Another Ebay Car Victim - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Rich300TDMBZ · #1 05-06-2006, 02:04 AM

I hate to read stories like this, where somebody is taken for a ride. According to the seller, he bought the car a year ago from a dishonest seller for $7800. I doubt he is going to get the $3000 reserve price he is asking.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-300-Series-300-SDL-300-SDL-great-parts-car-engine-transmission-excellent_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6330QQitemZ4637057923QQrdZ1

Jim B. · #2 05-06-2006, 05:24 AM

Roger that.

I hate to see that too, but there was another thread here recently where a guy bought a bad Mercedes off of ebay and got his whole money back - ebay guarantees against fraud and misrep. so he jumped the gun I think

The aircon and cruise control thing got discussed here before I think, but the sunroof needs love too. MB has a job, lube sunroof tracks and rail, and it IS important to do it sometimes, because the pop up feature is a intrinsically weak spot, and once the thing jams it can;t be fixed by a DIYER, and is a dealer job ONLY to make right and VERY VERY expensive to put right.

If he can't get out of the hole by parting out on ebay for $3000, maybe he should go after the seller who sold him the pig in a poke.

Seems ebay takes this kind of thing seriously. The place for him to start is with NEGATIVE FEEBACK, even if he gets retaliatory bad feedback.

HATE to see this happen to people.

Jim B. · #3 05-06-2006, 05:43 AM

Rich,

I emailed the unfortunate buyer on ebay and told him to jump in here if he wants. The seller had only 5 deals on ebay, (uh oh) and already negative feedbacked him. So both have it over this deal. . Big mess It appears seller was a private party, and the car looked real nice in the pictures.

Usually even a BAD W126 can be detailed to look beautiful.

We'll see.

rchase · #4 05-06-2006, 07:46 AM

Hmmm,

Why would you buy a car sight unseen trusting photos and the description of someone that you don't know typically in another state for way over the local market selling price?

Perhaps people should stop whining about the sellers ripping them off and look to their own foolish behavior?

Food for thought.

fz500sel · #5 05-06-2006, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rchase

Hmmm,

Why would you buy a car sight unseen trusting photos and the description of someone that you don't know typically in another state for way over the local market selling price?

I agree that it may be foolish to do. I got burned that way with my first MB. Got caught up in the hype of owning my first MB and of course in the auction outbidding war.

You will find however that there are quite a few people who are members in this website that have purchased eBay cars. I'm sure not all of them have had the fortune of having someone near the seller who was able to do a PPI for them.

Diesel Giant · #6 05-06-2006, 11:45 AM

I think that buying a car before you see and test drive it is bad business. Any car I have I make the sell come and see it. I have turned down many a sale becasue the the buyer just wanted the car shipped without looking at it. NO WAY!

If you buy a car and did not look at it then its your own fault!

Panzermann · #7 05-06-2006, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rchase

Hmmm,

Why would you buy a car sight unseen trusting photos and the description of someone that you don't know typically in another state for way over the local market selling price?

Perhaps people should stop whining about the sellers ripping them off and look to their own foolish behavior?

Food for thought.

Well, the buyer beware approach is unfortunately necessary in the used (or even new) car business, but is not necessarily strictly legal. Sounds like the buyer has adequate doocumentary evidence of the initial claim (the ebay posting) and the actual condition of the mechandise (independent evaluation by a Mercedes shop in writing) to file a small claim for breach of contract against the seller, which in most states allows claims up to $5K.

Some people claim that a small claim court decision is a waste of time, but it actually has the force of any court decision: it accrues interest at the legal rate (about 10% per year; legal eagles call these seemingly irrelevant judgments "money machines," because they sit around gathering interest and growing sometimes indefinitely, and 10 years later, when the defendant wants to do something, the judgment can rear its ugly head and interfere with their lives, and they can get very agreeable to settling at that point just ot be rid of the problem), you can garnish wages, you can force a debtor's examination to identify assets to take, you can establish liens against a person's real property, if they have a business you can send a sheriff over to take money out of the register (Literally). And now it is even harder to get out of this by bankruptcy, due to changes in bankruptcy laws. So the seller shouldn't eliminate this possibility unless geographically it is impossible/impractical.

