Jump to content
HybridZ

Seller Lied!!! What can I do?


Guest Mike

Recommended Posts

Guest Mike

Sorry if this has been covered. I couldn't find anything with a search. If you know of any threads, please let me know.

 

I just bought an Alpha 1 kit car... the McBurnie Ferrari 250 GTO kit sold by Joe Alphabet. When I asked about the condition of the body and paint, the seller claimed one very tiny hairline crack low in the nose piece and he couldn't even tell if it was just in the paint or in the fiberglass. He lied through his teeth!!!

 

There are numerous pronounced cracks throughout the nose piece and the passenger-side fender is broken away from the metal where it meets the lower corner of the windshield. These are all breaks... completely through the fiberglass. The paint is just about the ugliest I've ever seen... huge texture (much worse than orange peel) in the vent and headlight areas. The rear hatch looks like is was beaten with a baseball bat and poorly repaired with dents everywhere. Also, he claimed this car came with the oval grill trim... and he didn't ship it with the car. That alone is a $350 loss.

 

There are MANY other problems to include mechanical issues, but you get the idea.

 

I didn't use an escrow service, but I do have emails with his descriptions of the car. I think I can find enough textual information to prove him a liar.

 

I'm so angry with the seller that I need to calm down before I contact him.

 

PLEEEEZZ HELP!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mike
Where did you buy it, how did you pay for it?

 

I bought it from an individual in NM and paid with cashiers checks. I researched the individual and varified his information... home address, phone numbers, looked up his business in the yellow pages and called him there... before sending any $$$. I'm not dumb enough to send $$$ to a phantom, but I'm "stoopid" enough to not use an escrow service or third-party inspector.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mike
Had to the same thing happen to me, all I can say is good luck. Two years of legal battles and lawyer fees and I still lost. Not many laws protecting a privately sold used car deal, and if the ad said "sold as is" you might as well forget it.

 

I think a certified letter from an attorney addressed to him at his business might help. I can email and remind him that a lawsuit will show up in his local paper because I'll file on him in his city/county. He lives in a small-ish town and owns a local business there. He may settle just to avoid embarrassment:mrgreen:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mike
Mike' date='

 

That's very upsetting to hear your experience. It sounds like you purchased the car out of your state. A couple of friends had experienced the same misrepresentation when they purchased their car from out of their state. Both of them have yet to receive satisfaction from the sellers!!

 

Here's a link that may be of help:

 

http://www.internetfraud.usdoj.gov/#How%20Should%20I%20Deal%20With%20Internet

 

Having to work alongside customers that have had the misfortune of purchasing a vehicle that was fraudulently marketed, this is what I learned from "their" experience. For those of you looking at purchasing a car out of your state - If you're really really interested in that car, I would highly suggest that you spend the money to buy the airline tickets and inspect the car in person. Airline tickets are so much cheaper than to have the car delivered and discover it was criminally misrepresented knowing now it will cost you way more money than you anticipated - plus it will avoid your anger and frustration. Better yet - keep looking until you find something closer to home!

 

RacerX

 

Thanks RacerX... very good advice!!

 

The auto transport guy said this happens all the time. He pointed to a Mazda coupe on his truck with side impact damage (both sides) and said, "See that? That guy sold this car as 'immaculate... never wrecked'." He said, "Look at that Olds 442. See the rust bubbling here, here, and there? Another 'perfect car'." He said that people scream and yell at him when he delivers cars and it happens ALL the time. He says it's tough to see people get cheated and it's even harder dealing with the stress of them blaming him. Then he showed me the form the seller signed with all the damage carefully documented.

 

Why are people so unscrupulous?!?

 

I think the easiest/cheapest way is to use a third-party inspector and an escrow service. Next time... if there is a next time... I'll go that route.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mike
:evil: hire a hitman...give him the aforementioned adress and info of the seller. Feel avenged. ;)

Seriously' date=' though, that sucks. I don't think i'd ever buy a kit like that from anybody but the company that makes them.[/quote']

 

If I wasn't so feeble these days, I'd consider flying there just to knock hell out of him... well, maybe just piss in his Corvette's gas tank:)

 

He owns a business in a small-ish town. I might be able to threaten him with a lawsuit filed on him there, reminding him that it'll show up in his local newspaper:eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Id strongly advise NEVER buying a car over the internet (EBAY ETC.) unless you PERSONALLY INSPECT IT FIRST have the seller post photos from all angles FIRST. if it looks good drive or fly to inspect the car!, sure you may be out the travel cost but its far better than being SCREWED....

EXAMPLE

my BROTHER-IN-LAW purchased a (NUMBERS MATCHING 1974 BBC manual trans CORVETTE) the pictures gave an impression the car was about slightly above average condition, he bought the car based on the pictures alone!,

 

lets just say....it will require A GREAT DEAL MORE WORK that the pictures suggested, and if he had paid $400 to inspect the car first and lost that money, he would be WAY AHEAD

 

spending 5%-10% of the price to insure your not UNPLEASANTLY surprized, at the cars condition is only smart!

the seller KNOWS he SCREWED YOU, hes betting that lawyers and court cost will be more than its worth to fight him and youll drop it after a few nasty letters.

getting EVEN, won,t get your money back, and its veru unlikely youll come out ahead (finacially) in court...this is a case where proper preperation, INSPECTION and research BEFORE the purchase would do more for you than any lawyer will AFTER.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mike
Id strongly advise NEVER buying a car over the internet (EBAY ETC.) unless you PERSONALLY INSPECT IT FIRST have the seller post photos from all angles FIRST. if it looks good drive or fly to inspect the car!' date=' sure you may be out the travel cost but its far better than being SCREWED....

EXAMPLE

my BROTHER-IN-LAW purchased a (NUMBERS MATCHING 1974 BBC manual trans CORVETTE) the pictures gave an impression the car was about slightly above average condition, he bought the car based on the pictures alone!,

 

lets just say....it will require A GREAT DEAL MORE WORK that the pictures suggested, and if he had paid $400 to inspect the car first and lost that money, he would be WAY AHEAD

 

spending 5%-10% of the price to insure your not UNPLEASANTLY surprized, at the cars condition is only smart!

the seller KNOWS he SCREWED YOU, hes betting that lawyers and court cost will be more than its worth to fight him and youll drop it after a few nasty letters.

getting EVEN, won,t get your money back, and its veru unlikely youll come out ahead (finacially) in court...this is a case where proper preperation, INSPECTION and research BEFORE the purchase would do more for you than any lawyer will AFTER.[/quote']

 

Yep... you're right on all points.

 

Hey all you folks out there... LEARN FROM MORONS LIKE ME... pay for an inspection and for an an escrow service. If the seller refuses either. DON'T BUY IT!!!

 

I look at the attorneys fees like this... if the seller fails to make good on this with me directly, I'll tell the attorney to collect all he can and pay me whatever he feels is right... even if thats nuthin'. I KNOW the attorney will screw me, but it's worth not collecting a dime if the attorney can cause this unscrupulous bastard some real rear-end pain. It's like hiring a thug to mug someone who mugged you. The thug won't give any $$$ back, but it does teach the other prick to never bother you again and to think twice before doing it to anyone else.

 

Yes... a little front-end prep does save a lot of back-end discomfort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mike
I think you'd be safer just waiting until you pick it up before paying for it.

 

You're right J. Soileau RB26zcar. I had intended to p/u the car, but I care for an elderly parent and couldn't leave town for a couple of weeks due to an illness. I didn't feel it was wise to leave town so I took a chance and got screwed.

 

I should have hired an inspector and used an escrow service though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...