Hi all

Tried posting this on PistonHeads as it’s car related but you can’t post as a new member for some reason so thought I’d try here!

Noting to do with bikes I’m afraid.

I just had a chap knock at the door (6pm on Fri) saying he bought my old car from the garage I traded it in to(he gave me the reg and where he bought it etc) and said he recently had it nicked from a petrol station in Barking when he left the keys in the ignition (so not insured).

He just wanted to know if it had a tracker fitted, so he could try and find it.

He seemed OK but a little bit shady, so I got a bit worried it might be some sort of scam.

He didn’t ask me anything else though except for about the tracker.
He knew my address, and the reg plate of the car, and the garage I traded it into 2 yrs ago.
He had a new car though and said he’d just bought it on HP and was about the sell my old one when it got nicked (bit too coincidental for my liking).

The only thing I can think is he’s maybe going to assume as that car didn’t have a tracker my new one hasn’t (which it has but I didn’t think quick enough to say that).

Or he’s going to nick my old car from it’s current owner.
But would he have my address without the log book?

Genuine or Scam – what do you think?
Do I need to barricade my house tonight!

Thanks all 🙂

Really odd, treat as a scam until proved otherwise. Might be worth a call to the Police.

struggling to see what the scam would be.

Thanks both

It just seems too dodgy, but likewise I can’t see what the angle could be.

Could he get my address online without the logbook?

Thx again

Still very odd, why would you wonder if it had a tracker, if it did it would be a selling point and listed in the add when he bought it, and I think they need monthly or annual subscriptions to stay active dont they?

Not sure what the scam is, but very shady.

he’s trying to find out if it has a tracker so he can nick it?

he’s trying to find out if it has a tracker so he can nick it?

I wondered that, but then where’s he got the OP’s details from?

Still, if you have to ask, etc.

The v5 will have your address details on assuming he bought it from the garage your traded it into

And why would he approach a previous owner with such a question, and not the garage he bought it from. Something’s afoot.

If it was a rare/desirable car, there might be some foul play.

Average/premium car…unlikely to be a scam but if he is desperate…

Although the trackers need a subscription, I’m sure they’d relieve you of a lump sum to tell you where the car is!

Agree it’s strange, depends on what car it was and such like
If he lives nearby then the previous owner is more likely to remember if it had a tracker than the garage that sold him it, and the original garage may have withheld this info

Its a 57 plate RRS. So quite old now.

Really appreciate all your help. Getting a bit freaked out I may get a visit in the night to nick my current car.

But probably more likely it’s something to do with the old one.

It did get a parking offence sent to us before we’d changed the ownership docs over, and it was still fairly local, so he probably does live within 30 miles of here.

Just done a vin check on it and it hasn’t been reported stolen.

Somethings going on but I can’t figure what?

Sounds dodgy but have no idea why !

I don’t think it sounds that dodgy. If he’s telling the truth and he did leave the keys in the car he won’t be insured. He might still have the documents – if I was in his position I’d try everything to get the car back.

But if it didn’t have a tracker and you don’t have any spare keys from when you owned it you can tell him that, sympathise with him and wish him luck.

Not everyone is out to scam you.

Thanks all

Yes it’s a sorry world when you have to assume everyone is out to get you!
But if the cars not registered as stolen then he’s not being truthful.

I’m paranoid at the best of times. Will be sleeping with one eye open for a while 🙁

With my bikes close by too 🙂

Perhaps he isn’t the owner but is instead trying to track the current location for the real owner of it.

Even if it did have a tracker the tracking company would only deal with whomever the legal owner of the car is, which is not the OP.

Good point Russ. Could be that. Certainly had a potential ‘gangsta’ look about him, albeit with a pleasant enough demeanour.

And yes that’s true Matty. They wouldn’t, so it’d be useless unless he owned it.

To sum it up…it seems you think it is more likely to do with my old car and it’s current owner or theft of, than it is to do with him trying to scam me, or scoping me out for future robbing?

Really grateful for all your input!

I think I’d have told him to jog on pretty quick.
Bang out of order door stepping someone who you have no actual connection with just because you bought their old car two years ago. The proper way to ask the question would clearly have been through the selling dealer.
May be targeting the car for later theft (nicked or passed info from someone at dealer one option) or possibly a less scrutable private investigator on a fishing trip on its new owner.

I’d have asked for his details and told him that you get back to him in the morning. No need to be rude to him, too many Daily fail readers that are suspicious of everyone these days.

I’ve heard of similar happening to someone before. Unfortunately they went missing a few days later never to be seen again so I can’t ask him how it turned out.

Thanks KM 🙂

If I don’t post anymore you’ll know what the outcome was!

Or he could have been casing your house up for a burglary.

Oh gees

Well I kept him out the door and pulled it behind me.

I hate this. World’s most paranoid man.

I’ll be like John Rambo tonight!

Perhaps he as acquired the V5 via dodgy means and plans on stealing the car to sell as he has the V5 so would be easier to shift on.

He cant go to the present owner and ask if it has a tracker can he!

Maybe he has bought it and planning an insurance job on it, so just wants to know if the car can be traced to his lock up?

None of your possessions have suddenly become more vulnerable to theft because somone asked you a detail about a car you sold 2 years ago.

Maybe he thought you had a spare key and regained the car. Call the police they’re the experts here.

I’d guess he’s looking to aquire the car in the near future and is trying to find out if it’s traceable.

No scam, poor sod has had his car stolen and he’s clutching at straws. Simple question, did your old car have a tracker fitted, answer yes or no.

Privte investigator but he’s after the current owner – my guess on behalf of a wife or jilted lover – she’d know the reg and where bought from so he’s tracking leads, if it was legit he’d first go to the garage – you could always ask the garage if he’d contacted them first, money’s on a no.

I wouldn’t be worried if he knocked on my door but I would be intrigued.

If I was going steal a car I wouldn’t go making myself known to someone associated with the car. Anyone remotely curious is going to check to see if the car is/has been stolen and then could provide my description to the police.

Similarly, if I was going to rob you I’d knock on the door and ask if Dave was home then apologise for getting the wrong house, or I’d knock asking if you needed a window cleaner etc… A memorable story about having a car stolen is going to be remembered if you arrive home to find your possessions missing.

There is someone thing you can do…call the non-emergency police number and explain you have had someone claiming to be the owner of the car on your doorstep and wanting to track it, they are able to call the registered owner via DVLA details if there is a number on file. Don’t ask them to put you in touch, they won’t, but they will often call for you.

I do it at work to try and arrange a time to meet drivers who have parked over a manhole so they can move the car, its usually in desperation after multiple failed visits.

Trackers can be fried very easily. If he was a proper car thief that wouldn’t bother him.

Well he’s obviously a drug dealer at best if it’s a Range Rover Sport.

So he had his stash of drugs in it, it got nicked by another dealer. He doesn’t want to report it stolen because he’s bent, so he’s come back to you on the off chance it did have a tracker, so he can pay to get it activated so he can get his drugs back without informing the Police.

Maybe the car has been stolen with the keys left in, the tracker won’t activate, the present owner hasn’t reported it stolen yet as the insurance co won’t pay out and either him or his associate are trying to find it themselves?

A lot of paranoia on here…

He’s clearly gun running to the Irish Republic. Most likely a dead body in the back, cars been nicked and dumped. He needs to retrieve and bury the body. Scam ? probably not just a missing body case.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT