Screwed on a car deal. Help!

[AUDIHenry]

Hello all,

I'm in sunny Los Angeles and today I was duped by a British fellow on the sale of a '78 Mercedes 280CE. The car needs a new head gasket and I don't know if there is any damage to the block/head. Started overheating on the highway. On the test drive, he must have put something in the radiator to mask the problem, as the temp gauge was fine and the car seemed to move well.

I discovered that he tried to sell the car online only realize that the head gasket was done for. Look here:

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/sale-wanted-trade-...
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w123-e-ce-d-cd-td/...

I have enough evidence to sue the pants off this guy as he is refusing to pick up the phone or answer any of my emails/texts, and he claimed he is going to leave the country soon. I have his address.

What should I do?

1) Sue him, including damages.
2) Continue trying to establish contact.
3) Go to his house and try to talk sense into his thick head and get him to buy the car back.
4) Change the gasket and keep the car and/or flip it.

What do you think?

[Drclarke]

5) Admit to the fact that you have bought a used car without inspecting it properly and take the repair on the chin like a man

?

[AUDIHenry]

Drclarke said:

5) Admit to the fact that you have bought a used car without inspecting it properly and take the repair on the chin like a man

?

So it's ok for the other party to know that the car has a blown head gasket and to not disclose that fact, masking it with temporary solutions to get a sale? I'm not sure that's even legal. I do admit I should have been more careful, but c'mon!

[Drclarke]

5) Admit to the fact that you have bought a used car without inspecting it properly and take the repair on the chin like a man

?

[oilslick]

Drclarke said:

5) Admit to the fact that you have bought a used car without inspecting it properly and take the repair on the chin like a man

?

That. It's a 32 year old shed, maybe you should have had it properly checked before you bought it.

[Steve H]

AUDIHenry said:

Drclarke said:

5) Admit to the fact that you have bought a used car without inspecting it properly and take the repair on the chin like a man

?

So it's ok for the other party to know that the car has a blown head gasket and to not disclose that fact, masking it with temporary solutions to get a sale? I'm not sure that's even legal. I do admit I should have been more careful, but c'mon!

I don't know how sale of goods law works in the US but over here if it's a private sale then yes, it's legal. If you asked any pertinent questions and he lied in his answer that would be different but even if that is the case there is always the question of proof..........

[chard]

Your asking on a UK forum. Here it's buyer beware, no legal protection unless your seller is a trader.

As the man says take it on the chin and learn.

[Pommygranite]

AUDIHenry said:

1) Sue him, including damages.

I really sympathise with your situation and can see both sides. However

AUDIHenry said:

1) Sue him, including damages.

this is basically why america is in the ste it is morally wise. Everyone is due damages apparently

Howabout you just get the situation rectified. Approach him and try to get a mutually acceptable resolution, but really its your issue, unfortunate as that is.

Hope you get it sorted one way or the other.

[AUDIHenry]

Pommygranite said:

AUDIHenry said:

1) Sue him, including damages.

I really sympathise with your situation and can see both sides. However

AUDIHenry said:

1) Sue him, including damages.

this is basically why america is in the ste it is morally wise. Everyone is due damages apparently

Howabout you just get the situation rectified. Approach him and try to get a mutually acceptable resolution, but really its your issue, unfortunate as that is.

Hope you get it sorted one way or the other.

Did you not read the part about how the guy vanished on me completely? He doesn't want the situation resolved, he wants to get off like a thief.

[230TE]

6) Pull out your toasted 6-cylinder engine and replace it with something better:

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=re...

A rust-free W123 coupe with a broken engine is an opportunity, not a problem.

[Steve H]

Did you not read all the answers, all but one of which suggest that you should learn your lesson and move on.

The guy isn't a thief, he may have taken advantage of your poor checks on the car but even if he has that's, at worst, misrepresentation - not theft.

[Negative Creep]

Still not sure where the damages part comes from? I had the exact same thing with a 200SX but knew I had no choice but to suck it up and get it repaired.

[bob1179]

I'm sorry to hear this has happened to you.

Unfortunatley, as mentioned, in the UK there would be no come back as it is a private sale.

I don't know what the situation is in the States however regarding the private sale of a used motor vehicle. I would continue trying to contact the chap, if he is British and you have his address, maybe some of the legendary PH hounds can help you locate him?

