cinders

I bought my scooby from a local garage, it used to have a private reg and the tax disk on it had the old private reg on it, the garage told me they'd get me a new tax disk for the current reg, but as you guess, nothing turned up. Even when I spoke to them about it they told me to get lost....

Anyway, I took it in for a service the other day, they gave me a courtesy car to use for a couple of days.

When I took the courtesy car back I forgot to give them the keys so when I went to my car in the car park (I'd parked the courtesy car next to it) I put the courtesy cars keys on top of the courtesy cars drivers wheel for them.

Anyway, they rang me up asking for the keys and at this point I thought I'd have some fun with them over the tax disk, so when they asked for the keys I asked for my tax disk that they owed me....

Anyway, the guy on the phone kicked off with me and hung up. After that I received an abusive call from the owner on my mobile telling me to return the keys within an hour... he then rang me 15 minutes later telling me I had 45 minutes left and the threats continued...

At the end of the day I rang them and told them where the keys were as I'd had my fun and couldn't be arsed with the agro anymore.

They rang me back and told me they couldn't find the keys and they were calling the police as I'd stolen the keys and tried to blackmail them and apparantly threatened their staff, which I hadn't!...

So this morning I got a message from the garage again telling me to call PC so and so at the local police station.....

So the question is, what should I do?...

Shall i just leave it and see if the police turn up?...

Surely this is a civil matter and not a matter for the police?...

I haven't stolen they keys and the garage have no proof what so ever, it's my word against their's.

Any advice welcome!...
Cinders.

FX02

iTrader: (5)

If they were going to get the police involved then it would be the police who contact you, not the other way round. That would be like asking every supossed criminal to walk to the nearest prison.

WH03JAM

Just wait until the SWAT team kick yr front door in, then start worrying about it

V1CK1

If they had made a complaint you would have been contacted by the police.

Tell them you have spoken to the police and they want them to call in to clear up the dispute! Ha Ha

hostagewrx

Could give you a cops view, but all we do is get slated on here hehe

kris130

It seems to me that it this is a civil dispute.

Maybe you were wrong to pretend that you had the keys when you had left them with the car but the issue is, the fact that the keys are simply missing ( according to the garage.) If you maintain that you left the keys with the car then it is as you say your word against theirs. Similar to if you rented a video from Blockbusters and they say you havent returned it , when you insist you have, it is not a police matter but a civil dispute.
If the police do contact you then i would give it a second thought . Worst case scenerio you would have a defence as you havent dishonestly appropriated the property with the intention of permantly depriving the garage either way.

V1CK1

There isnt anything you could do is there hostage other than have a chat with both parties? There hasnt been any offence?

cinders

Well I've called the local police station and spoken to the PC involved...

He asked me if I had the keys in my possesion, I said no (I don't)

He then mentioned it was unresponsible of me to leave the keys on top of the wheel - I told him I'd done this many times before when returning hire cars or even picking them up!

Then then told me this was a case of theft and he'd be speaking to the garage again and then he'll need to interview me at some point.

I told him to feel free to come and see me as I have nothing to hide at all. I simply left the keys on the wheel, I didn't steal them and for all I know the garage could really have them and they're trying to teach me a lesson.

Hostagewrx - a cops view is appreciated if you could spare a few moments...

alwong

I think it a prank gone too far. Good luck with it.

scoobydooooo

tell them to take a hike , there isn't much they can do , are they going to charge you with theft of car keys ? , i don't think so !!

L55 REP

iTrader: (1)

is the PC involved a brother/relative of someone in the garage in question ?????

my sister had a hire car before and she rang them to collect as she had her car back from repair and becuase she was going out to leave the car open and put the keys in the glovebox??????
when she came home the car was gone, luckly she didnt recive a call from the hire company saying the car wasnt there for collection but ??????
would she had been at fault if it wasnt ?? i could have done with a new car lol.

RLE

iTrader: (2)

Easier to walk back with the keys in retrospect. Imagine the garage doing something similar. "You got the keys for my car?" "Yes sure they're on the top of your steering wheel". A thief wouldn't believe his luck.............

Still be pissed about that tax disc though mate. What are you putting additional business their way for if they pulled a stunt like that?

Hope you get it resolved.

cinders

I asked for a service in the deal when I bought the car, they wrote that on the sales receipt so i guess they had no choice.

Only problem is I don't trust them... so it's going in to a reputable place to have the oil changed (don't trust them to put a quality oil in) and the work they've done checked out.

I've spoken to a couple of friends, one is in the local force here, he reckons they're just trying to scare me with the police and there is no way the CPS would prosecute due to there being no evidence.

R19KET

I think they've had you bent over their service desk.........royally. Bet they know each other.

PC accuses you of being irresponsible for leaving the keys, then accuses you of theft for the same thing !

Personally, I'd blag it. Turn up at the station, and tell the desk you're really concerned. PC XXXhas accused you of theft, and you've come in to sort it out. Then watch PC have to explain himself.

Worst case. if I'm wrong, you're no worse off, but at least you'll get it sorted.

Mark.

LG John

I think the garage is being totallly unreasonable here and making a mountain out of a molehill. However, I think that leaving the keys on top of the wheel was irresponsible and IMHO responsibility for them lies with you! Imagine how furious you'd be if you went to collect your prized scooby to find it had been nicked from their forecourt because some passerby spotted the keys to it on top of the wheel!

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

This has definatly gone a bit too far me thinks! But, from the garages point of view, they may have needed the keys straight away for another customer. Really pissed me off once when I booked a courtesy car 3 weeks in advance, turned up and they said, 'Sorry sir, the last person hasn't returned the car/car-keys!'

