How to know if seller is the original owner?

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How to know if seller is the original owner?

February 01, 2017, 07:16:28 pm

How can you tell if a rig is being sold by the original owner? I don't think the nameplate is good enough, is it?

Thanks.

Mimi

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #1 – February 01, 2017, 07:57:04 pm

Mimi I cant imagine why the nameplate would not tell you that, but the best way I can think of is a service like Carfax.

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #2 – February 01, 2017, 08:07:50 pm

The name plate was issued to the original owner, but the rig may have passed through subsequent owners without being changed. Also, the name plate, original or not, may show wording other than a name; I've seen several phrases following the "for" on name plates, e.g., "The Road Ahead". It seems simplest to just ask the current owner if he/she is the original.

Joan

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #3 – February 01, 2017, 08:26:43 pm

The factory will sell you a new nameplate to spec for your LD. The seller will likely have service records, insurance records, DMV records, etc., and if honest will be able to supply proof.

Steve

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #4 – February 01, 2017, 10:37:39 pm

Paul nailed it: Carfax.

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #5 – February 01, 2017, 11:57:16 pm

I've found this website helpful in the past:

Check Any VIN Free | Free VIN Check | Free VIN Decoder

The "Odometer Records" block indicates a change of ownership.

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #6 – February 02, 2017, 11:03:44 am

I tried this out just now, and neither our Lazy Daze nor Sportsmobile were listed. Both came back as "not found". It seemed simple enough, but maybe I left out a step somewhere.

Virtual hugs,

Judie

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #7 – February 02, 2017, 11:15:01 am

I always want to see a copy of Registration and Title. We just sold our LD in CA. and people from Alabama bought it and requested copies of both.
Sandra

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #8 – February 02, 2017, 12:02:39 pm

Quote from: Judie Ashford - February 02, 2017, 11:03:44 am

I tried this out just now, and neither our Lazy Daze nor Sportsmobile were listed. Both came back as "not found". It seemed simple enough, but maybe I left out a step somewhere.

Virtual hugs,

Judie

Maybe it's an RV thing? Works fine on both my non-RV vehicles.

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #9 – February 02, 2017, 12:47:20 pm

Quote from: HiLola - February 01, 2017, 11:57:16 pm

I've found this website helpful in the past:

Check Any VIN Free | Free VIN Check | Free VIN Decoder

The "Odometer Records" block indicates a change of ownership.

It worked on our Subaru but not on the LD.

Jim

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #10 – February 02, 2017, 12:56:48 pm

I guess Carfax seems to be the best option. I'll tell you what happened. There was a LD for sale in CA by the original owner and it seemed to be in great shape. I thought the price was a little too good to be true so, while I was tempted to buy it without an inspection, I called to make an appt to see it. The owner told me it had already been sold to someone outside the state, sight unseen. I was so disappointed. I kept looking for my dream LD, but couldn't forget about the possible lost opportunity, so I called the home number and spoke to someone else in the household, possibly the seller's wife, I'm guessing. During our conversation, she said they'd gone all the way to Seattle to buy this LD. Hmm...that was curious to me since the ad said "original owner". So, the folks who bought the rig thought it spent its life in CA and that they were buying from the original owner.

I realized then that I was kind of glad I hadn't jumped and bought it. I realized I couldn't buy a LD without knowing its history. I didn't know Carfax included the all the names of previous owners. I thought they were omitted due to privacy issues. EDIT - I guess they can list previous ownership using criteria other than names like location, dates, etc.

So now the question is, how does one get the vin to run a carfax on a rig without actually buying it since it will likely be gone before the report comes back! good grief....

Mimi

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #11 – February 02, 2017, 01:09:15 pm

Quote from: paul banbury - February 01, 2017, 07:57:04 pm

Mimi I cant imagine why the nameplate would not tell you that, but the best way I can think of is a service like Carfax.

Thank you Paul. I've never run a Carfax report. Are you sure they list previous buyers if not by name, by registration or date of purchase, etc?

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #12 – February 02, 2017, 01:33:47 pm

Maybe so, but our Sportsmobile is a Dodge Ram 2500 van, which I would expect would be a "regular" unit, but maybe not. Maybe the site is for only passenger vehicles that are NOT vans or trucks.

Virtual hugs,

Judie

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #13 – February 02, 2017, 02:35:58 pm

The Carfax website says:

"CARFAX Vehicle History Reports™ are available on all used cars and light trucks model year 1981 or later."

