Motoring Discussion > Contacting previous owner?	Buying / Selling
Thread Author: MD	Replies: 24

New Mon 2 Jan 17 07:54   Contacting previous owner? - MD

If one has a registration number can a previous owner be tracked down? Reason. I've been watching a certain car for a long time, 70k miles, one owner, 10 main dealer stamps, always passed mot, but it isn't selling. I quite fancy it, but smell a rat. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 08:49   Contacting previous owner? - Tigger

Ask to see the paperwork for the car? It might be on the V5. I know I handed in all the main dealer receipts with mine. They all had my name and address on. It might also be on some other paperwork, like the service book. Last edited by: Tigger on Mon 2 Jan 17 at 08:50 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 08:56   Contacting previous owner? - Clk Sec

It might be worth asking the dealer to have a word with the previous owner, to see if they would be happy to have a chat with you. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 10:08   Contacting previous owner? - Cliff Pope

I'm a bit confused: I assume what you are saying is that you see this car about and would consider buying it, but do not know how to contact the owner? Leave a note on the windscreen? Or is this a car you previously owned, as implied in your thread title, and you would like to contact the present owner with a view to re-purchasing it? If you have no idea where in the country it is, use your old V5 documents to look up its MOT history, and find the reference number of the garage where it had its last MOT. Then speak to the garage and ask whether they know the owner and would they pass on your details. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 10:13   Contacting previous owner? - Manatee

As above, look up the MOT history. What sort of rat are you thinking you might be smelling? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 10:18   Contacting previous owner? - sooty123

He's saying there's a car for sale that has been on sale for a while. He thinks it may have some issues and wants to speak to the last private owner. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 10:34   Contacting previous owner? - Cliff Pope

In that case it's not so easy. I think you might need the VIN in order to access the actual MOT garage? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 10:40   Contacting previous owner? - devonite

You used to be able to do it through the DVLA - cost £15 per enquiry (I think) not sure if you still can but could be worth checking. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 10:48   Contacting previous owner? - sooty123

I thought that just told you who the current owner is? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 11:22   Contacting previous owner? - devonite

I did it that way once (few years ago - admittedly), maybe it's changed now tho'. (Data Protection Act? ) Last edited by: devonite on Mon 2 Jan 17 at 11:26 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 12:11   Contacting previous owner? - mikeyb

Not sure if this might help www.gov.uk/check-mot-history Will tell you the details of each of the last MOT's, advisories, pass / fail. Tells you the MOT station number so you might be able to track it back that way. Isn't the past owner on the V5? Just go to the dealers, express interest and ask to see the paperwork Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 14:02   Contacting previous owner? - R.P.

You used to be able to do it through the DVLA - cost £15 per enquiry (I think) not sure if you still can but could be worth checking. Not as easy as it used to be. I had to do this last summer to track down a bloke who owed me money. I knew his car and reg, knew where he parked it (thanks to friends in low places) - sent the form on to DVLA as a bit of gamble that they might provide the info. In fairness their criteria for providing information is well documented but there is room for subjectivity. A prompt and personal reply said they wouldn't do it with the reasons outlined by them - which I thought was very fair. Got the debtor though...called at the house where the offending car was parked ans served notice on him as regards taking him to Court - useful was when I opened the lid of the biox where the post went found a another letter addressed to him at that house...perfect. He paid up just shy of £6k on the very last day before summonses were issued. Sadly I had to bill him an extra £400 in fees - got that as well...:-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 20:28   Contacting previous owner? - MD

Correct Sooty. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 19:02   Contacting previous owner? - MD

WHAT Cliff. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 2 Jan 17 20:47   Contacting previous owner? - Bromptonaut

Make? Model? Year? Price? Is there something in answer to those questions that might give a clue as to why it's sticking? My Roomster, 11 reg 1.6 diesel in SE trim, was on franchise dealer forecourt for quite a while before I bought. Reason was almost certainly it's 70k miles, notwithstanding good price and included 2yr warranty. Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 2 Jan 17 at 20:51 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 3 Jan 17 09:57   Contacting previous owner? - Bobby

When I recently helped my son buy a car, I was amazed at how much information you can obtain through doing some research but it is dependent on the seller being helpful. If they are in the business of selling cars, and not willing to give information then I would walk! So over the course of a morning I was able to find the previous owners details check the MOT history phone the dealers that had done the service ran it through a checker website to ensure no write off etc even checked the previous owners facebook to see if there was any mentions of the car!! Maybe that last step was a step too far....... However we looked at several cars and every dealer was more than willing to share all the information they had including letting me see the V5. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 3 Jan 17 19:55   Contacting previous owner? - MD

BMW 330i. 06 plate. 70k. 10 main dealer stamps. One owner. Auto. 5.45k or thereabouts. A 'dealer', BUT what would appear to be a glorified lock up. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 3 Jan 17 20:19   Contacting previous owner? - R.P.

Love the sound of it. Lovely motor 3.0.. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 3 Jan 17 20:24   Contacting previous owner? - R.P.

People may be passing it over as it isn't a diesel. Fuel economy in the mid-thirties should be achievable, tax might be perceived as expensive which might put people off. Check the tax rate on the .gov site from Parkers suggests it could be 295.00 - 10 service stamps for a ten year old car sounds very good for its age. Insurance can be costly as well, proper rear tyres are essential - it will not thrive on ditch finders. All these dots joined might put off a "budget" buyer. I'd ask to see the V5 from the seller, take a photo or three of it and do your checks. Last edited by: R.P. on Tue 3 Jan 17 at 20:25 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 3 Jan 17 20:31   Contacting previous owner? - Manatee

Good points, big old petrols are usually cheap or hard to shift. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 3 Jan 17 20:35   Contacting previous owner? - R.P.

But don't half sound good....I used to describe my 328 as an iron fist in a velvet - subtle and sublime at three figure speeds (so I'm led to believe)......tyres and sorted rear suspension have to be spot on. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 3 Jan 17 22:05   Contacting previous owner? - MD

TBH RP these normally go to scroats, but 5.5k might be the swinger. As an aside I've owned a few big petrol cars, from a 2.9 Granada to a 320E and neither was as sharp or as quick as the Bob Marley mentioned, or indeed as economical. Thanks. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 3 Jan 17 23:07   Contacting previous owner? - legacylad

Shut up about the 330 MD! As you know I sold my immaculate '04 330 convertible to my nephew earlier this year when my old mum could no longer get out of the rear seats. It was roof down to lift her out. Said Nephew was home at Xmas when I called round and I had to sit in it again. Just lovely. If only I could find a 330 estate with pano roof without paying top dollar at a dealer. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 4 Jan 17 13:05   Contacting previous owner? - Dave_

I follow an interesting Twitter account called Not Quite Classics. Their M.O. is to highlight AT or Gum tree ads for big petrol engined luxury cars going cheap because of the £300-£500 annual VED cost. Usually bargain basement stuff, but often a surprising amount of car for a grand or two. Merc W220 S500s, Lexus LS430s, BMW 540is, that kind of thing. Yet another way to waste a whole afternoon... Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 4 Jan 17 19:23   Contacting previous owner? - rtj70

Apart from the obvious gamble if it goes wrong, there's a lot of car to be had if you go for a petrol engine with high CO2 emissions. Even a Skoda Superb 3.6l 4x4. But if something goes wrong on a Merc S500 or a Lexus LS430... and many other cars like them the repair bill could be very high. Reply to this message | Report message