I sold my 1998 Vauxhall Vectra, 2ltr SRi (118k) on Saturday for £650.
I've just had a phone call from the buyer saying that the engine blew on him while driving along the motorway.
I've never had any major problems with the car, it never used oil or water while I had it.
As I understand it, in any private sale the car is Sold As Seen but the guy seemed like a nice enough bloke and putting myself in his shoes I feel really bad.
What should I do?
|
You are under no obligation to do anything. In a private sale it is buyer beware - he has no legal comeback on you.
Nice bloke maybe but how do you know he is telling the truth that it is faulty and th ecar's fault?
Maybe the fault is his for gunning the car along the motorway or then again the car is fine and he is trying to get some of the £650 back!
|
|
its the timing.......and by the sounds of it you got it spot on :)
|
|
Maybe so but I'm not really feeling very good about it.
|
|
What could you live with doing action wise? Are you hard up for that money?
Edited by smokescreen on 26/11/2007 at 20:33
|
|
|
|
What have you said to him ?
|
He said that he had someone checking it tonight and he said that he would let me know what they said. He didn't ask for anything and I didn't offer anything.
If I offer some sort of refund am I not admitting liability? The car has been fine with no sign that it was going to expire.
|
|
i would put it down to his bad luck and your good fortune, just wait for something bad to happen to you and kama will have been restored
|
|
If he`s a decent bloke, I would feel like splitting it with him and scrapping the car together.
Edited by oilrag on 26/11/2007 at 20:53
|
|
My probable solution as well (s an individual)
|
i also agree with oilrag
but
ive been dun before now
so
do a drive past the alleged new owners house to confirm no porkies
|
|
|
|
I would do the same as oilrag.
Clk Sec
Edited by Clk Sec on 26/11/2007 at 21:09
|
Just had a text to say that he's had his guy check it. He said that it was only a matter of time before the engine went as the top end gaskets have went. However, he told me earlier on the phone that his guy had checked the car after he bought it and told him that it needed the lifters looked at but that it was fine to drive in the meantime.
He says he's planning on getting an engine for £100 and spending £100 to have it fitted.
Is that not quite cheap for a replacement engine?
|
Is that not quite cheap for a replacement engine?
Depends where he's sourced it from.
|
smells now
do the drive by
|
I'd have a quick look at the car and give the buyer £100.
Clk Sec
|
He said that it was only a matter of time before the engine went as the top end gaskets have went.
What are "top end gaskets?" This is just total bullshine.
However he told me earlier on the phone that his guy had checked the car after he bought it and told him that it needed the lifters looked at but that it was fine to drive in the meantime.
"Lifters looked at?" The "guy" of his has all the mechanical knowledge of a head-on-backwards Saxo driver.
Tell him - "Nice try - now get lost!"
Edited by Screwloose on 26/11/2007 at 21:24
|
Its hydraulic, no lifters to look at, I agree with Cliksec, have a look at the car, if it is shafted give hime £50 or £100, if he wont let you see it then he is trying it on.
|
Maybe he needs to get some money back from the mechanic friend that had a look at it and passed it fit to drive.
Not sure about the top end gaskets, but could well be the fully floating rear hub grommet that went south. He's lifting your leg.
|
Look, if you can can put your hand on your heart, and say you had no idea it was going to expire shortly, then its just lcuk. Your good luck and his bad luck. thats life.
------
< Ulla>
|
Your good luck and his bad luck. thats life.
On one level, yes. If that's the way he sees it, well and good.
But look at what bell boy says. He may well have a point. Buyers can be rogues as well as sellers.
There's a third level. Someone buys a car that has done some considerable mileage being driven in a certain way. Now someone goes down the motorway on the old oil just like distilled water full of carborundum powder at the car's alleged speedometer maximum of 210 mph, after an hour or so it goes KABLOOIE and who could possibly be surprised? In my book this is the usual cause of instant problems with secondhand jalopies: a radical change of driving style, usually for the worse.
'I think it was too much for the old girl. RIP. Straight to the knacker's yard Williams, and get me another pony will you?'
Edited by Lud on 26/11/2007 at 23:19
|
However he told me earlier on the phone that his guy had checked the car after he bought it and told him that it needed the lifters looked at but that it was fine to drive in the meantime.
His guy had examined it after sale, before blow up, and given him the all-clear to drive it.
The buyer should look to "his guy" for support and recompense, not the seller.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"his guy had checked the car....it was fine to drive in the meantime."
