Bad experience

[AJR]

I very recently bought my first Landcruiser which I found advertised down in Oxford by 4x4xfaz. Perhaps my own learning curve here, because I bought the car and was told the V5 would follow as it was with previous owner. I had done the checks so knew I was buying a legitimate car, and thought buying from a reputable dealer I'd avoid any problems. however, after chasing and chasing it was revealed that the V5 was lost and was being requested via DVLA. A process which takes 21 days! Without the V5 I was unable to tax the car (which was sorn) so had paid a significant sum of money for a car I couldnt turn a wheel in.

Once the V5 arrived with the dealer I asked for it to be sent next day delivery so that I could tax it and pick it up from my garage (a 3 hour drive away) on my day off. I was assured by the seller that he had posted the V5 and made my way the following day to the garage to collect it, only to find the V5 had not arrived. I contacted the seller who didn't even apologise and admitted that he hadn't posted it and had lied! As it was now Saturdsy afternoon it could not be posted until Monday, so the earliest delivery would be Tuesday. I was fuming, not only had I waited 3 weeks for a V5 from DVLA but now he was lying about sending it on to me. I asked him to text me when the document was posted so that i wouldn't have another wasted trip - I didn't hear anything but on the Tuesday it finally arrived!

I appreciate from this experience my main error was paying for the car when the V5 was not there ready to be handed over. But I mistakenly trusted someone who appeared a reputable dealer. Clearly not when I got lies about posting it. I just want to make sure anyone considering buying from this dealer is aware of my negative experience.

 

[Paul]

I thought you could fill in the form at the post office and where it says about the V5 you can say "not given by previous owner" and then fill in the other form it advises you to?

Did that many times in the past. In fact i just sold a car and couldn't find the v5 but was selling to a mate so he just taxed it at the post office like i said above and i got a £50 fine for not giving it to him! I called them and they let me off though.

 

[AJR]

You can apply for a new V5 yourself from the post office - I've had to do that previously. However, when I bought the car, the seller told me that the V5 was going to posted on and that the owners had it. It was only when it didnt arrive after a week that he actually coughed that it had been lost and he'd applied for a new one. I contacted DVLA and because he'd applied for one, I couldn't. So had to wait for one to be sent to him.

Did try to tax it without V5 but post office refused. They were really fussy this time, because the garage had tried to tax it as well for me off the trade policy insurance but they wouldn't do that either, I had to bring my own private insurance certificate before they'd tax it. Turned into a headache, but had the seller been upfront from the start I'd have ordered the new V5 myself and known the timescales. It was the half truths about the V5 and the fibs about posting it that make me very very dubious of the seller.