What to look for when buying a used Cali

John · Dec 7, 2011

Original post Calikev

will start the list
Paperwork make sure it belongs to the seller and if it has outstanding finance
Get the name and number of the finance company as you will need to contact them if you buy
Get an hip check done
Obvious I know but surprising how many don't

John · Dec 7, 2011

Originalpost californiaman

Check if the van is ex-rental or ex-demo.

These vans are very robust but it should be advertised as such so you are fully in the know before parting with big money. And not all sellers are 100% honest.

If there have been more than one owner, or the history is not 100% transparent, consider asking the question on here or on the Facebook discussion page to see if the previous owner/driver/renter etc is on here. You may get some more useful history that way.

John · Dec 7, 2011

Original post Calitess

More advice from HM Gov:-

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Bu ... DG_4022402

John · Dec 7, 2011

Original post Ron

Nov 3, 2011, 8:59am, californiaman wrote: Check if the van is ex-rental or ex-demo.

These vans are very robust but it should be advertised as such so you are fully in the know before parting with big money. And not all sellers are 100% honest.

If there have been more than one owner, or the history is not 100% transparent, consider asking the question on here or on the Facebook discussion page to see if the previous owner/driver/renter etc is on here. You may get some more useful history that way.

Excellent advice...
May I add a little extra ...

A seller who is in the business of regularly selling a particular type of goods (e.g. a car dealer) has greater responsibilities in dealing with an average customer. A car trader should inform the public that he is actually a trader. A person purchasing a vehicle from a trader or car dealer, is justified in his or her reliance on the expertise of the seller.

If both the buyer and the seller are negotiating from equal bargaining positions, however, the doctrine of 'caveat empto' (let the buyer beware) would apply.

Hope this helps

John · Dec 7, 2011

Original Post californiaman

..and more... if you are looking at and advert for a van on Ebay, that looks like a private ad, also check carefully that it isn't also for sale via a dealership - ie: on Autotrader!!

John · Dec 7, 2011

Original post Mark

I had a VW bay camper before purchasing the cali and it has turned out to be a stolen vehicle. I now have to pay the buyer back the reclaim my money from the person i purchased from. Trouble is its very hard to tell in some instances and i had my T2 for 3 years! when purchasing my Cali firstly made sure i was comfortable with the seller, visited his house went in for cuppa etc. Check the VIN matches and the V5 is genuine etc. And as said earlier carry out an HPI check that includes outstanding finance. I used one company for checks and turned out no finance checks carried out, so did again with HPI.

John · Dec 7, 2011

Original post calitess

Mark this is the stuff of nightmares!

We cannot fully imagine the worry & hassle that this must be to you.

Where does the buck end in your chain?

Here's to trouble free times with your Cali.

P,L & T

John · Dec 7, 2011

Original post Mark

yeah not good really! lesson here is you can't be too careful.

John · Dec 7, 2011

Original post brother10

Occasionally there is a flip side. When I sold my van, the purchaser (or his bank) sent the bank transfer two days early. I was able call the purchaser and thank him and tell him if he wanted to contact me, my plane was just about to land in Barbados. Good job I`m honest, could have left him with 30K+ of egg on his face and no van. Could have been very expensive omelettes.