Service History... Lost / Faked Nightmare..

[bamberjim]

Hi All...

was after some advice, help etc as struggling with this one...

Not sure if i should put this out there as i got had over (only just found out) and I am probably de-valuing my car, but i couldn't live with myself selling it on again knowing the service History is not what it should be.. and i am a crap liar!

I purchased a low mileage, lovely condition and looked after Z4 recently with stamped service book, did my checks on MOT history to confirm mileage and HPI as you do... , some recent receipts to back up recent history so thought all good.

I posted the car on face book and a Previous / Previous owner got in touch to say he sold the car with no service history, so had a chat with him and yes its the same car.. seems the person that bought it off him had flipped it to the guy i bought it from and created some service history!

So today i have rang around some of the early stamps in the book and they all seem fake..

I have contacted to BMW to see what they have on the system and they only have it in for one service at ELMS BMW – Bedford – Service/brake fluid – 31/10/16 – 58370 miles although the car visited cooper BMW Cobham for warranty work on 20/09/2007, 11/10/2007, 9/1/2008, 8/5/2009, 4/6/2009, 26/8/2009, But Cooper Cobham have no service history!

The car was then sold by Ruxley BMW (Kent) in 1/12/2009 35924 miles to a Mr Sykes (so presume it should have had full BMW service history at this point), but Ruxley BMW have no service history for it!

The car then looked like it was then sold by CHILTERN CAR SALES in Oct 2016 to a Mr Leonard at around 58100 (according to the MOT garage), new owner must have taken it straight to Elm BMW for service at 58270

So i only have service history from 58k (2016) to present at 65k, the car is really nice and has been well looked after so must have been serviced

I have ordered a new service book from ELM BMW and they will stamp their service and then i can send it off to BNtec for their stamp but stumped on getting any previous history even though it must have had it for
A. Warranty work at Cooper Cobham
B. resold in 2009 by Ruxley BMW at 36,000 - am i right in thinking BMW dealers only sell FBMSH cars?

I have also rang around all the MOT stations to see if they serviced the car and none did

Any ideas on how to trace the early history?

[bamberjim]

I put his together as confirmed and correct

BMW Z4 – History

2009 - 36,000 1/12/2009 sold to MR Sykes
Stephen James Ruxley (BMW Main Dealer)
Maidstone Rd
Sidcup, Kent DA14 5BG
Note.. Must have had full BMW history at this point / Mot at same company to back this up

MOT History – Checked with DVLA
26 October 2009 - 35,924 miles - Ruxley (BMW)
20 November 2010 - 39,219 miles
25 November 2011 - 42,286 miles
27 November 2012 - 47,040 miles
23 December 2013 - 51,513 miles
20 December 2014 - 54,858 miles
26 November 2015 - 57,143 miles
6 October 2016 - 58,100 miles
30 November 2017 - 58,615 miles
2018 – No MOT
10 June 2019 - 59,633 miles
1s June 2020 - 63,517 miles

Genuine History (Confirmed)
ELMS BMW – Bedford – Service/brake fluid – 31/10/16 – 58370 miles
BNTec (BMW Specialist) – Inspection 2 / rear springs / Coil / Foglight – 18/06/20 63701 miles
BNTec (BMW Specialist) – Tranmission Flied / Sump and plug / Adaption reset 15/7/20 – 64165 miles
BNTec (BMW Specialist) – Suspension (Powerflex ARB Bushes) – 14/08/2020 – 64674 miles

[davidmudley12]

It’s sounding more lost than faked BMW main dealers will only sell full service history cars (that are typically less than 3yrs old), so I can’t imagine it has been through the BMW network a couple of times without it having been serviced and looked after.

It wouldn’t surprise me to hear that online service records get lost.

Sorry to hear you’re having this trouble. I had an interesting incident with a motorcycle I bought a few years ago (2015 Honda CBR1000RR) where the triumph dealer I bought it from had lost the service book. I paid an appropriate price and two months later I got a call from the dealer telling me he’d found the service history and would pop it in the post! I enjoyed the bike for a couple of years and then sold it with a full history for more than I paid for it.

[inkey$]

You might want to report it to somebody...

Creating a false service history for a car is covered by the Trade Descriptions Act 1986, which prohibits applying a false description to an item. The law views as more serious selling something to which a false history has been applied. Even if you didn't create the ficticious paperwork yourself, but tried to sell it on to someone else, you would still be guilty. In a magistrates court, the punishment can be a fine of up to £5,000 per offence. But if it goes to a crown court, a judge could specify an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years. The law applies to individuals and traders

[bamberjim]

You might want to report it to somebody...

