I recently bought a slightly used ATV,a weird circumstance... I called a dealer and asked about used ATV someone might have traded in. He told me he did not have any. By then the next day he called back, said someone he sold a street bike to had a nice ATV he wanted to sell, for cheap! After talking about it, we decided to go see it. The guy met us there at the dealership with the bike. He didn't talk to us, the salesperson we talked to did, the guy sat out in his truck with a friend. After the sales guy showing us stuff about the bike and how it sounds, and hubby took a test drive, we decided to buy it. We then approached the guy in the truck and told him we wanted it, and if he could come in and sign a bill of sale and a title transfer. He did. I wrote out a bill of sale got his signiture, and he signed the title transfer page. But he did not have the title!! Who goes to a sale and not bring the title?? That is like going to a horse race and not bringing any money! Weird! But the sales guy vouched for him, he had sold the ATV to him, and the new street bike, 3 months ago. The guy said he would bring the title to the dealership that weekend, then the sales guy would send it to us, or we could pick it up, whatever. We were leery, but went ahead. My hubby doesn't trust this guy, the seller, said he looked wired, like he was waiting on his next fix. The guy DID look creepy! The guy tipped the sales person well, not exactly sure, but somewhere around $100.

  Since then I have not been able to get this title! The guy never brought it by the dealership. I called the dealership sales guy many times. He has not been able to get a hold of the guy supposedly. He then said he could give me the guys phone number, I said OK. He has not been able to call me back with it! Getting kinda wierd! I decided to try to find hi  umber myself. I looked online under the white pages, he is there, but no listed number! I did a full background check and found he has a record, of several DWI and a few burglaries! They were a while back, but I know he was sentenced for 8 years at one time, so maybe he just got out? I did get his wifes name. No number either, but then i got her sisters number, I am trying that now. No answer yet.

  What do you think??? What should I do? Should I call in the VIN number and see if it is stolen? Who do I call for that? What will happen to us if it is stolen? The sales guy said he bought it there 3 months ago, but who is to say he didn't sell it to someone else then steal it back and sell it to us? I just don't know what to think!!!! Help!

Jen

With the bill of sale I would think the dealership could help you file a lost title form. After all they have some responsibility since they brookered the deal.

HMMM... sounds kinda fishy to me as well...

 titles are over-rated.... a bill of sale is good enough IMO.   

Its not like cars where you have to have a title for insurance, registration, inspection sticker, etc...

now if in fact the dealership was the original one to sell it, they didnt need the guy to bring the title (or certificate of origin) in the first place.  They must have a copy of it in their sales files.  Thats one way to cut the crap with the dealership side of it.  If they start BSing around that they dont have a copy or need permission from the previous owner, then you know something is ascew with the salesman.  Talk to his manager. 

That was how I got the paperwork for my 450r.  Sent the dealership the bill of sale and they sent me the certificate of origin (basically same thing as a title)

If you call the police and check the VIN for stolen and it is stolen they will come and confiscate it.  You need to go to the top brass of the dealership and get business taken care of.

I did finally check with the DMV, it is clean. Thank God! Apparently there is just laziness on the behalf of the previous owner, he doesn't want to drive all the way back to the dealership to drop it off. I would tall him to mail it, but am afraid he might say he did, yet didn't, and then say it must have gottn lost in the mail. Or it might get lost, unless her sends it certified, doubt he would though. Anyway, I feel it is very important to have a title, so I feel this whole deal is not done until I have it.

Jen