Used car sale and faults

[Frenchie28]

Hi

I'm hoping someone can give me a bit of advice. Here is my story so far..
I showed an interest in a car that was advertised by a car business seller on Ebay.
I contacted them through Ebay and was told to come and view the car at HM cars (initials only as not sure if I can name).
I viewed the car at HM cars, I left cash deposit of £200. The car had a fresh mot with no advisory and full service history.
Back home I contacted the seller through Ebay to pay the rest of the payment through PayPal, at this point the seller told me that it was cash or bank transfer only.
I decided to do a bank transfer at this point the seller told me that if I pay by bank transfer I woukd be charged an extra 2% to cover their business fees, if I pulled out of the deal at this point I would lose my deposit.
I paid this and have confirmation HM Cars received it.
On the way home the car began juddering and a buzzing noise appeared from the engine bay, I got home and lifted the bonnet
as thd engine sounded very noisy and the box was vibrating terribly.
I contacted the seller immediately to which he said the car was fine and it was supposed to sound like that.
I wasn't happy with this and took it to my local mechanic for inspection, he told me the timing belt was stretched and needed immediate replacement as well as a gearbox oil leak. His advice was not to drive the car and contact the seller. The mechanic wrote a report confirming this.
I contacted the seller through Ebay again he said there was nothing wrong with the car, I then explained the mechanic report and that I would like his help to resolve the problem if he didn't want to help I would be left with no choice but to reject the car. He replied saying the car is fine.
I then rang Hm cars several times from various phones ( I recorded the conversations) and asked to speak with the boss, I was told he was in hospital, no one knew when he would be back and that there was no one there who could help me.
I contacted trading standards and explained the situation, I was told to send a letter of rejection, I did this but my post was returned stating the addressee unknown. I double checked thd address I had for HM on the Ebay sellers account only to find the person who sold me the car had an alternative registered business address named DC cars. I then sent both HM and DC letters of rejection, HM letter was again returned however someone with the sane surname as the Ebay seller signed for thd letter sent to DC cars (literally next street to HM).
Since them I've been completely ignored and after alot of research I've spoke with many people who are experiencing the same issues with HM and DM.
I also know they are still selling cars on Ebay thd photos are outside HM and people are being told to pay HM however person selling is DC cars. Every person I have spoke to have also had their letters returned and calls ignored.
My local mechanic came over again to look at the car I purchased to advise me on repair prices, he advised me to take it to my local Peugeot dealer for a safety check as he couldn't pinpoint why the car was buzzing.
I did this, basically at the end of the inspection the technician told me the car should have been scrapped, the car was full of dangerous faults that should have bern picked up on during the cars mot, there is also queries relating to the service history given the extent of the faults. The technician gave me a video and s report.
I along with others suspect false mots, we don't know why we have paid Hm cars when the address is unknown.
I'm not quite sure what we should do next, any advice would be great. Thank you

[des8]

Name them so we can check them out

[Frenchie28]

Hello, DES8, thank you for your reply, I'm sure if I can name them as I'm in the process of taking both DC and HM to the small claims court, there may also be a criminal investigation to follow.
Since my last post, I learnt that not only does the car have a fake mot, but at the time of purchase they gave me a fully stamped service book, after the Peugeot technician told me the car should be scrapped, I became suspicious about the service book, I contacted Kwikfit (the past 3 stamps were from here) who had no recollection of any service having took place, this led me to contact the previous owner, who clarified this is not where she took the car to be service and she had no idea where this book come from. She also told me that she handed the car into Arnold Clark in Scotland who were transferring it to Manchester to be sold as spare or repair.
I then checked out the Ebay buying activity of the car trader that sold me the car, he has a history of purchasing service books, all every single car he lists and there is lots all come with full service history and apparently no faults.
I have also been in touch with several people who clarified they have had the same problems, some going back to 2019.
I'm not quite sure where to go with this, trading standards and citizen advice seem to be passing me back and fourth between them.

