This is the shocking moment a man posing as a potential customer drives off with a £5,000 car from a dealership.
Owner Aamir Abad was left stunned when the man sped off in a second-hand Volkswagen Golf with the boot open – and the sign still on the roof – after asking for a test drive.
The astonishing scenes took place at AMH Cars, in Kingstanding, Birmingham, last Thursday.
The smiling ‘customer’ walked into the dealership at around 4pm saying he was looking for a car.
This smiling ‘customer’ walked into AMH Cars, in Kingstanding, Birmingham, last Thursday at around 4pm saying he was looking for a car
Owner Aamir Abad said: ‘He was looking for a 61 plate Golf in a black colour. We went out and he asked me to start the car so he could check the engine’
When Mr Abad turned his back briefly to pull down the shutters, the ‘customer’ jumped into the vehicle and drove off at speed, with the boot still open
Mr Abad said: ‘The gentleman came in looking for a car and asked me some details. We had a chat for about five minutes.
‘He was looking for a 61 plate Golf in a black colour. We went out and he asked me to start the car so he could check the engine.
‘He had a look round the motor. He asked to take photographs of the car to show his wife and he wanted to negotiate a deal with me, which is normal.
‘Then at the end, he said he wanted to test drive the car and I said, “No problem”.’
Mr Abad (above, giving chase) said his dealership was a small business and that they would have to sell a lot of cars to claw back the money
Mr Abad turned his back briefly to pull down the shutters when to his horror the ‘customer’ jumped into the car and drove off at speed, with the boot still wide open.
Mr Abad said: ‘It happened really quickly. It’s a five grand car, we are a small business, so it’s a big hit. We would have to sell a lot of cars to get that back.
‘These are criminals. We have got to know around seven or eight garages where it has happened and if it doesn’t stop, it will carry on. He could’ve easily killed someone driving off.’
West Midlands Police are now examining CCTV footage from the premises and are seeking information about the ‘customer’
A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: ‘Police were called at 7.37pm last night (November 15) to a report of the theft of a car from AMH Cars, Kingstanding Road, Kingstanding.
‘It was reported that at 4.07pm a man asked to test drive a black Golf and as a staff member went to get trade plates, he got into the driver’s seat and made off.’
Police are now studying CCTV from the premises. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 anytime or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Please quote crime reference number 20BW/266179D/18.