i purchased a car of trademe on friday, all seemed well had new rego + wof and seemed in good condition. Took it out of town (Approx 20minutes of driving the car) and noticed the car was overheating pretty badly so pulled over on the side of the road, called someone and got the water topped up and then towed back home so i could get a mechanicaround. The results of that are a blown head gasket. - Which is more than what the car is worth to repair
What would you do if you are inmy situation, I have called the seller and asked for a refund but he wont oblige, what can I do!
bitsy_boffin,
Oct 29, 6:26pm
What car.What year.How much you paid.Wording of the advertisement.Private or business.Classified, buy now or auction.These are just some of the details you appear to have missed in your query.
thegravelracer,
Oct 29, 6:27pm
was the car purchused as is where is !if so count your lost dude if not then you have a leg to stand on indeed
bopbargains,
Oct 29, 6:34pm
ummm. get it checked out beforebuyingit. I see no one askedif the motor/runninggear had any problems. It's a bit like shootingthehorse, thencalling the vet.
bitsy_boffin,
Oct 29, 6:37pm
On the face of the description in the advertisement, if the HG was blown before you took possession, there COULD be case for misrepresentation in that ad, certainly the advert reads as if there is nothing mechanically at fault.
As is - where is (if you signed anything to that extent) shouldn't be a get out if it was mis-represented.
The problem would be showing that it was blown at the time, as opposed to you just had some bad luck and it blew after you took it away.I do notice they perhaps carefully didn't actually answer the "use any water" question.
Whatever the case, if the seller won't play ball, your only recourse is to start proceedings in the Disputes Tribunal, visit your district court for the forms.
socram,
Oct 29, 6:37pm
Whilst I have every sympathy, it just goes to show that a spin around the block to "test drive" a car is not really sufficient.Unless you could prove that the seller sold it knowing that there was a problem, I think that as always, it is always a case of 'buyer beware'.
1up_gaming,
Oct 29, 6:37pm
Cheers thegravelracer, there was no "as is where is", yea bopbarginsI should have had it checked but unfortunately i was an idiot.
crzyhrse,
Oct 29, 6:42pm
First he says "This has been our family car for over ten years, served us well but now time to go." then he says "Hi, I'm not the regular driver of this and they are away now." Alarm bells should have been ringing loudly.
crzyhrse,
Oct 29, 6:43pm
Then someone asks "any mechanical issues!" which he outright ignores.
He knew it was on its last legs. But you should have too.
richard198,
Oct 29, 6:57pm
$500 reserve would indicate they knew it was crook!
franc123,
Oct 29, 7:01pm
Oh dear some people are authors of their own suffering.Ponder the following points:
1/Anyone expecting cheap and trouble free motoring out of a Subaru that old is a bit misguided.10yrs/150K is the absolute outer limit for buying one with that sort of expectation, past that you should be selling not buying. 2/ The 250T is known for that problem and has been for many years, prior research as well as the full pre purchase inspection you should have got first from a pro should have told you this. 3/ Ageing cars in this country especially are often sold because they are starting to cost money and the seller wants to quit while they are still ahead, again a PP inspection is needed to get a better idea of what expenses are coming up in the future. 4/ Its highly likely from the ad that the seller knew there was a major problem with it and/or its been looked at by a mechanic and they've been advised to get rid of it and the seller knew the (non) economics of repairing it. 5/ Gotta laugh at the obsession that people have with cambelts in NZ, how many times was that question asked lol, thats one of the lesser worries you have when buying one of those lol again.
vtecnet,
Oct 29, 7:10pm
There is some stuff you can get that might keep it going for a while, you have to drain the coolant completely 1st as its not compatible with antifreeze, i've heard of this working for upto 2 years. its worth a shot maybe! http://www.youtube.com/watch!v=gCrUb8AXLvY this is a similar product.
1up_gaming,
Oct 29, 7:21pm
Thanks for al your responses guys, vtecnet is that stuff available in NZ (or some equilvent product) or does it have to be ordered and imported!
hutchk,
Oct 29, 7:34pm
You may have had a case for the Disputes Tribunal if it could be proved that the seller actively misled you, or that any claims made by the seller enticed you to purchase a vehicle you would otherwise not have bought. On reading the auction it seems he/she was very careful to avoid any claims as to the reliability and mechanical soundness of the vehicle, so you're pretty much buggered, sorry.
ringo2,
Oct 29, 7:47pm
Private sale - Buyer beware. Buying without a mechanical check is to be brutally honest sheer stupidity.
tigra,
Oct 29, 8:13pm
What hutchk says is very accurate. you could try ringing your local CAB to see if they can come up with something out of the CGA but it doesnt look good. Still if you start the DT proceedings the seller may come up with an offer
fordcrzy,
Oct 29, 8:30pm
yup i agree.he has been very careful not to mention the mechanical condition at all.even when questioned.alarm bells should have rang loud and clear.then they did the trusty old "not my car" thing so they can again avoid any questions or responsibility when it all goes tits up. .you got sold a pup i'm afraid. IN MY OPINION the seller knew it had issues and just didnt mention them hopeing a sucker would buy it.and they did.
trdbzr,
Oct 29, 8:34pm
Why anyone bought a cheap 16 year old Subaru Legacy without getting a full proper mechanical check is beyond me. Sure it may have cost abit of $$$ but its FAR cheaper than having to fork out for costly repairs.
bellky,
Oct 29, 8:38pm
yeah bummer. and this question "Hi there, any chance of some more pics! any mechanical issues! thanks" got this answer "More photos added, cob webs came out well!" not a very nice seller
alleycatz,
Oct 29, 8:55pm
does it use any water, any oil leaksjulesfarr (132 )10:26 pm, Wed 12 Oct Answer: Hi, I'm not the regular driver of this and they are away now. There is no oil under where we've had it parked, maybe not super helpful, apologies. 1:38 pm, Thu 13 Oct
bitsy_boffin,
Oct 29, 9:09pm
People here seem to like Sealwell, Repco has it (or buy online), it's a cube form, break it up into your radiator.
There are plenty of other products on the market doing similar jobs.Read the labels, some are only good for gaskets, some only good for cracked heads, some will do any.
bitsy_boffin,
Oct 30, 9:09pm
People here seem to like Sealwell, Repco has it (or buy online), it's a cube form, break it up into your radiator.
There are plenty of other products on the market doing similar jobs.Read the labels, some are only good for gaskets, some only good for cracked heads, some will do any.
NB: Anything like this is not a guaranteed fix, nor a guaranteed long-lasting fix, sometimes you get lucky and it works and keeps working, sometimes you don't.The only real fix, is to replace that gasket, going by your username you're probably a young fella, go buy a few tools, check in your library for a Haynes, Clymer or similar manual, and get to it.Treat it as an edumacational experience ;-)
msigg,
Oct 30, 10:18pm
No claim, he or she says, wasn't blowen when I sold it, you must have thrashed it. end of story. Blame yourself not others.
kazbanz,
Oct 30, 11:26pm
Op s omething doesn't add up. You are in the same town as the seller.and not a huge town at that. YOU invested $1200 without getting it checked out mechanically or even going as far as taking it for a decent test drive yet you expect comeback! A head gasket on a vehicle of that age can and DOES blow at any time without warning so I'd say its lesson learned and a relatively cheap lesson at that
richynuts,
Oct 30, 11:30pm
After seeing the q & a on auction,the seller aviods to answering questions concerning car using water and any mechanical issues, I would would take a printout of listing and go to disputes tribunal.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.