Sellers trying to hide faults, your stories?
Discussion
A few years back I went to see an Alfa at one of those dodgy carwash/car sales places and on the test drive the car was making an awful racket over the bumps. The young boy/dealer proceeded to cough every time we hit a bump as to divert my attention.
Almost forgot, after test driving for around 1 minute, he indicated me to pull back into the garage.
A for effort.
Almost forgot, after test driving for around 1 minute, he indicated me to pull back into the garage.
A for effort.
Edited by beatngu on Sunday 23 March 21:28
I looked at a Volvo 850 estate last year.
A 'px to clear' at a 'prestige' used car dealer - mainly BMWs and Mercs in stock.
In the bottom corner of the instrument panel was a square of black tape, obscuring the ABS/Tracs light which came on and stayed on when I started the engine.
A common fault on these and, of course, an MoT fail.
A 'px to clear' at a 'prestige' used car dealer - mainly BMWs and Mercs in stock.
In the bottom corner of the instrument panel was a square of black tape, obscuring the ABS/Tracs light which came on and stayed on when I started the engine.
A common fault on these and, of course, an MoT fail.
forsure said:
I looked at a Volvo 850 estate last year.
A 'px to clear' at a 'prestige' used car dealer - mainly BMWs and Mercs in stock.
In the bottom corner of the instrument panel was a square of black tape, obscuring the ABS/Tracs light which came on and stayed on when I started the engine.
A common fault on these and, of course, an MoT fail.
Oh dear, that's awful! Did you pull them on it? And people wonder why the bad rep used dealers get.A 'px to clear' at a 'prestige' used car dealer - mainly BMWs and Mercs in stock.
In the bottom corner of the instrument panel was a square of black tape, obscuring the ABS/Tracs light which came on and stayed on when I started the engine.
A common fault on these and, of course, an MoT fail.
TheAngryDog said:
Many years ago went to look at a Carlton GSi 3000 and most of the warning lights had tape over them. Asked the owner who denied all knowledge.
Brakes were shot, I over shot his driveway by 10metres trying to slow down from 10mph.
Needless to say I never bought the car.
Honestly could not bring myself to do that for obvious reasons, must feel like a right tit once you're asked about who put the tape there.Brakes were shot, I over shot his driveway by 10metres trying to slow down from 10mph.
Needless to say I never bought the car.
juliethotel said:
Looked at a Fiat Coupe last year,
Clutch slipped as the turbo spooled up and we didn't accelerate, it was just wheelspin according to the seller.
Haha, amazing. Would make a great salesman.Clutch slipped as the turbo spooled up and we didn't accelerate, it was just wheelspin according to the seller.
I went to see an MR2 once with a knackered clutch and was barely drivable, revs screaming/red lining with the slightest touch etc. Was the first the seller knew about it... They proceeded to drive it back without any bother, hmmm.
having a nosey around the front of a car and underneath my spidey senses told me it had been in a smash. I lifted the bonnet to reveal a freshly painted front slam panel which confirmed it.
The sellers excuse?
"That part of the car is known to rust so we've saved you the time and expense later on by replacing it and repainting it for you now"
The sellers excuse?
"That part of the car is known to rust so we've saved you the time and expense later on by replacing it and repainting it for you now"
beatngu said:
forsure said:
I looked at a Volvo 850 estate last year.
A 'px to clear' at a 'prestige' used car dealer - mainly BMWs and Mercs in stock.
In the bottom corner of the instrument panel was a square of black tape, obscuring the ABS/Tracs light which came on and stayed on when I started the engine.
A common fault on these and, of course, an MoT fail.
Oh dear, that's awful! Did you pull them on it? And people wonder why the bad rep used dealers get.A 'px to clear' at a 'prestige' used car dealer - mainly BMWs and Mercs in stock.
In the bottom corner of the instrument panel was a square of black tape, obscuring the ABS/Tracs light which came on and stayed on when I started the engine.
A common fault on these and, of course, an MoT fail.
Took a look at a black fiesta in Glasgow last summer, coolant tank filled with crystal clear water, dealer told me the radiator had been cleaned out as part of the service and any colour to in the header tank fluid is a bad sign of head gasket failure...haha yeah right!
