Vehicle Security – Motorhome buying scams and key security

Let the seller beware!

We’ve seen some worrying social media posts recently where sellers of motorhomes have advertised their vehicles for sale and the sales process hasn’t gone to plan. There are a couple of scenarios that we’ve seen.

Scenario 1 – Potential buyer test drives the motorhome and pays a cash deposit with an agreement to pay the final balance and collect the motorhome shortly afterwards. At the point of collection/final payment, the buyer claims that there are faults with the motorhome, becomes aggressive and tries to force a significantly reduced price from the seller.

Scenario 2 – Seller receives a full cash payment from the buyer. Seller hands over their vehicle and supporting documentation to the buyer, who drives off in the vehicle. So far, so good, however, shortly afterwards the seller receives a menacing contact from the buyer claiming that the vehicle is faulty and demanding a discount/full refund. In one instance, the seller agreed to take back their vehicle and return the cash to the buyer. However, once the cash was handed back by the seller to the buyer, the buyer drove off in the motorhome, taking the cash with them.

Motor insurance does not cover theft by deception or thefts which aren’t reported to the police.

Cash sales should always be treated with caution. Trust your gut instinct, does the buyer seem genuine? How did the seller and buyer come into contact? Ideally with high value items such as motorhomes, more secure payment options should always be considered e.g. bank transfer, banker’s draft etc. If you feel that the buyer is menacing and or making unreasonable demands, consider involving a third party or alert the police.

Can I store vehicle keys in my motorhome or campervan?

Many motorhome owners ‘hide’ keys either in or near to their vehicles so that they don’t lose them e.g. whilst swimming. We are often asked by customers about key security and see frequent social media posts on the subject.

Insurance underwriters exclude loss or damage by theft whilst ignition keys have been left in the vehicle or the vehicle has been left unattended with the engine running. Before vehicle insurers pay out for a theft or a ‘total loss’ claim they always would expect to be provided with full sets of keys as supplied by the manufacturer. Failure to provide the keys in the event of making a theft claim is likely to invalidate any theft cover. To avoid this risk, storage of keys either in, on, or in close proximity to the vehicle should be avoided. Always take the vehicle keys with you whilst you’re travelling.