Dealing With Being Conned
Discussion
I don't have many car mates or people I can talk to about this without incurring massive ridicule or causing myself to just lament in this hole I've gotten into. This is my own way of dealing with the feeling of being walked all over.
After years of spending my time having a paralysis of what car to get next, I went ahead and just said one weekend, enough's enough, I need a new car.
My current then car was hanging on for dear life with oil and coolant leaks.
The car I ended up buying was a 2002 IS200 Sport. It would be my first car into the RWD world with an LSD as standard, 2 owners, main dealer history upto 75k and on 100k miles. ticked all the basic boxes for me.
Alloys and body work weren't the best but seemed mechanically straight from what I saw. Until I had a look in the engine bay and I noticed the screws that held the grill in were no longer there, I mentioned to the dealer that this tells me some front end damage
He addressed it as a new radiator being put in and they must have not put them back in.
Hindsight tells me this is clearly wrong but seemed reasonable at the time.
I asked for a test drive and he took me out in the car, driving it himself, I didn't feel too comfortable but it didn't seem like a big operation.
The dealer then gets a phone call enquiring about the car, I actually laughed at it, and said you couldn't write it to him. I knew this was a tactic but didn't actually believe anyone in this day and age would still try and use it. I had already decided I wanted the car and the visit was just to make sure it was all ok.
I ask about a warranty and 30 days is provided, brilliant.
Overall its not the best but at 1700, id run it for a year then dump it for a bag of sand at the end.
Then when all the documents are being signed and I'm driving away I notice the airbag light is on, how did I not see this before?? Kicking myself he said it'll just need clearing as it came on when the valeters went over it. I'd bought the car now and was driving away. It dawned on me what I'd just done.
I get back and look at the documents I'd signed and he totally had me, he wrote on the bill of material "No faults PX to clear, no returns, no warranty"
But wait it gets worse.
1 month to the day the V5 arrives and right there at the bottom "previous owners 6" "Vehicle has been Salvaged"
I've had an instant breakdown, after all these years of helping family members buy cars, checking vin numbers, engine codes, going properly OTT for them to ensure they get the best deal I don''t even follow my own ethics.
I use autotrader and I'm used to it telling me if its a Cat C or D so i didn't do the £1.99 check I should have done. I did it before and it came up as a fail. what an idiot. Such a basic 2 minute job.
This is all happening at the same time as I fell over suffered a concussion and broke some bones, I cant even go out to try and move on.
I have a 10 month MOTd car now I paid 1700 for that's worth scrap.
This feeling of being utterly useless at the thing you love for so many years is horrible. The months I spent saving up for this car to just have thrown away on a car that is what I would never have usually bought.
I tried to rectify it but the dealer has done it again, the number he used is out of service and the business is now re-branded and hes changed his name when he answers the phone and has no knowledge of the sale or the person who sold me the car. Funny isn't it.
I have no legal leg to stand on and the thought of him getting away with it scott free is infuriating.
I thought people taking advantage of me was over now, I've moved on from being a shy and naive teenager, I was confident adult who was always improving from the last lesson.
when I enter these deals I'm communicating with people that are just trying to make a living. Not royally bend me over and shaft me.
Do I forget and move on, just dumping the car at the end of the year? Do I sit outside the car lot, waiting for him to arrive one and confront him? Then what?
Apologies for the long rant. It's not even a big deal when I write it down but it doesn't feel like that.
Cheers for reading.
After years of spending my time having a paralysis of what car to get next, I went ahead and just said one weekend, enough's enough, I need a new car.
My current then car was hanging on for dear life with oil and coolant leaks.
The car I ended up buying was a 2002 IS200 Sport. It would be my first car into the RWD world with an LSD as standard, 2 owners, main dealer history upto 75k and on 100k miles. ticked all the basic boxes for me.
Alloys and body work weren't the best but seemed mechanically straight from what I saw. Until I had a look in the engine bay and I noticed the screws that held the grill in were no longer there, I mentioned to the dealer that this tells me some front end damage
He addressed it as a new radiator being put in and they must have not put them back in.