As part of the same car hunt that day, a little black golf had clearly been in a crash as the front n/s shock absorber was replaced with a cut to fit black painted wooden broom handle, seller denied all knowledge of bodge..balls of steel on the lad.
And various others that I looked at that week where the seller/dealer blushed or turned white when I pulled out a torch,inspection mirror,paper towels and obd scanner to check their cars before a test drive
Found something in the end that hadnt been bodged or crashed and advertised falsely. I guess its the economy etc etc, but I trust nobody to be honest with cars anymore there are alot of dogs out there being punted.
As part of the same car hunt that day, a little black golf had clearly been in a crash as the front n/s shock absorber was replaced with a cut to fit black painted wooden broom handle, seller denied all knowledge of bodge..balls of steel on the lad.
And various others that I looked at that week where the seller/dealer blushed or turned white when I pulled out a torch,inspection mirror,paper towels and obd scanner to check their cars before a test drive
Found something in the end that hadnt been bodged or crashed and advertised falsely. I guess its the economy etc etc, but I trust nobody to be honest with cars anymore there are alot of dogs out there being punted.
.Ohhhh a few of these for me
1-Main biggest dealer in Belfast and a 206 1.6, Warning light and beep during test drive up motorway,Car stopped 5 miles from dealer and had to get towed back,God bless the salesman still trying to sell me the car till the end.
2.Car ad said mint and it was a car I had sold not 8 months before after owning it for 2.5 years and spending over 4k on in said time, I took the ad for what it said and went the 65 miles to have a look and to buy back
Had seemingly been used to cart all his garden to the dump and needed the driver side back arch fixed due to the fact he had scraped it against his gate post a few times, Needed a new variator and the exhaust I had put on was now scraping the floor and wrecked
3.. The car I drive now....Bought 4 months ago a alfa gt bought on a whim and cause I liked it.
Bought from same dealer as number 1 that I said never again, So far spent over 1.5k on it just to get it perfect with more to go... Now I will say that dealer would probably have spent as little as possible to fix said problems had I took it back to him and I like the car so I was a willing little piggy when I bought it.
1-Main biggest dealer in Belfast and a 206 1.6, Warning light and beep during test drive up motorway,Car stopped 5 miles from dealer and had to get towed back,God bless the salesman still trying to sell me the car till the end.
2.Car ad said mint and it was a car I had sold not 8 months before after owning it for 2.5 years and spending over 4k on in said time, I took the ad for what it said and went the 65 miles to have a look and to buy back
Had seemingly been used to cart all his garden to the dump and needed the driver side back arch fixed due to the fact he had scraped it against his gate post a few times, Needed a new variator and the exhaust I had put on was now scraping the floor and wrecked
3.. The car I drive now....Bought 4 months ago a alfa gt bought on a whim and cause I liked it.
Bought from same dealer as number 1 that I said never again, So far spent over 1.5k on it just to get it perfect with more to go... Now I will say that dealer would probably have spent as little as possible to fix said problems had I took it back to him and I like the car so I was a willing little piggy when I bought it.
Slightly different one this one, my son went to look at a beetle for his girl friend and it had the ABS light one he questioned this as everything else seems to be a nice genuine car, the dealer said no problem we will get it fixed and a deal was done.
we picked up the car light was out and we were told it was a sensor and its now ok.
Some time later his mate came around with vagcom and they where going through various tests and one was the instrment cluster, on testing the ABS light did not iluminate during the testing, he removed the cluster to find the LED had been snapped off, he went back to the dealer to be told " not me mate must have been that mechanic I took it to" my son pointed out the liability was still his to resolve. But in the end we took it to our trusted guy and got it sorted.
we picked up the car light was out and we were told it was a sensor and its now ok.
Some time later his mate came around with vagcom and they where going through various tests and one was the instrment cluster, on testing the ABS light did not iluminate during the testing, he removed the cluster to find the LED had been snapped off, he went back to the dealer to be told " not me mate must have been that mechanic I took it to" my son pointed out the liability was still his to resolve. But in the end we took it to our trusted guy and got it sorted.
