37 replies to this topic

[imabitnaughtyxx]

Hi, a friend of mine was asked if she wanted to sell her old knackered mini cooper. It had not driven for 5 years and had been in a bad frontal accident at some point, the guy offered her £50. Away it went.

Anyway, 12 months on and shes browsing Ebay and sees a mini the same reg. she thinks wow my old car, she goes to have a look, now located 160 miles away in london.

She buys the car for £2k and is thrilled as its now in great condition...

Anyway shes driving along merrily last week and suddenly this guy runs over to the car screaming trying to open the door, shes terrified. she drives off quickly but within an hour of getting home the police arrive.

They have the guy with them and they ask to look at the car. To her amazement he fumbles around in the car under the rear seat and pulls out some personal item. The police have taken the car for further investigation.

The car was stolen and had been re tagged with her old plates. Apparently the police said mini thefts have gone up 75% in 3 years and they vanish into thin air.

Please be wary of anyone trying to buy your old V5's or part broken cars etc etc as you never know, your prize mini may one day be stolen and reappear on ebay wearing those old numberplates you sold so cheaply.
The police said the culprits will buy in bulk and are known to operate on Ebay and well known mini related internet sites.
Makes you shudder!

[MaryMoo]

I've been checking E-Bay, Gumtree and every site I can find for my stolen mini (stolen 2 months ago - damask red,NLH 277P) but no luck. I'm told it is likely to turn up with different number plates and VIN in about 6 months. I've seen VIN plates for sale at mini shows - surely this should be made illegal. I've also had scrap car dealers knock my door asking to take away my son's restoration mini - even with no paperwork. I was told that every scrapped car had to have documents for DVLA to be notified, but there are so many unscrupulous scrap car dealers out there with nothing being done about them so people like your friend are the ones to lose out.

I think your friend has probably lost the 2K she paid out (ouch!!!) but hopefully this will make everyone think about what they are buying - especially when it seems to be a good bargain (speech over now!).

M

[imabitnaughtyxx]

I've been checking E-Bay, Gumtree and every site I can find for my stolen mini (stolen 2 months ago - damask red,NLH 277P) but no luck. I'm told it is likely to turn up with different number plates and VIN in about 6 months. I've seen VIN plates for sale at mini shows - surely this should be made illegal. I've also had scrap car dealers knock my door asking to take away my son's restoration mini - even with no paperwork. I was told that every scrapped car had to have documents for DVLA to be notified, but there are so many unscrupulous scrap car dealers out there with nothing being done about them so people like your friend are the ones to lose out.

I think your friend has probably lost the 2K she paid out (ouch!!!) but hopefully this will make everyone think about what they are buying - especially when it seems to be a good bargain (speech over now!).

M

she knows damn well shes lost the money but the guy was paid on his insurance and cannot prove 100% as all ID has been removed. He says he will buy the car from her for as much as he can muster if the police let her have it back. They say it might end up either crushed or in an auction. Its such a mess.

[MaryMoo]

This really is a mess, police don't understnand the value of a mini so crushing or auctioning off alwasy seems to be their response. I hope she gets most of her money back, if the fella has been paid out on his insurance then he should just hand it over to her. Hope she gets it sorted soon.

M

[imabitnaughtyxx]

He wont let her have it if he gets it back. Says it belonged to his dead sister and he inherited it, see it gets even messier. These thieves have no idea what devastation they leave.

[biggav]

if you buy a car that turns out to be stolen and the person you bought it from didn't know it was stolen, then it is yours to keep i think... some rule about it legitimatley changing hands twice... and if its found to be a ringer, i think that you can have the proper i.d. of the car re-applied to it..... if you bought it from a theif thouh, it goes back to the insurance company or proper owner.

[imabitnaughtyxx]

At this point the police are dealing with it and wont say whether the last owner was the thief or just another owner.
They are not saying much at all as far as I know. She is ready to give up and move on I think, put it down to experience. But she would like the car back because she loved it.
Will update you as and when I find out any more.

[yorkshirechris]

At this point the police are dealing with it and wont say whether the last owner was the thief or just another owner.
They are not saying much at all as far as I know. She is ready to give up and move on I think, put it down to experience. But she would like the car back because she loved it.
Will update you as and when I find out any more.

