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Scam?

STEVETM

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Just about to buy a 2004 plate 7th gen 2.0 vtec tourer with very low miles corroborated by the GOV Mot check thing.
It shows in the Honda service book just one service at 2,000 something miles in the first year then nothing till after three years have passed, showing an average of 3,300 miles per year.

A private plate had been put on the car and this is shown on the honda service book. The original number plate crossed through and the new number added.

Without getting too deep here, is there a known scam whereby people change a plate to disguise the high mileage they know they will do, then clock the car mileage back and revert back to the original plate, get a service done and then MOT the thing.

Everything about this car is spot on apart from the first three year service history which would confirm the true mileage.

That private plate number is now on a different car with its own MOT history.

Sounds paranoid I know but it sounds feasible some how.

Was, or is this, a known scam???

I will be phoning the original supplying dealer in the morning but I am still curious as to whether this is, or could be a scam.

Opinions greatly appreciated

Will get back when I speak to the dealer.

Steve.
 
Does seem odd... Generally if something's too good to be true, it probably is.

I wouldn't want to say one way or other, but this does all strike as rather odd. Perhaps a kept wife's run around and she didn't use it much, hence the private plate and low mileage. But still... :blink:
 
Changing plates dosn't alter the cars MOT record.
 
Hi thanks for the replies. I am only referring to the period before the first MOT was done at 10,000 odd miles, this is shown on the MOT and the Honda service book so is correct. It appears the car was registered, then a private plate was put on it, and at the first MOT due date, the car reverted back to its original reg number.
Thus there was a window during which it could have done a lot of mileage which was on the private plate, then clocked down to the 1st MOT mileage shown at the end of the third year.

Therefore the true actual recorded mileage done on the private plate potentially vanishes???

Unless the dealer has a record of the second and third years service history (which is not stamped in the service book) I don't think It is possible to be sure of the true mileage.

If this is not a known scam, I think it's a possible one?
 
Hi Steve, I used to know a dodgy Mini Cab firm that used to employ such tactics to shift fresh looking cars with Galactic mileage.

my advice is to walk away from such a car.
 
Seems to me highly unlikely they did very low mileage during the first part of the 3 years and then stellar mileage for the rest of it. Much more likely that because their mileage was so low during the whole of the 3 years that they didn't bother with any more services during the rest of the 3 years. But if it only did 8k on that oil that's not the end of the world even though it was 2+ years old before it got changed again.

These are good cars, Honda don't sell cars that good now, so my view is, if you like it, get it bought, but it's your call not mine.
 
I agree with Cliff above - the car could have been bought pre-registered on a 3 year lease/pcp style deal by the first owner and popped onto their private plate. They've only covered a small distance in the first 3 years, therefore didn't bother with a service until the first mot, at which point the 3 year deal was up, so they've taken the plate off, had the mot/service done and traded the car in...

Doesn't seem dodgy to me at all, just negligent on the servicing. Then again, if it's still on the road now (11 years later?) it's probably going to be alright.
 
Yep! I recon your right. I phoned the supplying dealer this morning and they did confirm the information I already had, but the good news for my concern is that the first buyer with the private plate, actually kept the car until 2010, so not just till the first mot was due, and did consistently low miles.

This swapping of number plates does seem to muddy the waters... it is as if this cars mileage is attached to both the original and private plate at random!

Still, all's well that ends well and I am very pleased to be picking up my additional 7th gen tourer tomorrow. She is in lovely clean condition and really does look like a completely genuine low mileage used nice car.

The funny thing is, I was nearly put off by the tow bar fitted, but reading about these on here saw that it was a single socket black connection type used more for light trailers. I read the comments about this and that this can mean that trips to the dump etc don't involve getting the tailgate area stink order and can often mean a much cleaner car that is not so likely to have towed a caravan.
The tow ball was like a baby's bum so definitely not done loads of hard towing (hopefully) and the tailgate area is almost min, with Ivory carpet too! So that proved that theory for me

I looked hard for this motor (£2,500.00) and could so easily have dismissed it as dodgy sounding. Just goes to show how important it is to check things out, especially with a great resource of wisdom as there is on here.

Thanks for all the great info here guys, if I can add anything in the future I will most certainly do my bit.

Cheers

Steve.
 
Just an update, I picked the car up last night and today took a long look at both the car and the paperwork.

WOW!

This car is immaculate, it has the beige/ivory colour exec leather trim. Every part of the interior is near mint, even the drivers seat is close to new condition, just a little blue staining from jeans I suspect, I am amazed and delighted. It still smells good, original Honda carpets that are ridiculously clean, the tailgate area looks pretty much brand new!.

Unbelievably, the third owner also was on a private plate!... So, the first owner was briefly Honda, the second owner on a private plate, the third owner also on a private plate , the fourth owner and it reverts back to the original plate, and now me.

All of this weird ownership history...it's got to be a clocked, cut and shut, walk away sounds dodgy, too iffy to consider...etc.

No, straight as a die and all completely genuine.

Ownership = Honda, then (honestly) two low mileage lady owners and a really nice equally low mileage Polish lad for the last year!

I have all the service receipts, MOT info, and the service book, stamped by the various garages, that corroborates the mot and services done.

What a refreshing change..

I will stick up some photos of this car as soon as the weather gets better, it's the new love in my life :)

Thanks for your replies

Steve.
 
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