One of the reasons this option often isn't open to someone who is buying a car from a private party is that there is no documentary evidence to start off with regarding what the initial state of the car is as represented by the seller. Even if you have it inspected, you then are stuck with trying to prove what the seller said about the car's condition, and it degenerates into a he said she said argument. What is different in this case is you have an ebay listing in which the seller describes the merchandises condition, including the vin number, which can be traced documentarily to the seller.

So, small claims provides a way to get some....revenge/satisfaction...as long as the buyer is willing to make a hobby of it. No lawyers involved, minimal filing fees, informal hearing and sometimes the defendant doesn't even respond, not realizing what a pain in the ass he's setting himself up for.

fz500sel · #8 05-07-2006, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel Giant

I think that buying a car before you see and test drive it is bad business.

If you buy a car and did not look at it then its your own fault!

I agree totally. I guess some of us have to learn the hard way.

Targa-NF · #9 05-07-2006, 08:59 AM

That car can't be that rusty. I would love to see some pic's of the "rust"
he is talking about. The rest of the car is too clean, I E bumpers, trim, wheels
door jams. There is no way the under side can be so rusty, that the car needs
a new body. I know you can hide a lot of things with a lick of paint and a
good detailing. But there are no signs of a repaint... Were was the damage
he talked about. I think the car looks to good to be totally shot underneath.
Just my two cents. Also, I hate to here that someone got burned in ebay.
Sorry man!!! Jay

ImBroke · #10 05-07-2006, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel Giant

If you buy a car and did not look at it then its your own fault!

I would rephrase this to read, if you buy a car and did not look at it, or have someone competent look at it, then quit whining.

Good Ebay experience here. If it would have been bad, I would have sucked it up though. Been there done that.

Hatterasguy · #11 05-07-2006, 11:23 AM

After buying my friends S320 off ebay with some mixed results, now I really treat it as buyer beware.

Assume everyone selling a car is lieing until they prove otherwise.

Next time if I found a car I really had to have I'd figure out a way of seeing it in person before bidding.

twr · #12 05-07-2006, 11:32 PM

I have bought 4 MB cars and 2 diesel trucks on eBay from different sellers without seen the cars and making my decision just by the sellers rating and description, with excellent results (cars better than described) of course if I am buying a car more than 20 years old and paying less than 10k I don’t expect to be in good condition no matter how well the PO took care of it or if the car comes with a lot of maintenance records, it is a used car and I know it will cost me money to bring it to my standards
I can’t say the same for a couple of local reputable car lots I bought from before.

Just my 2 cents

redassag00 · #13 05-08-2006, 09:48 AM

That guy is local to me. I'd sell rag doll to get this one, but I have put so much sweat and work into her that she gotta stay for a while anyway.

boneheaddoctor · #14 05-08-2006, 10:07 AM

its got a clean interior too...perfect candidate for a south western donor body that needs everything else.

Bummer about its being a POS. I saw signs of rust on the photo with the Left front tire, clearly been touched up improperly . The others are very hard to see major issues.

Jim B. · #15 05-08-2006, 10:08 AM

Fellas,

The buyer emailed me privately, and he wants to resolve this by buying another W126 body for the car. He is gonna transplant the engine/tranny he has.

Not commenting on the wisdom/or not wisdom of it, this is what he wants to do.

Any suggestions for him? Start new thread and ask?

Seems like a nice guy. From DFW texas I think

(Redass...) Love the handle. Haven't heard that term, Cajun E. Texas/Louisiana for years!!!Got the redass, I know what that means
I am sure this ebay buyer SURE got the redass when he got the ebay negative feedback after BUYing a bad car