Erm, I was the seller.
I was in my teens, and owned an Yamaha RD350. It was shagged. I'd ridden it all over France during the summer and the compression was getting worse and worse. I knew of someone who'd always wanted to buy the bike off me. He was a mechanic by trade, so I figured he'd be able to fix it. I just wanted a bigger bike.
Anyway, long story short, he agreed to buy it not having seen it for a few months, but was on holiday and didn't want to lose it to someone else. Told his mother to pay me cash if I'd deliver it to his house in the next village. The bike spluttered to a halt half a mile from his house, so I pushed it the rest of the way and parked it next to the garbage. I mean garage. Damn autocorrect. It's so rarely right. His Mum commented on how quietly it ran as she'd not heard me arrive, handed me the cash, and off I went after giving her a receipt that said 'sold as seen'.
There was some minor fallout when he got to see what he'd purchased, but bruising subsides with ice.
I was in my teens, and owned an Yamaha RD350. It was shagged. I'd ridden it all over France during the summer and the compression was getting worse and worse. I knew of someone who'd always wanted to buy the bike off me. He was a mechanic by trade, so I figured he'd be able to fix it. I just wanted a bigger bike.
Anyway, long story short, he agreed to buy it not having seen it for a few months, but was on holiday and didn't want to lose it to someone else. Told his mother to pay me cash if I'd deliver it to his house in the next village. The bike spluttered to a halt half a mile from his house, so I pushed it the rest of the way and parked it next to the garbage. I mean garage. Damn autocorrect. It's so rarely right. His Mum commented on how quietly it ran as she'd not heard me arrive, handed me the cash, and off I went after giving her a receipt that said 'sold as seen'.
There was some minor fallout when he got to see what he'd purchased, but bruising subsides with ice.
I got £14k in cash out to buy a Forester XT; hired a car (we were between cars!), drove over two hours.
But the guy wouldn't negotiate at all plus the tyres had rather strange uneven wear and a rear window had been replaced (they should have a sticker;this didn't). Just felt uneasy and pulled out.
A big drive home and paid the cash back into the bank!
But the guy wouldn't negotiate at all plus the tyres had rather strange uneven wear and a rear window had been replaced (they should have a sticker;this didn't). Just felt uneasy and pulled out.
A big drive home and paid the cash back into the bank!
MY brother bought an Astra GTE MkII back in the eighties if I remember right. The brake pad warning light was on & the seller agreed to fix it before collection. A week later, the inevitable scraping noises began, so I put it up on axle stands only to discover the pad sensor wire had been pulled out of the pads. Cheeky sod.
Less than two year old Polo at main VW dealer in January.
Got in car for test drive and noticed the inside of the windscreen was coated in water and was heavily fogged. Car also smelt of wet dog and had brown stains all over the roof interior.
Salesman hopped in, started the car (from cold), placed the heaters on full whack and gunned the engine. He told us he was trying to clear the windscreen. When asked about why there was so much water inside the car, he told us that this happened because the car was parked at a funny angle and the wind blew rain straight in.
Hilariously, he tried to wipe the windscreen clear with his hand and it completely soaked it.
We did do a test drive, but after fifteen minutes and still cloudy/wet screen, we asked if we could go back to the dealership. Poor chap still tried to sell it to us even as we were leaving.
Got in car for test drive and noticed the inside of the windscreen was coated in water and was heavily fogged. Car also smelt of wet dog and had brown stains all over the roof interior.
Salesman hopped in, started the car (from cold), placed the heaters on full whack and gunned the engine. He told us he was trying to clear the windscreen. When asked about why there was so much water inside the car, he told us that this happened because the car was parked at a funny angle and the wind blew rain straight in.
Hilariously, he tried to wipe the windscreen clear with his hand and it completely soaked it.
We did do a test drive, but after fifteen minutes and still cloudy/wet screen, we asked if we could go back to the dealership. Poor chap still tried to sell it to us even as we were leaving.
Before buying my last Mercedes i was in contact with the seller via email. Having got his email address i thought id stick it into facwbook and check for pics of the car and any comments about accidents etc
After a little snooping i noticed a damaged bootlid where he had reversed into a pick up. Also noticed Brabus and AMG badges missing from his latest advert pictures.
