used car disaster experience.

A lady came in to see me today with a terrible story of woe, I warn people all the time about buying from Auctions, some people never learn!

She had bought a Vauxhall Corsa for her Daughter, rather should I say her and the Husband did; he told her that they would save a lot of money by buying a used car at Auction, Problem there is he's a Builder.

Now if I wanted an extension built or a brick wall erected, maybe a patio or conservatory built then would I attempt it myself, No! I would call a Builder.

So why when a "Builder" wants a used car does he then suddenly become the expert on the Motor Trade?

Otherwise known as the Barrack room lawyer or the Pub expert, they should come to somebody like me, I'm in the Motor Trade and know what I'm about.

Not only that but we also offer a Warranty, will service, MOT and valet the car and will sort out any little niggles that come up soon after the sale, we also offer you a test drive.

So rather than accepting these small graces, he had a quick look at the outside and then bid more than he wanted to and bought an Enid Blyton, that is Motor Trade slang for "There's a story to it"

Now let me tell you a Story, he didn't realise that "Mileage not Warranted" which was what was written on the Auction vehicle description form stuck to the window, meant that the car mileage cannot be relied upon to be correct and may have been clocked.

After he paid what he bid oh, and also the Auction Commission fee and indemnity fee, @ £250-300 more than he thought he had agreed to pay, he was given the Documents and a ticket to go and get his car, it took him nearly two hours to dig it out, it was buried amongst another 20 or so cars.

After they got home, a very bumpy ride as one of the wheel bearings was gone, also the brakes were shrieking as they were metal to metal, they found upon checking their documents that it had 9 previous owners, (Not bad for under 4 years old) and had no Service History, worse still the MOT had just 6 weeks to run.

The next day reality set in and they took it to a garage for a check up and MOT, what a pile of Dog Poo, the car was condemned big time!

It Failed the MOT, the emmissions were all over the place, it needed a Catalytic Converter, a Wheel bearing, new brake discs and pads, a spare wheel because it was missing as were the Jack and Wheel brace, the CD player wasn't even wired in and when it was wired up guess what it didn't work, it also had a blown head gasket and a leaking radiator, the thermostat didn't work, the sunvisors were missing, one of the doors didn't work on the central locking and the drivers electric window only went halfway down very noisily, needing a new window motor!

When they lifted the boot carpet, here comes the worst bit, it had been welded and badly repaired, the colour match was different on about 5 seperate panels, how could this expert Builder not spot that!

I offered to take the car as a part exchange but my bid was a great deal less than they had paid, I can only sell it at another Auction as I wouldn't trade it on to any of my colleagues as that would be very wrong, "WE" don't do that to each other!

Caveat Emptor, Buyer Beware, Come to me and you will have a comeback, go there and you are on your own, really, really on your own..

I have heard similar stories many, many times in my 20 plus years in the Motor Trade, Please, Please, Please do not become a victim of the Auctions, whatever you do for a living, Tinker, Tailor, Builder, Sailor, you are not the Expert in our Field, WE ARE!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for looking in again, I just had to tell you this, Beware, Beware, Beware!!!

Mark Duncan

acar2go