Rip off cars - epic rescue and dreadful cow of a woman included

[Richard]

You can't accuse them of concealing a ropey car under a valet, not at the bottom end at least. I actually approve of that approach.

[twosmoke300]

What do people expect at that price range ?

Too much blame culture these days

[Dick Cheeseburger]

What do people expect at that price range ?

Too much blame culture these days

I'd expect my 'new' car to last longer than half an hour. I find it's always interesting selling my own cars as well. The rule of thumb does generally (but not always) seem to be, the cheaper the car, the more dickheads crawl out of the woodwork, with absurd expectations. I've been close a few times to giving it the, "I'd prefer to smash my car up with a lump hammer, then shit on it, rather than sell it to you," a few times, but managed to compose myself enough to remain reasonably polite and decent. Obviously my generalisations don't apply to any of the members on this esteemed forum.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

What do people expect at that price range ?

Too much blame culture these days

Many years ago when I had a real job, I also sold old heaps for pocket money.

In 1988 I sold an exBT Ital estate for £150 or summat to a woman, about a month later she phones up whinging that the clutch had gone, to save grief I offered her the £150 back- I could put a clutch in it for £30 in a couple of hours and sell it on again. But she wanted money for the towbar she'd put on it too.

When I went to her house there was a big fuck off double horse box sitting there and 2 shiny black showjumping horses in the field next door. I know little about horses, but I'd imagine a months feed probably cost more than the poor little Ital that she was towing them round with.

Anyway I offered her £20 and the name of a mobile mechanic- she threatened Trading Standards and all sorts- never heard anything more. The funny thing was she pointed to the Mk1 Legend Coupe I was driving ( Chairman's wife's car) and said something about me obviously making a fortune ripping off vulnerable women, as if anybody makes fortunes out of old shit that they buy for £80 and sell for £150.

[sierraman]

At the end of the day you buy with your eyes at this money, and mine tell me their stock is fucking shit. If I was buying a car I'd be looking to get the best I could for the money, but I'm not unreasonable - I wouldn't expect a brand new car. Similarly I wouldn't come back cap in hand a month later if the brake pads wanted doing.

 

I've said it before at £1000 money you want to buy provenance and something with hopefully a few indications it's been looked after. Above all you buy on condition not age/mileage or whatever.

[oldcars]

Many years ago when I had a real job, I also sold old heaps for pocket money.

In 1988 I sold an exBT Ital estate for £150 or summat to a woman, about a month later she phones up whinging that the clutch had gone, to save grief I offered her the £150 back- I could put a clutch in it for £30 in a couple of hours and sell it on again. But she wanted money for the towbar she'd put on it too.

When I went to her house there was a big fuck off double horse box sitting there and 2 shiny black showjumping horses in the field next door. I know little about horses, but I'd imagine a months feed probably cost more than the poor little Ital that she was towing them round with.

Anyway I offered her £20 and the name of a mobile mechanic- she threatened Trading Standards and all sorts- never heard anything more. The funny thing was she pointed to the Mk1 Legend Coupe I was driving ( Chairman's wife's car) and said something about me obviously making a fortune ripping off vulnerable women, as if anybody makes fortunes out of old shit that they buy for £80 and sell for £150.

Prob towing the horsebox that killed the clutch.

[Alan_Green]

Let's have a look at some of these rip-off cars then.

Corsa. 8 months MOT: £190. http://www.tradecarscleckheaton.co.uk/used-cars/vauxhall-corsa-1-0-i-12v-envoy-3dr-cleckheaton-201511078505745

2002 Alto, MOT'd. £150. http://www.tradecarscleckheaton.co.uk/used-cars/search-results?make=SUZUKI

 

Money grabbing bastards!

[Pillock]

Not sure an MOTed car for £190 is moneygrabbing, but the cars themselves look shocking. That Corsa is an utter mess.

 

Having said that, the stuff on offer and the pricing structure (allegations of hookey MOTs none withstanding) is very similar to Dave Lee Cartland's Value Cars of Chester. The difference here is the honesty of the advert as you head northwest.

[UltraWomble]

Less than £300 for a Bingo with 9 months MOT?

http://www.tradecarscleckheaton.co.uk/used-cars/citroen-berlingo-multispace-1-4-i-forte-5dr-cleckheaton-201511118621340

 

WCPGW?

[Pillock]

Example of honesty....

http://www.tradecarscleckheaton.co.uk/used-cars/volkswagen-polo-1-4-se-3dr-cleckheaton-201511128631698

 

This Polo is "just out of MOT". No mention of all the suspension faults, ABS light, CV joint, rear brakes and steering column adjuster that it failed on 7 days ago......

[sierraman]

That Corsa will just attract the pigs with that cack paint job.

[Lord Sterling]

I've said this before. Whilst I do indeed sympathise with the girl who's KA broke down, I do think she needed to understand what she was buying when it comes to larger, more expensive products like vehicles, properties, computers etc... What the majority of the public don't understand is that you must do your homework. They talk a lot about 'knowing thier "rights" but really they don't. Common sense all been but eroded from the general public. They don't understand that just because a trader tells you something, doesn't mean it's true. But too many like to hear bullshit lies because it 'reassures' them.

