Am i being scammed?

[Dixie]

OK. So been a tough day. Sold my Elise today. I've owned it for 10 years and loved it. It was in good condition. Not showroom but good condition.

Never had any major issues. Done jobs as they've come up and the car never let me down once in ten years.

So the guy came to buy the car today. Seemed to love it. Haggled me down a bit and took the car. I was heartbroken but happy the car was going to someone who would look after it.

2 or so hours later I get a text saying it's cut out and he's by the side of the road. I reply saying your kidding. I then get a phone call from the guy telling me the cam belt has snapped (the AA guy said so).

He wants me to commit to helping with the repair bill. No I feel terrible. I sold the car in good faith and was totally honest about it.

What do I do?

Am I being scammed? Is he trying to play on my conscience? (He was nice enough to call me "a bit of a drip")
Has he ragged the crap out of it on the way home and killed it?
Has he got 3rd rather than 5th on the motorway (He was struggling a little with the gearbox on the test drive)
Is he genuine and is it right that I should offer some sort of compensation??

Was a tough day enough selling my car. Now I get this. :S

[Jazoli]

Tell him you are very sorry but to jog on, buyer beware, its unlucky if it has happened but he could have been thrashing the nuts off it beforehand.

You don't have to do anything.

[LeoSayer]

You give him the bad news that it's not your responsibility to pay for or contribute to the repairs.

Unless you want to pay for them because you feel bad about it.

[R1gtr]

Even if he is being 100% genuine and it miraculously picked now to explode you owe him nothing.
He sounds like a chancer, tell him that it is bought as seen and not your problem.

Basically HE has broken HIS car, why would you help pay for it.

[backwoodsman]

This scam is coming up on here about once a month, looks like it's on the rise.

Tell him to jog on.

[Hackney]

R1gtr said:

Basically HE has broken HIS car, why would you help pay for it.

This

[r11co]

You are not being scammed. You are being pressured into something that is not your concern. Be polite but firm - there's no comeback on the sale and you have to consider that you have no control over how the car was treated once it left your possession.

Harsh but true.

[motor mad]

It's a difficult situation to be in. You've owned the car for 10 years and never had a problem with it, so either the guy was driving it like a tool, or he's genuinely been unlucky.

Out of interest was the cam belt due a change?

[Dixie]

Replies are pretty much what everyone is say. Just feel bad. I loved that car for ten years, he's had it a couple on hours and fooking hates it.

I've covered 30k miles in my ten years with it. The belt and tensioners have been done twice. Last time maybe 2 years ago.

The more I think about it, if it genuinely gone, I cant help but think that he's got 3rd instead of 5th.

[S10GTA]

If it was that serious wouldn't you phone rather than text?

[kmpowell]

Dixie said:

I reply saying your kidding.

Was his reply to that, "My what?"...?

[Dixie]

kmpowell said:

Dixie said:

I reply saying your kidding.

Was his reply to that, "My what?"...?

Sorry. Trauma grammar.

Did think it was a bit odd that I heard nothing more. And assumed he was pulling my leg.

[Drek]

S10GTA said:

If it was that serious wouldn't you phone rather than text?

He did, RTFQ.

[CraigyMc]

Dixie said:

OK. So been a tough day. Sold my Elise today. I've owned it for 10 years and loved it. It was in good condition. Not showroom but good condition.

Never had any major issues. Done jobs as they've come up and the car never let me down once in ten years.

So the guy came to buy the car today. Seemed to love it. Haggled me down a bit and took the car. I was heartbroken but happy the car was going to someone who would look after it.

2 or so hours later I get a text saying it's cut out and he's by the side of the road. I reply saying your kidding. I then get a phone call from the guy telling me the cam belt has snapped (the AA guy said so).

He wants me to commit to helping with the repair bill. No I feel terrible. I sold the car in good faith and was totally honest about it.

What do I do?

Am I being scammed? Is he trying to play on my conscience? (He was nice enough to call me "a bit of a drip")
Has he ragged the crap out of it on the way home and killed it?
Has he got 3rd rather than 5th on the motorway (He was struggling a little with the gearbox on the test drive)
Is he genuine and is it right that I should offer some sort of compensation??

Was a tough day enough selling my car. Now I get this. :S

You are being scammed. Tell him to jog on.

[DuraAce]

My guess is there is nothing wrong with the car and he thinks he can get some easy money from you, especially as he sees you as a soft touch.

[eltax91]

S10GTA said:

If it was that serious wouldn't you phone rather than text?

This. He's chancing it. Tell him to jog on. Better still, ask him for pictures of the broken belt, IN SITU IN THE TIMING CASE. Then if he provides them, tell him to jog on.

[anonymous-user]

Ignore his calls. Make no contact, you have no obligation whatsoever. There have been so many of these sorts of threads that the next time I sell privately I'm going to get a free/cheap PAYG SIM to put on the advert and bin it after the sale.

[Patch888]

It's not your car it's his. You didn't sell the car to him with a warranty did you??

[anonymous-user]

If the cambelt went and you had stated in the advert it was brand new then i am sure he cold claim for damages. This may end up in the small claims so i would consult legal advice.

[andygo]

Lots of years ago I bought an RS2000 mk2. On the way home it died a noisy death. Never even occured to me to moan - it was my fault for buying a banger!

Tell him to stop bothering you or you will drip all over him! (Nasty type by the sound of it anyway!)

He must be a bit dopey if he cant work the gears on an Elise. As a past owner of a 111s I found the gearchange to be particularly dork proof by the way.

I'd maybe tell him that as a gesture of goodwill you won't drive over there and laugh at him.