Has GDPR killed researching vehicle history?

[HMC]

Agreed- th principals of GDPR and basic self protection as a consumer are definitely in conflict in certain situations as you say.

 

Caveat emptor just got a bit more difficult.

[Richard]

 

We will do anything with your data if we think we'll get away with it.

[Vin]

I think its all gone a bit too far. It is good if you've got a dodgy motor though, now you can flog it from outside someone else's house and say "i dont have the log book mate, you'll need to apply"

 

When it blows up on the way home the poor sharked punter will have no way of getting hold of you.

 

You've been able to do this since forever (If you are that way inclined...)

[Lacquer Peel]

 

We will do anything with your data if we think we'll get away with it.

One of my friends received a passive aggressive postcard from a mentally ill security guard who got my friend's address from the DVLA.

[Pillock]

I think its all gone a bit too far. It is good if you've got a dodgy motor though, now you can flog it from outside someone else's house and say "i dont have the log book mate, you'll need to apply"

 

When it blows up on the way home the poor sharked punter will have no way of getting hold of you.

But that's always been possible.

The bit missing off the V5 is the PREVIOUS keeper, not the one you're buying it off. You can still look at the name and address when you view the car and check that's the address you're stood at.

 

I prefer that my name and address isn't on the bottom of a bit of paper that the person I sold a car to may lose or give away. Same as I would prefer that the DVLA wouldn't give my details to someone filling out a V888 in ten years time.

[Pillock]

Hi, A point of interest, will dealers or indeed anyone selling a car with the service history pack be required to retain or edit it for previous owner details?

 

Colin

I've never seen a service book with a phone number or address of the owner in.

[Richard]

But if you've done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear.

[Pillock]

I've done plenty wrong.

 

Also, I agree in terms of businesses having relevant data so I don't object to the DVLA holding a history of what cars I've had. What I don't like is it being printed on uncontrollable paper in the public domain.

[Vin]

But if you've done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear.

 

Thin end of the wedge.

[colnerov]

I've never seen a service book with a phone number or address of the owner in.

 

 Maybe not but I've seen service histories with sheaves of garage receipts with the customers name and address on.

[CortinaDave]

But that's always been possible.

The bit missing off the V5 is the PREVIOUS keeper, not the one you're buying it off. You can still look at the name and address when you view the car and check that's the address you're stood at.

I prefer that my name and address isn't on the bottom of a bit of paper that the person I sold a car to may lose or give away. Same as I would prefer that the DVLA wouldn't give my details to someone filling out a V888 in ten years time.

That’s what I was pointing out though .... Sellers often state they have lost the log book and say buyer will have to apply. if you don’t want the buyer to get your details that’s now all you have to do.

 

When the log book comes through there will be no record on it of the previous keeper IE the person who sold you it.

[Pillock]

Yeah but surely the advice just remains as don't buy a car without a V5. It's keeper not owner anyway so there's no guarantee the person holding it is the person listed on it.

[Pillock]

Maybe not but I've seen service histories with sheaves of garage receipts with the customers name and address on.

Yeah so that will have to get binned, in theory, as it's personally identifiable information.

 

I suspect garages will, private sellers won't bother.

[CortinaDave]

Yeah but surely the advice just remains as don't buy a car without a V5. It's keeper not owner anyway so there's no guarantee the person holding it is the person listed on it.

Of course.... that’s always been the case but people still do it. It just makes things that bit easier for someone trying to offload their motor they know fine is about to go pop.

 

GDPR is supposed to be about people not holding data on you without good reason, but for the reasons above I think having the details of the previous keeper of your car is fair and reasonable. As I said ... for my money the way GDPR is being implemented is all just going a bit too far. hopefully once it’s bedded in common sense will reel it in a bit where needed

[Pillock]

Well Data Protection laws were all about only holding onto data that was necessary and relevant. The big change with GDPR is the subject having the control, which is why every company had to shit themselves asking for consent at the end of May.

 

The easy way to not have uncontrolled data is to remove it all. Ideally you'd have some way of letting a car seller decide whether their details go on the form but whilst they're still printed, that seems impossible.

 

I guess the compromise is telling the seller you'll only buy their car if they write their address down and let you see some ID. Overkill? Probably. But it lets the subject control their own data.

[Isaac Hunt]

I dodged a possible bullet once. Checking out a used car, I asked to see the V5. Made a note if the previous keeper, I.e previous to the seller

 

Phoned directory enquiries, got details if the previous keeper, Called then and spoke to them. They said the car was alright but they crashed it pretty bad. Seems it was sold 'spares repairs' as opposed to going through the insurance. To be fair, it didn't t look too bad, but the revelation really made it overpriced IMHO and I moved on.

 

Does directorys enquiries still work these days ?. Not used it for yonks.

 

Of course these days you pay your money and do your hpi check but not sure that would pick it up.

 

Still a shame that a vehicle history can no longer be researched via DVSA details. I can't think of any vehicle I've ownedhich I wouldn't be happy to share with a new owner 'what said vehicle was like during my custody' and there are some that I would be delighted to hear from a new owner. My Yamaha RD250LC ''Elsie' for one, regretted selling that.

