Beware UK buyers

dar_cool

Hi guys,
Just a quick warning for people buying in the UK. We were looking for a small car for our mother and having bought alot of cars over there before we were pretty confident. So we settled on a car and between phone calls and texts we were assured it was mint.We checked HPI and MOT and all checked out.
We booked flights over and seller was close to heathrow so wasnt too bad. We flew over Saturday morning, arrived at sellers address.
Car at first seemed clean genuine example but closer we looked the more we found wrong with it. Alot of scratches and marks covered up with bad touch up paint, the front wing was pushed in and bonnet lines were all off. Mechanically car was Ok but bodywork on passenger side wasnt good, smashed indicator on mirror, scratches on every corner.
This particular seller was of middle eastern decent. We walked away from the car and searched for other cars within a 30 mile radius but could not find anything. Return flight booked and a waste of a day and 3/400 euro.
Just be careful as this guy said he had alot of irish buyers, he seems to buy cars that are badly repaired and not recorded as category d, c write offs.

Admittedly, I've never bought a car from the UK, but I'd have thought you'd generally only go over when you've got 2 or 3 cars lined up to look at?

bazz26

Shady sellers are not unique to these shores, the only difference being the distance involved. You always run the risk of viewing a car that's not as described. There is a lot to be said for sticking to reputable dealers when buying in the UK and paying to have the car inspected before heading over. At the very least it's always good practice to have a few cars in the area lined up as plan b before making the trip over.

Leonard Hofstadter

Speaking from experience, there are just as many rubbish cars and dodgy characters selling them over there as there are here.

What is different is the sheer choice available over there so it is much easier to find what you're after and the cheap sterling means there are some bargains to be had if you do the legwork. The Brits tend to buy cars with bigger engines and better spec than we do so you're usually getting a better car over there for less money - but it's always worth having a look around here first.

nice_guy80

Surely you'd go to a garage with 3/4 cars?

tossy

More fool you for not getting an AA report or similar done, were you just flukey with all the cars you bought over there before ? Also i fail to see what the nationality of the seller has to do with it ?

loyatemu

why would you go to the UK to buy a small car from a private seller? unless you're looking for something that's hard to find here, then stick to the dealers.

dar_cool

Dont know why I bothered putting up the post when I knew the replies I was going to get. When someone tells you the car is 100% and mint , you wont be dissappointed youd like to think why would someone waste your time and money. We had a few cars lined up but as got closer to the time they were sold and deposits paid on them. And the country the person is from has alot to do with it.
I thought id put up a post to perhaps save someone time or money but then the keyboard warriors come out. Clowns

Comhrá

tossy wrote: »

More fool you for not getting an AA report or similar done, were you just flukey with all the cars you bought over there before ? Also i fail to see what the nationality of the seller has to do with it ?

I'd guess the OP was including this description to serve as a possible warning to other potential buyers from this individual.

Wildly Boaring

Comhra wrote: »

I'd guess the OP was including this description to serve as a possible warning to other potential buyers from this individual.

Nope he specifically thinks it's all to do with the country

SteelyDanJalapeno

Comhra wrote: »

I'd guess the OP was including this description to serve as a possible warning to other potential buyers from this individual.

Maybe share the name or the ad if that was the intent, and not tar sellers of eastern descent as the same....

Wildly Boaring

Trying not to be a keyboard warrior

But your specific complaint appears to be that a secondhand car dealer told you that a car was mint and it wasn't.

Appreciate that it must be galling but not surprising for a secondhand car dealer of any nationality to lie. Especially if he knows he has you by the balls with you flying to see it.

Every car on donedeal is mint or immaculate.

Sorry you were screwed over

Henry Ford III

dar_cool wrote: »

Dont know why I bothered putting up the post when I knew the replies I was going to get. When someone tells you the car is 100% and mint , you wont be dissappointed youd like to think why would someone waste your time and money. We had a few cars lined up but as got closer to the time they were sold and deposits paid on them. And the country the person is from has alot to do with it.
I thought id put up a post to perhaps save someone time or money but then the keyboard warriors come out. Clowns

Then why bother posting it?

p.s. I did the import thing recently and whilst the car purchased was the favourite we had a couple of others ready to view just in case.

Cars can sell quickly and I'd suggest it's a mistake to negotiate over the phone also. That limits your wriggle room and makes it appear you are committed to buy.

lawred2

dar_cool wrote: »

Dont know why I bothered putting up the post when I knew the replies I was going to get. When someone tells you the car is 100% and mint , you wont be dissappointed youd like to think why would someone waste your time and money. We had a few cars lined up but as got closer to the time they were sold and deposits paid on them. And the country the person is from has alot to do with it.
I thought id put up a post to perhaps save someone time or money but then the keyboard warriors come out. Clowns

was it cheap?