[Frenchie28]

Just thought I would mention before sending letters of rejection I did ask the seller for his help to resolve the issues, I also asked if he would be prepared to do mediation.
I send first letter of rejection on the 8.3.21, D Cars received and signed for it, H Motors refused to accept it.
I sent a second letter to H Motors on the 10.3.21 again the recipient refused it.
I sent a third letter to H Motors 12.3.21 again the recipient refused it.
I then send my letter before court 26.4.21 to both D Cars and H Motors, this time both letters were returned stating recipients no longer at this address.

I called a dentist practice that overlooks H Motors to ask if they were still in business, the lady replied yes. I also noticed several people that work and one that I believe owns H Motors are still selling cars on Facebook Market place and Gumtree, some of the photos have been taken in the same street where H Motors are based and some near D Cars.

S Gray of D Cars as far as I'm aware is still advertising cars on Ebay using the same registered address.

This leads me to the question what happens if the court papers get returned? And do I serve a paper to who I think the owner is? I don't have concrete evidence but everything and everyone is saying and thinking the same name? what happens if I serve the papers to this man, the owner of H Motors only to find out he isn't?

[des8]

Have you initiated court action?
If so against limited companies or individuals?
Presumably including the person to whom you transferred the money?

[Frenchie28]

Hello, this is where it gets confusing, there are potentially 2 used car traders involved. Mr G is who I purchased the car from, he told me to pay H Motors as this was the business address. However after investigating Mr G business address does not match that of H Motors. Mr G when questioned by another customer why he was asking for payments to be made to H Motors he said he isn't H Motors, so I've sent Mr G letter before court to D Motors his registered business address. This letter has been returned as addressee no longer there.
I have also sent letter before court to H Motors as this is who took my money and where I viewed/collected the car from. Again my letter was returned as no longer at this address.
I am beginning to think I know who the owner is of H Motors but I not 100%, I know his home address and I know he runs a used car business under a different name. I'm not sure if I should chance sending him letters, I haven't sent any to him as such but I did sent letters to H Motors addressed to who it may concern.
I have contacted H Motors bank to notify them if the situation they confirmed the account but couldn't give me anymore details.

[des8]

Are these limited companies?

[Frenchie28]

I don't think they are. I've checked online and can't find anything about D Cars or H Motors. The suspected owner of H Motors is s director of another used car sales register to his home address.

[des8]

You check with Companies House (https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company) to see if a company is limited.

If they are not limited, you cannot sue them.
You take action against the trader "Mr Joe Bloggs trading as DH motors"

You also need to be sure of his address, not just think you know.
If you don't know for sure his current address you send to the latest address you were sure of.

[Frenchie28]

Hello again, do you have any ideas how I can find out this information? According to trading standards snd Cab I have a very strong case with lots of evidence. I havd been in touch with at least 10 other people who have logged a case with trading standards however nobody seems to be able to pinpoint who the manager exactly is, all employees are a bunch if fraudsters and liars, they are all giving different information. I do know the person who I think owns the garage did own the garage back in 2018, he was also there at the time of my car sale, I telephoned the garage to discuss the issues with my car I was told the boss was in hospital having a heart procedure, just so happens the man I think it is had just been in hospital for a heart procedure. I have recorded all telephone conversations. I do know that another customer sent a letter to this man's home address, he was threatened by him and police involved, however the same man admitted selling him the car.

[des8]

I thought you had the name of the eBay seller, who signed for a letter to DH cars?

[Frenchie28]

Yes I do have his name, he signed for my first letter at DC, however since then my letters have been returned, the one I received back today said recipient gone away and I don't have his home address, he is on Facebook though but doesn't give anything away. The place I made payment to was H Motors, I've been in touch with a couple of people who are chasing H Motors, one has told me the man who owns it shut it down but us advertising cars on Facebook from a different location we only know part postcode, he gave me his home address, it is the same person who I had narrowed it down to, however he appears to go by several names,no one knows which one is the real one.

[Frenchie28]

So I've narrowed it down to where Mr G the guy that sold me the car lives thanks to 192, unfortunately I'm without a door number any ideas how I could find out? Thanks