 

I bought a classic many years ago. Researched the history via the DVSA. 1st owner had it for 10 years, I figured he must have liked it. When I'd restored it, made contact with him and took the car down to show him. He was absolutely delighted to see 'his car' again after 15 years. Such happenings will be much harder now due to GDPR.

[adw1977]

This is why, in the internet age, we can't be trusted with previous owner details printed on the V5:

 

 

From an Ebay listing.  Current owner details blanked out, but sod the previous owner!

In fairness, this particular V5 is so old that the previous owner is probably dead.

 

 

 

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

This is why, in the internet age, we can't be trusted with previous owner details printed on the V5:

 

A.jpg

 

From an Ebay listing.  Current owner details blanked out, but sod the previous owner!

In fairness, this particular V5 is so old that the previous owner is probably dead.

 

Interesting second name, "Tunna".

[CortinaDave]

I was flicking through the history for my mk4 cortina a couple of years back and came across the original bill of sale.

 

The buyer back in 1979 had a very unusual name so I had a look on facebook to see if I could track him down and ask if he had any pics of it when it was new

 

Only one person on facebook with the surname, so i pinged her a PM to ask if she knew anyone fitting who I was looking for.

 

She did. It was her grandad, and he'd just died. The funeral had been that week.

 

So that was suitably awkward. Decided best to leave them alone.

[New POD]

I dodged a possible bullet once. Checking out a used car, I asked to see the V5. Made a note if the previous keeper, I.e previous to the seller

 

Phoned directory enquiries, got details if the previous keeper, Called then and spoke to them. They said the car was alright but they crashed it pretty bad. Seems it was sold 'spares repairs' as opposed to going through the insurance. To be fair, it didn't t look too bad, but the revelation really made it overpriced IMHO and I moved on.

 

Does directorys enquiries still work these days ?. Not used it for yonks.

 

Of course these days you pay your money and do your hpi check but not sure that would pick it up.

 

Still a shame that a vehicle history can no longer be researched via DVSA details. I can't think of any vehicle I've ownedhich I wouldn't be happy to share with a new owner 'what said vehicle was like during my custody' and there are some that I would be delighted to hear from a new owner. My Yamaha RD250LC ''Elsie' for one, regretted selling that.

 

I bought a classic many years ago. Researched the history via the DVSA. 1st owner had it for 10 years, I figured he must have liked it. When I'd restored it, made contact with him and took the car down to show him. He was absolutely delighted to see 'his car' again after 15 years. Such happenings will be much harder now due to GDPR.

I tracked down the previous owner of my old Honda accord and my wife's juke via Linkedin. Both were very polite and stated the reason they traded them in.

 

It put my mind at rest a bit.

[New POD]

That’s what I was pointing out though .... Sellers often state they have lost the log book and say buyer will have to apply. if you don’t want the buyer to get your details that’s now all you have to do.

 

When the log book comes through there will be no record on it of the previous keeper IE the person who sold you it.

but it's illegal to sell a car you don't have the V5 for.

[Isaac Hunt]

Hang on, the DVLA have still got the info, just won't let you have it. As for junk email, two email accounts solve that, one for signing up to shite sites that attract said, and one for serious stuff. Under old rules, you could ask to be removed from mailing lists etc.

All I see now is constant agreeing to websites terms to see anything. Opting out of tailored ads to only get the standard shite ads doesn't make much diff to me, I ignore them all enyway.

Let's wait for the next 'data breach' on a financial organisation before we announce the new GDPR rules are a roaring success shall we. "May we remind you Sir, they have not stolen the details of the account you closed six years ago at your old address because you asked us to delete all of thhat, they have only stolen your latest address and account details"

Uh Oh........Dear IAAG, I'm a Shareholder, started out as a British Airways Shareholder when I was a plucky little Brit. Now the BA data breach is a concern. Dear thieving bar stewards, if you have any of by details from your recent long haul, may I excercise my right under GDPR rules for my data to be deleted.

[Pillock]

but it's illegal to sell a car you don't have the V5 for.

 

So far I'm finding an equal number of websites saying this is true, and false.

The gov.uk sites are silent on the matter. All they say is never to share the document number off it, like that madman that FOAD was selling a car to wanted to try and memorise.

 

It's silly to buy a car without the V5, but I can't see anything saying you're breaking the law selling one without it.

[DodgeRover]

Like it says on the logbook this is not proof of ownership so it's hardly going to be illegal to sell/ buy a car without one.

If it was the legal title to the car you could take the internet claims a bit more seriously.

[Pillock]

There's a few forums that seem to have grabbed a date of 2002 from somewhere, like something changed and they're taking it as illegal. But I'd expect the DVLA to hammer it home if it was with threats of going to prison and massive fines. 

 

Interestingly they do list two whole series of V5 reference numbers relating to stolen blank forms, like you're going to remember those every time you buy a car.