About 4 weeks ago I swapped my camper van for a car.

Had a phone call today saying the camper van was a ringer.

He was having some work done on it and the mechanic noticed weld around 
the VIN plate on the side door well and that the VIN plate in the engine 
area was pop riveted on.

Now it is a N reg old style transit that has been converted to a camper. 
I can't see myself that anyone would go to the bother of ringing an old 
transit then converting it to a camper, at a lot of expense.

I bought the van 6 month ago from a genuine bloke a few miles away. He 
is not the type to ring vans at all.

Saying it is a ringer and he goes tot eh police where do I stand. Will I 
have to give him his car back and then pursue the person I bought it 
from for the money back ?

"Mr Nice"  wrote in message 
news:g5nunu$1vne$1@energise.enta.net...
> About 4 weeks ago I swapped my camper van for a car.
>
> Had a phone call today saying the camper van was a ringer.
>
> He was having some work done on it and the mechanic noticed weld around 
> the VIN plate on the side door well and that the VIN plate in the engine 
> area was pop riveted on.

Does  this prove it's a ringer, or is there an alternative explanation? 
Above all, is the vehicle dangerous?

By the way, what's wrong with it being a ringer?

"GB"  wrote in message 
news:487fe047$0$26083$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...
>
> "Mr Nice"  wrote in message
> news:g5nunu$1vne$1@energise.enta.net...
>> About 4 weeks ago I swapped my camper van for a car.
>>
>> Had a phone call today saying the camper van was a ringer.
>>
>> He was having some work done on it and the mechanic noticed weld around
>> the VIN plate on the side door well and that the VIN plate in the engine
>> area was pop riveted on.
>
> Does  this prove it's a ringer, or is there an alternative explanation?
> Above all, is the vehicle dangerous?
>
> By the way, what's wrong with it being a ringer?

It means it belongs to someone else, probably an insurance company....
If it is and you get found out, offer the ins. co a silly amount to buy it 
from them. 10% of market value...

GB wrote:
> "Mr Nice"  wrote in message 
> news:g5nunu$1vne$1@energise.enta.net...
>> About 4 weeks ago I swapped my camper van for a car.
>>
>> Had a phone call today saying the camper van was a ringer.
>>
>> He was having some work done on it and the mechanic noticed weld around 
>> the VIN plate on the side door well and that the VIN plate in the engine 
>> area was pop riveted on.
> 
> Does  this prove it's a ringer, or is there an alternative explanation? 
> Above all, is the vehicle dangerous?
> 
> By the way, what's wrong with it being a ringer?
> 
> 
> 
> 

Well if its a ringer its illegal for a start.

On Jul 17, 6:25 pm, Mr Nice  wrote:
> About 4 weeks ago I swapped my camper van for a car.
>
> Had a phone call today saying the camper van was a ringer.
>
> He was having some work done on it and the mechanic noticed weld around
> the VIN plate on the side door well and that the VIN plate in the engine
> area was pop riveted on.
>
> Now it is a N reg old style transit that has been converted to a camper.
> I can't see myself that anyone would go to the bother of ringing an old
> transit then converting it to a camper, at a lot of expense.
>
> I bought the van 6 month ago from a genuine bloke a few miles away. He
> is not the type to ring vans at all.
>
> Saying it is a ringer and he goes tot eh police where do I stand. Will I
> have to give him his car back and then pursue the person I bought it
> from for the money back ?

I think if this was a private sale and you did not misrepresent the
van then you've got nothing to worry about, and the buyer has no
comeback.

If you knew about this and kept it quiet, or if you warranted to the
buyer that it wasn't a ringer, then you might be in trouble.

However, if the only evidence is that there's been a bit of welding
and something pop-riveted on, then I don't think the buyer has got any
hope of convincing a court that you must have known about it. Of
course, if the buyer took it to the same mechanic you use and the
mechanic said to the buyer, "I said this to the guy you got it from as
well" then you might be on a sticky wicket.

