Is my AUC BMW a ringer?

Z

Z4coupebeaver

Member
I've just bought a black Z4 Coupe from a reputable BMW dealer as an AUC and am thrilled with it. It was the dealer’s lucky day too as no sooner had he got the car in, I walked through the door as an eager buyer. The deal was done in hours and everyone was happy. In fact the deal was done so quickly that none of the documents had come through and the dealer offered to forward them.

I got home today to find one of the documents had arrived. The mileage record, which shows 1000 miles more than the car currently has on it. No problem I think, it's only 1000 miles. I then notice that the car is shown as red!!!! I've checked with the DVLA and it is recorded as red but my car is black.

Can anyone tell me how I stand. I'm obviously calling the dealer in the morning but what is the general opinion on what I should do. If the V5 is sent back to correct the colour is it going to show up as having had a change of colour isn't it. That would affect resaleability too I would have thought.

Indecently, I don't think it is a ringer but I have nothing to check the VIN number against.

Any suggestions welcome.
 
Never heard of one like that :thumbsdown:

I think I'd copy the paperwork then dump it on the dealers desk and open with the start position of a '100% refund required' and let him work it all through. Mileage, colour, BMW service history, records, contact with previous owner, etc. and see what they come up with.

Once they sort it to your satisfaction, which I'm sure they will, you need money back for the mileage error and assurance of no change of colour DVLA entry.
 
Get it back to the dealer straight away and ask for a full refund- you are entitled legally. Then if and when the dealer sorts out the paperwork you can buy it again knowing that everything is correct. If you don't return it to the dealer now then you will have great difficulty in getting any redress under the law (if required) later.

Legals if bought from a dealer (even one that works from home)

• Of satisfactory quality, bearing in mind its age, what it cost and how it was described to you. It should be free from serious defects, other than those you were made aware of
• As described. If the dealer says it's a 2-litre, and it's actually a 1.6-litre, you can reject the car and seek a refund or replacement
• Fit for any reasonable purpose. The car should do all that you reasonably expect of it, including any specifics you state to the dealer. If you need a car for towing and the dealer says a 1-litre supermini will be fine, you can reject the car if it struggles

However, if you pay for the car to be inspected, the dealer is not responsible for any faults the inspection should have found and you should always get a statement on the car's condition from the dealer.

If your car is faulty, you have six months from the date of purchase in which you can reject it. You can demand repair or a replacement, unless it would cause 'disproportionate' or 'significant inconvenience' to the seller.

Examples of this would be if a repair would be as effective as a replacement, or if a price reduction would be more appropriate for minor defects.

Dealers must now prove the vehicle was of satisfactory quality when it was sold. This means you no longer need to seek an independent car inspection.

However, if you believe your car is faulty, you must stop using the car immediately, and contact the dealer directly. You need to follow this up in writing, providing evidence of the problems.
 
Dealer should have HPi'd it, but take it back and reject it, or at least get it in writing from them to refund 100% if you are not happy with final outcome.
 
Wondermike said:
Have you received the V5 yet?
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No, no V5 but I have run a check through the DVLA and it is registered as "red" in colour.

The dealer is a VERY reputable dealer and I am sure they will honour any reasonable request. I imagine that the colour on the V5 is an admin error from when the car was new and nobody has noticed it. My concern is that if it is changed now, it will show up as a colour change. That would devalue the car and cause prospective buyers in the future to run a mile. This is obviously not acceptable to me.

It doesn't help that the dealer is 200 miles away.

I will know more when I call them in the morning.
 
OK. With the mileage record, is it something like an independent mileage check - if it is I wouldn't worry about the mileage being higher than it currently is, that could be explained by an admin error, or maybe the garage always rounds up by 1000 miles to avoid any claims that they are fiddling the mileage, maybe?!

If it's a main dealer then you won't have any trouble with them - it's highly unlikely that they bought a ringer themselves, they are pretty stringent about what they buy, and they themselves wouldn't take it in without HPI'ing it too.
 
My dealer has been great about this and has said they will do whatever is needed to satisfy me. They have been in touch with the DVLA as well as BMW UK who have sent the following;

"As discussed I can confirm that the official DVLA colour code for Ruby Black is CP Red/Black. The DVLA tend to take the first colour, in this case Red for the V5. Therefore, all BMW vehicles with Ruby Black will show as Red on V5's.

This is the same with all other "mixed" colours, for example Azurite Black shows as Blue."

I rang another dealer to ask if they had a Ruby Black car and confirn the V5 colour which was - Red. Can anyone else confir their V5 for me?

Many thanks
 
Cant confirm on a Ruby Black, but I recall my "Tourmaline Violet" was classed as Purple on the V5, what they are saying makes sense as there is only ever one colour listed on a V5, I guess they take the first colour as being the primary one.
 
I had a 'moonstone blue' 206GTi before the zed and V5 stated Silver...

At least there is a satisfactory explanation :thumbsup:
 
Colour sounds like a reasonable explanation. Get something in writing from the dealer to stick on file for future sale/peace of mind

What about hte mileage issue you raised?
 
cj10jeeper said:
Colour sounds like a reasonable explanation. Get something in writing from the dealer to stick on file for future sale/peace of mind

What about hte mileage issue you raised?
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Agreed, especially if you think you may sell it on privately. If I was a buyer I would want to see this in writing too, as it seems absolutely nuts that it is recorded as red.

The colour should really be Black (ruby), I would have thought, that way the DVLA records pick up the right bit. It should not be up to the DVLA to work it out.

If it's in writing you're covered either way :)
 
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