Cee-Jay-Cee

I don't see the point of this post...what you experienced happens every day in Ireland too, people are told cars are mint etc and go and see them to find out that theyre far from it. Its nothing new and nothing to warning the public against. It happens.

gwalk

you mean to tell me that someone was very economical with the truth and less than honest in relation to a car they were selling.

I. Am. Shocked

Amouar

dar_cool wrote: »

but could not find anything. Return flight booked and a waste of a day and 3/400 euro.

This is why it's important to book a return flight in advance in case you end up not buying the car.

I bought a return flight for 20 euros and ended up not using it as I bought the car, but it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Marcusm

dar_cool wrote: »

Dont know why I bothered putting up the post when I knew the replies I was going to get. When someone tells you the car is 100% and mint , you wont be dissappointed youd like to think why would someone waste your time and money. We had a few cars lined up but as got closer to the time they were sold and deposits paid on them. And the country the person is from has alot to do with it.
I thought id put up a post to perhaps save someone time or money but then the keyboard warriors come out. Clowns

I'm dying to know which country he was from so I can cease dealing with people from there in the future!

Henry Ford III

Loads of poor quality cars "swim" the Irish Sea daily.

Plenty more "Irish" cars are poorly maintained, or crashed and poorly repaired also.

As always - be thorough.

biko

Meh, this is all too common unfortunately.

Tile should be "Beware any buyers anywhere, car may not be as advertised"

bazz26

So the real lessons here are:

1. Do a proper background check and inspection on the car before arranging to travel.
2. Don't take everything as gospel that a seller tells you.
3. Have a Plan B - have more than 1 car lined up to view and book return flights in event you have to come home empty handed.

Philb76

That's the upside to the giant car supermarkets in the uk normally have a selection of popular models buying private or from small dealers and the car doesn't come up to scratch can leave people on a mystery tour desperate to bring something back i agree with bazz have a back up plan and come back empty handed if needed the uk tend to wash ther cars to death and there is an awful lot of rubbish there same with the North

gelsthe

dar_cool wrote:

Hi guys, Just a quick warning for people buying in the UK. We were looking for a small car for our mother and having bought alot of cars over there before we were pretty confident. So we settled on a car and between phone calls and texts we were assured it was mint.We checked HPI and MOT and all checked out. We booked flights over and seller was close to heathrow so wasnt too bad. We flew over Saturday morning, arrived at sellers address. Car at first seemed clean genuine example but closer we looked the more we found wrong with it. Alot of scratches and marks covered up with bad touch up paint, the front wing was pushed in and bonnet lines were all off. Mechanically car was Ok but bodywork on passenger side wasnt good, smashed indicator on mirror, scratches on every corner. This particular seller was of middle eastern decent. We walked away from the car and searched for other cars within a 30 mile radius but could not find anything. Return flight booked and a waste of a day and 3/400 euro. Just be careful as this guy said he had alot of irish buyers, he seems to buy cars that are badly repaired and not recorded as category d, c write offs.

Thanks for the heads up and the info in your post.
Will certainly help for others looking to him this route...

Good luck looking for a car

tossy

dar_cool wrote: »

Dont know why I bothered putting up the post when I knew the replies I was going to get. When someone tells you the car is 100% and mint , you wont be dissappointed youd like to think why would someone waste your time and money.

How old are you and how long are you buying cars ? When someone tells you a car is mint you never take them at face value A because they are most likely talking through their hoop and B. because they might actually believe it to be mint and 'mint' is subjective.

Comhra wrote: »

I'd guess the OP was including this description to serve as a possible warning to other potential buyers from this individual.

Good call , if i ever go to the UK to buy a car and the seller is of middle Eastern descent, i'll laugh in their face and say hey Abdul i read about you on boards you won't con this paddy and run off clutching me euros.

Marcusm

tossy wrote: »

How old are you and how long are you buying cars ? When someone tells you a car is mint you never take them at face value A because they are most likely talking through their hoop and B. because they might actually believe it to be mint and 'mint' is subjective.



Good call , if i ever go to the UK to buy a car and the seller is of middle Eastern descent, i'll laugh in their face and say hey Abdul i read about you on boards you won't con this paddy and run off clutching me euros.

The funny thing is that although the OP stated “middle eastern”, I going to guess (with 90% likelihood of correctness given location) that he encountered someone of South Asian rather than Middle Eastern descent or origin!

Henry Ford III

Marcusm wrote: »

The funny thing is that although the OP stated “middle eastern”, I going to guess (with 90% likelihood of correctness given location) that he encountered someone of South Asian rather than Middle Eastern descent or origin!

That's a bit of a stretch.

p.s. Not all modern cowboys are American. Many of them sell cars.