I think that clinches it, in your favour. You don't have to offer him anything, not even morally if he had a mechanic look at it. If the 'mechanic' was a purveyor of male cowpats, then that's the buyer's problem. Caveat emptor.
|
I smell a rat. The car is about 3285 days old you've sold it two days ago and all the sudden the engine blows?
Top end gaskets what the heck is that? The only gasket at the top end I am aware of is the rocker cover gasket, that certainly would not damage the engine unless so much oil was leaking it from it it was starved.
At the end of the day its a £650 banger, you know when you're spending that money there is a huge amount of risk involved. If he had just spent £5000 on a FSH 3 year old vectra it would be a different matter.
This is why I sold my old car for £80 to a trader because I just could not live with selling it for £300 knowing the engine is about to sieze, though it looks like the trader has done the same thing unless he fixed the camshaft and piston rings.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 27/11/2007 at 00:51
|
With the amount of money involved in giving a little back, I think its better not to risk having an `enemy`.
I know exactly what`s `out there` regarding risk to others from my previous work.
You look at a `nice` little one horse town and would never dream of what goes on behind some closed doors or the quite extra-ordinary risk that some people pose to others.
A `friendly` guy could easily be personality disordered, can`t assess that on initial presentation to buy a car.
Best to reach a compromise IMHO.
|
According to this advice on eBay, "Sold as Seen" etc has no legal standing whatsoever. tinyurl.com/27p5vv
--
L\'escargot.
|
L'escargot - that Ebay "advice" was written as a rant by a ripped-off buyer/barrack-room lawyer. Totally worthless, IMHO.
We only have the buyer's word that the engine popped as he went down the motorway. Given his total lack of mechanical knowledge, is it possible he was doing 100 mph in third gear at the time? Can we be sure that he wasn't caning the car?
|
L'escargot - that Ebay "advice" was written as a rant by a ripped-off buyer/barrack-room lawyer.
It was just a general comment on the use of the phrase "sold as seen" mentioned in the original post, not a comment on the particular car/deal in question.
Totally worthless IMHO.
Perhaps you'll put more credence on this tinyurl.com/2ljh28
--
L\'escargot.
|
|
|
|
This is not the first time I have read of a similar tale and believe it's all a scam. Buyer buys what could be a banger and a day or so later calls back to say the car is dead and they want their money back.
I'm sure some sellers feel sorry for the buyer especially if the story is embellished with tales of his sick mother, disabled daughter, injured dog etc and agree some sort of deal. Buyer gets the car and a refund, seller gets a guilty feeling.
Tell the buyer he has no rights to any sort of refund, caveat emptor and all that, if he has a problem with this you will see him in Court.
If he wanted a warranty he should have gone to a dealer and paid for the privilege.
Edited by daveyjp on 27/11/2007 at 09:06
|
|
been there - done that. sold a car to a guy and it didn't get 2 miles from my house before it ground to a halt with big end failure. I had no spare cash to offer as all my money had gone on its replacement so it didn't matter how bad I might have felt about it there was nothing I could or did do. As my old Dad used to say ' it's one of the joys of motoring' If he's really such a nice bloke he'll take this on the chin, especially as his 'mechanic' said it was ok to drive.
|
I would be very wary here. A 2.0 litre SRi engine? Its maybe been taken out and swapped already? A boy racer going to put it into his Nova maybe????
I can sympathise with you, I would feel the same. I remember when I sold my first car, an Escort Mk2 , I advertised it for £650 hoping to get £600. A guy gave me the £650 and as he was driving away I noticed that the fuel was low so I gave him £20 back to fill the tank!
--
2007 Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI (140) Stylance
2005 Skoda Fabia vrS
|
|
|
|
For the other perspective: www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=57...2
V
|
Thanks for all your advice. I replied to his text saying that the car was okay when I sold it, that this had been verified by his local garage and I hoped he got it sorted okay.
He texted me back saying that he had it checked today (he didn't say who checked it this time) and that it was the head gasket that was away. He said it was going to cost him £150 to have it fixed. Isn't that different from a seized engine due to faulty lifters?
He said that he can't afford to have it fixed and so he has no car which is a pain getting his kids to nursery. Although, he had told me when buying the car that he had sold a bigger, newer Vectra in order to raise cash for Xmas.
