Suspected clocked Opel Corsa OPC

david

Hi, firstly let me make this quite clear: I am not implying that this car is 100% clocked or that <snip> were aware that this car had a spurious history.

The car 0Xxxxxx was originally bought from Liffey Valley Opel. This car now reads 52,000km. I've heard from a 100% reliable source in an Opel dealership that this car had a warranty claim for an air conditioning unit in April 2008 @ 69,400km. The dealer's Cartell printout came back clear.

The first page of the service book was blank which should have had Liffey Valley Opel's details. The first owner section was filled in with similar handwriting to the first (and only) service section (30,000 odd km, stamped by an independent Dublin garage which I will not name).

The dealer was pushy, ultra defensive and accused me of being insane that a Corsa OPC could do 69,400km in a year. If I was a genuine car dealer in such a situation I would go out of my way apologizing to the prospective buyer and try my best to get to the bottom of things - protecting my own reputation.

I'm distraught, this car drove well and was my preferred colour, most of them are blue. The dealer's last comment was 'I wouldn't sell you a car anyway'. I'm not interested in confrontation so I just got back into my own car and drove away. Perhaps Motorcheck could shed some light on this dealer's stock?

VolvoMan

david wrote: »

The car 07xxxxxxx was originally bought from Liffey Valley Opel. This car now reads 52,000km. I've heard from a 100% reliable source in an Opel dealership that this car had a warranty claim for an air conditioning unit in April 2008 @ 69,400km. The dealer's Cartell printout came back clear.

The reg suggests it's November/December '07, so it would have had to have the ****e driven out of it to have clocked up 69,400km's in just a few months.

Absurdum

Is it a UK import? If not then it was very late 2007, it's not the kind of car someone would do ~70,000 km in 6 months in imo.

I would suspect that someone entered the mileage wrongly, or the reg number incorrectly. It's possible that a few of the same models were registered together as well, and 07 D 12345 and 07 D 12346 (for example) were mixed up somewhere along the line.

coylemj

I owned a 07D 788xx car which was Sept 07 so that car was registered in or about October 2007 meaning it was only 6 months old in April 2008 which makes the claimed mileage completely implausible for a 1.6 Corsa.

Only someone like a doctor or vet in a remote part of Donegal or Kerry would possibly do that kind of mileage and the last thing someone like that would be buying would be a petrol Corsa, more like a diesel SUV I'd imagine if you were doing 140K kms a year.

Whoever did the paperwork during the warranty claim obviously wrote down the wrong mileage.

david

There's a lot about this car that doesn't add up. The Corsa OPC hit our shores in mid '07, could it be an ex demo? I'm assured that this car definitely had the air-con compressor replaced at 69,400km under warranty. The date just doesn't make sense that's why I gave the dealer the benefit of the doubt and still viewed the car.

Absurdum

david wrote: »

There's a lot about this car that doesn't add up. The Corsa OPC hit our shores in mid '07, could it be an ex demo? I'm assured that this car definitely had the air-con compressor replaced at 69,400km under warranty. The date just doesn't make sense that's why I gave the dealer the benefit of the doubt and still viewed the car.

The thread title suggests you didn't give him the benefit of the doubt!

I think you need to get a more reliable assurance about the mileage and dates.

david

I'm going to call Liffey Valley Opel in the am to see if they can shed further light on this.

coylemj

david wrote: »

There's a lot about this car that doesn't add up. The Corsa OPC hit our shores in mid '07, could it be an ex demo? I'm assured that this car definitely had the air-con compressor replaced at 69,400km under warranty. The date just doesn't make sense that's why I gave the dealer the benefit of the doubt and still viewed the car.

There isn't 'a lot' about the car that doesn't add up, you are being quoted a number off a computer screen, that is all you have to go on and you are effectively accusing the dealer of shady practice as a result of very flimsy evidence.

Someone in the Opel garage which did the repair recorded the mileage and someone in Opel typed it into their system. Somewhere along the line someone fcuked up, that car did not do 70,000 kms in the first 6 months of it's life. If it did the driver's seat for starters would be showing far more wear than I can see in the photos.