As Mark said, if the police have accused you of theft, I'd go down the station straight away to sort it out. Definatly wouldn't want that sort of thing against my name!!!

Anyway, good luck with it mate!

screwdriver

Terminal sense of humour failure. Sorry Cinders but this was an error of judgement on your part. Fine if you have good relations with the garage concerned, not if you don't.

I reckon your best bet is to swallow your pride, walk right up to the manager and apologise unreservedly. The more staff who see this the better (not in front of the customers though I suggest). You might even get the chance to say how upset you were at the Tax disk scenario and this affected your judgement but I wouldn't push it...

Screwd.

paulwrxboro

Tell them to shove it they messed you around and spoke to you like crap you dont owe them anything and there is no charge if you droped them off.

StickyMicky

play with fire and you will get burned sooner or later

they have probably chucked the keys sumwhere to try and get you in trouble but you never know do you?

jjones

and that's half the reason people think the police are obnoxious and useless.

VAL113R

Why didnt you put the keys back through their letterbox ?

I would tell them that you want the tax disc sorted or your contacting trading standards

chris's scooby

Tell the manager, via a letter sent recorded delivery that you returned the keys to the salesman who's pissed you about over the tax disk and that if they are suggesting you stole anything, would they please do it in writting as you will wish to imform the trading standards/local papers of their behaviour.

Then vape this thread...

Tiggs

seems because it was quicker to leave them with the car........nice way to save 5 mins then spend hours pissing about like this........not too clever with hindsight.

T

screwdriver

I should explain I am not impressed (sorry) about you being so cross about the Tax disk thing. The offending disk is in your posession, the V5 is (presumably) in your posession, you are insured and the car is Motted. You are therefore uniquely in a position to easily reclaim the outstanding tax on the existing disk and re-tax it with the personalised plate. You just pop into the post office.

For the dealer to do this for you would take an inordinate amount of paperwork and manhours. Perhaps you might have renegotiated this (what, £50/100 value?) by trading their verbal commitment for something of the same value that would be easier for them to supply.

On the other hand, by suggesting that you were witholding an entire courtesy car, you might easily in one fell swoop have cost them two or three years worth of road tax in a lost hire session. And yes, this could have been a matter of hours to spoil the deal.

I still think you made a bad call and have to accept responsibility for your actions. Apologise. After all, be honest, I bet you wish you hadn't played it this way now...

Screwd.

chris's scooby

When i had a Help Hire car a couple of years ago they told me to leave the keys in the car when they were coming to pick it up as i was out at work.

It does sound as though you're in the wrong tbh but the service manager has also cocked up by giving you your keys back without first recieving his from you.

TheVoices

iTrader: (5)

I think what he means is that the car is no longer on the private plate so therefore the tax disc showing the private number is invalid. If this is the case the car is not taxed and therefore his insurance is null and void. The garage should have been issued with a replacement disc bearing the new reg number when the cherished plate was removed for the previous owner. Whilst withholding the keys might have been a bit silly with hindsight,if my understanding of the tax disc issue is correct, the garage have acted illegally in allowing a customer to drive away in a vehicle which is technically untaxed.
I work in the motor trade and letting someone leave the premises with a tax disc which is no longer valid,expired or relates to another vehicle or registration numberis a sacking offence.Sorry if I have misunderstood the issue with the tax disc but that is the way it reads to me.

STI Craig

i agree with styickymicky

the garage has got u back good and propper

tell the police u rang them back to say sorry and they bragged about reporting you to the police and that they had the keys all along

den its your word against theres

dont the police have something better to do, no wait dont answer that

STI Craig

what do u mean he well kicked them back in the *****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris5-0

Shall i ride in and save the day Hostage?

Don't believe in not helping when asked a serious question so here goes.

Firstly, to interview you over this matter the PC need to arrest you. To arrest you he needs to have evidence you stole the keys. This evidence, I guess would be a statement from the owner of the car (important point!) that you had the keys and stole them from him. All i can guess this statement would say was that on so and so day you were given the car and on so and so day you returned the car minus the keys. The fact you arsed about a bit is a bit silly on your behalf (and if we're honest you probably half hoped it would speed up the return of your tax disc as well didn't you?) but doesn't amount to an offence in my mind. There are no keys as evidence, all they can say is you had them and they don't have them now.

My suggestion? Speak to the garage (maybe through a solicitor to stop accusations of intimidation etc.), eat some humble pie and tell them it was a silly gag. Then mention the tax disc again and put it to them why you haven't had it yet. If they get silly and start mentioning the police again fine, leave them to it but get your evidence together re: your tax disc and explain to them you will be speaking to the relevant authorities about their trading practices.

If i was the bobby dealing with this i'd probably tell the garage to stop arsing about with the tax disc and have a go at you for being a tool over the keys.

But if it gets silly there is a chance you might end up at the station answering a few questions. If this happens take legal advice (though if they tells you to go no comment ditch them soon as possible) and then be as honest as possible. Explain exactly what happened thoroughly. Chances are you will be bailed pending further enquiries. Hopefully either the custody Sergeant or CPS will see sense and bin it asap!

Any other queries i'll help best I can mate.

Harry_Boy

The whole point here is that you cannot be guilty of 'theft' of the keys, as there was no intention to 'permanently deprive' the garage of them.

For theft to have taken place, there must be 'an intention to permanently deprive'.

Incidentally, that's why the offence of 'taking a vehicle without consent' was formed, as joyriders couldn't be accused of theft, as they were not 'permanenty depriving' owners of their cars....