 

Sadly, the majority of the public just rush in and buy something because it looks pretty and is cheap. They don't understand that sellers do lie and will pull the wool over your eyes. Some traders like the one mentioned only see '£' signs when a customer walks through the door. It's a 2 way road that'll only lead to disaster. The customer wants reassuring that the car is solid, roadworthy and cheap, the trader understands this and gives all kinds of reassurances which the buyer wants.

 

Many traders also think that once you've bought the ars and it's off thier property, it's your problem. They'll try all sorts of ways to wriggle thier way out of potential legal issues. As has been mentioned before many traders have much experience of knowing how to pull a fast one and cover thier own arses should a buyer come back moaning.

 

Anyway, I'm boring myself writing this. Basically repeating the same thing over and over using a variety of different words to explain the same thing.

[Felly Magic]

A fair few years back I spunked out a fair few quid on an 18 month old car from a main stealer, which was 'approved used'. Within 2 days the exhaust was blowing like a twunt. After arguing like a bastard with them, they agreed to replace it, and as I was miles from the dealer, I needed a courtesy car, they lent me one whilst it was in, and the bell ends fitted the wrong exhaust, which actually damaged the catalyst, they were trying to fob me off to pay for that, I dug my heels in, and threatened them with a visit from trading standards, and as they were in North Yorks, at that time, those bastards were rabid pittbulls. Car was begrudgingly fixed. That car was an unreliable heap, turned out it had belonged to a driving instructor. A year on, it started to show signs of Rowenta syndrome, so I chucked it in part ex with them, which they gave me a good price on to be fair. 3 weeks later I get a call from em, asking if I'd known the head gasket was going, as it went pop on em. I replied 'nope, news to me'. Serves em right for selling me a lemon

[Bren]

They even do finance!

 

I cannot see how can pay £190 for a car then complain it's shite.

 

I'll bet lots do......

[Tamworthbay]

Ooooh! Thems duz alphas two.............

 

http://www.tradecarscleckheaton.co.uk/used-cars/alfa-romeo

 

How long before someone on here succumbs to pez price temptation on one of these dogs?

[Guest Renault20tx]

Ok, a few things here - 

 

1) They had paid £490 for this KA, and at that price I would expect a runner with areas of fettling to be done

 

2) "Trade cars" - in all conscience they shouldn't have sold to a private individual. Now if someone turns up, who obviously knows their cars, and is fully aware that they will be getting a project motor, that might be a bit different, but with this family you would only have to look at them to see this was not the case.

 

3) I DID get outraged on their behalf in all honesty. Now had it been the Grandparents who had bought this, well frankly they are old enough to

(a) Know better,

( Sort it out in their own time as just another bloody nuisance in their lives, and

© Not feel any sense of disappointment, having many thousands of hours of driving experience, both good and bad under their belts. 

 

When I got my first car, I was practically weeping with frustration when it broke down after 10 days (loose connection behind the dash, no big problem). You just spend hours and hours on the road driving simply for the sake of driving. To have it happen after 30 mins, when she's that much younger, and she hasn't even had a chance to get it back and take her friends for a ride - well you should have seen her face!

[Tamworthbay]

And the pics...... were they taken during an earthquake?

[sierraman]

Ive looked at their site and I wouldn't buy any of it. It's nearly all complete unusable crap. If I was in the position of having a budget of £190 to spend, I'd just accept I needed to wait on a month or two and pay £5-600 for something worth having.

[Ben_O]

You pay's your money, you takes your choice.

 

I never expect much from a car that is described as 'PX to Clear' As it's just the old shit that they can't put on the front but want more than scrap money.

 

As an example, i tried to view an Astra G for my mum but the 'trade centre' where it was never seemed to have the car there. They described the car as in great condition and with a full MOT.

I turned up at the place 3 times to view and everytime it wasn't there. Staff told me the boss had it and it should be in having it's MOT done.

 

As a last ditch attempt, i asked the dealer to call and let me know when it was going to be there. he did and said he had taken it for its mot and would be bringing it in in the morning.

I pitched up and waited for him to arrive and when he did, the car was a pile of shit. there was broken trims, accident damage, rubbish inside plus a petrol chainsaw and a couple of bricks on the back seat.

The exhaust was blowing BADLY as he pulled up so i know it couldn't have passed a legit MOT.

 

I thanked him for wasting my time and left before he uttered a word and he had the cheek to be pissed with me for messing him around.

 

Think is, the car was £650 so not peanuts really.

 

Mum eventually found a Xsara 1.4 pez on a dealers front and viewed it herself. The dealer told her it had been fully checked and had a new MOT. No faults were reported and she wanted to buy it.

I decided to view the car first before she did and after finally being able to open the bonnet (stretched cable) i noticed that the HG had gone and the Rad was full of thick yellow oil/water mix slime.

