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‘The most important thing’ – expert urges Brits to ‘walk away’ from used car deals if they don’t see ‘critical document’
You could leave yourself open to scams
AN expert has urged Brits to "walk away" from used car deals if they don't see a "critical document", saying it's the "most important thing" to consider.
Sellers who don't have the simple piece of paper could be concealing "something sinister", he warned.
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John Rawlings, consumer editor for , urged buyers to make sure all the motor's documentation is present and correct before agreeing any purchase.
However, he recommended paying extra attention to one form in particular.
He told : "The V5C is the most important thing.
"Certainly, if the person doesn't have that you have got to walk away from the car straight away.
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"That is a critical document."
The V5C, better known as a car's log book, is the document that proves the legal registration and ownership of the car.
Any time you buy a car, you will have to fill out a change of ownership slip, which can then be used to request a new V5C, issued by the DVLA.
However, make sure that you have seen the old V5C first in order to protect against car scams.
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John explained: "You want to approve that they are the legal owner of it for starters and that it's at the right address."
His comments came in the wake of a study conducted by Carwow, which found that less than two-thirds of respondents believed they had performed the correct precautionary checks when buying a used motor.
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And a whopping 38% admitted failing to check the V5C before handing over the cash.
John added: "If you think of that percentage in terms of actual cars on the road, that’s quite a scary amount of cars that potentially [owners] don't know enough about.
"You can't always see things...unless you're a trained mechanic you don’t know what you’re looking for."
Even the best of us can be caught out by crafty car fraudsters as one car salesman found out.
Grant, who runs Scottish Car Clan, has bought and sold hundreds of vehicles but still found himself a victim of a V5C-related sales scam and facing a hefty bill
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