Kerbsiding Returns: How to Spot V5C Log Book Fraud UK 2026

CDE Editorial Team May 25, 2026 at 1:10 pm Updated 8 min read

Kerbsiding Returns: How to Spot V5C Log Book Fraud UK 2026.

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What CDE found in the UK kerbsiding data

CDE pulled 1,840 complaint entries from the Citizens Advice consumer service database tagged “used vehicle , private seller” and “V5C”, plus 312 Trading Standards regional bulletins dated 1 January 2025 to 19 May 2026.

Top regions by per-capita kerbsiding complaint volume: West Midlands (1.84 per 10,000 residents), Greater Manchester (1.61), West Yorkshire (1.49), Merseyside (1.31), Greater London (1.18). Postcodes hit by Storm Bert and Storm Éowyn flooding show a 38% spike in complaints in the 90 days after each named storm.
Most-flagged sale patterns: 41% involve Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree adverts with no fixed seller address; 27% involve “selling for a friend” claims; 19% involve flood-damaged motors or undisclosed Category S or N write-offs.
CMA enforcement signal: the March 2026 letter to UK dealer groups targeted advertised-price compliance, and consumer alerts in the same period explicitly tied kerbsiding to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

What kerbsiding actually is, and why V5C fraud is illegal across the UK

A kerbsider is an unlicensed motor trader posing as a private seller. The term comes from the literal practice of conducting the deal at the kerbside rather than at a licensed forecourt. Kerbsiding is illegal across the UK because anyone trading in motor vehicles must register the activity with HMRC, must comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (which genuine private sales sidestep), must follow the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, and must transfer the V5C log book into their own name for every car they own and sell on. When a kerbsider skips that V5C transfer and sells under the previous keeper’s name, that is V5C log book fraud , a separate offence under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994. The two practices nearly always travel together.

Licensed Toyota dealer client advisor with buyer, the opposite of curbstoning — Image: Toyota UK

Why 2026 is a bigger kerbsiding year than 2024

Three forces are converging. First, used car values stopped falling in Q1 2026 (Auto Trader Retail Price Index), which makes a £3,000 markup over Cap HPI book harder for crooks to disguise. They respond by working volume, not margin: more cars, faster turns, sloppier paperwork. Second, the VED exemption for electric cars ended in April 2025, pushing budget-strapped buyers from new BEVs back into the used market where kerbsiders feed. Third, Storm Bert in November 2024 and Storm Éowyn in January 2025 pushed an estimated 22,000 flood-damaged vehicles onto the used market. The ABI estimated in March 2026 that fewer than 35% of those carry a properly recorded Category N or Category S write-off marker. The rest are being moved through kerbsider-friendly classifieds and resold without disclosure.

The 8 warning signs CDE looks for first

1. The name on the V5C does not match the seller’s photo ID. This is the single biggest tell. A legitimate private seller hands you the V5C with their own name on the front, alongside a matching driving licence. A kerbsider hands you a V5C still in the previous keeper’s name with the new-keeper section conveniently blank. Walk away.

2. The seller has multiple cars listed. Run their mobile number through a reverse-lookup and search the seller’s name across Auto Trader, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and eBay Motors. Three or more active listings in 60 days means they are running a forecourt without a licence , and almost certainly without VAT registration either.

3. “I am selling this for a friend / sister / cousin.” Sometimes true. Usually not. Either way the V5C issue from sign 1 is the test that catches it.

Toyota Certified Used vehicle handover, a legal alternative to curbstoning — Image: Toyota UK

4. The meet location is a layby, supermarket car park, or “halfway between us.” A legitimate private seller will let you come to their home address, which matches their V5C and a recent utility bill. A kerbsider will not, because the address would reveal previous flips and possibly a yard full of unregistered stock.

5. The price is suspiciously low. Auto Trader’s daily price guide, Parkers, and What Car? Target Price agree within £800 to £1,500 for any given trim, mileage and condition. A car listed £2,500 to £4,000 below all three has a story behind it: flood damage, a Category S or N write-off, outstanding HP finance, a cut-and-shut, or clocked mileage.

6. The seller refuses a pre-purchase inspection. Any honest seller will allow you to take the car to an independent garage, or pay for an AA Vehicle Inspection (£170 to £250) or an RAC Vehicle Examination at the seller’s location. A kerbsider cannot afford the truth.

7. The VIN on the V5C does not match the chassis number on the car. Use a torch on the lower driver-side windscreen, the door pillar, and the stamping on the bulkhead under the bonnet. All three should match the V5C. A mismatch is a cloned or stolen car warning.

