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UPDATE Bought a used van, and all I got is a cell phone, can anyone help?

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Call the police, they will help.

Lesson learned - don't buy a car without doing a history check on it first. They're cheap and easy and it would've saved you a huge hassle.
 
GodlessAstronomer said:
What kind of a shitty area do you live in that the cops wouldn't bother with a $2800 theft?
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Pretty much everyone I know that's had their cars stolen have the same story - the police add the vehicle to the database of stolen cars and eventually it gets pulled over in a traffic stop or they find it abandoned and alert the owner. Maybe officers in the area are alerted to keep an eye out for it. They don't actually go looking for it. Most cars are worth well north of 3k.
 
DougK62 said:
Call the police, they will help.

Lesson learned - don't buy a car without doing a history check on it first. They're cheap and easy and it would've saved you a huge hassle.
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This.

Get the VIN from the seller, go to Carfax (or wherever) make sure the report is clean, verify VIN before you hand over cash.
 
preslove said:
Also, who buys a private party car without writing down the seller's Driver's license#?
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I've bought / sold over 10 cars in my 10-year stint as a driver and have never written someone's DL# down and never had a problem, but I think I just might do that from now on.
 
LordMorpheus said:
Pretty much everyone I know that's had their cars stolen have the same story - the police add the vehicle to the database of stolen cars and eventually it gets pulled over in a traffic stop or they find it abandoned and alert the owner. Maybe officers in the area are alerted to keep an eye out for it. They don't actually go looking for it. Most cars are worth well north of 3k.
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This isn't a vehicle theft though. This is larceny.

funboy, you paid with a check I would hope? Stop payment on the check then? If not, well... ouch.
 
BoomerD said:
Who did you buy the van from, thr registered owner or the folks who repo'd it?

If you bought it from the registered owner, you should be able to back track him through your DMV.
If he legally didn't have the right to sell the van...you may be able to press charges with the police.

If you bought it from the company who repo'd the van, they should be able to sign off for the necessary paperwork.

I really question the intelligence of ANYONE who'd buy a vehicle without getting all the necessary contact info of the seller or having all the proper documentation (title, registration, etc.) in hand BEFORE giving them the cash...and having everything properly notarized.
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was this guy selling the van in a parking lot somewhere? I've never bought a used car in a private sale before, but how do you not get any info about the person selling it? Aren't you supposed to get a title for the car and go to a notary with the seller to transfer it?
 
My neighbor's home was broken into and it appeared he was attacked and robbed. I'm seeing him on the floor ATM. What should I do ATOT?
 
Oh and those saying call the cops, they will probable not help.

A used car, unless written in contract, is sold as is. They, police, will say its a civil matter and take it to the courts (small claims).

OP Print the ad as small claims may be your only help.
 
pontifex said:
was this guy selling the van in a parking lot somewhere? I've never bought a used car in a private sale before, but how do you not get any info about the person selling it? Aren't you supposed to get a title for the car and go to a notary with the seller to transfer it?
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Not around these parts. You sign the title, they write you up a bill of sale, and you're on your merry way to get a new title. The bill of sale is as simple as a hand-written "I [seller's name] hereby sell this [year/make/model of car] to [buyer's name] for the amount of [MONEY!], on this date, signed MICKEY MOUSE"
I've always bought them at the seller's house.
 
You might want to call him from a different number and leave a message with a different name that you're interested in the van or any other vehicle he is trying to sell. See if you can arrange to meet up with him. Then when you do, you can confront him.
 
thepd7 said:
Did he give you a title?



I've never bought a used car from a private party so I wouldn't have thought of that.
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i sold a car recently and walked home, i didnt even have a pink slip!

also you can spend 5$ and get the phone numbers name address if lucky its not prepaid etc.. (or not stolen) so what is the story? motor was blown up and they poured in fixit kit? its prob still worth something just not 2800$?
 
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Tsaico said:
Lots of places, we had a painter rip us off in Redlands, Ca for $4000. we were getting a lot done on the house, paid 1/2 (total job was quoted for $9k) for the carpentry, the paint, etc. Guys showed up to start, but other than setting up plastic tarps, they never started. Then the dude just took off. We had his old address, his current cell, and they still wouldn't go get him. We were referred to claims court and that it was a civil matter.

From what I understand, they say the trade for goods or services happened, just because he never started just means, he didn't finish the job and that would need to be determined in court. We eventually won, since he was a no show, but have yet to see the money...
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I would think now that you have a civil judgment against him that it becomes criminal if he doesn't pay.
 
mfenn said:
This.

Get the VIN from the seller, go to Carfax (or wherever) make sure the report is clean, verify VIN before you hand over cash.
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This is what I did with my previous car which was a private purchase. I stood in the seller's driveway with the car in front of me, whilst I phoned the car history checking company (I forget which one it was that I used).

They gave me the run-down of the vehicle's history there and then over the phone. A paper copy was sent to me in the post afterward for my own records in case there was an issue in the future. If it transpired that they got the car's history and ownership wrong, you could claim against their insurance.

It is also a bit different in the UK, since the new purchaser takes a section out of the V5 document (log book) for the change of ownership when they purchase the car. This section is obviously signed by the seller as the previous owner of the vehicle, including their full contact details. From what I can remember, the seller also has to fill in their driver's license number.

The new owner then posts (recorded post) the partial document to the DVLA, which is the UK equivalent of the DMV. The DVLA update their records and sends the new owner a new V5 document, revised to include the their details.
 
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