Hindsight tells me this is clearly wrong but seemed reasonable at the time.
I asked for a test drive and he took me out in the car, driving it himself, I didn't feel too comfortable but it didn't seem like a big operation.
The dealer then gets a phone call enquiring about the car, I actually laughed at it, and said you couldn't write it to him. I knew this was a tactic but didn't actually believe anyone in this day and age would still try and use it. I had already decided I wanted the car and the visit was just to make sure it was all ok.
I ask about a warranty and 30 days is provided, brilliant.
Overall its not the best but at 1700, id run it for a year then dump it for a bag of sand at the end.
Then when all the documents are being signed and I'm driving away I notice the airbag light is on, how did I not see this before?? Kicking myself he said it'll just need clearing as it came on when the valeters went over it. I'd bought the car now and was driving away. It dawned on me what I'd just done.
I get back and look at the documents I'd signed and he totally had me, he wrote on the bill of material "No faults PX to clear, no returns, no warranty"
But wait it gets worse.
1 month to the day the V5 arrives and right there at the bottom "previous owners 6" "Vehicle has been Salvaged"
I've had an instant breakdown, after all these years of helping family members buy cars, checking vin numbers, engine codes, going properly OTT for them to ensure they get the best deal I don''t even follow my own ethics.
I use autotrader and I'm used to it telling me if its a Cat C or D so i didn't do the £1.99 check I should have done. I did it before and it came up as a fail. what an idiot. Such a basic 2 minute job.
This is all happening at the same time as I fell over suffered a concussion and broke some bones, I cant even go out to try and move on.
I have a 10 month MOTd car now I paid 1700 for that's worth scrap.
This feeling of being utterly useless at the thing you love for so many years is horrible. The months I spent saving up for this car to just have thrown away on a car that is what I would never have usually bought.
I tried to rectify it but the dealer has done it again, the number he used is out of service and the business is now re-branded and hes changed his name when he answers the phone and has no knowledge of the sale or the person who sold me the car. Funny isn't it.
I have no legal leg to stand on and the thought of him getting away with it scott free is infuriating.
I thought people taking advantage of me was over now, I've moved on from being a shy and naive teenager, I was confident adult who was always improving from the last lesson.
when I enter these deals I'm communicating with people that are just trying to make a living. Not royally bend me over and shaft me.
Do I forget and move on, just dumping the car at the end of the year? Do I sit outside the car lot, waiting for him to arrive one and confront him? Then what?
Apologies for the long rant. It's not even a big deal when I write it down but it doesn't feel like that.
Cheers for reading.
kiethton said:
Not if a trader, it must be disclosed.
Also you are able to reject within 30 days IIRC, however, given the way the trader has behaved to date I doubt you'll get any recompense.
This is where I know I doubt I'll get anywhere, he's clearly done it all right to cover his back that I don't have a legal case.Also you are able to reject within 30 days IIRC, however, given the way the trader has behaved to date I doubt you'll get any recompense.
Ethically, hes duped me and missold me the car where I should arguably have a case but I have no proof of this and he has all the proof in the world.
I've just double checked the bill of sale and hes missed out a word in the title so the name of the dealer I bought it from does even match his.
a said:
Everyone makes mistakes. It's not a personality flaw or disability that you have.
I made a similar mistake when buying my second car. The trader had printed out an HPI check for me that showed it was all clear, so I didn't bother doing one myself. Turns out he'd photoshopped it and the car had finance on it.
At worst you've lost a few hundred pounds. You could drive it for a while and then take the hit (I wouldn't, in that condition) or just take the hit now.
I'd recommend getting it over with now. Sell it, but be honest. Get half your money back maybe.
I needed a temporary car recently and found that there are loads on gumtree for sale privately <£1,000 with impeccable MOT history and very genuine seeming owners. Many traders who sell cars at that price range aren't to be trusted, so you're best sticking with private sellers.
Don't go for something popular with boy racers or anything too "premium" though. Something simple like a petrol Honda Civic would be likely to give you good service.
