Some help with A used car sale...

[Bluejmc2005]

Hi all,

I sold a car to a German buyer - £800. I described it well I thought:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221641337991?ssPageName=...

Other than what is mentioned on the ad it's been great. The buyer paid me a £200 deposit via paypal, and travelled from germany to collect the car yesterday. I was working, so my wife met him at her work. He paid her £600, had a cursory look around the car, completed the paperwork (which was a receipt I had made saying sold as seen etc) and left. This was approx 3pm yesterday.

This morning I received a text saying the car had broken down 40 miles after he collected it, he had it recovered by the RAC and they said the top end of the engine was "cut" he said he spent the night in the hotel and was getting a flight home. I replied expressing my sincere sorrow for him, promised him the car had not caused us a problem, and wished him a safe journey home. Moments later, paypal emailed me to say a dispute had been opened for the £200 and he has said the item was significantly not as described. I refused to refund and put a note on saying the item was sold as seen, the buyer had given only a cursory inspection and had signed a receipt and as sorry as I am for his troubles I have no liability.

I am in the wrong here? should I epect him on the doorstep asking for his £600 as well?

any advice appreciated - thanks in advance,

Jason

Edited by Bluejmc2005 on Thursday 8th January 10:46

[amusingduck]

Was the deposit sent as a gift?

If not, I suspect you'll be losing your £200.

[Bluejmc2005]

no just a normal payment, charded me fees etc

[carreauchompeur]

You'll undoubtedly lose the £200.

Make sure ownership has been transferred or you'll start getting grief from DVLA about wherever it's ended up being abandoned.

[xRIEx]

amusingduck said:

Was the deposit sent as a gift?

If not, I suspect you'll be losing your £200.

This.

If it was 40 miles from failure I'd say you're quids in.

Alternatively, he could be making it up as a plausible reason for raising a dispute to get 25% off.

[P700DEE]

Also worrying is a car still registered to you on the dvla is abandoned somewhere 40 miles from you ! Could be a scam , what on earth does "cut" mean ?? I doubt he will waste more money turning up at your home in the hope of extracting the £600.

[Bluejmc2005]

I sent the permanently exported slip off yesterday to DVLA with a copy of the sales receipt

[andburg]

top end has been cut?

what in heavens is that?

prepare to argue with paypal

[Bluejmc2005]

i think i am covered DVLA wise with the export certificate sent off and the receipt included? blooming paypal I knew I should not have accepted that! I am right in saying that I have no liability thought right?

[andburg]

I believe he would have to prove you had misrepresented the vehicle if he were to take you to a british court however paypal are not a british court.

I see nothing in your advert advising the car is 100% mechanically fault free, advert seems fine to me~

Edited by andburg on Thursday 8th January 10:59

[Evolved]

Who flies from another country to buy an £800 car?!

[CRA1G]

Evolved said:

Who flies from another country to buy an £800 car?!

Some one who wants a £600 Car.....!

[andburg]

off hand..has the buyer told you where the car is? and have you been to confirm?
he has not returned the car to you

[Vaud]

Evolved said:

Who flies from another country to buy an £800 car?!

Used car prices in Europe can be insanely high. Our used market is very buoyant and well supplied compared to say, France.

[DIW35]

My take is that the car didn't break down, he is already back in Germany with it, and he is just scamming you for £200 off the agreed price.

[Bluejmc2005]

would people really do that? My wife says he was a really nice man, a solicitor.

i wondered why someone would bother with the expense and effort of picking up an £800 car, when he contacted me he said they are a spares specialist for saab so i assumed it as worth more to them in bits and worth the effort

[Bluejmc2005]

andburg said:

off hand..has the buyer told you where the car is? and have you been to confirm?
he has not returned the car to you

no just that it broke down 40 miles away and he called RAC to recover it - I could text him and ask for more information, but then wonder if they would simply add fuel etc

[Bennet]

A solicitor who works part time at a car breakers and flies out to collect low value used cars from other countries?

[Dinoboy]

Offer him the whole £800 back if he returns the item to you.

[MysteryLemon]

Had similar once before. Sold a car listed as having starting issues. Genuinely didnt know the problem as it was intermittent.
started and ran perfect one day but would take 10 goes to get it going the next. Advertised as such and a guy paid me a deposit to hold the car for a few weeks until he collected. Few weeks passed and indeed he did collect. Car started perfectly and he drove off happy.

Week later he texts me saying the car wont start and wants his money back, AA telling him it could be all sorts and gonna cost a lot etc. Don't recall if I replied or ignored his text but got an email from paypal saying he was disputing the deposit payment claiming it wasnt as described.

I explained the situation in the reply to paypal, linked to the ebay auction he bought it from clearly listing starting problems and said I refuse to refund any money what so ever.

Paypal sided with me within about an hour and dismissed the dispute. I never heard from him again.