V5C - Former Keepers

Associate
OP
Joined
8 Nov 2008
Posts
511
Location
Scotland
If the dealer registered it then it would have had 2 previous owners. When you bought it, the dealer became the 3rd previous owner.

No, the dealer did not register the car, the previous keeper on the V5C is a private individual not linked to the garage.

I am trying to confirm whether the dealer misrepresented the car at point of sale.

The car was advertised as having "two former keepers" and I was told this at the point of sale.

The V5C has arrived today showing "three former keepers" which makes me the forth?

I've phoned the dealer and he is insisting I am the third keeper ... but I don't believe that is correct.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jun 2007
Posts
13,951
Location
Chesterfield
The word 'former' is the clue.

You are the current registered keeper and the vehicle has had 3 former keepers.

Ring the DVLA and see if it is a missprint (very doubtful). Then get in contact with the dealer about it if you wish.

What is your problem if it has got 3 former keepers rather than 2? You just want to let the dealer know?
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,160
I can't see a difference in 1 or 2 owners being a huge deal unless it's 6 months old or if the dealer claimed it had 2 owners and it's really had 24 owners. If the car is in good condition and has been looked after then is this a big deal.

This suggests you aren't happy with the car for other reasons, what's the story?
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Oct 2009
Posts
13,823
Location
Spalding, Lincs
No, the dealer did not register the car, the previous keeper on the V5C is a private individual not linked to the garage.

I am trying to confirm whether the dealer misrepresented the car at point of sale.

The car was advertised as having "two former keepers" and I was told this at the point of sale.

The V5C has arrived today showing "three former keepers" which makes me the forth?

I've phoned the dealer and he is insisting I am the third keeper ... but I don't believe that is correct.

So the previous registered keeper was the 3rd owner, making it 2 previous keepers, he is now the 3rd previous keeper making you the 4th owner.
 
Associate
Joined
30 Apr 2013
Posts
286
Location
West Sussex
Yeah surely it's not misrepresented at all, the V5 showed 2 previous which is how it was advertised, the current keeper being the 3rd owner, once you registered it, that current keeper became the 3rd previous owner with you as the 4th, dealer hasn't done anything wrong
 
Associate
OP
Joined
8 Nov 2008
Posts
511
Location
Scotland
Thanks for the replies.

Split opinion here I see.

The V5C will have shown "two former" keepers, prior to my purchase.

However this is not technically correct as the third owner of the vehicle is not captured on the V5C until the car is sold on.

So are we saying that you ignore the third owner of the car when advertising it?
 
Associate
OP
Joined
8 Nov 2008
Posts
511
Location
Scotland
So the previous registered keeper was the 3rd owner, making it 2 previous keepers, he is now the 3rd previous keeper making you the 4th owner.

Okay, perhaps this is my misunderstanding then, I, like a few other people who I showed the advert to, thought that "two former keepers" described the full owner history of the vehicle.

I didn't realise the last owner was not included in that statement.

Oh well, live you learn!

Thanks for the input folks.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Oct 2002
Posts
5,002
Location
Port Toilet
Having been tucked up by the carsupermarket over this, I would never buy a car without seeing a current v5c. The old "weel send the new v5c to you" caught me out and instead of 1 former keeper, my car had three. I was told "if you feel you have been misold the car then feel free to take us to court, the price of the car wouldn't have changed"

Saying that, the car was preregistered, bought by a company and driven by a salesrep who then bought it off the company, so I calmed down a bit.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
159,534
So if a dealer advertised a car as having "two former keepers" and I receive a V5C stating "three former keepers" then this is clearly false?

This is very misleading on the part of the dealer. There have been 3 former keepers - the person who had it before it got to the dealer, and the two people before him

If the dealer registered it then it would have had 2 previous owners. When you bought it, the dealer became the 3rd previous owner.

No, completely false.
 
Permabanned
Joined
12 Feb 2007
Posts
8,731
Location
Teesside
If you purchased the car from the individual who traded it in to the dealer then he could have said it had 2 former keepers and nobody would raise an eyelid to this.
As the dealer only acts as that person anyway what's the problem?
 
Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
159,534
If you purchased the car from the individual who traded it in to the dealer then he could have said it had 2 former keepers and nobody would raise an eyelid to this.
As the dealer only acts as that person anyway what's the problem?

Fairly obvious, no?

If the last owner stands in front of you and tells you the car has had 2 previous owners, then you know exactly what he means. There is no ambiguity.

If a dealer tells you its had 2 previous owners, then you'll think it was 2 in total - the previous keeper is no longer the keeper nor owns the car so it would be reasonable for the average car buyer to expect him to be included in the count.

It's just another way dealers earn the reputation they have :p
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
4,144
Location
Southampton
[TW]Fox;25222518 said:
Fairly obvious, no?

If the last owner stands in front of you and tells you the car has had 2 previous owners, then you know exactly what he means. There is no ambiguity.

If a dealer tells you its had 2 previous owners, then you'll think it was 2 in total - the previous keeper is no longer the keeper nor owns the car so it would be reasonable for the average car buyer to expect him to be included in the count.

It's just another way dealers earn the reputation they have :p

Exactly.

When the car was traded in at the garage the 2 previous owners then became 3. It doesn't matter what the V5 says at this point in time..what matters is what the V5 will say when the new owner gets it back from the DVLA, which will be 3 previous owners.

It is wrong for the garage to be advertising the car as only having 2 previous owners and they know it..it's an underhand tactic that dealers use to make the car look more attractive to prospective buyers, and I've fallen for it before as well.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
6,657
Location
Leicestershire
Just out of interest why are you chasing this?
Are you wanting to take the car back because its had 1 more owner than you were told originally and want some sort of ammo to take it back?
 
Back
Top Bottom