Either way she's going to lose 2k isn't she.

Scum, sub-human scum these theives are. I hope it all gets sorted alright.

[Phaeton]

Just a slight glimmer of hope, if the guy or his sister (decaesed) was paid out by the insurance company then he no longer has any claim over the vehicle. It is owned by the insurance company. He would have to pay back the money to them to have any claim over the title. Your friend 'MAY' be able to negotiate with the insurance compy to buy it back from them, but that depends on their policies & working practises

Alan..

Edit:- Doh!! Caps Lock

Edited by Phaeton, 06 September 2007 - 07:39 PM.

[imabitnaughtyxx]

Just a slight glimmer of hope, if the guy or his sister (decaesed) was paid out by the insurance company then he no longer has any claim over the vehicle. It is owned by the insurance company. He would have to pay back the money to them to have any claim over the title. Your friend 'MAY' be able to negotiate with the insurance compy to buy it back from them, but that depends on their policies & working practises

Alan..

Edit:- Doh!! Caps Lock

Lets hope so. It was a mint car.

[Jammy]

The sale of V5 and VINs IS illegal on there own.

I believe, if the vehicle is found to be of undefinable identity then you could be looking at SVA, or at the very least a VIC.

[imabitnaughtyxx]

The sale of V5 and VINs IS illegal on there own.

I believe, if the vehicle is found to be of undefinable identity then you could be looking at SVA, or at the very least a VIC.

The thing is, she sold her scrap car with the V5 in the first place so It was not illegal technically was it?

[Ethel]

Nope, not illegal.

Does strike me as odd that this guy was able to spot his car with the wrong plates on and find something to identify it by so easily

But then again, did it really look like your friends car?

Last time I scrapped a vehicle the breakers weren't interested in the V5.

Minis are always an easy traget as you only need a drill and a rivet gun to ring one. Perhaps we should all look at making it less easy?

....well I mean you really: I don't think theres another lump of scruffy plastic and glass matting quite like mine anywhere else on the planet

[imabitnaughtyxx]

Nope, not illegal.

Does strike me as odd that this guy was able to spot his car with the wrong plates on and find something to identify it by so easily

But then again, did it really look like your friends car?

Last time I scrapped a vehicle the breakers weren't interested in the V5.

Minis are always an easy traget as you only need a drill and a rivet gun to ring one. Perhaps we should all look at making it less easy?

....well I mean you really: I don't think theres another lump of scruffy plastic and glass matting quite like mine anywhere else on the planet

Apparently it was the one off colour and it had an insignia down the side, its a burgundy colour with gold writing i think, it was a one off colour his dead sister had chosen, something to do with nail varnish she wore blah blah... and under the seat was sheet music believe it or not??? Still had a NOTTS FM sticker in the window and something else he recognised. He only lives 2 miles from my friend which is remarkable but the police think the theives saw the scrap car and the stolen one the same day and had a good idea, (not a bad day for £50) Five other minis were stolen from the area in a month, no trace.
One hell of a coincidence.
There was a mini stolen where I live 2 days ago (I heard at work). It had only been on the road again for 2 weeks. People saw it being loaded onto a truck in broad daylight but did nothing they thought it was being recovered. We live in a little market town where people know before you sneeze... you know the type of place but they manage to pinch a car from under your nose????

[Se7enS1ns]

Im gutted to hear that, i hope it all works out. I think mine was stolen for the same reason. I know it wasnt for joyriding as they came in another car to steal mine. It didnt turn up torched in the usual spot round here, and they usually do. The really annoying thing is i very nearly caught them in the act, and almost took the drivers head off with the good old sledge hammer. My street goes round in a circle, only one way in and out, so as they sped off one way round, i legged it the other way round with sledge hammer in hand (my old man insists on keeping it "handy"). As i stood there in the middle of the road my own mini came speeding towards me, so knowing full well it wasnt gonna stop i took a swing and planted the sledge hammer straight through the windscreen and knocked the passengers headrest clean off. Mini sped off regardless after a little swerve.

Never did turn up, but it was spotted sporting a freshly painted roof and new plates. Im not certain it was mine as i never saw it again.

Really hope your friend gets this sorted and doesnt lose the money she paid. There is a way and it is very naughty, equally as naughty as the theft in the first place, but if it was my 2 grand....