In Solihull, England, a man unknowingly spent over $26,000 to buy back his stolen car weeks after it was taken. The discovery left him shocked and even the authorities were astonished by the bizarre turn of events.
According to the BBC, the 36-year-old man named Ewan Valentine realized on February 28 that his black Honda Civic Type-R sedan had been stolen from a parking spot overnight.
After informing the police and his insurance company, he started looking for a used car as a replacement. Devastated by the loss of his beloved car, he decided to purchase the same model. He eventually found a seemingly identical car about 70 miles away.
Valentine wrote on social media, “Same color, same year, same custom exhaust system, but different license plate, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and mileage.”
Valentine paid £20,000 to purchase the car from a reputable repair shop. However, on his way back home, he started to have suspicions.
He told the BBC that he noticed some strange things in the car, such as Christmas tree needles and other items that hadn’t been cleaned out yet, all similar to what was in his stolen car.
Despite the lower mileage on his newly purchased car, he eventually confirmed his suspicions when he found his parents’ address in the navigation system’s usage history.
He said, “Honestly, I nearly fell over because I was so shocked… my hands were shaking, my heart pounding.”
He realized that this was his stolen car. In fact, he had done something a bit foolish.
He drove the car to a Honda repair shop in Solihull and reported the incident to the police. The authorities were incredulous that he “bought his own car” and suspected that the car had been stolen by unidentified individuals.
Valentine mentioned that a Honda technician took out a physical key, inserted it into the car door to unlock it, and said, “Yes, this is your car.”
Valentine said, “You could see the signs of tampering, they deleted the Vehicle Identification Number and changed numbers and other things.”
He believes that the repair shop that sold him the car was also deceived. Now he hopes to get his money and deposit back.
Currently, the police are investigating the incident.