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View Full Version : Please Help Oh My God! I Think My Car Has Been Cloned!!!



TimmyTim
24-07-2008, 10:40 PM
Okay, a bit of a long story...

I bought a car at a well know auction house! It had a "warranted" 65k on the clock! and came from a big finance house. I paid for the car the next day with a bankers draft(as if you pay with a credit cars you incure a 2% charge)

The day before I picked up the car I phoned the main dealer (where the car originated from and was serviced at) to find out some details of the car! to my suprise a "brand new engine" had been fitted some 180 miles ago at a cost of £12755.00!!! "WOW I thought" I've dropped on!

So with that I went to pick up the car with a massive smile on my face, but hang on! there is a sting in this tale.

When I got the MOT it stated that the car had covered 81k! but the car said 65k on the clock!(and I knew that the car had a new engine fitted by the main dealer because I had a print out of all the work that had been done and the mileage and dates) I asked to see the general manager who checked the cars VIN and number plates.

The VIN number on the car was the same as on the MOT, and the reg was also! So I took the car and thought that the MOT station that had done the test must have mixed up two cars and written the wrong mileage down.

I decided to contact VOSA(Vehicle & Operator Service Agency) the goverment agency that police the MOT stations by email to ask if they could look into the mileage for me? as I had purchased the car 11 days ago and found it hard to believe that the car had covered 16k in such a short time? And the car's MMI was telling me that only 100 miles had been covered and didn't need a service for 184 days.


The man from VOSA went away to try and find out the history of the car... In the mean time I was on the phone to the main dealer to find out what they knew about the car! The car originated from them and had all the warranty/service work done there so they knew the car very well! It turns out that the car was sitting at the dealership from Jan to June (08 waiting for a new engine to be shipped from Germany! But my MOT said it went for a test in March 2008

Thats just not possible as it didn't have an engine in it! So the emission test must have been the cleanest in the world!

Okay! so now i'm getting really worriedhttp://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif I tried to contact VOSA again to find out what they've found out, but I couldn't speak to the manager who was dealing with it!

Today I get a phone call from the manager at VOSA saying this is not quite as straight forwards as a "wrong" mileage on an MOT. He's told me that there is another car(same make, model, color) out on the roads with the identical number plate/ VIN number as mine!!!!!!! And the MOT I have isn't for my car but the other car! even though the VIN is the same.

So to cut this very long story short! VOSA are sending someone up North to have a look at his car, and someone to have a look at mine! One could be a "Clone" or their are two cars out there with the same VIN. If they can't get to the bottom of it the Police will have to be informed and a possibility that the cars could be seized!!!!

Has anyone ever been through anything like this and can offer advice to what I can do please?

Crasher
24-07-2008, 10:47 PM
PM me the cars reg number and your email.

TimmyTim
24-07-2008, 10:53 PM
PM me the cars reg number and your email.


I hope you got my PM...

MalcQV
24-07-2008, 10:58 PM
Hope you get this sorted out.

TimmyTim
24-07-2008, 11:04 PM
Hope you get this sorted out.


Cheers! So do I...

Crasher
24-07-2008, 11:05 PM
I hope you got my PM...

Yes, but no reg number!

RickT
24-07-2008, 11:17 PM
Sorry to here about this mate..

Please keep us updated with this one.

As this is a public forum and this issue could go further with the Police etc.. dont post any info up about the car..

In regards to the VIN number.. Just to make sure your car is not the "clone"Check that the VIN on the bulk head in the engine bay looks ok, also there may be a VIN in the boot on the back panel somewhere as there is one my A4.

Cheers

Rick

TimmyTim
24-07-2008, 11:33 PM
Sorry to here about this mate..

Please keep us updated with this one.

As this is a public forum and this issue could go further with the Police etc.. dont post any info up about the car..

In regards to the VIN number.. Just to make sure your car is not the "clone"Check that the VIN on the bulk head in the engine bay looks ok, also there may be a VIN in the boot on the back panel somewhere as there is one my A4.

Cheers

Rick



Cheers Rick...


I 've had a look at the bulkhead and it looks fine to me! it matches up with the one on the nearside under the windscreen... I'm going to take a look at the white sticker in the boot to see what that says! Don't worry! I'm not gonna give out any info on the VIN number here! But thanks for the " Heads up"

Any help would be welcome...


It's gonna be a long couple of weeks

Sam
25-07-2008, 07:34 AM
If all your numbers are matching up (and there's no dodgy filed/replaced numbers), the chances are you have the original car and the other guy is driving the clone - either way it's not a nice place to be.

Good luck :)

TimmyTim
25-07-2008, 08:56 AM
If all your numbers are matching up (and there's no dodgy filed/replaced numbers), the chances are you have the original car and the other guy is driving the clone - either way it's not a nice place to be.

Good luck :)



Thanks Sam...

I'm gonna have a good look at the car this morning! I may even take a trip down to the Main dealer where the car originated from and let them have a look at it!...

VOSA has told me that there could have been a mix up at the factory, and two cars could have the same VIN number!

Cheers

Tim

dansansome
25-07-2008, 09:04 AM
eek, sounds like a horror story!!!

lets hope it is a problem that get sorted out quickly and doesnt cost you anything! or leave you out of pocket!

good luck :)

TimmyTim
25-07-2008, 09:15 AM
eek, sounds like a horror story!!!

lets hope it is a problem that get sorted out quickly and doesnt cost you anything! or leave you out of pocket!

good luck :)


Cheers... me to,


I hope it get sorted out fast! One way or another...

Hex69
25-07-2008, 09:31 AM
Good luck, it sounds a real horror story.

However, I'd be very surprised (and worried) if the factory could send out 2 cars with the same VIN.

TimmyTim
25-07-2008, 09:38 AM
Good luck, it sounds a real horror story.

However, I'd be very surprised (and worried) if the factory could send out 2 cars with the same VIN.


Yer I felt the same when VOSA told me that to! I've been told that there is at least Ten thousand cars out there that have been Cloned...

Cheers