 

I told him the HG had gone and he just sat back in his chair un-surprised and said 'ok mate, i guess you don't want it then?'

He knew it was fooked but still would have took my mum's 650 quid.

[Jim Bell]

Best of luck to all the people who buy any car at any price from any dealer at any time.

 

I dont care what it is, SKY BROADBAND, A HORSE, A SUIT, A MOBILE PHONE, A DONATION TO CHARITY, A HOLIDAY OR A CAR.

 

I wont buy from a salesman.  A salesman job is to maximise profits to the absolute, at the expense of the customer (or mark, or mug, or punter).  If the item/service is well priced and being sold by an individual or company with a good reputation, you dont need a salesman.

 

Salesmen are only required to convince you that you want things that you dont want.

[Felly Magic]

I suspect these are jokers behind a lot of those vans with garish 'cars for cash' ads you see littering the roads today as well

[scaryoldcortina]

^ nah, they are all crying into their beer because scrap has dipped so low they are getting less than the £50 minimum they have advertised to pay.

[sierraman]

All this isn't to say there aren't lots of reputable dealers, you just do well to avoid the 'trade sales' people, fly-by-night Romanians trying it on and outfits operating out of severely run down depressed old pit villages. You can almost smell the desperation in the ad when it's a Picasso for sale in Maltby with 2 hubcaps missing, dents and a pile of rubbish sat in the footwell, the lasting legacy of its feckless mouth breathing bottom feeding owner.

[Jim Bell]

All this isn't to say there aren't lots of reputable dealers.

 

Name lots then.

 

If you can name enough to outweigh all the horror stories in the Dealer Horror Stories threads, I will concede the point.

[Jazoli]

Best of luck to all the people who buy any car at any price from any dealer at any time.

 

 

I wont buy from a salesman. 

 

<snip>

 

I won't buy from a car salesman, other types of salespeople are a necessary evil at times as only they are selling the things you need.

[Eddie Honda]

If I was in the position of having a budget of £190 to spend, I'd just accept I needed to wait on a month or two and pay £5-600 for something worth having.

 

If I was in the position of having a budget of £190 to spend, I'd just buy 20-odd roffle tickets or accept I needed to wait on a month or two and pay £5-600 for a Vel Shitis.

[Richard]

Ok, a few things here -

 

1) They had paid £490 for this KA, and at that price I would expect a runner with areas of fettling to be done

 

2) "Trade cars" - in all conscience they shouldn't have sold to a private individual. Now if someone turns up, who obviously knows their cars, and is fully aware that they will be getting a project motor, that might be a bit different, but with this family you would only have to look at them to see this was not the case.

 

3) I DID get outraged on their behalf in all honesty. Now had it been the Grandparents who had bought this, well frankly they are old enough to

(a) Know better,

( Sort it out in their own time as just another bloody nuisance in their lives, and

© Not feel any sense of disappointment, having many thousands of hours of driving experience, both good and bad under their belts.

 

When I got my first car, I was practically weeping with frustration when it broke down after 10 days (loose connection behind the dash, no big problem). You just spend hours and hours on the road driving simply for the sake of driving. To have it happen after 30 mins, when she's that much younger, and she hasn't even had a chance to get it back and take her friends for a ride - well you should have seen her face!

You're right of course, but I can't help thinking all the signs were there for even a novice to see it wasn't going to be much good. Whatever the outcome she will know better next time.

[Cavcraft]

I would just like to add that you can't be ripped off on price, simply because if you don't do your market research then if you pay £750 or something for a 1992 Fiesta with no wheel arches and 3 weeks MOT, that's your hard luck.

[Guest Renault20tx]

You're right of course, but I can't help thinking all the signs were there for even a novice to see it wasn't going to be much good. Whatever the outcome she will know better next time.

Oh, its the best £490 she ever spent in that sense. 

[Vince70]

I've just looked at the company website and at the prices the cars are selling at I can't see there's much profit in the vehicles to be honest and wouldn't want the hassle of flogging a corsa with 6 months ticket at £190 as a trade sale as the margins must be more than tight by the time you've paid staff ground rent electric business tax etc.

 

At those prices you really would expect the worst and most people would steer clear from such an outfit and if a car worked for a month I would expect it to be a bonus on a trade sale at that price and would class it as drivable scrap.

 

Its a first for me to hear of a ford KA to have an intact body shell though so that's a rarity in itself and if it was my motor I would chuck a can of K seal in it and just run it till the engine packed then scrap as life really is to short to get stressed about such a thing..

 

At the end of the day we've all done it and bought a wrong'un at the lower end of the market and she hasn't lost a fortune if it was me I would chalk it up to experience and next time she will realise the best place to look is for a little private sale elderly lady owner K11 micra or buy a car from cavcraft motors.

 

I find you get as much of a gut feeling about a person who's selling a car as the car itself and it always pays to go private at the lower end of the market unless it's an old trade in out the back of the compound which is too old for the dealer stock.

 

Or she could always push the KA into garage and forget about it for 20 years then sell it as a barn find and she could see a nice ford scene tax profit.