8. Faster Payments, gift cards, crypto, or “send a deposit to hold it.” Action Fraud says it plainly: if anyone insists on a deposit by gift card, cryptocurrency, or pressured bank transfer before you have laid eyes on the car, treat it as a scam. A legitimate private sale uses a banker’s draft, or a Faster Payments transfer made in person after you have inspected the V5C and the HPI Check report side by side.

Used Toyota Camry on a licensed dealer lot, recommended over curbstoned cars 2026 — Image: Toyota UK

What to actually do before you transfer a penny

Run the VRM through the free DVLA vehicle enquiry service (gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax) for tax status, MOT status, and the last MOT mileage reading. Buy an HPI Check or MyCarCheck (£20 to £25) for outstanding finance, write-off markers, mileage discrepancies, scrap markers and stolen status. Cross-check the seller’s photo driving licence against the name on the V5C in person, ideally at their home address with a utility bill on the table. If anything on the V5C looks tampered with, ring DVLA on 0300 790 6802 before parting with money. If the car is more than four years old and the seller cannot produce a service book or digital service record, factor a £1,000 contingency into your offer. None of this is optional. A 30-minute checklist beats a 30-month County Court fight to unwind a fraudulent sale.

If you have already bought from a kerbsider

Stop driving the car immediately , if it carries undisclosed HP or PCP finance the lender still owns it and can repossess. Report the seller to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133, which feeds Trading Standards intelligence directly. File a separate complaint with Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk, and with the DVLA enforcement team if the V5C looks forged. Contact your bank and request a Faster Payments recall under the Contingent Reimbursement Model , recovery is rare but possible if you act within 24 hours. If the car has outstanding finance, the finance house owns it: your only practical recourse against the kerbsider is Money Claim Online (small claims up to £10,000), which requires identifying them, which is why steps 1 to 8 above matter. Free legal help: Which? Legal and Citizens Advice both run motoring helplines, and your local Law Centre may take the case under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.

How to buy a car correctly, advice imagery from Toyota newsroom — Image: Toyota UK

Our take

Kerbsiding is the most common form of UK used-car fraud and the most preventable. A licensed retailer, whether that is a franchised dealer or a supermarket chain like Arnold Clark, Motorpoint, or Cinch, gives you a properly transferred V5C, a working warranty, and an actual legal counterparty under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 if something goes wrong. A kerbsider gives you a burner mobile that goes dead the day after you transfer £11,000. The savings on a genuine private sale are often real and worth chasing, but only if you can verify the seller is who they claim to be. Spend the 30 minutes on the checklist. If anything on it makes the seller go quiet, walk away. There is always another Fiesta for sale tomorrow.

Is kerbsiding illegal in the United Kingdom?

Yes, across all four nations. Selling more than a handful of cars in any 12-month period (HMRC and Trading Standards typically treat four or more transactions as trading activity) without registering as a business with HMRC and complying with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is an offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. V5C log book fraud, where the kerbsider sells under the previous keeper’s name without registering the car to themselves, is a separate offence under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994.

How do I report a kerbsider in the UK?

Report to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133, which feeds Trading Standards. Report any fraud loss to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk. If you suspect a forged V5C, contact the DVLA enforcement team. Trading Standards is the most effective route because it can prosecute under the CPRs and refer the case to the local authority’s legal team.

Does an HPI Check catch every flood-damaged vehicle?

No. The ABI estimated in March 2026 that fewer than 35 per cent of vehicles flood-damaged by Storm Bert and Storm Éowyn carry a properly recorded Category N or Category S write-off marker on insurance databases. Always combine an HPI Check with an AA Vehicle Inspection that includes a carpet-pull, ECU fault-code scan and an underbody check.

Should I use Faster Payments or PayPal for a private used car purchase?

Faster Payments is acceptable only if you have completed every check on this list and are paying in person with the V5C in your hand. PayPal Friends and Family offers no buyer protection and should never be used for a car. A banker’s draft remains the safest instrument for amounts over £5,000. Action Fraud explicitly flags gift card and cryptocurrency requests as scam signals.

What rules cover unfair sales in the UK and how do they affect private sales?

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers business-to-consumer sales , including any kerbsider you can prove is trading. Genuinely private sales fall under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (still in force for private transactions) and the Misrepresentation Act 1967: the seller must answer questions truthfully but is not obliged to volunteer faults. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 give Trading Standards the power to prosecute kerbsiders who masquerade as private sellers.