Message Forums

Hello,

We are really hoping to get a bit of helpful advice here, we have paid a deposit today for a gorgeous van - we are so excited and plan to collect it next weekend, with the payment of the balance.

1). I believe I need to check the cris registration - that it belongs to who we think it belongs to? He said it is registered in his business name. Also does this tell us if outstanding finance is on the van?

2). The seller told us that there is some outstanding finance on the van and that he will pay this once we pay him??

We planned to pay him by bankers draft next weekend? But how do we know if he will pay this debt off, we dont want a knock at the door in a year or so asking for the balance on the caravan?

3). The van was also pretty dirty after been stored, whats the best way to clean it?

Thanks alot folkes, any advice will be greatfully received.

Ali&John

yeah i hear alarm bells ringing too over this one!

erm not being cheeky but what sort of van are you looking for and how much money? we have ours up for sale at the moment (prior caravan to the one on my profile!) and are reasonably local to you, and i can tell you the cris document is in our name and we dont have any finance at all on it as we bought it cash a few years back, why would anyone buy a caravan and then have it cris registered with his business name on the documents? tax fiddle comes to mind and if thats the case then it would make me think twice to any tales he may tell as if he is able to do that then he wouldnt think twice pulling a fast one with you either. 

as for cleaning, it involves lots of water, elbow grease and sep ladders, we have just cleaned our new one with mr fenwicks and then rinsed with bobby dazzler, lovely job done, but one wet husband on saturday!

i hope we are wrong but we hear so many stories on here similar to this. good luck

personally i wouldnt touch any van with outstanding finance on it.

best of luck but be careful !!

Shame you've paid a deposit. You must get good clear title to the van making sure the finance is paid. It really isn't enough to leave him to do it after you leave.

There are plenty of ba*t**ds out there waiting to rip honest folk off. There's plenty of other vans too.

Hi everyone,

I have just spoken the the seller, and advised that I have been advised (thanks to your help on here!) that the finance must be cleared before we take the van. He is going to speak to the finance company tomorrow to confirm exactly how much is owing on the van, he thinks its about 50% of the price.

I am going to cris check it tomorrow anyway to make sure that checks out ok, for other things like stolen/write off.

The seller is more than happy for me to pay the outstanding finance company direct for the balance. Then when we collect the van at the weekend we would give him a bankers draft/cash for the remainder.

What do you recon? Or am I better making two bankers draft cheques out? one for the seller, one for the finance company? But then if I ring the finance company up I know that they have got the money from me and it is clear?? Maybe a normal cheque for the fiance company?

I may give the finance company a ring my self? I dont think that the seller will object, he wants the sale as much as we want to purchase it!!

Ali&John

more than likely but the OP  will never find out i suspect as they will not be speaking to the finace company due to the finacne peeps not being allowed to.

he could have sold the van to himself but then it would have shown up as having a further owner, and i suspect the tax man could then trace back via the accountant what he had been upto in the first place.

As far as I am aware (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong but we came across a similar problem when trying to buy a car) but if there is outstanding finance on the van it can't actually be sold until the finance is cleared because the seller doesn't actually own it yet, the finance company does!!!!

Personally it sounds very dodgy to me - I would be demanding receipts from the seller showing the finance has been paid in full before parting with any money.

Thanks, I hear what you are all saying. I am sure like you say burnsguitarman that finance companies are used to sorting stuff like this out. That makes sense what happened with your sons car, I think that this will be a similar situation. But like you said loud and clear we MUST taken every precaution!! which we def will, its alot of hard earned cash we are talking about!

Will let you all know how we get on... The van is so lovely its perfect for us. We have been looking forever.

Ali & John