So has anyone been successful looking up a Carfax report on an RV?

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #14 – February 02, 2017, 02:41:41 pm

Quote from: Opuntia - February 02, 2017, 12:56:48 pm

So now the question is, how does one get the vin to run a carfax on a rig without actually buying it since it will likely be gone before the report comes back! good grief....

Ask. If the owner isn't willing to give you the VIN number, look for another rig.

How long does it take to get a Carfax report? It's not instantaneous once you fill in the information and pay for it?

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #15 – February 02, 2017, 02:47:03 pm

I used it to research B vans. Showed a change in title, not the personal information. And the response was within hours. Getting a VIN- sometimes in the ad. Other times simply asking.

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #16 – February 02, 2017, 03:20:37 pm

Good to know the report comes back so quickly, though I do hope it works for RV's. Showing a change in title is great. Does it show where the title changes took place ie. state?

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #17 – February 02, 2017, 03:21:30 pm

Quote from: Linda Hylton - February 02, 2017, 02:41:41 pm

Ask. If the owner isn't willing to give you the VIN number, look for another rig.

How long does it take to get a Carfax report? It's not instantaneous once you fill in the information and pay for it?

Linda, you're absolutely right. No VIN? I'll pass, no matter how painful it might be. lol

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #18 – February 02, 2017, 03:22:42 pm

Quote from: Linda Hylton - February 02, 2017, 02:35:58 pm

The Carfax website says:

"CARFAX Vehicle History Reports™ are available on all used cars and light trucks model year 1981 or later."

So has anyone been successful looking up a Carfax report on an RV?

I'd like to know this as well. I hope someone chimes in. <edit> I just called a local RV dealer and asked him if he provides a carfax report for his used RV's. He said he does. What it contains is a bit of a mystery to me, but I may stop in there later on and ask to see one.

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #19 – February 02, 2017, 03:44:27 pm

So, I just called a rather large RV dealership. He said the only thing Carfax shows is if the RV has been in any accidents; that there is no way to acquire vehicle history reports on RV's. He said, they sell RV's that were used as rentals, so they know the history of each vehicle that way. He said for the private party RV's they sell, they have no idea about where the RV spent its life or how many times it changed title.

Great.

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #20 – February 02, 2017, 04:39:06 pm

Quote

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Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #21 – February 02, 2017, 05:03:55 pm

Puzzled why anyone would care if it's one-owner. Are they presumed to take better care of a vehicle?
I guess some buyers think that. Some buyers also seem to think that sellers are trying to put one over on them.
When the time comes to sell KoKo, I would walk away from any buyer that thinks I am out to con them.
I wrote the value off to zero the day I bought it, so I don't need any grief from a buyer.
My rig, my rules. Anyone that questions my honesty can jolly well take a hike.

The original owner would have been given the "papers" by Lazy Daze when they picked it up.

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #22 – February 02, 2017, 05:13:18 pm

Sorry for the misinformation about Carfax. I thought it gave information about RVs as well as cars, but evidently not. I should have checked before posting!

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #23 – February 02, 2017, 05:28:10 pm

Quote from: Don Malpas - February 02, 2017, 05:03:55 pm

Puzzled why anyone would care if it's one-owner. Are they presumed to take better care of a vehicle?
I guess some buyers think that. Some buyers also seem to think that sellers are trying to put one over on them.
When the time comes to sell KoKo, I would walk away from any buyer that thinks I am out to con them.
I wrote the value off to zero the day I bought it, so I don't need any grief from a buyer.
My rig, my rules. Anyone that questions my honesty can jolly well take a hike.

The original owner would have been given the "papers" by Lazy Daze when they picked it up.

I think for me, it wasn't the fact that it was one owner. It was more of a concern that he wasn't being honest. I don't think I gave him any grief. I just moved on.

Re: How to know if seller is the original owner?

Reply #24 – February 02, 2017, 05:31:09 pm

Quote from: Andy Baird - February 02, 2017, 05:13:18 pm

Sorry for the misinformation about Carfax. I thought it gave information about RVs as well as cars, but evidently not. I should have checked before posting!

Like you, I also thought Carfax offered the entire history of a vehicle. For me, that's why I would pay for it, though I guess it's good to know about accidents. Just wish there was a way to get a complete picture. Given that there isn't, it makes inspections all that more important, for me anyway.

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