Anan1

david wrote: »

There's a lot about this car that doesn't add up. The Corsa OPC hit our shores in mid '07, could it be an ex demo? I'm assured that this car definitely had the air-con compressor replaced at 69,400km under warranty. The date just doesn't make sense that's why I gave the dealer the benefit of the doubt and still viewed the car.

I'm inclined to agree with the others here - the most likely scenario is that someone made a mistake when noting the mileage when the a/c compressor was replaced. Even so, though, do you really want to do business with that dealer?

Wexfordian

I know I'm taking very round figures here, but if it was originally around say Nov 07, that's 4 years to date, or 8 6-month periods. If you take 52,000 and divide by 8 you get 6,500 km. If you assume the Opel people input a zero too many you get 6,940km in the first 6 months.

Just saying....

Juwwi

I'd say an extra 0 was added to the millage by a mistake in April 08.

6940 km sounds more realistic.

Edit wexfordian beat me to it.

david

Would you buy a car on the assumption of human error though? What happens when you go to re-sell it?

Anan1

david wrote: »

Would you buy a car on the assumption of human error though? What happens when you go to re-sell it?

No. What should have happened here is that the dealer should have figured this one out, had the error (if that's what it is) corrected on the database, and then called you to explain.

johnos1984

I'm with the others on this and I suspect human error is involved.

I think it's all a bit unfair on the garage selling it too as it's a fairly obvious mistake to me to be dragging their name through the mud over....

coylemj

david wrote: »

Would you buy a car on the assumption of human error though? What happens when you go to re-sell it?

So don't buy it, and don't jump to conclusions next time you come across a discrepancy that's so wildly off the mark that it can't be right. That car looks in excellent shape and the condition of it based on the photos says that it's been well looked after.

It looks like a low mileage car - didn't something about the inside of it and the absence of bumps and scratches on the outside tell you that it couldn't possibly have done 70,000 kms in the first 6 months of it's life?

Drummerboy08

I know <snip> personally, and myself and my father work for his two brothers for a good few years.

I can assure you that this isn't something <snip> would be involved in, he's a decent guy and a fairly honest car dealer. I'd be very surprised otherwise.

I'd imagine it's a genuine mistake on someones behalf.

david

coylemj wrote: »

So don't buy it, and don't jump to conclusions next time you come across a discrepancy that's so wildly off the mark that it can't be right. That car looks in excellent shape and the condition of it based on the photos says that it's been well looked after.

It looks like a low mileage car - didn't something about the inside of it and the absence of bumps and scratches on the outside tell you that it couldn't possibly have done 70,000 kms in the first 6 months of it's life?

Nasty dent on the drivers quarter panel arch. Leather wrapped steering wheel is worn shiny. I have an Astra GTC (158,000 km) with a similar leather steering wheel and it's not shiny.

Anan1

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

I know <snip> personally, and myself and my father work for his two brothers for a good few years.

I can assure you that this isn't somethin <snip> would be involved in, he's a decent guy and a fairly honest car dealer. I'd be very surprised otherwise.

I'd imagine it's a genuine mistake on someones behalf.

It's clear from the OP's account that <snip> wasn't involved in any clocking, but it still doesn't sound like he dealt with the issue in a professional manner.

Drummerboy08

Anan1 wrote: »

It's clear from the OP's account that <snip> Wasn't involved in any clocking, but it still doesn't sound like he dealt with the issue in a professional manner.

Agreed on the clocking part, but there's always two sides to every story and knowing him I don't believe that he'd treat a prospective customer like that. I'm not for a minute suggesting the OP is in the wrong, but I just don't see it.

Anyhow, OP if you want I'll check this out properly when I'm back in work next week? I work fairly closely with LVO and know the guys in there well.

coylemj

david wrote: »

Nasty dent on the drivers quarter panel arch. Leather wrapped steering wheel is worn shiny. I have an Astra GTC (158,000 km) with a similar leather steering wheel and it's not shiny.

So there's one dinge, therefore it's clocked?

