Unwittingly purchased stolen cars

We have had a spate of stolen vehicle cases recently.

This could be from clients who have unwittingly purchased stolen vehicles and had them recovered by the Police or from those who have sold them.

Obviously, this is not an intentional act, however, there has to be due diligence on the part of the dealers.

For example vehicles should only be purchased from parties whom you have satisfied yourself with the identity of, for example the V5 should be in the sellers name. You should also be aware of where you are sending funds to and satisfy yourself that bank details are bona fide.

A HPI check when you purchase the vehicle is necessary and one should also be done before sale if you have had the vehicle in stock for some time as markers are put on sporadically.

If you are selling vehicles on finance then you should of course be aware that there is another party involved in the purchase and therefore they may have their own identity checks that you need to carry out on their behalf. It is important to make sure you comply with this each and every time.

If an allegation is made that a vehicle you have sold is stolen then you should try to gather as much information as possible and pass the case to us.

It may be that you have to refund the innocent purchaser and pursue the person who sold the vehicle to you. This is why it is so important to know who you have purchased vehicles from and satisfy yourself that the deal is genuine.