Be very careful when buying a second-hand car

[Arthurgray50@blu]

My family have learn't one of the biggest lesson's of when you buy a secondhand car.

My daughter saw a car advertised on an reputable car dealership on internet, the price was good and the photo was perfect, so she decided to purchase it, nearly £2.000, she drove 150 miles to check it out, and NOT where the dealership was, handed over the money, and had a valid MOT and drove it home, Problems started, alternator went as soon as she got home, then the water pump.

My own mechanic checked it over, and it cost nearly £400.00 to get repaired, he also told her off as the vehicle was not good enough.

Then again a few days later, one of the bars that controls the main steering snapped and it proved a death trap, and my mechanic has told her the MOT was probabely a no no, and he has checked underneath the vehicle, and has said it is in poor condition, and she won't be able to sell it.

My warning to fellow members, when buying ANY secondhand vehicle, GET it MOT before you buy, never meet anyone in the middle of no where to hand over the money, take an experience person with you to check it out.

Always check out anything, before you fall foul of dodgy people,.

I am only telling members this, as l don't want anyone falling into the same trap as my daughter did.

[speedfreak]

She may have some come back going through trading standards. They did a story on this sort of thing on Radio 1 not long ago. Tell her not to just write it off as a bad experience but do the fatherly thing and make sure she isn't left with a heap of junk and no money.

Has she even contacted who she bought it from?

[punky]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

My daughter saw a car advertised on an reputable car dealership on internet

...

she drove 150 miles to check it out, and NOT where the dealership was, handed over the money

Eh?

[Rob]

Thread Moved. Nothing to do with Current Affairs.

[Paul M]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

she drove 150 miles to check it out, and NOT where the dealership was, handed over the money

Well there is the first big mistake, As soon as they said its 150 miles away, I would have moved on - very dodgy.

Secondly - spend £50 or whatever it is to get the AA or RAC to check the car. If the seller refuses, move on.

[Caff]

Originally Posted by Paul M

Well there is the first big mistake, As soon as they said its 150 miles away, I would have moved on - very dodgy.

Secondly - spend £50 or whatever it is to get the AA or RAC to check the car. If the seller refuses, move on.

Precisely. There were enough alarm bells I'd say.

Having said that... youngest says he's off to Scotland to buy a car he's seen on the net. Paying cash and unseen, tested or anything much and doesn't know the seller either. So his mum pipes up with all her worries and checks and gets dismissed... and is the thing absolutely fine? Yup! Not something I'd recommend a buyer to do though

[speedfreak]

does Arthur not mean she drove 150 miles to check the car out rather than 150 miles away from where it was advertised as being?

[Flyboy]

Well she didn't check it out at all. Why drive one hundred and fifty miles for a two thousand pound car. Surely there were cars of that value closer to her.

When she was told to meet this person in the middle of nowhere, why did that not ring the usual alarm bells?

[LSainsbury]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

My family have learn't one of the biggest lesson's of when you buy a secondhand car.

Here we go again - more wise words...

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

My daughter saw a car advertised on an reputable car dealership on internet, the price was good and the photo was perfect, so she decided to purchase it, nearly £2.000, she drove 150 miles to check it out, and NOT where the dealership was, handed over the money, and had a valid MOT and drove it home, Problems started, alternator went as soon as she got home, then the water pump.

Reputable? How did she know they were reputable? Did she check them out and how? Ring! Ring!

Photo was perfect? Photoshop'ed you mean? Ring! Ring! Ring!
£2,000 and 150 miles from there the car was originaly advertised? Ring!! Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

My own mechanic checked it over, and it cost nearly £400.00 to get repaired, he also told her off as the vehicle was not good enough.

£400 for alternator and water pump??

Told her off?? Is'nt that your job??

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Then again a few days later, one of the bars that controls the main steering snapped and it proved a death trap, and my mechanic has told her the MOT was probabely a no no, and he has checked underneath the vehicle, and has said it is in poor condition, and she won't be able to sell it.

Dodgy dealer, now a dodgy MOT...RING!!! RING!!!!! RING!!!!

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

My warning to fellow members, when buying ANY secondhand vehicle, GET it MOT before you buy, never meet anyone in the middle of no where to hand over the money, take an experience person with you to check it out.

I think most of, if not all of us on here are a bit more savvy than that Arthur...

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Always check out anything, before you fall foul of dodgy people.

We always do anyway! That's why we come here for advice!

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

I am only telling members this, as l don't want anyone falling into the same trap as my daughter did.

Don't think we will!

[Kymmy]

Arthur, all you've proved is that your daughter should have been more cautious when buying the car. She should have done a 3rd party survey which would have showed up all the faults you describe.. You don't say how long the MOT was.. If more than 11 months and the dealership had it done then you could have got trading standards and VOSA involved as the MOT is only relevant to the state of the car when it was done...

[LSainsbury]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Arthur, all you've proved is that your daughter should have been more cautious when buying the car. She should have done a 3rd party survey which would have showed up all the faults you describe.. You don't say how long the MOT was.. If more than 11 months and the dealership had it done then you could have got trading standards and VOSA involved as the MOT is only relevant to the state of the car when it was done...

Well said.

[Hugh]

I would have thought your daughter would have learned from your son's problem earlier this year, where you stated in this thread that

Hi Pog66, My son wanted a brand new car, I saw the car and look inside so that l could check that it was a brand new car, on the window it had stickers saying 8.999 with a sticker saying brand new.

I said to the dealer, can we trade our car as part of the scrappage scheme, they agreed, our car was valued by another dealer, that we know and he said the car was worth 1.500.

The car was financed via Barclays, as that was the credit company the Dealer called first.

When my son signed the agreement, the total amount came to 19.000.
Then he was told, the car was NOT part of the scrappage scheme, and he would get paid 150 for the car, and it would be sold at auction

[tosh mate]

well Touch Wood my car which is second hand and is 13 years old ( i have had it 2 years ) as caused me no major problems and sailed through it's last M.O.T and as Always been very reliable and economical to run.
but before i brought it i did check it had not been in any accidents or written off by insurance people....

[punky]

Originally Posted by Hugh

I would have thought your daughter would have learned from your son's problem earlier this year, where you stated in this thread that

Well remembered.

Arthur I really think for your children's security you should start offering them bus passes.

[AndyCambs]

Arthur and his family do seem to suffer bad luck in droves..