Buyer Beware!!!

[DougM]

Hi everyone.....

Just wanted to let you know about a private sale that's gone terribly wrong.......

One of the project managers at work recently bought a near new Toyota Hilux SR5, privately. The car is financed through a broker. The finance company did a REVS check and the car was clear. My mate also did his own REVS check for his own peace of mind.

It turns out that the car has had a body swap!!!!!! The chassis is from a base model Hilux which was bought legitimately. The thieves stole a top of the range SR5 in the Northern Territory and swapped the complete body from the SR5 onto the base model chassis....This way the chassis and engine number cleared with REVS.......Apparently the SR5's are now huge business with thieves.......

Here is the clincher.....The police came and impounded the car, no ifs or buts..........It looks like my mate is stuck paying off a car he no longer owns even though he has done nothing wrong!!!!!!!! What really gets under my skin is that even though the title of the car is with the finance company. he loses out.......No one should lose out because of these ruthless thieves but it just drives me mad that the big companies are covered but the average guy gets bent over.........It's just wrong.....He has 2 young kids and is now stuck with this huge debt and no car......

My mate has spoken to a few solicitors, the usual TV/Radio programmes and they all say that there is probably little he can do about it.....

So all I can say is, be very, very careful if buying privately!!!!

Take care.

Doug.