Post some more pictures of the car for us, if it is just the gasket, get it sorted and use the car. It looks to be a nice old 280CE and once the problem has been rectified will be a great reliable runner that you should get a lot of enjoyment from.

I know it is a poor start to a new car, but it may be easier to put it down to experience and move on.

I'm also pretty ashamed that one of 'our own' would behave that way and not declare that fact the motor is dodgey.

Good luck with it.

[fathomfive]

Is there anything he could put in to mask a HG failure / problem? Or did he just make sure the radiator was filled before you turned up?

caveat emptor

How that works in the US is beyond my guessing abilities mind you.

Just get it fixed and enjoy what looks like a lovely car.

[Drclarke]

AUDIHenry said:

Did you not read the part about how the guy vanished on me completely? He doesn't want the situation resolved, he wants to get off like a thief.

Of course he doesn't want the situation resolved, he probably cannot be bothered to deal with someone whinging so much over something that I their fault.

Keep trying to get hold of him, maybe he then will sue you for harrasment (including damages)

[AUDIHenry]

Drclarke said:

AUDIHenry said:

Did you not read the part about how the guy vanished on me completely? He doesn't want the situation resolved, he wants to get off like a thief.

Of course he doesn't want the situation resolved, he probably cannot be bothered to deal with someone whinging so much over something that I their fault.

Keep trying to get hold of him, maybe he then will sue you for harrasment (including damages)

You're quite the asshole, you know that? Thanks for the sympathy, blame it all on the buyer. Hope you buy a car, check it out to be good, only to be fked over when you're driving home and the engine is overheating like no tomorrow. Really, I'd love for that to happen to you, so that I can come on here like a smart ass and post the dumbst posts you're posting.

[AUDIHenry]

230TE said:

6) Pull out your toasted 6-cylinder engine and replace it with something better:

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=re...

A rust-free W123 coupe with a broken engine is an opportunity, not a problem.

The thought did cross my mind. I don't care about a blown gasket, it's a cracked head or block that worries me. With full power and a little TLC, this thing could be an awesome car. Until now, it's a gigantic paperweight!

[Drclarke]

AUDIHenry said:

You're quite the asshole, you know that? Thanks for the sympathy, blame it all on the buyer. Hope you buy a car, check it out to be good, only to be fked over when you're driving home and the engine is overheating like no tomorrow. Really, I'd love for that to happen to you, so that I can come on here like a smart ass and post the dumbst posts you're posting.

I don't consider myself to be 'asshole' as you so eloquently put it. But I'm guessing you've just showed how you reacted to the seller when you realised your car was flawed, so it's no wonder he's ignoring you and has you marked down as a baffoon.

I'm amused that you wish the same fate befalls me, but if it did I'm man enough to know when I've made a mistake, as has been said numerous times before take YOUR mistake like a man, pay the money, get it fixed and enjoy the car.

[DBSV8]

AUDIHenry said:

Hello all,

I'm in sunny Los Angeles and today I was duped by a British fellow on the sale of a '78 Mercedes 280CE. The car needs a new head gasket and I don't know if there is any damage to the block/head. Started overheating on the highway. On the test drive, he must have put something in the radiator to mask the problem, as the temp gauge was fine and the car seemed to move well.

I discovered that he tried to sell the car online only realize that the head gasket was done for. Look here:

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/sale-wanted-trade-...
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w123-e-ce-d-cd-td/...

I have enough evidence to sue the pants off this guy as he is refusing to pick up the phone or answer any of my emails/texts, and he claimed he is going to leave the country soon. I have his address.

What should I do?

1) Sue him, including damages.
2) Continue trying to establish contact.
3) Go to his house and try to talk sense into his thick head and get him to buy the car back.
4) Change the gasket and keep the car and/or flip it.

What do you think?

Eddie Temple said:

youve been right royally shafted ,turned over like some turnpike on london bridge

Its an old car , your responsibility to check it ?
1? no idea
2 ? .ha ha ha ha .......please leave your message after the tone !!
3 ? err .....this is the US you may get Shot ???
4 / Yes , accept it like a man , be wiser next time ............avoid London bridge !!

[Engineer1]

Or atleast investigate what the problem really is, if he managed to mask it for the sale then it may be an easy fix.