Back in 2017, I bought a car from a performance car dealer in West Sussex called Pescara International run by father and son team, Scott (Dad) and Ollie Davis. The value was in excess of £60,000. Having not made a lot of use of this new toy, and needing the cash for something else, in June 2018, I decided to sell the car through the same company on a Sale or Return basis.

I had a couple of updates on potential buyers in the following weeks, but a call from one of the salesmen in mid August made my blood run cold. He asked if I had my car back as Pescara had "blown up in a spectacular fashion". I was immediately on the phone but couldn't reach Ollie, Scott or anyone at the dealership. I drove down to the showroom only to find a completely deserted site.

I called the Police to report my car as stolen and after some hunting around on the internet I was relieved to find my car for sale at Castle Motors in Cornwall. I called this dealer and the news I got wasn't good. They told me they bought my car from their spotter, a man who it now transpires is a convicted fraudster for a knock down price around £45,000 (it was up for sale at more than £60,000).

At this point the Police didn't want to know and palmed it off as a Civil case between me and the Davis's....very helpful!

Distraught and with no one to turn to, I told anyone who would listen to my sorry story including Action Fraud, Citizens Advice Bureau, Sussex Trading Standards, The Insolvency Service and solicitors and to a man, they were useless.

A week or so later, Sussex Trading Standards told me there had been several other similar stories. I asked if he could get these other victims to get in contact. Several did and we pressurised the Police into taking our situations seriously.

Finally they did and there is an ongoing investigation now. It turns out our 6 stolen vehicles are the tip of the iceberg and the Davis's have stolen in the order of nearly £2 million. I don't know if I'll get my car back or ever see any money for it as they are hiding behind their limited company status and Castle Motors are being very unhelpful and unwilling to cooperate.

Sadly, I took at face value what I saw in the Davis's and some due diligence on my part would have uncovered some information that would have lead me to think twice before I trusted them with my vehicle. Below are just a few of the details that would have sent the alarm bells ringing.

Scott Davis is a convicted Fraudster who has served a 15 month sentence for Fraud.
Ollie Davis is a disqualified Director under section 7 ...specifically in 2010 he sold a client's car and didn't pay him the proceeds. He got around the disqualification by making his mum, Jane, the director and she'll probably go to prison also for her son's actions.

The Davis's have wound up 4 car dealing companies one after the other, leaving a trail of creditors (people they owe large sums of money to) each time they fold. This is a practice known as Phoenixing and is highly frowned upon but, unbelievably, not illegal.

If you come across this family, RUN don not walk away. They have defrauded before and have continued to do so despite action to try and stop them.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/disqualified-officers/natural/SUjTNeb5rwFz2cSz1iPjaoemlVQ

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/cranleigh-fraudster-pretended-disabled-father-in-law-8847255