User Tag List

Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Purchased 2.2 Auto. Ripped Off :(

  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    manchester
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats





    Default Purchased 2.2 Auto. Ripped Off :(

    I recently had need to purchase a car. The reason was to enable me to keep working and functioning as a productive member of society, as long as possible whilst I undergo what could be a lengthy period of hospital treatment.
    I only earn a minimum wage, my partner is a mature student, so money is tight. We could not afford anything from a garage or dealer, new or nearly new. We were not willing to take credit either in these uncertain times, only a fool would have granted it us anyway, so we did not bother looking down that road.
    To cut a long story short, we purchased one off eBay on the 4th Feb 2010, from what appeared to be a private seller in the Lancashire area. We did everything we thought was correct, we asked lots of questions and we purchased from the sellers home. It was advertised with full service history, and in very good condition with only 63000 miles.
    The car is a Vauxhall Vectra, 2003 ‘53’ plate 2.2 automatic. After only one month and 1000 miles at the beginning of March the automatic gearbox failed resulting in a repair costing £2000 minimum. The car had been purchased for £2300, so this failure has effectively written the car off leaving us obviously in a horrible position, without our money, without transport, and with a useless car outside which we can no way afford to repair.
    Anyway, a few days after the breakdown, an online friend took a look at the seller’s eBay feedback page and told me to email him and complain as he may be a trader, either full or part time. It was at this point that I began looking into the seller and his recent history very closely and some disturbing things began to emerge both about the car, and the seller.
    All the seller’s auctions are private auctions; therefore you cannot see what he has sold. I have pieced together a timeline spanning from September 2009 to the present showing him selling a minimum of seven vehicles, and both selling and buying large spare parts such as gearboxes, keys and doors. He appears to have stopped using his eBay account since I emailed him, however, he was advertising a rather expensive Nissan Navara, on the Autotrader site as recently as today, as a private seller, using Autotrader’s masking facility for his telephone number.
    Using Google cache I also found he had one in January attempted to sell the car I purchased as a non-runner due to faulty gearbox on eBay. Ouch.
    I also looked closer at the paperwork, the MOT in particular, the name of the tester, appeared to be the same as the seller. Further investigation proved the seller was in fact an MOT inspector for a very large main dealership group, and he had MOT’d his own vehicle, using his own name, along with using his main dealer employer to give the certificate.
    He disclosed nothing about this on purchase. I even asked him what he did for a living, when I was viewing the car. He claimed he was helping his brother out on the markets, because he was out of work!!

    I emailed the seller last week, and after a few polite emails stating I thought he was a trader, and some of the reasons why. He denied being a trader, but offered £1000.00, about 50% of the repair costs. I accepted this, as it meant we could scrape the money together with an advance from work, and a small loan from family, we could get the repairs done immediately, and stay mobile, and stay working. I was willing to take some responsibility, because obviously if I have found this out this information about the seller now, I could have found it out before I purchased
    Two days later he withdrew his offer, by email. He claimed he had taken advice from trading standards and he was a private seller, with no liability for the vehicle, and any further contact from me would be deemed harassment.
    I have emailed the large dealership group that he works for to complain that they have facilitated this sale by allowing him to conduct his own MOT, on his own vehicle, which was then promptly sold. They are not interested and have claimed they will not answer letters and emails on the matter.
    I’m looking for guidance from you guys now really. I’m a bit lost. County court, Trading Standards, Police, HMRC, how should I take this from here? Do you think he classes as a trader, therefore giving me rights under SOG?
    Ill add more too this thread as I find out more!

    Thanks

    Terri n steve

  2. #2
    Regular Member paul.sessions's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    leighton buzzard
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats





    Default

    i would try trading standards if i were you sounds a bit dodgy to me

  3. #3
    Admin & Membership Manager bigmac's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Devon
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    101 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats

    Vehicle : insignia

    Trim : irmscher

    Engine : 2.0 cdti

    Year : 2009

    Default

    best bet is trading standards and CAB maybe send him a nice letter from you solicitor

    Irmscher Insignia CDTI 130

    MOD'S...Irmscher front spoiler, Irmscher mats, Irmscher door pins, Irmscher rear spoiler, Irmscher grille, Irmscher skirt & exhausts,Irmscher Roof spoiler MOD'S TO COME..Side skirts,Wheels

  4. #4
    Regular Member john-d's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    washington
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats





    Default

    your not allowed to mot your own vehicle iir so he should lose his badge

  5. #5
    Regular Member alanv6's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    weymouth, dorset
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats





    Default

    There is no law on MOTing your own vehicles, VOSA dont really like it but there is no law against it.

  6. #6
    Regular Member chris1804's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Sandwell
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats

    Vehicle : Vectra C

    Trim : Club

    Engine : Y20DTH

    Year : 2005

    Mileage : 79k

    Default

    defo contact trading standards, have you checked his ebay feedback to see what hes sold, because if hes sold more than 7 cars within a year aint that classed as a trader? trading standards will advise you to wright a letter to the seller, (ive done plenty to dealers) there should be some on there website that you just change the info,

    whats the ebayers name? or cant that be told on here?

  7. #7
    Regular Member
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    West Yorkshire
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats





    Default

    as above take some legal advice and inform the trading standards, I would also open a dispute with ebay stating you believe the chap is a dealer.

  8. #8
    Regular Member chris1804's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Sandwell
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats

    Vehicle : Vectra C

    Trim : Club

    Engine : Y20DTH

    Year : 2005

    Mileage : 79k

    Default

    i ****s me off when people sell dodgy cars, ill have alook on my other laptop see if i still have a letter i sent 1 of the dealers to give you a start ill pm it you

  9. #9
    Regular Member Handyandy-UK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Suffolk, Englandshire
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats

    Vehicle : BMW 525i

    Trim : SE Touring

    Engine : 3.0

    Year : 2007


  10. #10
    Regular Member byebyeitsagsi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Glasgow
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Vehicle InfoStats





    Default

    I would contact vosa with your information and arrange to take it to one of there testing facilites to look over you never know he could have missed something when he MOT'd it

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Am I being ripped off
    By sebadee in forum Vectra C / Signum Car Chat
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 17th January 2011, 14:42
  2. Have I been ripped off ?
    By headache56 in forum Vectra C / Signum Car Chat
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 27th January 2010, 18:31
  3. Ripped off
    By kdadidog in forum The 'Off Topic' room
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 25th March 2009, 22:08
  4. Am I getting ripped off?
    By haegwani in forum Suspension, Wheels & Brakes
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 15th April 2007, 10:00

Visitors found this page by searching for:

Nobody landed on this page from a search engine, yet!

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •