Just had this forwarded to me from my brother as he knows I am looking for a S/H RRS.

I'm sure you must have heard about this scam but I thought I should forward this link just in case.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8487381.stm

Thanks for bringing this to everyones attention. This really is a massive problem largely because the documents are genuine - albeit stolen and any checks you carry out are against a proper vehicle as the one you are looking at is a clone. HPI check would be clear as the genuine car is sitting in the owners drive oblivious. FF 4.4 V8 Soooo looking forward to this bad boy
Ex 2006 RRS SC - garbage
Ex 2016 135i M Sport - dream car
Ex 2003 RS6 Avant - piece of cr*p
Ex 2014 320d X Drive, M Sport Touring - ok I guess
Ex 2007 RRS TDV8 - bloody loved it
EX 2007 FL2 XS - not so bad

I noticed a RRS advertised last weekend, it was on ebay advertised at about £24K in a garage in the north of England with plenty of pictures and contact details, I then saw the same car, same reg advertised with the same pictures on Autotrader with a Cornwall tel number some £7K lower in price, I did notice that the advert was removed from Autotrader very quickly but it just shows how many crooks there are out there. Makes buying a car privately very worrying.

I bought my rrs 23rd Dec. 09 private sale on autotrader really nice man met his family paid cash. Going to Shropshire for Christmas to see my family pulled by police on M1 Northampton, only just going over 70 thought why me and not others in front or behind. When I got out was asked how long I'd had the vehicle told them only a couple of days then was told 2 with same number plate, you can imagine how I was feeling. Told the cameras clocked my reg. number and forwarded to police. The car theft officer started looking for chassis numbers etc took him 30 min before I was told mine wasn't the cloned one. Advice from him might have been a bit cheaper but next time buy from reputable dealer. Was told they would have took car there and then and would have almost certainly lost my money.
SO PLEASE BEWARE AND CHECK CHASSIS NUMBERS BEFORE BUYING If you are even a bit dubious don't buy.
I had the vehicle hpi checked by my cousin a car dealer and all came up fine, just shows.

Called by police was told they caught somebody up North trying to sell the cloned one on Autotrader for £16,000 he'll probably get counceling to stop him doing it again. 

Supporting the London Air Ambulance with my Brothers

Counselling? He needs to have a hand chopped off, that will ensure he doesn't do it again. Am I the only one getting p d off with all this pussy-footing around by trendy liberals? 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

panda

Glad to hear you had the genuine car, it must have been a very worrying half hour!

There seem to be so many dodgy adverts around at the moment, there is an RRS on ebay right now with about 18 hours to go, the bidding is up to about £8500. The thing that makes it all seem wrong is that the seller says he is asking £6000!!!! and its a 24 hour auction.

There was also an advert on Autotrader yesterday for a very nice high spec RRS with an asking price of £14500, it was removed after a few hours, was put back on again last night and removed again today.

I am seriously looking for a good RRS hence spotting the obvious scams but there must be many more not so easy to spot which makes buying privately very worrying especially if the checks don't show a dodgy vehicle.

Jim

How would checking serial numbers on the car work? I'm guessing they could fix the logbook to reflect the serial number on the car so even that check becomes pointless?

kman wrote:

How would checking serial numbers on the car work?

Good point, just how do you know you are buying a legitimate vehicle? On this basis how can dealers know they have not been duped?

I saw an advert on autotrader, may well be legit, but seemed fishy, in case any of you guys came across it too - 55 plate RRS 2.7TV6 for £25,995 private seller, but the picture is surely of a Supercharged (I know you can make them look pretty similar) but the exhaust too. Description doesn't really match the picture i.e. Kanh kit etc and the numberplate DOES hpi to a 2.7tdv6 which is on the car in the pictures, but still seems fishy...

Wouldn't want to meet at a home address on calling, as I said might be me being over-cautious, but thought you guys could sniff out a real supercharger or indeed a tdv6 with the pieces...

...oh and the guy knew nothing about the car, super chip it had advertised, options etc... I think it's still there, check on autotrader and list 'private sellers'...

A friend has just bought a 2007 4.4 V8 for £24K, with 45K miles. Ive told him about the scam and he is now very worried! FF 4.4 V8 Soooo looking forward to this bad boy
Ex 2006 RRS SC - garbage
Ex 2016 135i M Sport - dream car
Ex 2003 RS6 Avant - piece of cr*p
Ex 2014 320d X Drive, M Sport Touring - ok I guess
Ex 2007 RRS TDV8 - bloody loved it
EX 2007 FL2 XS - not so bad

ah. This explains why in the last 2 months ive been getting pulled over about cloning. (although they never got as far as checking chasis number). Glad i bought new! WINNER - 2008 Best All New Photograph
WINNER - 2009 Best All New Photograph

Yet another reason to buy from James, you know exactly what you are getting