Seller beware!

[V70Craig]

Just a quick heads up for anyone that may be considering selling their car soon.

I listed my S60 for sale on here a few weeks ago and also Gumtree as I have recently bought another car.
I have had plenty of timewasters via gumtree in contact but nobody as yet has viewed the car.
Today I received a penalty charge for driving in a bus lane and also a speeding fine from a police force that's a good 3 hours from where I live, indeed a part of the country I have never been to in my life.

I have had to talk to my local police for an incident number as it appears my car has been cloned.
The photo on the bus lane camera shows the car as same colour and reg as mine.

If it helps anyone please blank out your reg when posting pics of your car to save the hassle I now have to deal with.

Regards, Craig.

[volvoid]

now theres an idea...
can park anywhere y like too

[john.wigley]

A timely warning, 'V70Craig', but it is not only sellers who should be aware. It seems this issue, or variants of it, are becoming increasingly prevalent.

I attended our local Parish Council meeting the other evening and the first item as always was a report by the Police officer present. On this occasion he reported a number of cases of number plate thefts from vehicles parked outside overnight. These plates were then used on similar vehicles for illegal purposes, such as driving off without paying for fuel.

The Police are obviously aware of the problem, but there is little that they can do unless they catch the miscreants red-handed. In an attempt to counter the problem, our local council distribute 'tamper-proof' screws to members of the public upon request. Apparently, if so secured, a number plate may only be removed by destruction.

Regards, John.

[V70Craig]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

A timely warning, 'V70Craig', but it is not only sellers who should be aware. It seems this issue, or variants of it, are becoming increasingly prevalent.

I attended our local Parish Council meeting the other evening and the first item as always was a report by the Police officer present. On this occasion he reported a number of cases of number plate thefts from vehicles parked outside overnight. These plates were then used on similar vehicles for illegal purposes, such as driving off without paying for fuel.

The Police are obviously aware of the problem, but there is little that they can do unless they catch the miscreants red-handed. In an attempt to counter the problem, our local council distribute 'tamper-proof' screws to members of the public upon request. Apparently, if so secured, a number plate may only be removed by destruction.

Regards, John.

Sounds like a good idea but sadly would not have been applicable in my case. The distances involved mean the miscreant has had plates made up from photos of my car seen online in for sale ads. I am able to provide evidence of the fact that my car has not been used at all in several weeks and have photographic evidence of the mileage, which has not increased sufficiently to cover the distances involved.

I'm hoping there isn't more to come

[Peter86]

When I sold my old Volvo I had a lady text me saying she would do a transfer and send a currier round to pick the car up. She was buying it for a relative apparently.
I was like you need to sign the log book and its cash only. Then the excuses started rolling so I just said turn up with cash otherwise no sale. Anyway she didn't, obviously some sort of scam.

[kenny]

Originally Posted by Peter86

When I sold my old Volvo I had a lady text me saying she would do a transfer and send a currier round to pick the car up. She was buying it for a relative apparently.
I was like you need to sign the log book and its cash only. Then the excuses started rolling so I just said turn up with cash otherwise no sale. Anyway she didn't, obviously some sort of scam.

That’s an old scam, if the seller agrees to this the story changes slightly saying the transport company need to be paid by the sender so they will send you the money for the car and the delivery cost. The poor seller gives over the car and pays the uplift fees then the transfer falls through and the seller has lost the car and the collection fee.

[DLM48]

Originally Posted by V70Craig

Just a quick heads up for anyone that may be considering selling their car soon.

I listed my S60 for sale on here a few weeks ago and also Gumtree as I have recently bought another car.
I have had plenty of timewasters via gumtree in contact but nobody as yet has viewed the car.
Today I received a penalty charge for driving in a bus lane and also a speeding fine from a police force that's a good 3 hours from where I live, indeed a part of the country I have never been to in my life.

I have had to talk to my local police for an incident number as it appears my car has been cloned.
The photo on the bus lane camera shows the car as same colour and reg as mine.

If it helps anyone please blank out your reg when posting pics of your car to save the hassle I now have to deal with.

Regards, Craig.

HE HE happened to me in Glasgow at ONE AM driving in a BUS ONLY STREET the local cooncil sent me a fixed penalty fine I think it was £60.00 from memory

I demanded pictures since I was 4,000 miles away ......well you get the idea it wisnayme!!!

On receipt of the pictures it was obviously not my car rear lights were in a totally different configuration so I took some pics of my car with the lights on at around midnight in as many lighting configurations as possible and hand-delivered the letter as the guy who sent me the letter was like the scarlet pimpernel and was never available to meet me so I took a sneaky pic of me delivering it to their receptionist as they would not give me a receipt about SIX WEEKS later the fine was annulled

Tis too easy to clone a car now since there is no tax disc needed now..so once you tax MOT and insure your car the clone is free to travel the roads without getting a YABA DABBA DO message when they pass a police car with the VED number plate check facility active. I imagine that this is going on a lot now.