New Car Plated in Buyer's Name But Never Delivered

The €50,000 new car registered in your name but never delivered

A car worth around €50,000 was registered in the buyer's name on August 20th but still not delivered a month later. The deposit of €15,000 has been paid, and the financial institution has settled the rest. Administratively, the vehicle exists; it has plates and a title holder. Physically, nobody has seen it. This is the core of a new car purchase that has escalated into an open conflict.

Registering before delivery turns the new car into a zero-mileage vehicle

According to several participants in the debate, the standard procedure is for the car to arrive unregistered, with registration handled after the sale. When the dealership registers it on its own and then sells it, they argue, the vehicle is considered zero-mileage (km0) and accumulates two owners in its history. The buyer who agreed to a new car ceases to be the sole owner, even if they haven't driven a single kilometer.

The timeline of the case makes this clear: ordered on August 18th, registered on the 20th. By the time the buyer inquires about their car, the warranty has already begun to run, according to those who maintain that the vehicle's warranty and civil liability start from registration: if registration and delivery are separated by two months, those two months are deducted from the warranty period.

Interest rates over 10% and mandatory financing

The operation includes a four-year multi-purchase scheme with a guaranteed minimum value of €21,371 in the final installment. On paper, the buyer can keep the car, return it, or refinance another one. In practice, according to one user, the applied interest rate eats into the margin: interests exceed 10% at most dealerships, compared to offers of 1% or 3% from some manufacturers selling directly. That same user calculates that a €50,000 financed car ends up costing over €60,000, with insurance and extras added. Some argue that if financing is required, the car shouldn't be assumed; others counter that many promotions are only applied if home financing is signed.

What to do if delivery doesn't arrive

Phone calls are useless. Among the repeated advice is to go in person at the dealership and demand action from the manager, not the salesperson. Afterwards, consumer complaint forms, emails, and registered letter (burofax) with acknowledgment of receipt—which, according to one participant, serves as prior notice before legal action and often changes the treatment. Some recall that if the contract does not specify an exact delivery date, consumer law establishes a maximum of 30 calendar days from signing.

A vehicle history report costs about €30, according to one user, and clears up the key doubt: if the car has a history of being under renting, leasing, or having a previous owner, its condition as new is challenged. With that evidence, a lawyer can initiate contract resolution and file a claim for damages.

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The car arrives or it doesn't, but the clock keeps ticking in favor of those who have already been paid. How many buyers sign a delivery date that no one wrote into the contract?