Bought a car last September and got a letter saying it’s reported stolen

[Vince70]

My girlfriends daughter wanted a mini last year so she went ahead and bought a nice early low miler off eBay which she won for £980 and loves the motor and we’ve done the basics such as changing the gearbox oil etc and it’s been a nice trouble free car for the last 6 months

Then today she got this letter.

The thing is she bought it off the owner and the eBay account is still active and she went in the owners house to pay for it and met the owner and boyfriend and dog and we even went back an hour later as the previous owner left some cash and the dogs insurance card in the rear pocket so I doubt it’s someone else masquerading as the owner.

 

So I wondered if anyone else had ever been in the same boat and what happens next as I can’t see a 17 year old motor being some kind of ringer on having outstanding hpi.

[Hertz]

Not good. Did you get a receipt for the car from the registered owner with their address on it?

[adw1977]

Previous owner split up with her boyfriend and now trying to drop him in it?

[Squire_Dawson]

You got a signed and dated receipt for it?

[BeEP]

Who exactly is that letter from?

[Vince70]

she most probably did and has filed it never to be seen again lol, but I’m going to give her a call again tomorrow to see how’s she’s getting on.

Obviously she will have proof of getting the cash out plus the eBay correspondence.

[busmansholiday]

I assume you got the V5C from the previous owner and it all tallied up. Also you're received a V5C from DVLA for it as well since purchase.

 

If so I'd follow the advice, ring 101,and ask for what it says.

[mercrocker]

I would have hoped that we still live in a country where the police can still fucking spell....

 

Smells like bullshit to me.

[Vince70]

The letter is from plod

[Luxxo Waftybarger]

I would politely tell the rozzers that until they can provide a memorandum of conviction in relation to that vehicle you will be keeping it. Until proven in court it's just their opinion on whether it's nicked. If course offer to otherwise cooperate with their investigation.

 

You cannot get good title to stolen goods so it's hard luck if it really was nicked.

 

You would have a claim against the seller which would probably be worth bunging through money claims online if you can prove it's not theirs.

[adw1977]

The letter is from plod

But is it definitely from plod? Mercrocker has a point - first thing to do is make sure that the letter is authentic.

[mercrocker]

But is it definitely from plod? Mercrocker has a point - first thing to do is make sure that the letter is authentic.

 

Ironically,  authentic is the word I was referring to.    

[sheffcortinacentre]

How did they get her address?

Way has it taken them all this time to report it stolen?

I'd contact a solicitor/can etc.

[Wingz123]

Search ebay messages, emails and text messages using keywords - it may turn up a conversation you can relate to.

 

I received a parking ticket for a car I had sold and LUCKILY managed to track down the guys address in an ebay message.

 

Do you remember where you went to buy the car?

 

I vaguely remember you writing on here about going back to drop the cash off for which they were exceptionally grateful for...can you search this forum for anything you may have written at the time? Pictures?

[Tickman]

Did you receive feedback on eBay about the mini?

[drivewaymyway]

I would suggest taking the letter to a Police station if it were for two things, the plod on the Counter probably won't be able to tell you anything and there isn't likely a Police station within 50 miles..

[Vince70]

I did wonder myself but when she phoned up and was told that pc whatever was unavailable at the moment so it sounds genuine lol

[Vince70]

We went to Swindon for the car and the address on all the receipts are the same as the address we went to.

[Wingz123]

We went to Swindon for the car and the address on all the receipts are the same as the address we went to.

Yes but can you remember how exactly to get there? Googlemaps the address?

[Vince70]

Thanks I will do

[busmansholiday]

Except Swindon is Wiltshire plod, not Thames Valley, so why would the latter contact you?

[egg]

Why did the police not just call rather than write a letter? Sorry if that's a naive question.

[red5]

Address of current registered keeper from DVLA.

[Wingz123]

Also it says - if you have any concerns over the authentic of this letter.....shouldn’t it read AUTHENTICITY of this letter..??

 

Poor use of grammar and vocabulary

 

For that matter that entire paragraph doesn’t read right to me - the language used doesn’t sit right....”through the systems”

[Hertz]

The letter mentions "a previous owner" rather than "the" previous owner so maybe it's someone before the person you bought it from that has said it's been stolen.

[Justin Case]

 

 

I have received a report from a previous keeper of the vehicle that is stolen

 

 

 

... I will be forced to circulate the vehicle as stolen on the Police National Computer...

 

This doesn't tie up and also isn't written in the officialese or grammar that you would expect such a letter to be. Perhaps check with the local plod (if there is such a thing as a manned police station these days ) before replying ?

[Wingz123]

The letter mentions "a previous owner" rather than "the" previous owner so maybe it's someone before the person you bought it from that has said it's been stolen.

Previous owners know each other and one owes the other one money or they have fallen out and one is trying to get the other back...?

 

Also....I am trying to think of how the conversation went when the “previous owner” reported the car stolen and actually had them follow this up. I have had a car stolen in the past and after a period of time it was removed from the system as being flagged as stolen and I had to keep calling them to have it bumper back up the list...

 

The police have always been very quick to say ‘civil matter too’ as that would have been the natural course for something like this?

 

How can a previous owner report it stolen? They are a previous owner...i.e do not own it now.

 

Why have they left it so long to reach out and report it stolen?

 

Then the police would have naturally said as I imagine the reason would have indeed been a fall out between two parties.......so civil matter....

 

Remember....the onus will also be on them to PROVE that it is/was stolen...the greater evidence you can pull together the better of course

[SRi05]

Also it says - if you have any concerns over the authentic of this letter.....shouldn’t it read AUTHENTICITY of this letter..??

 

Poor use of grammar and vocabulary

 

For that matter that entire paragraph doesn’t read write to me - the language used doesn’t sit right....”through the systems”

Was going to post this, seems very dodgy to me

[Zelandeth]

"a previous keeper" is the bit which springs out to me. Not *the* previous keeper. Goodness only knows how many owners ago it might have been nicked.

 

Best you can do is get in touch with poor directly and give your side of things and provide as much documentation to back it up and see what comes out of it.

 

Directly contact the police - not using contact details on the letter, to discuss it. That way if the letter is a scam (getting hold of a name and address isn't that difficult for a crook) it should be flagged up pretty early on. Just one call where a particular officer couldn't be contacted doesn't tell us anything useful really.

 

If it's some disagreement or nonsense being pulled by the folks you bought it from, so long as you've got a good paper trail and you should be okay as you can prove beyond reasonable doubt that you did buy it on the straight and level.

 

If it does turn out to be nicked though sadly there's probably little you can do.

[bramz7]

Since when did any official letter refer to someones gender? isn't it meant to say 'they'?