C63 AMG - a lesson in doing your background checks...

Dasein

Nice C63 AMG estate on Carzone ... I can't post the link as I don't have enough posts to my profile

Motorcheck report only raises one "minor issue":

How minor do you think 🤔?

Bit more digging shows it was originally registered in Australia ... so ran a check on it there... 😱

PsychoPete

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/mercedes-benz/c-class/fpa/202201051028984?journey=Search

Henry Ford III

How did you find out the details OP? We can't even see the reg. no.

Dasein

the reg was visible in one of the pics - but then edited out by the dealer

found the VIN through motorcheck, then figured out if it hadn't come from UK, it had to have come in from Australia or NZ

then found an Australian motorcheck equivalent - where I got that report

I was quite shocked tbh, this guy is selling some high end cars too

I’m finding it hard to believe that that car had all of that damage as listed - or that it wouldn’t be obvious to anyone once driven - the cost of repair alone would have been massive -are you quite sure you have the correct car OP?

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119009929#Comment_119009929

Yes damage would be extensive, could it be a cloned stolen car to match the identity of the written off car in the hope that buyer wouldn't be able to verify the Australian history and anyone inspecting car would see no crash issues.

[Deleted User]

Motorcheck doesn't give you the VIN though, it verifies the one that you input is correct. Unless things have changed!

Dasein

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119009929#Comment_119009929

100%

Dasein

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119010311#Comment_119010311

defo gave me the VIN - in the section on outstanding finance

Dasein

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119009929#Comment_119009929

I agree - it's why I posted it really - I was absolutely amazed - shows how important doing your checks really is

cpoh1

What did the dealer selling the car have to say when you let him know?

Dasein

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119014334#Comment_119014334

said it was an import but no crash history

2ndcoming

I think it's quite likely to be a stolen UK or Australian car with a dodgy VIN lifted from that wrote off one in Australia.

Alternatively I'm not sure how the insurance system works in Australia but that is a hugely expensive car (A$163,000) to write off that was brand new at the time of the accident. An uneconomical repair is basically impossible with such a high ceiling so it comes down to a question of can it be repaired with money more or less no object. It's hard to tell from a damage report just how bad it was without seeing the car in its crashed state.

After that it's an issue of honesty on behalf of importers / exporters I guess. It's a long way around the world to bring a car to expect everyone along the way to be as pure as the driven snow...

Dasein

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019021#Comment_119019021

Interesting - would explain why it seems (outwardly) to be in such good condition

gary550

stinks of a ringer

cpoh1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018939#Comment_119018939

Did he dispute the write-off status?

Whatwicklow

Following

Muppet Man

Christ that's mad... he has some mega cars there sometimes. Seems inconceivable he would knowingly take a chance on something that bad. He may have been stung himself here.

eusap

The two landcruisers that he is selling must also be Asia imports, dont think they sell the 4.5lt in uk or ire

Soarer

Well it's still up for sale, so he either doesn't know or doesn't care.

murphthesmurf

A friend of mine repaired accident damaged cars for years, from looking at list that's all repairable by someone who knows what they're doing.

I've seen cars with similar frontal damage and some rear damage too repaired that were worth a lot less.

My friend used to have them looking brand new when he'd finished. It would take an experienced and similarly skilled body repairer to spot. Even then it would be miniscule differences in the paint shades that gave it away, not the panel fittings.