It's a four year old low mileage car which means lots of trips to the school and shops, that means more than normal wear on the steering wheel cover.

listermint

david wrote: »

Nasty dent on the drivers quarter panel arch. Leather wrapped steering wheel is worn shiny. I have an Astra GTC (158,000 km) with a similar leather steering wheel and it's not shiny.

leather wrapped steering wheel would be shiney around 60,000 depending on sweatyness. Means nothing.

Whats the gearknob like ? Whats the Drivers Door handle like? hows the pedals?

Carpet on the floor?

You are making some crazy wide assumptions based on 1 reading that as stated can be readily entered wrong with the slip of a finger.

I have never seen any cars of that marque and type driven with 70,000 in the first 7 months of existence. Demo or otherwise.

It looks like you are picking on 1 item, which really hasnt been clarified properly at all.

Anan1

coylemj wrote: »

So don't buy it, and don't jump to conclusions next time you come across a discrepancy that's so wildly off the mark that it can't be right. That car looks in excellent shape and the condition of it based on the photos says that it's been well looked after.

Only in Ireland. Most customers aren't car experts, such a discrepancy will quite understandably give them the heebie jeebies. The dealers job is to get to the bottom of the matter, show the customer that there's nothing to worry about, and move on to close the sale.

david

Well thanks all for the input. There's just too many things that don't add up about this car: Incomplete service book/history, dealer attitude, excessive wear, warranty recall mileage. I had a bad experience with this dealer and approached the discrepancy in the most sensitive, polite way I know.

I'm sure <snip> is not involved in anything dodgy and apologize if I've 'dragged his name through the mud'. I wish him all the best with his back yard setup - nice few tricked out 5 series BMWs and VAG's. I won't be giving him my custom. Unfortunately there are very few fish in the sea this time.

david

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Agreed on the clocking part, but there's always two sides to every story and knowing him I don't believe that he'd treat a prospective customer like that. I'm not for a minute suggesting the OP is in the wrong, but I just don't see it.

Anyhow, OP if you want I'll check this out properly when I'm back in work next week? I work fairly closely with LVO and know the guys in there well.

Please do, much appreciated.

listermint

Anan1 wrote: »

Only in Ireland. Most customers aren't car experts, such a discrepancy will quite understandably give them the heebie jeebies. The dealers job is to get to the bottom of the matter, show the customer that there's nothing to worry about, and move on to close the sale.

Extremely True, But we also do not know how the manner and how the question was broached with the dealer. We have not idea of the accusations that may / may not have been made. So everyone in this instance deserves the benefit of doubt. Buyer and Dealer alike. Miscommunication all over the shop.

EPM

Dealers name removed. It's an area we don't want to go into so keep it out in further posts please.

Anan1

listermint wrote: »

Extremely True, But we also do not know how the manner and how the question was broached with the dealer. We have not idea of the accusations that may / may not have been made. So everyone in this instance deserves the benefit of doubt. Buyer and Dealer alike. Miscommunication all over the shop.

We don't, and i'd give weight to DB's opinion of the dealer. Still & all, though, even if the customer straight out accused the dealer of selling clocked cars, that situation was still salvageable. It's the dealers job to clear up the issue, and it's the dealers job to satisfy the customer of this. Selling is all about overcoming objections.

listermint

Anan1 wrote: »

We don't, and i'd give weight to DB's opinion of the dealer. Still & all, though, even if the customer straight out accused the dealer of selling clocked cars, that situation was still salvageable. It's the dealers job to clear up the issue, and it's the dealers job to satisfy the customer of this. Selling is all about overcoming objections.

Yes but as im sure you are aware. Some people can not be overcome regardless of what ever tack you take.

So as i said, we dont know what happened either direction. So il keep my views very open.

Anan1

listermint wrote: »

Yes but as im sure you are aware. Some people can not be overcome regardless of what ever tack you take.

So as i said, we dont know what happened either direction. So il keep my views very open.

That's true, but i.) the OP does seem pretty reasonable in their posts here, and ii.) the dealer didn't undertake to find out what the problem was and get back to the OP. It sounds to me as though the dealer felt they were being accused of selling a clocked car, took it personally, and fought fire with fire.

david

It looks like this indeed was human error. Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be any service record between Sep 07 - Apr 08 so no way of proving it. Opel Ireland won't verify the current mileage or amend the warranty record.