HPI query

Soldato
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Hi Guys,

Quick question;

I'm just about to buy a truck, (Ford Ranger Wildtrak, so I can do all my various recreational duties :D ) got a small deposit on it, buying it from a Ford main dealer this Friday.

I just did a HPI check and it has outstanding finance on it from when it was new, (November 2016) an actual finance agreement; conditional sale, (not unit stocking which I'm familiar with)

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Questions;

The dealer got the car via a trade in, if it's true the finance hasn't been paid off, I'm aware that there are protections against consumers buying cars with finance already on them, so I'm *reasonably* sure the finance company wouldn't come after me, however are there any things I should worry about?

For example - if the finance hasn't been cleared by now - who's to say it will ever get cleared? (could be a problem for me to sell on in a few years?)

Thanks for any advice or help,
 
Either take the advice in the first sentence of the HPI check, or speak to the main dealer surely?

Being from a main dealer I’m sure they’ll be able to confirm what the situation is.

You’d be mad to proceed with a purchase without querying it, and I suspect knowing there’s outstanding finance before making the purchase may invalidate any potential protection.
 
This is quite common though you can just ask the dealer to clarify.

They'll settle the finance as soon as you pay, though you can probably have them do this whilst you are there right after you make payment if you ask :)
 
Yeah I've spoken to the main dealer this morning, their "admin department is doing some checks" and will get back to me.

I also just called Ford Finance and gave them the agreement number, they do indeed state that it has finance outstanding on it and can't legally be sold to me until it's cleared... (essentially the words they used)

Guess I need to have a frank discussion with the dealer, I imagine I'll just need to get assurance from them that they'll clear it, if they can't do that - then they can't sell it to anyone I guess..
 
Guess I need to have a frank discussion with the dealer, I imagine I'll just need to get assurance from them that they'll clear it, if they can't do that - then they can't sell it to anyone I guess..

Do not proceed any further until you have third party evidence that the finance has been cleared. If it takes too long then get your deposit back and look elsewhere.
 
Do not proceed any further until you have third party evidence that the finance has been cleared. If it takes too long then get your deposit back and look elsewhere.

Yeah I'm hoping the dealer will clear it on the spot, so I can just call the finance company to re-check, it would obviously be silly to take a dealers word for anything.. I imagine I wouldn't have any trouble getting my deposit back, because essentially - they've been trying to sell something that wasn't their's to sell? essentially mis-selling goods or something - I paid it on a credit card, so I imagine they'd claw it back pretty quick if the dealer wasn't compliant?
 
I'm surprised the main dealer hadn't already checked this? and did you have to pay for your own HPI report - not really the level of service i'd quite expect from a main dealer.

Even my last car bought from an indy i requested the HPI report to confirm there was no outstanding finance etc on it.
 
I'm surprised the main dealer hadn't already checked this? and did you have to pay for your own HPI report - not really the level of service i'd quite expect from a main dealer.

Even my last car bought from an indy i requested the HPI report to confirm there was no outstanding finance etc on it.

It's a little bit lax on my part to be honest, We'd been driving all weekend looking at different ones and found the physically best one with the best mileage and most warranty left on it, at the time I'd been told it had had all of the checks, all of the things, all of the assurance etc, this is my first time buying from a main dealer so I admit taking their word for it a little bit.. I had some HPI checks left over from a bunch I purchased 18 months ago for a different vehicle, so I used one of those.

I had actually asked for all of the information, but yes - since I put the deposit down on the day, the dealer has been pretty appalling in getting back to me with the actual information (or anything for that matter), so I'm feeling a little bad about that... It's supposed to be all ready for me to collect on Friday, so I'm going to demand no sale and walk away with my deposit, unless they fix the finance.
 
I dont think this is your fault at all - buying from a main dealer you should not need to check this stuff.
 
I suspect the dealer doesn't have a clue that it has finance outstanding on it, because when I spoke to the finance company, they said that the dealership wouldn't be able to sell it to anyone via finance - their system would auto-decline them, as it's got an unsettled account against it. To me it makes no sense that they'd allow it as a part-exchange if they can't sell it - unless they simply didn't check it when it came in.. They did actually offer me finance on it, but I'm a cash buyer.. Hence why I think they're not even aware.

The annoying thing is I've found all of this out myself, none of it has been volunteered..

Edit - well their sales team called me back, apparently they discovered it had finance on it a few days ago, so they've apparently paid it off today and it should be clear by Friday (I explained there's not a cat-in-hell's chance of me buying it with the finance outstanding) they understand that and affirm it's been done..... so I'll find out on Friday...
 
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Believe Me, just because they are a main dealer and not some independent used car lot doesn't mean they are any more thorough/professional.

I bought a BMW from a main dealer in Enfield that were terrible.
 
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