IANAL.

Tim.

Mr Nice  posted
>
>Well if its a ringer its illegal for a start.

How do you mean, "It" is illegal? Objects can't be illegal, only 
actions.

-- 
Les
"... be you the men you've been
Get you the sons your fathers got
And God will save the Queen."

GB;542986 Wrote: 
> "Mr Nice" saerimner@gmail.com wrote in message 
> news:g5nunu$1vne$1@energise.enta.net...-
> About 4 weeks ago I swapped my camper van for a car.
> 
> Had a phone call today saying the camper van was a ringer.
> 
> He was having some work done on it and the mechanic noticed weld
> around 
> the VIN plate on the side door well and that the VIN plate in the
> engine 
> area was pop riveted on.-
> 
> Does  this prove it's a ringer, or is there an alternative explanation?
> 
> Above all, is the vehicle dangerous?
> 
> By the way, what's wrong with it being a ringer?

IANAL.

Not a police matter anyway, the police wouldn't need to take a
statement from the welder unless there is a veh reported as stolen. On
the screen showing VIN info, it will also show whether the veh has road
fund license, insurance (via MID, usually a 7 day delay though on any
updates), and it's title/reg number.

There won't be a problem with this, unless the VIN number is incorrect,
or if it is registered to another vehicle. If it is registered to
another vehicle, and the veh is INSURED by that owner, then THEIR
insurance company might be interested in it, somehow. But it would be
up to the insurance companies to talk to each other about this, and
you, as an end-customer (in additon: veh was purchased in good will).
Anyway, if you do have it confiscated by an insurance company, they
will likely give you the opportunity to buy it back from them for a
haypenny or two.

Otherwise, it may have just had coincidental welding around all of the
VIN plates. I think it is two stamps on a monocoque and one on a
chassis body if I remember correctly (it's been a while).

If a veh needs work done on a sill (e.g. rust removal and
reinforcement), then sometimes it is required that an entire vertical
is sliced from the chassis, in order to be replaced (welded in). E.g.
Transits, VW Bug Campers, etc.




-- 
100

On Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:05:05 +0100, google@woodall.me.uk wrote:

> On Jul 17, 6:25 pm, Mr Nice  wrote:
>> About 4 weeks ago I swapped my camper van for a car.
>>
>> Had a phone call today saying the camper van was a ringer.
>>
>> He was having some work done on it and the mechanic noticed weld around
>> the VIN plate on the side door well and that the VIN plate in the
>> engine area was pop riveted on.
>>
>> Now it is a N reg old style transit that has been converted to a
>> camper. I can't see myself that anyone would go to the bother of
>> ringing an old transit then converting it to a camper, at a lot of
>> expense.
>>
>> I bought the van 6 month ago from a genuine bloke a few miles away. He
>> is not the type to ring vans at all.
>>
>> Saying it is a ringer and he goes tot eh police where do I stand. Will
>> I have to give him his car back and then pursue the person I bought it
>> from for the money back ?
> 
> I think if this was a private sale and you did not misrepresent the van
> then you've got nothing to worry about, and the buyer has no comeback.
> 
> If you knew about this and kept it quiet, or if you warranted to the
> buyer that it wasn't a ringer, then you might be in trouble.
> 
> However, if the only evidence is that there's been a bit of welding and
> something pop-riveted on, then I don't think the buyer has got any hope
> of convincing a court that you must have known about it. Of course, if
> the buyer took it to the same mechanic you use and the mechanic said to
> the buyer, "I said this to the guy you got it from as well" then you
> might be on a sticky wicket.


It's also slightly possible that the new owner is trying it on.. the car 
trade seems to bring out the worst in people. Disclaimer: I have no 
knowledge of this case at all, I'm just offering a possibility.

Could the OP suggest swapping back if the new owner is unhappy with the 
deal, then tackle the ringer issue himself?