I feel as though I need to do this but I wont even get half my money back, as this thread states, I'm terrible at haggling and selling. looking at the ones on auto trader up for a grand mines is an utter lemon, I'd attract the "Trade you an xbox for it mate" then going to buy one id have the "not going to budge i know what its worth" I made a similar mistake when buying my second car. The trader had printed out an HPI check for me that showed it was all clear, so I didn't bother doing one myself. Turns out he'd photoshopped it and the car had finance on it.
At worst you've lost a few hundred pounds. You could drive it for a while and then take the hit (I wouldn't, in that condition) or just take the hit now.
I'd recommend getting it over with now. Sell it, but be honest. Get half your money back maybe.
I needed a temporary car recently and found that there are loads on gumtree for sale privately <£1,000 with impeccable MOT history and very genuine seeming owners. Many traders who sell cars at that price range aren't to be trusted, so you're best sticking with private sellers.
Don't go for something popular with boy racers or anything too "premium" though. Something simple like a petrol Honda Civic would be likely to give you good service.
I just need to man up and face the music for my mistakes.
If I keep it a year I'll hate every minute driving it and get a few hundred at the end of it. 1500 over 11 months is 125. That makes it easier to swallow but causes me mental stress due to driving a crashed car. the damage was done in 2010 which worries me that it was that bad it was a write off, but its survived 7 years without a problem...
The car came with a private reg I'm looking to sell. lets hope its worth something I can help towards a new car.....
designforlife said:
drive it for the remaining 10 month MOT and chalk it up to experience...i daresay chasing it would incur a lot more stress at this point.
i made a similar error in my early 20s when i bought my second car, didnt inspect it thoroughly and it turned out to be pretty rotten in various places, it failed its MOT after i had it 6 months, and was basically scrap.
if it doesn't cost you anything for the next 10 months, thats not actually too bad a return...and you can always break it for parts at the end, probably make a few hundred back....plenty of drift kiddies run around in is200s, so there's deffo a market for spares.
I think you've got the right idea. I'll try to make some sort of minimal impact to my investment now. Hope I can just get over the fact I know he's out there pissing himself at how he managed to just sell such a lemon to me. Im taking it quite personally which I think is the problem.i made a similar error in my early 20s when i bought my second car, didnt inspect it thoroughly and it turned out to be pretty rotten in various places, it failed its MOT after i had it 6 months, and was basically scrap.
if it doesn't cost you anything for the next 10 months, thats not actually too bad a return...and you can always break it for parts at the end, probably make a few hundred back....plenty of drift kiddies run around in is200s, so there's deffo a market for spares.
If I didnt know it was a Cat c or 6 owners, I'd still drive it for a year and look to change, its just now I dont have a choice about whether I do as any costs to keep it on the road are absolutely pointless.
I should join the kiddies and drift it till it pops.
Thanks for all of the level headed responses.
For some reason reading all of your thoughts that I've had myself make it easier to digest.
Like I'm not alone in this situation and although its s
t, its not the worst thing in the world.Cheers.
Olivergt said:
I'm calling troll on this one. Will continue to read with interest, but I'm out as far as commenting goes.
Ah, a fellow, low count poster,Here is as much proof as I can provide
Unfortunately, i bottled it when the doctor showed me my broken bones so I don't have a picture of that.
a said:
Sounds like you're still quite early on in your car ownership "journey".
Fear not, in the future you will buy decent cars from decent dealers that will cost you a lot more in unplanned expenses
This tickled me! I did like the look of a Golf GTI with a DSG, but the potential cost of a 5k car, then reading online the cost of the DSG controllers and it being a turbo which equals more components to go wrong adding up I could see the servicing taking it to another level of cost. If I bought the golf, money would have been seriously tight so id be gambling if i could truly afford the running costs and other curve balls life throws at you, such as a fall with broken bones meaning I'm paying out of my arse for public transport. Fear not, in the future you will buy decent cars from decent dealers that will cost you a lot more in unplanned expenses
So I bought a Cat C car instead.. hahaha. What a lemon
designforlife said:
And projects that spiral wildly out of control....if it makes you feel any better, i bought a rare older car for £850, spent around £6k on it, and sold it for £2k. It was an awesome car, but not an awesome display of financial sense.