Creating a false service history for a car is covered by the Trade Descriptions Act 1986, which prohibits applying a false description to an item. The law views as more serious selling something to which a false history has been applied. Even if you didn't create the ficticious paperwork yourself, but tried to sell it on to someone else, you would still be guilty. In a magistrates court, the punishment can be a fine of up to £5,000 per offence. But if it goes to a crown court, a judge could specify an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years. The law applies to individuals and traders

it looks to be the trader who flipped it to the previous owner, as the seller he bought it from had no history with it... neither previous seller or buyer had his details as he delivered the car!

"Even if you didn't create the ficticious paperwork yourself, but tried to sell it on to someone else, you would still be guilty"

hence why i am trying o get the paperwork in order, must have made 30 calls today already..

need a friend who works a BMW... anyone on he forum who can help?

[inkey$]

Its an unusual one. Have you thought about calling our friends over at BMW Soper’s to see if they can help? Ive been dealing with a guy there called Liam who has been really helpful. May be able to point you in the right direction for the history you don't have if it was done at a dealer.

It must have been bought, run in and looked after by somebody back when it was new.

[Argyll Andy]

Not 100% sure about this but is the service history, mileage etc not held on the key?

Re falsifying the FSH a quick search on eBay won’t fill you with joy...........

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... d&_sacat=0

I’m with Inkey, if the service history can’t be substantiated, which in this case is easily provable by previous owner, then this is fraud and reportable.

On an outside chance the person who sold it to you HAS managed to trace the history and added value to the car and sold on

[M340]

The car was then sold by Ruxley BMW (Kent) in 1/12/2009 35924 miles to a Mr Sykes (so presume it should have had full BMW service history at this point), but Ruxley BMW have no service history for it!

No way a franchise dealer would sell a car with no service history and 36k miles. They won't even sell a car with non franchise SH!

I wouldn't panic on the car itself based on above. That plus the MOT history and the facts you do have suggest the car has not been neglected...? Its super odd (i thought it was all on the key!) ...but seems lost somehow. If he has given you a bunch of fake service records for it that cannot be verified... that's a crime, no matter how good the car is and you should drop him in it.

[bamberjim]

Its an unusual one. Have you thought about calling our friends over at BMW Soper’s to see if they can help? Ive been dealing with a guy there called Liam who has been really helpful. May be able to point you in the right direction for the history you don't have if it was done at a dealer.

It must have been bought, run in and looked after by somebody back when it was new.

just been talking to Sytner as they look after my X5 and they checked and they seem to think its strange that it had all the warranty work but no services! said to take the key in and they would see if it stores info but its a 2006 car so not sure as its an old car

[M340]

just been talking to Sytner as they look after my X5 and they checked and they seem to think its strange that it had all the warranty work but no services! said to take the key in and they would see if it stores info but its a 2006 car so not sure as its an old car

It's meant to be on the diamond key for sure

I had them new back then (so had to go main dealer service, as you do) and they always put the key in the reader thingy....

[bamberjim]

just been talking to Sytner as they look after my X5 and they checked and they seem to think its strange that it had all the warranty work but no services! said to take the key in and they would see if it stores info but its a 2006 car so not sure as its an old car

It's meant to be on the diamond key for sure

I had them new back then (so had to go main dealer service, as you do) and they always put the key in the reader thingy....

Hope so.. this is the keys I have... best take them both

[M340]

Thats the one - 100% have had history on those keys before. Minis too from the same era

[bamberjim]

Thats the one - 100% have had history on those keys before. Minis too from the same era

fingers crossed, taking the X5 in on Monday so will ask them to plug it in

[blunderthumbs]

Its an unusual one. Have you thought about calling our friends over at BMW Soper’s to see if they can help? Ive been dealing with a guy there called Liam who has been really helpful. May be able to point you in the right direction for the history you don't have if it was done at a dealer.

It must have been bought, run in and looked after by somebody back when it was new.

just been talking to Sytner as they look after my X5 and they checked and they seem to think its strange that it had all the warranty work but no services! said to take the key in and they would see if it stores info but its a 2006 car so not sure as its an old car

Do they charge anything for reading your key ?(presuming there's anything stored on it) I have some history missing from my Zed and was wondering about taking the key to the dealer that looks after my F31. The previous owner did oil services and filters himself being a mechanic and had Vanos, Disa and other jobs done at an Indi BMW garage. Have receipts he kept for oil, filters plugs etc but wanted to know when it was last serviced at the stealers.

[bamberjim]

Said they would read it for me whilst doing the brake fluid change on my X5 but they charge 39.99 for a full Health check