GDPR laws with regards to the purchase of vehicles?

[Millie Master]

I have just posted this over on Motorhomer, but I know there are a few of us on here who might know an answer.

I am in the process of trying to help my niece buy a replacement car and before I go any further I ought to point out that her budget only allows the purchase of something approx. 10 years old.

I have found 2 which is she is going to see on Saturday but when I spoke to both the traders and asked about service history etc. and in both cases I was told that they don't have the service book and all the old invoices etc. have had to be passed back to the previous owner so as to comply with the EU imposed GDPR laws which until December 31st 2020 will still be in place!

I have to say this is a new one on me, can anyone please advise?

Many thanks
Phil

 

[wildebus]

Not heard that, but from my understanding of the GDPR it sounds very plausible (and I don't think the GDPR will just disappear from the UK Statue at the end of the year either).

What should be possible I would have thought is that that information CAN be supplied as in the past but with the personal details of the previous owner redacted - so photocopies with the name and address covered up.
I'd be inclined to go to a main dealer in a Franchise to look at a used car (not actually to buy) and ask if it comes with a documented history. A big dealership is mich more likely to have checked this GDPR area in detail and have the definitive answer.

 

[Squiffy]

I agree with Dave on this Phil, as with the service invoice comes customer address and usually telephone number too, so would I presume come under Privacy laws. But then so does the handbook and service book so are they not now allowed to be passed on with a 1-10 year old car either. It's a bit of a minefield. .Phil

 

[Squiffy]

Just spoken to my wife who deals with this every day in her job ( Property management and commercial/ private lettings) and she says that the previous owner would have to sign a letter to say that they agree for the service invoices to be passed on to who ever bought the vehicle, if they do not or decide they don't want their details passed on then the car sales operation would be in breach of GDPR and could be in for a fine if found out. Phil

P.s. It does seem to play right into the hands of dogy car sales companies. "OH yes Sir it has a full service history but I can't give you the details" YEAH.

 

[Millie Master]

On reading through numerous reports I have found numerous comments that this stupid EU law has played fairly and squarely into the hands of the speedo clockers!
I am pleased to say that I have now found my niece another very low mileage car that is one owner and has every single receipt for it from new, so it is a firm single finger salute to the first trader whom I thought sounded slightly dodgy when I was talking to both the partners!

Phil

 

[Nabsim]

If you want a service history and it doesn’t have it don’t buy it. As pointed out the documents can be passed on redacted or with permission. I suspect the ones you have seen don’t have a history and as such should be selling for less money

 

[Red Dwarf]

Remember you can check mot history for free online at the dvla...

 

[wildebus]

I have just bought a motorhomer and the discussion about not proving info due to personal info was never mentioned or thought of by either party.
If I was told "you can have the receipts but I want to remove my name and address from the receipt" I would have thought 'no problem'.
If I was told however that "you cannot have the receipts as it has my personal info" I would have been a little annoyed and that could have tipped a purchase into a non-purchase, depending on other factors.
As far as service history goes, none as the owner didn't trust garages and did his own services . (my kind of owner )

 

[SquirrellCook]

Funny as I’ve just asked a Mercedes dealer if the manufacturers guarantee would still be valid if I didn’t have them service it. To my surprise they said yes providing I used genuine service parts.

 

[wildebus]

Funny as I’ve just asked a Mercedes dealer if the manufacturers guarantee would still be valid if I didn’t have them service it. To my surprise they said yes providing I used genuine service parts.

I believe that is their legal obligation during the legally required warranty period. Any extended warranty and picture changes

 

[Red Dwarf]

Funny as I’ve just asked a Mercedes dealer if the manufacturers guarantee would still be valid if I didn’t have them service it. To my surprise they said yes providing I used genuine service parts.

In the uk new vehicle servicing can be carried out by any vat registered garage as long as genuine parts and correct oil is used. Also, you’d need to have evidence that all aspects of the service and checks were carried out. This will not invalidate your vehicle warranty.

 

[Millie Master]

Also, you’d need to have evidence that all aspects of the service and checks were carried out. This will not invalidate your vehicle warranty.

How on the earth, if it came to it could a garage prove categorically that "all aspects of the service and checks were carried out"?

 

[Squiffy]

Come to that Phil, how could Mercedes prove that all aspects had not been carried out . Anything like that is very subjective.Phil

 

[SquirrellCook]

Come to that Phil, how could Mercedes prove that all aspects had not been carried out . Anything like that is very subjective.Phil

I had a Volvo 740 one owner full service history 99k on the clock. All the running gear had to be replaced, I bet the oil filter had a wipe round and that was all.

 

[Squiffy]

I remember years ago one of my customers who had a Jaguar had a misfire intermittently, I traced it down to a spark plug in the 5th cylinder but did not have the correct grade plug so used one very close to the grade but different make to the rest, a couple of months later he came back in with the same sort of problem, when I looked at it once again it was a poor plug this time nr 2 cylinder so I phoned him and suggested I replaced all the plugs this time with the correct grade, he then admitted that it had been fully serviced two weeks before hand by the main agents as they had phoned him and offered an exclusive loyalty deal and all the plugs had been changed then, I had to inform him that they had not as the very plug I had replaced was still in nr 5 cylinder and that all the other plugs were at least a years worth of use. He was fuming and when he came to pick it up he took the invoice out of the glove compartment and showed me, I said to him at that price I could service his car for the next 5 years .
He took the plugs back to the main agent and they refunded the whole invoice. Phil

 

[Red Dwarf]

How on the earth, if it came to it could a garage prove categorically that "all aspects of the service and checks were carried out"?

The evidence is a service check sheet from the garage with relevant boxes ticked. Now, whether the items have been checked or the boxes just ticked is a different matter. It’s the paper evidence that’s required.
Some unscrupulous garages will report defects that don’t exist to generate business. I bought a new car from a very large national garage chain a few years ago. They reported the front brake pads as needing replacement at the first twelve month service. I asked them to take a wheel off and show me..... oh, er, sorry, we mixed you up with another customer. The usual excuses.....

 

[trevskoda]

see below

 

[Squiffy]

Wasn't aware we were discussing ten year + cars Trev, but yes anything of an average
new purchase price being sold ten years on would be highly unlikely to have a full service history, though they are around. But if your paying a high price for a sort after exclusive vehicle it would be nice to know where its been for the last ten years Phil

 

[trevskoda]

Why would anyone want to bother about a history on a ten year old banger worth a few hundred bucks,my last car at 7 years cost £10 with seventy thu on clock,go look auction houses as dealers turf in ex trade motors and take what they get as its taken of the price on new car they sold.

 

[trevskoda]

Wasn't aware we were discussing ten year + cars Trev, but yes anything of an average
new purchase price being sold ten years on would be highly unlikely to have a full service history, though they are around. But if your paying a high price for a sort after exclusive vehicle it would be nice to know where its been for the last ten years Phil

Millys post