Real Stories
Shirley Warrington - Car Crime Victim of 'Cut and Shut'
Shirley Warrington was looking to buy a car for her 18 year old son as his Nova had been stolen and burnt out. Shirley was keen to get a replacement car quickly and having looked around, finally settled on a Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 SRI, which had been advertised by a garage in the Auto Trader magazine.
After test driving the car, Shirley paid the garage £1,500 cash. The garage assured her that the car was genuine and in good condition. Very soon afterwards, Shirley experienced a number of small problems with the car, not least of all, an expensive and persistent oil leak. After having the car for eight months, Shirley decided to trade her son’s car in for a part exchange. The garage agreed a price and later ran an 'HPI' check on the Vauxhall Corsa. It transpired from the check that the Vauxhall Corsa had previously been 'written off' twice and had a security alert on it.
After having the car for eight months, Shirley decided to trade her son's car in for a part exchange. The garage agreed a price and later ran an 'HPI' check on the Vauxhall Corsa. It transpired from the check that the Vauxhall Corsa had previously been 'written off' twice and had a security alert on it.
Shirley had fallen for a 'cut and shut which is the most hazardous of all kinds of vehicle fraud. A cut and shut is where the remains of two or more cars have been welded together to create a ‘new’ vehicle. As criminals carry out the work, you can expect the wielding work to be sub-standard. The practise means that the structural integrity of the vehicle is seriously compromised, which can lead to serious injury or death in the event of an accident.
Not surprisingly, the dealer offered Shirley just £500 for the vehicle as it was only good for parts.
Shirley believes that she was badly conned and feels foolish that she accepted the garage’s word that it was a genuine car. Her message to other car buyers is always run a vehicle check on the car – if she had done so, she would never have purchased the vehicle.
Remember:
- Examine around the windscreen pillars and the middle section of the car, as this is where vehicles are commonly welded. If there is evidence of serious repair work, be suspicious
- Look for paint colours that don't match properly - particularly on the bonnet, doors and bootlid
- Check for overspray on glass seals and trim
- Watch out for badly fitting or mismatched trim inside the car