protection buying vehicle private party

[Bradley]

I'm not sure this is the right forum - but i figured i'd try.

I'm about to buy a vehicle (bike) from a private party. I've bought almost a dozen vehicles in my life, but never from a non-dealer. Its going to be a cash purchase, so i'm a little worried about handing over several thousand dollars for a stolen bike.

What steps can I take to make sure this doesn't happen? Make sure the name on the title and registration matches? Ask to see the guy's DL? Is it possible to check with the DMV to make sure the vin doesn't come back stolen?

Thanks for any advice, gentlemen.

[wannabehp]

Last time I bought a private party vehicle, I did not hand over money until the pink slip was signed. And then I asked for the sellers driver's license and checked for a match as well as copied down the DL number. If the name does not match or the seller does not have the pink slip, red flag. The pink slip will have the VIN number as well. Another situation I had was the seller was still making payments, therefore did not have the pink slip, but the transaction took place at the seller's bank. Good luck and keep the shiny side up...

[Vinnie]

If you want to run the VIN through CarFAX or something, keep in mind that particular service can't/won't tell you if it's been reported stolen.

I kinda found that one out the hard way. :hitwall:

Having hands-on the pink slip is a good start. If the seller has maintenance records, that's a very good sign.

[The Highway Man]

Over in the UK, we have what's known as a HPI check. For a one off fee, normally between £20-£30 the vehicle details are checked. This lets the potential buyer know whether the vehicle is subject to outstanding finance, written off by the insurance company following a road traffic collision, stolen or cloned. This HPI check also guarantees reimbursement up to £30,000 if they say the vehicle is ok and turns out not to be. Do you have anything similar stateside? :cool:

[SCHUMACHER]

Does the guy you're buying it from seem like someone who would steal a bike? Is he asking you to meet him in a dark alley? What does the guy do for work? Get the point, ask lots of questions. If the guy gets uncomfortable or sounds like he's bs-ing you, wait for another deal. I bought a SUV from a guy last year. He was a firefighter, lived in an upscale neighborhood, had great maintenance records, and brought his wife along with him. Not only was I sold on his SUV but I was also sold on him.

Also, if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I affirm what others have said about having a pink slip in hand that matches the drivers license. However, in my above example the guy was still financing and needed my payment to pay it off. I paid him and was not concerned about the title transferring.

Lastly, I'm not sure the ins and outs of the banking industry, but you may consider paying him with a money order or cashiers check. I believe their is some tracking capabilities with both of these. If anyone is more familiar with these please feel free to chime in.

[CHP Explorer]

Call the local police or sheriff's office and ask them to run it for you. As I remember from training we are aloud to run it but can't give out the info on the record.

[Bradley]

All really good advice, thanks Gentlemen.


Call the local police or sheriff's office and ask them to run it for you. As I remember from training we are aloud to run it but can't give out the info on the record.

I never thought of that. Thanks.

[Juan]

Thank you for asking this Bradley. This is very helpful, thank you guys for sharing your info. I had the same situation :biggrin:

[MattS]

Call the local police or sheriff's office and ask them to run it for you. As I remember from training we are aloud to run it but can't give out the info on the record.

I am a Public Safety Dispatcher. Doing that is a misdemeanor. Do not call and ask them to do that. Simply call the DMV. They can tell you.

[5246MPD4now]

I am a Public Safety Dispatcher. Doing that is a misdemeanor. Do not call and ask them to do that. Simply call the DMV. They can tell you.

It is a misdemeanor if you give out the information on the registration, but it is not to just advise if it has been stolen, stored or impounded.

[MattS]

It is a misdemeanor if you give out the information on the registration, but it is not to just advise if it has been stolen, stored or impounded.

(ii) The employing agency shall further agree to utilize CLETS access, services, or information only for law enforcement activities by peace officers who have met the current requirements of the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training necessary for exercising the powers of a peace officer, and who have been commissioned as described herein who are operating within the State of California, where the activities are directly related to investigations or arrests arising from conduct occurring within the State of California.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=21793920838+3+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

Section 830.33 PC. Accessing CLETS to tell a member of the the public whether or not a vehicle is stolen is a violation.

[5246MPD4now]

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=21793920838+3+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

Section 830.33 PC. Accessing CLETS to tell a member of the the public whether or not a vehicle is stolen is a violation.

That specific section refers to specifically BART, harbor or port, transit, airport and railroad police. And no where in that section did I read anything that prohibits advising someone if a vehicle is stolen. And the ii section starts off with the employing agency which would refer to BART, etc, not your local police or sheriffs office as advised above.

[Mom]

What steps can I take to make sure this doesn't happen? Make sure the name on the title and registration matches? Ask to see the guy's DL? Is it possible to check with the DMV to make sure the vin doesn't come back stolen?

Thanks for any advice, gentlemen.Another thing.... I was looking to buy a car about 2 years ago. Found several I liked. Someone suggested checking with DMV. I took the VIN and plate numbers to DMV. What did I find? Despite having valid tags on the car, the car had not been registered for 2 years. I was looking at close to $500 in fees there, as I would get stuck with all that. Seller seemed great. Just wasn't being upfront on everything...

[Vinnie]

In that light, take a look at the DMV website about buyer's and seller's responsibilities when selling a car private party.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/topbuysell.htm

I learned when selling mine that it's the Seller's responsibility to have a Smog Check on file within 90 days of the sale, so don't let them stick you with that expense, at least. But yeah- all registration and transfer fees are the responsibility of the Buyer. The question of back fees for previously unregistered vehicles seems a bit sticky to me... :think:

[TheGreenHornet]

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=21793920838+3+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

Section 830.33 PC. Accessing CLETS to tell a member of the the public whether or not a vehicle is stolen is a violation.

It is a misdemeanor if you give out the information on the registration, but it is not to just advise if it has been stolen, stored or impounded.

Sorry Matt the dispatcher, but MPD is correct. It would be a misdemeanor to give the personal information of the person who owns the vehicle out...but it is not a crime to simply advise someone if their property is stolen (because no confidential info is being given). It would be a felony for that person to be in possession of stolen property, so you are doing your job by recovering that stolen property.

But what do I know, I am only teach this stuff at the finest LE Academy in the world :wink:

[not5150]

Perhaps a dumb question, but could you meet in the parking lot of a police/CHP station and do the hand-over?

If the seller is unwilling to do so, that might throw up a red flag :)