Thread: Selling a secondhand vehicles

If he had trade plates, he is presumably some sort of automotive professional. I would be suspicious.
If he is just an honest citizen, then maybe giving part money back might ease your conscience and calm him down.
Legally you are in the clear.

Good luck.

he had trade plates? so a dealer.
regardless,, Option 1

Originally Posted by CountP

I need some advice.
I sold my daughter's 1997 Holden Vectra today. The vehicle was sold unregistered, as is.
The car had issues that I made quite clear to the buyer. Clutch needed replacing, engine oil leak, aircon not working, needs tyres. I tried to be as honest as possible about the vehicle. I sold it for $900.
The buyer took it for a test drive and the car was driving fine. He took it away on trade plates.
An hour later he phones me and says the cambelt has snapped on his way home.
Now there is no way I could have know this would happen. To my knowledge the cambelt had been done 50 000km back. My daughter is away and I been using the car to work and back. I drove it 'briskly' but didn't thrash it.
I am thinking he gave it a good canning and at his own admission it was going 'great guns' until it stopped. I had a quick internet search and it seems it is an interference engine so at motorway speed the engine is now junk, holes in pistons etc.

Now I don't want it back but I kind of feel bad. He bought it as a work hack and seemed to have some mechanical ability.

Now the way I see it I have three options.
1. Tell him to suck it up, he bought a second hand car for $900 and it was running when he drove it off.
2. Offer to give him his money back.
3. Give him half back.
Either way he won't fix it for $900 and I don't want it back.

So where do I stand on this?

Ryan

You have no idea of how or what was done to it after he drove away, I can see your feeling guilty because you ask, but it was $900, a car with known problems, clutch etc, so what does he expect. Unfortunately the once it's off your property warranty applies. We could have towed it, and then gone over the car with mechanics instead driving it way.

As the others have said.. if he took it on trade plates... he should know the risks of a $900 car... you win some.. you loose some... Option 1.

Option 1.

I'm with Pedro here, option 1.

Old saying "Let the buyer beware"......it's a $900 car for God sake. Option 1 here too.

Well I wouldn't have had the courage to sell it in the first place.
Except to a wrecker.
But he bought it......so, option 1
Now it's his problem.