Is it illegal to sell titles, VINs, and trim plates? There is a rear clip on eBay that I inquired about and asked if it had the trim plate as the ad already stated that shell doesn't have a VIN. The seller responded by saying no but he will be selling titles, VINs, and trim plates next week.
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Re: Selling titles, VINs, and trim plates
I do not know about other states, but in NC selling titles, etc would be a felony. When a car is scapped out here law requires title to be forwarded to DMV. I would be very leary of buying any of those items. You might get more than you bargained for..Dick Whittington -
Re: Selling titles, VINs, and trim plates
It is illegal to sell original VIN tags that are not affixed to a legal vehicle or body. EBay will cancel an auction for a VIN tag when it is brought to their attention. It is NOT illegal to sell a new/used/repo trim tag either by itself or affixed to a vehcile/body.
There are lot's of folks selling titles. Many are sold under the statement that they are sold as a novelty and not for registration of a vehicle. Of course we all know that some folks will register a car with the purchased title since they are in need of a VIN number to match the vehicle/body they have acquired. They will then contact someone to make a VIN tag for the car after the car has been registered with the purchased title. In most states, a car or VIN tag is not inspected before/when it is first titled/registered in that state, so the state does not know/care if the car has a corrct VIN number tag affixed to the vehicle. Since the car is now registered in new unscrupulous owner's name he/she can contact one of the people who make repo VIN tags for a tag. The unscrupulous person can now prove ownership and therefore you have met the requirements of the repo VIN tag guy who will now make a VIN tag to match the current VIN number on the purchased title to which the car is now registered.
Where their is a will there is a way!Comment
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Re: Selling titles, VINs, and trim plates
What concerns me is that these are Corvette items as I gather from the seller. There are other places on a Corvette where the VIN is stamped but the majority of buyers only look for them in the usual places. So, they could easily be duped into getting something it's not. In the past year or so I have discovered on eBay at least four Corvettes, all C-3s, that were not the year advertised. Most of the sellers seemed honest enough because they did openly give out the VIN numbers when I asked but apparently bought the cars based on someone else's word. Check out the title? On one Corvette the trim plate gave it away. On another I asked why the trim plate didn't match the colors of that year and never heard from the seller again. On yet another the build date of the car based on the VIN and the trim plate date code was months off. The seller couldn't (or wouldn't) explain it. 1970-1972 Corvettes seem to be particularly vulnerable.Comment
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Re: Selling titles, VINs, and trim plates
The '67-'69 Camaro side of my hobby lobbied eBay to prohibit the sale of Camaro trim tags (to fake Z/28's, SS's, L78's, COPO's, etc. - the '67-'69 Camaro fake/swapped/repro trim tag business makes the Corvette trim tag business look like childs' play), and about six weeks ago, eBay issued a new policy banning auctions for trim tags (in addition to the long-standing ban on VIN plates). Apparently the trim tag fakers' lawyers got involved (or they have a better lobby than we do), and in response, last week eBay cancelled the new policy and now allows auctions for trim tags, as "there's nothing on a trim tag that specifically identifies any individual vehicle or matches its VIN number" (eBay quote).
The Addressograph machines are humming again, and soon only 40,000 of the original 20,000 '69 Z/28's will still existComment
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Re: Selling titles, VINs, and trim plates
I hear you. I assist Juliet Page in listing 1970 Corvettes for the 1970 Corvette Registry. I think I can safely say that there are more 1970 "LS-5s" now than was produced in 1970. VINs and trim plates won't specify engine sizes but it's about the same thing. Cloning.Comment
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Re: Selling titles, VINs, and trim plates
Welcome to what used to be a HOBBYComment
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