I can only imagine the mrs asking why suddenly I'm a few grand short and trying to explain to her how my rare car that is so awesome its worth putting 6k into for me but someone is willing to only buy it for 2k. makes for a good story in the pub and I bet you enjoyed it while it lasted!
rich12 said:
Is that V5 legit?
I've never seen that written on it going into detail about it being a write off..
This is my 4th car now ( I've only bought 2) and it arrived in the same official brown envelop all my others have and everything is in order (I think)I've never seen that written on it going into detail about it being a write off..
it has all of the right fonts and certificate numbers. I think its in his best interests the lemon is in my name not his anyway!
designforlife said:
There are only 5 of them in the UK, it was a proper Gran Turismo 1 era piece of JDM retro cool.
I got shot of it as I bought an Integra DC5...which has been fantastic mechanically, but has still needed about £1800 of work since buying, mostly because the alarm and immobiliser were fitted by stevie wonder and had to be ripped out and replaced, along with the battery replaced as the dodgy alarm drained it to death...along with the usual niggles you end up putting right when buying a used car.
All cars are a roll of the dice, sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.
Wow, I can totally see the appeal of this deal. I hope to one day move onto some high revving JDM goodness.I got shot of it as I bought an Integra DC5...which has been fantastic mechanically, but has still needed about £1800 of work since buying, mostly because the alarm and immobiliser were fitted by stevie wonder and had to be ripped out and replaced, along with the battery replaced as the dodgy alarm drained it to death...along with the usual niggles you end up putting right when buying a used car.
All cars are a roll of the dice, sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.
The irony of this being posted in this thread but I was scared off from EP3s with too many being owned by people that used the full RPM range a lot of the time, EK9s and s200s are collectors cars now, DC5s are too expensive for me from the low volume compared to the others.
synXero said:
If it's not too bold—it's sounds like this is a major heartache for you, and that you don't really have the tenacity/savageness to deal with it in a way that's going to rebalance everything. Which is no bad thing. Some people are like that, some people aren't, and it's not worth trying to be the one you're not.
If I were you, I would simply accept you made a mistake, and forget about it. You're £1700 worse off, but you won't be forever, and it's not the last £1700 you'll ever have. Enjoy the car in whatever way you can—maybe polish it up, maybe drive it a little, maybe donate it to charity, maybe sell it for what you can get. Any positive you can take out of a painful situation will get you closer to forgetting the sttyness of it all.
Once you've done that, just look forward to the next one, IMO.
Good luck & don't dwell on the mistake any longer
Cheers, I'm always trying to better myself and I always get the feedback that I'm a bit too nice.If I were you, I would simply accept you made a mistake, and forget about it. You're £1700 worse off, but you won't be forever, and it's not the last £1700 you'll ever have. Enjoy the car in whatever way you can—maybe polish it up, maybe drive it a little, maybe donate it to charity, maybe sell it for what you can get. Any positive you can take out of a painful situation will get you closer to forgetting the s
ttyness of it all.Once you've done that, just look forward to the next one, IMO.
Good luck & don't dwell on the mistake any longer
Savageness isn't me and I appreciate you being honest with me, I'll mentally say savage next time I'm buying a car and offer them 50% of the value of the car and include 12 months warranty
The Charity thing is a good idea actually. Do Mission Motorsport need a drift missile in April? hahaha.
Spumfry said:
Don't beat yourself up over it. Everyone makes mistakes.
Either run it for a year or so, and get some value out of it, or, if it pisses you off just to look at it, let alone drive it, shift it on for whatever you can get now, chalk it up to experience and move on.
Cheers mate.Either run it for a year or so, and get some value out of it, or, if it pisses you off just to look at it, let alone drive it, shift it on for whatever you can get now, chalk it up to experience and move on.
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