Car bought cash on collection

[rich1230fishing]

Purchased a car advertised on here, went to look at the car and bought it cash as they wouldn't accept through PayPal. Half way home the engine management light came on and the esp system failure. Rang the seller who basically said tough you took it for a test drive. The seller told me it was his daughters car but she now has a company car so doesn't need this. Since the sale they have now listed another 3 cars!! I can't prove it but I think they own a garage and are selling these faulty cars privately so they can't be took to court over not fit for purpose. They also listed the car I bought through eBay as unsold I would imagine to avoid fees. So far it's cost me £610 to fix the car and I don't imagine the problems will stop there! Is there any advice please

[red_magpie]

I can't prove it but I think they own a garage and are selling these faulty cars privately so they can't be took to court over not fit for purpose.

If you have any evidence to support this, e.g. used cars regularly sold on eBay, you can contact their trading stands office.

This may or may not help in getting any redress to your problem, but at least their activities can be checked out by trading standards.

If you can prove that they're a trader you may have some statutory consumer protection, which would open the door to a possible claim through the small claims court. However even if you win, with "dodgy" traders there's no guarantee that you will receive any damages awarded.

You can check what they have previously sold by using advanced search, and searching for items sold by this particular seller.

[plpmr]

leave feedback to reflect your experience - but wait 32 days or they can open an unpaid case to get rid of the feedback.

[rich1230fishing]

How can I leave feedback as he's removed the car as unsold and I payed cash?

[plpmr]

If that's the case you and the seller indulged in an off eBay sale as you did not buy through the listing - so eBay were defrauded of their fees.

[corred]

@rich1230fishing 

Makes no difference how you paid.......

• Vehicle sales are Caveat Emptor
•
• There is no protection in eBay or Paypal for vehicle sales
•
• There are a few simple rues when buying any vehicle on ebay.....
•
• Never buy a vehicle other than cash on collection
• Always inspect thoroughly BEFORE handing over any money
• Ensure you check the vehicle is HPI clear
• Ensure the vehicle is not on the insurance database
• Only collect from the address on the V5
• Make sure chassis & engine numbers match those on the V5
• Make sure these numbers also match those on any MOT certificates
• Check the vehicle MOT history online (free at https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history) taking special note of past fails & advisories
• Ideally take someone who knows their way around vehicles like a mechanic
• Look online for any reprted faults on the make/model you are considering purchasing & look for any of these on the actual vehicle
• The absolute ideal is to arrange an AA inspection before purchase.....all respectable sellers should allow this
• Do not pay a deposit,while these may technically be permitted for vehicle sales on eBay they cannot be demanded & not protected under eBay or Paypal rules

•

[captain*obvious]

Please amend that cut and paste - sellers in motors are absolutely allowed to ask for a deposit, they just can't force a buyer to pay one - policy below:

Specify whether you require a deposit
You can request that buyers send you a deposit to confirm their intent to purchase.
Note: A buyer's deposit is non-binding and is done in good faith.

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/pay/checkout.html

[corred]

@captain*obvious

I prefer to leave t as it is as they are my suggestions not eBay's and as I said any deposit would be a F&F payment which would breach Paypal rules & would not be protected

[captain*obvious]

Deposits don't breach PayPal's rules either - they have a specific form for requesting deposits for car payments.

Your advice is sound - it is folly to pay a deposit for a car you haven't seen unless the seller is a nationally recognised dealer. I also apologise for the tone of my post ''the cut and paste comment'' was not intended to read the way it did.

However, you are factually incorrect stating it is against either eBay or PayPal policy and my tone was borne from a sense of frustration at the amount of posts I've read on here this morning that aren't answering questions asked but are lecturing the people asking them. That isn't good and doesn't encourage future participation.

I don't even need to click the kudos on your post, in which you openly state you would prefer to continue to tell people something is a policy breach when it isn't to know who left it.

Look, our role is to answer questions - opinions are for the discussion boards or the comments section and there's no need for animosity.

However, people who post to M2M are here because their advice and responses have been shown, over a period of time, to be consistently helpful and accurate. You, in particular, are one of the most helpful and knowledgeable posters on the boards - on this one point, you're misrepresenting your opinion as policy and it isn't.

All I would ask is you amend the reply to a more accurate, whilst sellers are allowed to ask for a deposit it is not a safe option and you aren't obliged to honour it.

Edited to add, I clicked your kudo, I was absolutely right about who left it. When posters are issuing kudos to people who openly state they're going to leave an inaccurate post in place then that's friendship, not applause.

[corred]

There you go.....revised just for you

[captain*obvious]

Thanks, but it's not for me, I know it was wrong.

It's for the benefit of the people who read your normally accurate posts seeking the correct information.

I do appreciate you revising it, however, and if it makes the hierarchy feel any better, allow me to link to a post where I gave the wrong answer:

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/Scammed-by-my-buyer/m-p/6371798/

I think my way of dealing with a polite correction of an inadvertently inaccurate post took fewer words and caused less animosity - but hey - each to their own.

[plpmr]

Asking for a deposit requires a payment off eBay and that's against policy.

In any event it's all mute as the car was purchased in an off eBay deal.

[redwick1]

There is no money back guarantee on motors on ebay

Also the seller was correct in asking for cash on collection as that is how all motors should be bought

There is no money back guarantee if you paid by paypal

It is up to the buyer to check out the item before paying and taking away just as you would through the newspapers

If it is a private seller then you have no comebacks

If you think they are a business then you could contact Citzens advice for their help as you may have some legal rights

You could check their site and see if they have sold other cars previously