nick mercedes
MB Enthusiast
Did you HPI it?
Bought an R129 unseen - a Cautionary Tale...
flango
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
That's a good point and If it were me I'd find out if it has a stolen marker on it as that obviously decides your next course of action
Naturally, you are very frustrated after the experience you had in Bradford and the condition of the car. However, you need to appreciate how you have behaved in this transaction. You have agreed to buy the car at a negotiated price. You paid 60% deposit, and then have taken ~4 months to arrange to pick up the car.
During this time, the seller is effectively left with a car unsold, and only your word that you will complete the transaction along with the possession of your deposit. You can see how they would feel equally messed about.
That doesn't condone his behaviour and the condition of the car when you arrived, but you have to concede that you are not fault free either.
The problem you have now is how to resolve a situation where neither of you trust each other. You both need to agree a fair price, You need a receipt and the V5 transferred.
If you don't agree a price, and most likely one over your 60% deposit, it is unlikely you'll ever get a receipt and the V5 transferred. Leaving you open to more issues, hassle, time and legal costs.
So to resolve this, it's most likely you are going to have to pay more and meet in person again as neither of you have much trust in the other completing the transaction. You are not going to hand over anymore cash until you get the receipt and docs and he's not going to send these without getting the cash.
cheers, Steve
During this time, the seller is effectively left with a car unsold, and only your word that you will complete the transaction along with the possession of your deposit. You can see how they would feel equally messed about.
That doesn't condone his behaviour and the condition of the car when you arrived, but you have to concede that you are not fault free either.
The problem you have now is how to resolve a situation where neither of you trust each other. You both need to agree a fair price, You need a receipt and the V5 transferred.
If you don't agree a price, and most likely one over your 60% deposit, it is unlikely you'll ever get a receipt and the V5 transferred. Leaving you open to more issues, hassle, time and legal costs.
So to resolve this, it's most likely you are going to have to pay more and meet in person again as neither of you have much trust in the other completing the transaction. You are not going to hand over anymore cash until you get the receipt and docs and he's not going to send these without getting the cash.
cheers, Steve
Two things I would do here.
1) Establish who the legal owner is straight away and if it's not chummy chops who you are dealing with contact them asap before they cite you for theft!
2) If you get that sorted get an independent expert valuation based on the state of the car listing the faults and offer that as the price citing false advertising as the reason for the price change!
1) Establish who the legal owner is straight away and if it's not chummy chops who you are dealing with contact them asap before they cite you for theft!
2) If you get that sorted get an independent expert valuation based on the state of the car listing the faults and offer that as the price citing false advertising as the reason for the price change!
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Yes, of course.
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Yes, of course.
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nick mercedes
MB Enthusiast
What's actually wrong with it?
Is it worth the 60% in its present state?
Is it worth the 60% in its present state?
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1) Letter has gone to DVSA seeking this information.
2) See my other thread " R129 SL500 - Valuation Anybody?" That's good enough for me; we're not talking about a rare and valuable classic.
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Read the thread. All will be revealed in due course.
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Nothing major, I think, and yes, probably. That is a qualified yes, though, depending on the state of the hood, which I won't know until Sunday. If the hood's knackered, it's only worth project money - about £2K, Jaymanek reckons.
All will be revealed in due course.
Assuming in the first place that the seller was entitled to be selling the car , payment of the 60% deposit means that the OP has a greater share in the car than the seller , and possibly more than a 60% share if the price is negotiated downwards .
Since the seller met the OP for the purpose of allowing collection ( before he absconded ) I think the OP was perfectly reasonable in uplifting the car he had the majority shareholding in , whilst making every effort to contact the seller .
Since he is now making every effort to finalise the deal , and has been in dialogue with the seller , I see little wrongdoing .
It does sound as though the vehicle was originally advertised by a business , and the deposit paid to them . If the business has now ceased trading , it might be worth trying to trace the administrator to clarify the situation . I'd also take the view , that having paid the bulk of the asking price ( before true condition of car was disclosed , therefore to be revised downwards - UNLESS Op signed a contract agreeing to buy at that price ) the op is looking to either complete the transaction or get his deposit back , against which he is holding the car as a surety . It seems a reasonable assumption that the business at least , if not this private person , did have the right to be selling the car .
If it turns out that a third party owns the car , the worst case scenario is that the OP may have to return it . As a bona fide buyer , he has little to fear : the seller would be the one and only person facing fraud charges , unless it were proven the OP was complicit in the fraud , which I don't read out of this account .
Someone who buys a dodgy car in good faith normally has nothing more than losing the car , and any money he has paid , to fear - the OP has already stated he can stand this if it comes to it .
nick mercedes
MB Enthusiast
I don't think it works like that.
You can't just load up someone else's car without their consent.
That said seller seems keen enough to resolve.
If the hood itself is in poor condition you can pick up serviceable used ones in the low hundreds ( Carl at R129.co.uk advertises them regularly ) ; if the electro hydraulic mechanism isn't working that is a bigger problem , but not insurmountable , again used parts available from the same source .
But he did have consent : the seller met him to allow collection ! And , with some assumptions as above , having paid most of it it was largely HIS car to take .
nick mercedes
MB Enthusiast
You have to pay all of the agreed price of something before you can take it away.
Depends on the terms of the sale .
