How can I tell what optional extras a used car has?

Is there any way to determine which factory fitted options are present on a used car? I'm looking at BMW and Mercedes at the moment, and there are some wild differences in used prices, which I'm assuming...

I bought van and have discovered it has differing VIN numbers - where do I stand?

I bought a van a year ago with an MoT. I went to renew the MoT and was told that it has different VIN Numbers. Where do I stand to give it back?

A used car we like has a change of registration and respray in its history. Is that odd?

We're looking at a 10-year-old used car with one previous owner. While doing a background check, we found out that it has been resprayed from grey to dark blue, as well as being given a new registration...

Why does my Ford Focus Millennium have a number stamped onto the gearstick?

When the Ford Focus Millennium was made, did Ford have a number in front of the gearstick? My Focus has 0127 on the gearstick, does this mean anything?