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AIBU?

They've sold us the wrong car!

77 replies

pandarific · 10/03/2017 19:18

I am Shock. Fiancé came home yesterday to tell me that during the service of the 2 year old car we bought 7 months ago it has come to light that they have sold us a car that has the wrong plates on it! The log book and V5 are for a car with a completely different set of plates.

So we have been driving around in a car with effectively no insurance, massively breaking the law, for seven months! We took the thing to Europe and drove around in it for 2 weeks! Shock Angry

It's not stolen, but when the car was new and having its plates fitted they were somehow swapped and the mistake was never discovered. Not so bad, but the previous owner had it for 18 months and it was never picked up in any of the services - and then the kicker! We bought it as part exchange from a VERY fancy dealership (of much more £££ car makes) and at no point, either when they bought the car from the other person, or sold it to us, did they check it!

We are being fawned over by the dealership and have been given a very nice car to drive around in while they sort the whole mess out, but this is a really bad error on their part - apparently the director of the chain dealership has been called about it.

WWBU to take the feckers to small claims court for this? We're so bloody lucky we didn't get stopped by the police.

OP posts:
KateDaniels2 · 10/03/2017 19:22

Yes ywbu.

What they did is shocking. However, they are still sorting this out.

Why would you start planning on taking them to court at this stage?

Lalunya85 · 10/03/2017 19:23

Unless I'm missing something you haven't had any additional costs incurred as a result of this mix up? It also sounds like they're now trying to sort it all out for you.

Is im not sure why you would consider taking them to court?? Why go through the hassle?

Ywbu im afraid.

luckylucky24 · 10/03/2017 19:24

If there had been a consequence of this mistake ywnbu. You cannot take them to caught because something COULD have happened.

Lalunya85 · 10/03/2017 19:24

I would however be asking them to pay you some compensation for the inconvenience.

Pandamanda3 · 10/03/2017 19:24

OMG ur lucky u didn't have an accident
Wow just goes to show ey how big booboo's are made.
Tbh I wudnt think small claims yet Id be seeing just how far they R willing to go with the we R sorry first!

Get yourself a brand new car for there muck up!

They should do that at the very least, the trouble you could have been in point it out to them in a very stern letter and say u wish to be suitably compensated and an investigation into how the hell that happened in first place good luck!

ENormaSnob · 10/03/2017 19:24

😮😮😮

Rainmaker1 · 10/03/2017 19:26

So are you saying the V5c shows a different registration number than the plates fitted to the car?

What allows are you going to take them to small claims for?

Rainmaker1 · 10/03/2017 19:26

allows = loss

pandarific · 10/03/2017 19:28

I am willing to accept IABU btw! Just so shocked!

OP posts:
topcat2014 · 10/03/2017 19:28

This isn't America, OP, you can only make claims for losses actually incurred :)

At least it has been picked up and sound's like it is being sorted now.

Good luck.

pandarific · 10/03/2017 19:31

Oh idk, courts probably a stupid idea. Don't judge me too harshly, I am just rather pissed off.

I can feel a strongly worded letter coming on though!

OP posts:
TheHedgehogCanNeverBe · 10/03/2017 19:32

Actually you have paid insurance / tax for car that you didn't have. Whilst you would have had to pay insurance / tax for the right car there is no loss but I would be pointing this out in my discussions with the dealer.
This is appalling.

Rainmaker1 · 10/03/2017 19:32

Still not clear exactly why happened?

MatildaTheCat · 10/03/2017 19:35

They have cocked up but not actually cost you anything. Perhaps suggest that they offer you some sort of goodwill gesture since they have put you at risk of very serious consequences? Maybe a free service plan or something that won't 'cost' them anything but would save you some money.

NewPuppyMum · 10/03/2017 19:37

Why is a letter needed? They have given you a nice car and are sorting it out.

Ameliablue · 10/03/2017 19:40

I'm confused did you have insurance and tax for the reg on the car or the reg in the documents and did you not check that your documents matched the car?

chitofftheshovel · 10/03/2017 19:41

How on earth did you not notice that the v5 had a different registration plate to the one on your car?

JaniceBattersby · 10/03/2017 19:42

So you didn't check, or notice, either? Confused

Sammysquiz · 10/03/2017 19:42

You haven't been "massively breaking the law" - you had no idea the plates were wrong. If you'd been involved in an accident this would all just have come to light earlier.

The dealership know they've messed up & they're sorting it, it's really not worth getting so stressed over.

plominoagain · 10/03/2017 19:43

Exactly the same thing happened to one of my colleagues . We car shared in it for two years before discovering on part exing it ,that the vrm was for another vehicle they had also sold two years ago , and the plates had been put on the wrong vehicles .

And he was a police sergeant , who had driven into god knows how many police stations , past anpr cameras and all sorts . He went nuts , because he could have lost his job for driving without insurance even through an unknowable error. They virtually gave him his next car . Which he went over with a magnifying glass checking all the VIN numbers against the log book before he left the showroom !

Redglitter · 10/03/2017 19:44

I'd say your partly to blame too. You should have noticed when you got the log book transferred into your name.

PatMullins · 10/03/2017 19:44

But they are sorting it?

Understandable to be a bit pissed off about it all though Smile

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pandarific · 10/03/2017 19:45

Sorry rainmaker1, have clarified with fiancé, apparently the chassis number in v5 and log book are all to the reg on our car, but these don't match up with the actual chassis number on ours - its a different car. Does that make sense?

I have more or less accepted iwbu - but bloody hell what a fright!

OP posts:
GatoradeMeBitch · 10/03/2017 19:45

Luckily nothing did happen. I can understand your anger, but just wait and see how the dealership resolve this for you.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 10/03/2017 19:45

Why do you even need a letter strongly worded or otherwise.
They know they messed up and they are fixing it.

Perhaps a thank you after its resolved would be better

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