I am sure this is just an oversight and the result of a transport guy that isn't interested and doesn't care and possibly doesn't even know the rules.

 

[I like Skol]

Your best hope now is that the buyer comes back to you to supply his/her details. If they do this and your part of the V5 has the 11 digit certificate number on it then you can register the transfer online using the link I gave upthread.

 

[vickster]

Phone the DVLA and get their advice if it’s not clear online

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Phone the DVLA and get their advice if it’s not clear online

This. It's not an unprecedented scenario, I'm sure. It'll get sorted.