Mileage discrepancy - haircut?

[Bren]

Won auction for car on ebay. However MOT history check does not tally with mileage on car - car currently shows 110k, however MOT in 2011 showed 130k - next one in 2012 showed 65k. Private seller ( who seems genuine) owned car for approx seven years states he has MOT and history to back mileage up. Car has been on private plate twice. This is a sub £1500 car by the way.

 

I am thinking possibly dodgy (stolen) certificates and ebay service history.

 

Discuss.

[Junkman]

No pics?

[egg]

Cazana will tell you about plate changes?

 

https://cazana.com/uk

[Bren]

Cazana just shows "this plate may be for sale".

 

Seller has just taken his private plate off.

[dome]

Show us the ad then? 

 

I'm sure the seller is genuine and probably believed the mileage when he got it. 

 

My S4 was on a private plate, searching under it's current reg on the MOT History checker brings up all the MOTs under the private reg as well as the current one.

 

Unless it's massively cheap for what it is I'd walk.

[oldcars]

My old Hyundai Santa Fe was on a private plate when i bought it, and has been on once for a while since i sold it. Mot history on the original plate shows as correct. My guess is haircut. If the chap selling it has had it 7 years then its had a haircut under his watch. What does he say about the discrepancy?

[Tamworthbay]

Got to be worth asking, it could have been a failed dash being replaced but he should have mentioned that if it was done when it was with him.

[Craig the Princess]

Private plates are a bloody nightmare when checking mot history. If it tallys with when the plate change occurred it's probably genuine, the previous car being 130k then onto this one.

 

I can't really see stolen mot certs being done unless it sold for very good money at the time.

[Christine]

'kin hell ! My  1.9 T4 with 170 k on it is worth over 4 grand !!!!      It was only 9995 brand new 17 years ago

 

Yeah right...

[HMC]

If the last 7 years of history is good and shows it's been properly looked after by the current seller there's no reason to reject a sub 1500 car as such IMO. Why not explain the discrepancy to the vendor making it clear your not pointing the finger, if it pre dates his involvement but it affects its desirability to you- try and see if he will chip some money off?

 

Is the omission ignorance or negligence? You say he seems a decent bloke so you would assume the former and this could all be news to him.

[UltraWomble]

Clock change?

The CB500 I had, had been the receipt of new clocks - shaved 30,000 miles off its  recorded miles.

[Bren]

To be fair seller seems mortified - he looked at history and seemed shocked. The car has fails during it's MOT history which he claims simply are not correct.

 

Are reg numbers recycled?

[Tamworthbay]

To be fair seller seems mortified - he looked at history and seemed shocked. The car has fails during it's MOT history which he claims simply are not correct.

Are reg numbers recycled?

They can be moved from one to another. A guy around the corner from me has had the same plate for at least 20 years, I don’t know what would come up if you searched the number, the history of the number or the car it presently resides on. The second would make sense but when did that worry the DVLA?

[SiC]

I have seen mentioned on here where the DVLA has munged several number plate details together. It seems to especially go wrong with number plate changes.

[bub2006]

My volvo has 14500 on clocks. About ten year or more ago it lost 55k. 1 owner since 89 till may so id hazard a guess at clock change

[sierraman]

Could have been entered wrong on the MOT, this should be quite obvious though. Hard to tell on a lot of recent cars they’ve been clocked. Most get it done at 3 years old anyway. The margin in wiping 50k off a 12 year old car is minimal.

 

I’d just go on condition, if it drives right etc you should be OK.

[Bren]

Car is 2004 passat tdi estate. Fsh, clutch, water pump etc all done.

Winning bid was 1400.

[SiC]

Sounds a lot of money for an old VAG.

[Bren]

But its what they are going for unfortunately.

[mrbenn]

Can you have a look through the service history and see if the mileages tally?

 

At £1400, with a good bit of work done to it in terms of cambelt/clutch etc, I'd proceed if the seller seemed legit.

[Bren]

The reason I picked this car was because of workd done history and mileage.

 

Everything else close to home had 150k on the clock and not much provenance - traders were asking £1500+.

[sierraman]

£1400 cars you buy with your eyes. If what’s in front of you looks and sounds ok you go with your gut. If it gives you the piece of mind with the work then it’s better than an £800 one with a load of work needed straight away.

 

Better bet than any Vauxhall 1.9 CDTI anyway. When’s the collection fred?

[John F]

If it's a good car & you're otherwise happy with it, offer him £1100 in view of the mileage discrepancy

 

But you might end up having the same problem when you come to sell it.

[Bren]

Seller has already been onto DVLA and given name of person he is speaking to. States he has asked for a letter from them stating it is their cock up.

 

That wont happen.

[Mally]

Seller has already been onto DVLA and given name of person he is speaking to. States he has asked for a letter from them stating it is their cock up.

 

That wont happen.

 

Not this year anyway.

Knock £100 off and get it bought.

[bigfella2]

How come been you didn't check this before you bid on the car? It's easy and free to do.

[Cavcraft]

Car is 2004 passat tdi estate. Fsh, clutch, water pump etc all done.

Winning bid was 1400.

 

Was there £800 in cash in the boot?

[Bren]

Because I had no reg no.

[oldcars]

I always feel folk that cover the reg when selling have something to hide.

[bigfella2]

I always feel folk that cover the reg when selling have something to hide.

That would make me ultra suspicious too, If there is a car I see and the reg is covered up I ask what it is, and nine times out of ten they are happy to oblige. If they don't run for the hills.