Anyway the bootlid looked repaired in latest high res pics so i was happy enough. Booked flight to Edinburgh and met up with seller and paid particular attention to the bootlid area and found a small paint run beside some trim.
I confronted the seller who nlamed the previous owner but didnt have the heart to let him know i knew what had happened. The bootlid wasnt 'that' bad as the electric mechanism worked and auto close worked perfect so more cosmetic damage than anything.
We argued a bit more over price and couldnt see eye to eye so started to walk in the direction of a taxi down the road. In the end We met in the middle at £500 discount on our previously agreed price and a £20 luck penny.
It Left me a bit of extra cash to get the bootlid painted propeerly. Chancers.
After a little snooping i noticed a damaged bootlid where he had reversed into a pick up. Also noticed Brabus and AMG badges missing from his latest advert pictures.
Anyway the bootlid looked repaired in latest high res pics so i was happy enough. Booked flight to Edinburgh and met up with seller and paid particular attention to the bootlid area and found a small paint run beside some trim.
I confronted the seller who nlamed the previous owner but didnt have the heart to let him know i knew what had happened. The bootlid wasnt 'that' bad as the electric mechanism worked and auto close worked perfect so more cosmetic damage than anything.
We argued a bit more over price and couldnt see eye to eye so started to walk in the direction of a taxi down the road. In the end We met in the middle at £500 discount on our previously agreed price and a £20 luck penny.
It Left me a bit of extra cash to get the bootlid painted propeerly. Chancers.
beatngu said:
TheAngryDog said:
Many years ago went to look at a Carlton GSi 3000 and most of the warning lights had tape over them. Asked the owner who denied all knowledge.
Brakes were shot, I over shot his driveway by 10metres trying to slow down from 10mph.
Needless to say I never bought the car.
Honestly could not bring myself to do that for obvious reasons, must feel like a right tit once you're asked about who put the tape there.Brakes were shot, I over shot his driveway by 10metres trying to slow down from 10mph.
Needless to say I never bought the car.
I would hope the owner felt a complete tit after. I was not impressed. The car had been stood, but had MOT. I'd just done a round trip from yorkshire to ipswich to luton to look at this car. I didnt expect it to be mint, and bodywise all but one panel was in decent nick, but it was slow, kick down didnt work, it would've needed 4 times the asking price to put right. Granted it was cheap at about £600, but sooooo glad I walked away.
£150 Citroen GSA X1, about 20yrs ago.
MOT fail sheet with it, showing it needed a small bit of welding near the battery tray (already done) and one rear brake wasn't doing much. Fair enough - that's common. They just need a good clean-up and lube, and a toolbox lobbed in the back for the test so there's some weight on the suspension.
On the test drive, immediately after I noticed the speedo didn't work (turned out the cable'd been severed with an oxy-torch), I noticed the clutch slip... "Oh, no, it's not slipping. It's an air-cooled car. When you put your foot down, the fan goes faster to cool it better..."
Did I buy it? <cough> Yes.
Oh, and that rear brake? Somebody had taken one rear wheel off, undone the hub nut, used a HUGE pair of stilsons on the disk - so the caliper mount bent up enough that the disk could then be slid out, unbolted from the hub, hub back on, wheel back on, and flog...
MOT fail sheet with it, showing it needed a small bit of welding near the battery tray (already done) and one rear brake wasn't doing much. Fair enough - that's common. They just need a good clean-up and lube, and a toolbox lobbed in the back for the test so there's some weight on the suspension.
On the test drive, immediately after I noticed the speedo didn't work (turned out the cable'd been severed with an oxy-torch), I noticed the clutch slip... "Oh, no, it's not slipping. It's an air-cooled car. When you put your foot down, the fan goes faster to cool it better..."
Did I buy it? <cough> Yes.
Oh, and that rear brake? Somebody had taken one rear wheel off, undone the hub nut, used a HUGE pair of stilsons on the disk - so the caliper mount bent up enough that the disk could then be slid out, unbolted from the hub, hub back on, wheel back on, and flog...
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff