Cork Car Sales.ie

This isn't an advertisement, just a little fact based story that I would like an opinion on. Saw this Discovery advertised last Saturday evening http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/954268
No doubt the add will be removed soon as the disco is now sold, anyway it's a 1997 Lan Rover Discovery asking price €2650, bit of add text for ye

2,5 diesel 5 SEATER PASSANGER,1997,,nct 10 2010 tax09 2009,spotless condition a dream to drive,ew ,CL,ALLOYS,€2650 YEAR 1997,PHONE 087 <snip> ANYTIME,
Price: €2,650
Ad posted by seller on August 01, 2009

Now I wasn't really looking to change cars as I have a lovely W124 diesel Merc at the moment that just passed the NCT but I love Rovers and always fancied a Disco and this one was very very reasonably priced. I did a google search for the 087 number as the add seemed to be a bit traderish if you know what I mean, all this dream to drive stuff. Anyway that google search brought me here http://www.corkcarsales.ie/.

How bad I thought, nice clean, NCTd Disco for sale from a dealer, lovely. So I rang him and asked about the car, no issues, grand jeep he says. Asked him was he a dealer, no he says. That was a bit strange but I still wasn't bothered. Asked to view it, he said I could meet him off the dual carraigeway after the tunnel, first exit for Glanmire. Now I was thinking this was a bit weird, specially coupled with no address on the website. Fine, I said, so set out to meet him. Now I am no mechanic but am not too bad cars and would know a bit so if the car was a bucket I would be confident in spotting it.

He turned up as promised, nice chap, let me drive the Disco, nice Disco she was too, nice and tight. Now the add above says spotless condition, well it wasn't spotless. Rust over the rear arches and a scratch on the petrol cap that was poorly repaired, also a blister of rust on the rear along with a bit of black paint or something on the boot door. Still it was neat and tidy but not spotless. I had asked him on the phone what was the cash price, €2300 he had said. So I told him I would give him €2300 for it. Now I also said I didn;t have €2300 hanging about in my pocket and that I was heading to Galway on Monday until nect Friday, so could I pay a deposit and would he keep it till then. Fine he said, no need for a deposit. He joked then that if he sold it for €5000 during the week he would let me know and give me €1000, chuckle chuckle

Anyway, I was delighted as I had bought a Discovery, not a spotless one but a good one and at a fair price. Put my Merc up for sale here and a few other sites and yesterday arrived. Rang him to confirm we were good to go, no answer, no option to leave a message. Rang a few more times, ring ring ring ring, once it was engaged and then rang a minute later and still no answer. I was getting that sinking feeling :mad: Dialled 087 5 <snip> and left a message, also texted, and emailed. No response all day, I was very p'd off.

Got through today to a woman explained my story, she said she would take my name and number and pass it on as "he is out", I told her he has about 20 missed calls from me so that he definitely has my number. Rang a few more times and no answer. Got back to Cork about half an hour ago, rang from Dad's mobile, no answer. But he rang back, I asked him what's the story with the discovery I agreed to buy last Saturday. He asked who is this, I said I am James the chap who you showed the Discovery to last Saturday and did a deal on for €2300, also mentioning I have been ringing you for the last two days. He says he was out of action the last 2 days and only now returning missed calls. Also the Discovery is gone, sold Sunday. I asked him did his word mean anything to him, he says no, in the motor trade it means nothing and if someone comes with money that's it. I reminded him that he agreed to keep it a until today for me and also refused a deposit, he said it's gone and that there is nothing he can do. Not even an apology for wasting my time. Unreal, I told him that there is an old saying what goes around comes around. I'm absolutely disgusted.

Now I know you are told to never buy off the side of the road but as I said I am sure the Disco was fine, not spotless though, but fine, and well worth the €2300.

I am so p1ssed off though.

fm

he denies he is a dealer but has a website, with no proper address and doesn't have a landline-i think your better off not buying anything from this guy no matter how good a deal

pyramuid man

Would advise you to remove his phone number. Not a good idea to have it up.

His number is splattered on his website, moderators can remove it if I have done any wrong.

Barr

Thats bad foem to say the least , its strange he didn't take a deposit when offered -then Im sure he wouldn't have showed it to anyone else.

Barr

Barr wrote: »

Thats bad foem to say the least , its strange he didn't take a deposit when offered -then Im sure he wouldn't have showed it to anyone else.

Yeah, I said I could give him €500 / €600, basically whatever I could take out of the ATM. Just to reitterate, I have 100% faith that the car was sound.

Big Nasty

Sounds well dodge but if he didn't accept the deposit from you for whatever reason he really had zero obligation to hold the vehicle for you. I'm sure plenty of people in the 'present climate' have agreed to buy something and never came back for it. If it was me and I wasn't holding a deposit and got a better offer I would take it too to be honest.

If I had accepted the deposit however, I would honour it!

I agree
A phone call telling me he had sold it would have been appreciated though, also ignoring 20 + calls is hardly decent behaviour.

dutchcat

just text him your bank acc no so he can put the grand in he promised ya,;), you will pick up another one.

MCMLXXV

MCMLXXV wrote: »

If it was me and I wasn't holding a deposit and got a better offer I would take it too to be honest.

Just this bit I wouldn't agree with, my word is my word. Deal done is deal done in my book. Also I didn't haggle with him.

Big Nasty

RoverJames wrote: »

Also I didn't haggle with him.

That is exactly what would put me off to be honest! Who doesn't haggle in todays climate - even if they are happy with the deal!

He prob thought you were just a messer because you didn't try to bargain him down! Pity, you probably could have got a good clean motor for €2k or less!

unkel

MCMLXXV wrote: »

he didn't accept the deposit from you for whatever reason he really had zero obligation to hold the vehicle for you.

What about a moral obligation? A man's word is a man's word in my book. I'd be well p1ssed off if that happened to me...

And as others said, there's not much point in removing information from posts if that information is already in the public domain

MCMLXXV

MCMLXXV wrote: »

That is exactly what would put me off to be honest! Who doesn't haggle in todays climate - even if they are happy with the deal!

He prob thought you were just a messer because you didn't try to bargain him down! Pity, you probably could have got a good clean motor for €2k or less!

I am on my 6th car in 2 and a half years, I know what is a fair price, a dealer having something priced at €2650 who says €2300 is the bottom line in my book is playing ball. The chap refused a deposit of 5 or 6 hundred which I had no issue paying. The fact the thing was sold the following day shows how competitively it was priced, how many passenger Discoverys with 16 month NCT can be bought for €2300. If you think they are available for €2000 or less you are a nutter

Big Nasty

I'm not for a second trying to say what he did was right - I'm just being objective. What if he had turned down a better offer and then you had not turned up to take the car? I know he should have had the decency to call you first mind you!