To report this used car trader to the police? Selling same car to two people!

[citybranch]

I'll try to keep this concise..

My husband viewed a car that was on ebay (classified ad with trader's address and ltd company details), the viewing took place at the trader's home.
We decided to purchase it and the guy delivered it, we paid cash upon delivery. He forgot the service history but promised to send it.
My husband used it for the nursery run and popped to the supermarket. (12 miles)
Oil leaked out all over drive. Took it to local garage, who suspected serious fault. Trader suddenly became very difficult to contact but after about a week of texting/voicemails asking for money back, he said he would getthe fault repaired for us. He gets the car picked up.

The car was picked up 3 weeks ago. Now, I went onto his ebay listings and noticed he had been left a negative very recently so I contacted the ebayer who gave me a rundown of his issues (similar stuff, fault with car not mentioned when sold, poor communication and log book never arrived).

Now another lady has been in touch with me via ebay. She also contacted the person who left the negative and he has put us in touch with each other. We've worked out a timeline of events and we both viewed the SAME car the same day. He took £250 deposit from her, but has never delivered it, citing a window problem that he will get repaired for her. He has then delivered the car to us, taken our £3200, taken the faulty car back.

The day he took the car back from us, he called her and said the window problem was fixed! But she said she had found another car and he agreed to give her deposit back.

Both of us had insured the same car! Neither of us has had the log book, although to me he says he sent it off a month ago.

He is now abroad, he says! we have found out through the occasional text from him. He says the car is fixed and he'll call me this weekend.

The other lady has sent a letter recorded delivery asking for her 250 back.

What do I do now? We've reported to trading standards. What about the police? The car isn't registered to us and he could be selling it to someone else as we speak!

Have I lost the car and £3200? What am I going to do?

Hopeful bump.

Yes, report to the police. What he is doing is fraudulent but do not expect to see your money again unless you paid for it with a credit card.

WOW, I have no advice, but many sympathies. I would be tempted to call the police, but trading standards should deal.

Hope you get you money back, what a bastard!

Oh, and have you alerted ebay??

If you paid through Paypal or Visa you would be covered I think.

Posst on the Ebay forum..you may find people who have had a similar experience on their.

Why did you let him take the car but pay him £3200??

there not their!

I am afraid it sounds as though you may well have lost the car and the money. What on earth possessed you to hand over the cash without having the log book in your hand!!!!? I think you may have been scammed - but I really hope he does call you this weekend.

dont let this man delay any longer if 45 days pass without logging the complaint with ebay.they can do nothing about returning your money via paypal. saying he's on holiday is a classic way to strech out to the 45 day limit.

Hi, we paid the money upon delivery of the car, as you do. He took it back to repair it after it went wrong. That's why he now has the car too. (garage had quoted us £1000 to repair).

As for the log book... We have the slip but he was supposed to send it to the DVLA, who then send it on to us. He says he has done this but the log book usually only takes a couple of weeks, and we've now waited a month. We saw the log book and he filled it out at the kitchen table. I i thought it was always the seller who sent it off?

Paid cash unfortunately as it was a classified ad, not an auction. Will still report to ebay.

Sorry, i mean that i don't think I'm protected if its an ebay classified as opposed to an auction. But they still sould be made aware. He has numerous other cars listed on ebay classifieds despite allegedly being abroad!

I have his name, home address, (the other lady used the loo in his house so we think it must be his actual house) Ltd company registration no. I have the MOT for the car, I have pictures of the car sitting on my own personal drive, with the oil leaking out. I have the new owners slip for the log book. I have all ebay correspondence regarding the sale.
And all the other lady's details and evidence.

check with the dvla if the car has actually ever been registered in your name. and contact the police. urgently.