I think this is getting off point. I think that it was my responsibility to sell him the a decent car, disclosing any faults that I was aware of. Surely his personal finances shouldn't be my responsibility.
|
|
i might be old fashioned but if someone was texting me with bleats about the price of bread because they cant hold a phone conversation because basically they have something to hide then i would remove all text messages and note that the number wasnt answered in future, In fact if anyone ever phones me with a withheld number then i dont care if its the lone ranger i dont answer it anymore ever as it always turns out that they are messers
|
HL
That just about settles it - a nasty little scam by the chav brigade.
I agree with BB - blank him.
|
If the worst comes to worst just tell him you will see him in court with all the evidence. He will have to prove:)
1) It the car was not sold as described
2) You told lies to any questions
Even if the engine did blow up you are legally liable for nothing.
|
I like to think life`s not all tooth and claw. What if he`s a genuine decent bloke? after all he`s not `demanding` his money back.
compromise, but go and check it out first, is my view.
Regards
|
|
I think he is just out for what he can get and if I was you I'd tell him tough luck but the car was fine when he took it away.
|
|
He texted me back saying that he had it checked today (he didn't say who checked it this time) and that it was the head gasket that was away. He said it was going to cost him £150 to have it fixed. Isn't that different from a seized engine due to faulty lifters?
SNIPQUOTE!
Two Points here:
A) it would cost considerably more than £150 to sort the headgasket on that engine, the car has not been anywhere near a garage for inspection since the guy bought it from you.
B) The classic giveaway is the sob story about getting kids to nursery. A sob story always comes out in these situations.
I have personally experienced scenarios almost identical to what you experiencing now several times over the last two and a half years. This is a classic try on. If I asked you what I would like to ask you, I will be accused of being a racist so I won't bother. But this does appear to be some kind of scam among some of our inner city 'friends', who will attempt to cadge a bit of money back from a car seller in this way.
A mate of mine - like me he was also a trader at the time - sold a car a couple of years back to a Manchester lad (a manual Renault Laguna btw), about 700 quids worth. Nothing wrong with the gearbox, my mate would not have sold it if there was. Next day my mate gets a call from the purchaser who said that the gearbox was knackered and he wanted £400 towards the repair cost. My mate was having none of this and said to the purchaser 'bring it back tomorrow and I'll buy it back', the purchaser was adamant that he wanted to keep the car and just have his £400. My friend repeated what he said about buying it back and told him to 'bring the car back tomorrow at whatever 0' clock' and he would buy it back. The next day came the, the guy never showed up with the car and my mate never heard another thing.
These scammers usually have no mechnical knowledge whatsover which shows them up immediately and usually tend to want one of two things, a weekends 'free' car hire or a very cheap car subsidised by YOU. Call their bluff and they seem to disappear back under their stone in my experience.
These people are in the minority though, but are a total pain in the a#*e, and end up causing others of their background to be tarred with the same brush. Try not to let this episode put you off selling cars in future, but sadly in todays world we all need to be a bit more streetwise. Oh, and they always manage to appear to be 'decent' people when you first meet them.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 28/11/2007 at 21:52
|
i agree zm i have had the same problem and unfortunately vet my customers these days,if they dont meet my standard i wont sell them a car ,personally i would rather eat carrots for tea than take flack from wanabee hoodlums
|
i agree zm i have had the same problem and unfortunately vet my customers these days if they dont meet my standard i wont sell them a car personally i would rather eat carrots for tea than take flack from wanabee hoodlums
Sorry to hear that. BTW Anyone selling a prestige car priced £1500 to £2500 in the South Manchester area would be well advised not to deal with a softly spoken well built chap who has a gold tooth. He seems to favour the weekend car hire option. I know of several traders who have had run ins. One day he will pick on the wrong person though.
|
|
"He said that he can't afford to have it fixed and so he has no car which is a pain getting his kids to nursery"
See me earlier post!
"I'm sure some sellers feel sorry for the buyer especially if the story is embellished with tales of his sick mother, disabled daughter, injured dog etc and agree some sort of deal"
|
|
HLyon - stop and think for a minute. Why did he buy a car from you rather than go to a dealer? He would also have been aware that he didn't buy a warranty or a '30 day money back guarantee' or whatever. You as a private individual sold a car. He, as a private individual bought a car. You have no idea what happened to that car as soon as it was out of your sight; his four teenage nephews could have borrowed it for drag racing; it might have been stolen for 'joy-riding' and recovered same day; etc etc. You have no further obligation. End of story.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
