OT: Car number plate details

[JoeJoe]

Against my better judgement I sold something online to someone who turns up to be a very unsavoury person. I had had a bad feeling when we communicated online so arranged to meet him in a supermarket car park for the exchange. I never gave away any of my details (name, address etc), and when it was all done I intentionally went into the store do to some shopping. When I left some 15 minutes later I realised that he was still sitting in his car in the same place where I had last seen him. I pretended that I forgot to buy something and went back in, stayed for a little longer, and when I left his car was gone.

When I drove away I suddenly noticed that he was positioned in the far end of the car park, near the exit, and I am 99.99% certain that he took a photo of my car (+ number plate).

I wasn't doing anything wrong, and was honest throughout, but as the item was 2nd hand I have a bad feeling that he was the type that may well expect a "lifetime warranty" to come with it... The item was only a few tens of pounds, but I got the feeling that for him this was a substantial amount of money.

Is there a legal way for a member of the public to get hold of your details through your car details? What about an illegal way? Can you ask your mate the policeman for "some help"?

Any help will be much appreciated.

PS: he did mention that he was in the car business (mechanic I believe) if that makes a difference.

[Cursitor Doom]

If he's in the Freemasons (or is a friend of someone who is) then he will be able to get your name and address from the car's registration number. It's not entirely 100% legal, but it happens routinely.

[Theo]

[JoeJoe]

Thanks.

Was totally unaware of that option.

Very easy then :-(

[Richard]

Did you get his details?

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

I would have thought though that any attempt to claim it was a bad unit should be covered by what you said in the advert. Also the civil courts folk are not stupid, and they would take a very dim view of him trying to extract cash from you for an item that was second hand to start with. Brian

[Steve Walker]

You've said that it seemed like he considered it a substantial amount of money. Maybe he was just wary of being asked to meet in a car park, thought you might be trying to rip him off and simply wanted to have your registration in case he wanted to report a fraud (non-working goods or the like) to the police later.

[Robin]

<snip>

+1

[Andy Burns]

sounds plausible.

[John Rumm]

If one were to play devil's advocate here for a moment, look at the transaction from the PoV of the buyer. Very cagey seller, not giving a name or address, arranging handover in a anonymous location. A behaviour which could look very much like what one would expect for someone trying to offload stolen goods etc. So a photo of the numberplate might be seen as reasonable corroboration of his storey should PC plod pay him a visit.

To answer the more specific question, then I would not expect it to be too difficult getting the registered keepers address from a registration number.

[R D S]

I sold a car many years ago, a demic for pocket money The buyer came back with it some weeks later because the exhaust had fallen off, expecting me to sort it!

[Richard]

Give up. What's a demic?

[R D S]

Polite way of saying a piece of shit! Is it not a common term.... It appears not, a dialect thing.

[newshound]

Many years ago a mate of mine sold an old Audi with a slightly "iffy" automatic box (iirc reverse engagement was a bit intermittent) although he had been driving it around for months without any real problem.

So he offered the bloke two deals. Something like £150 as seen, no come back, or £300 and if the gearbox fails in a year I'll take it back and give you all your money back. The guy thought for a bit and took the first deal. A smart (but fair) bit of negociating, I thought. Revealing his confidence that it would be OK, and reassuring the buyer.

[Steve Walker]

I've known it all my life as something that doesn't work properly or is broken and I too assumed that it was a common term, but I just looked it up and apparently it's Mancunian slang.

[Steve Walker]

If the buyer had been canny, he could have taken the £300 option, then deliberately broken the gearbox after 11-1/2 months and had a free car for nearly a year!

[Bob Eager]

I thought you meant 50 quid.

[Fredxx]

It's a term I've not heard of either, I live and learn.

But then given your location I expect you've never heard of a Mancunian screwdriver :-)

[SH]

a screwdriver made in manchester? :-)

[Fredxx]

Thankfully most people are honest. If it lasted 11 months then there's also a fair chance it's going to last somewhat longer.