Just bought a car - already blue smoke.

E92

SouperComputer wrote: »

I stand to be corrected, but IIRC the 4pots are Saab engines, designed and built by Saab, based on their previous Bxxx designs, albeit under GM ownership. The V6 is a nasty GM unit however.

AFAIK the current 9-3's 4 pot petrols are GM Family II "Ecotec" engines.The V6 9-3 is also a GM engine. The 9-5 still has those Bxxx petrol engines.

ShiverinEskimo

My car has the B205 I4 engine in it. Which is the newer revision of the old B204s that used to be in the 900s and the initial 9-3s.

ShiverinEskimo

Here's the update so far:

Sent the car back - he sent it to a garage with a refurbed Turbo to be fitted. Nothing I could do about this so just agreed. I got a courtesy car.

He rang me a week later and said it is ready - I told him I didn't want it back until it has passed its NCT as agreed at time of sale. He said it'd take 3 weeks, I said fine - which I think surprised him.

I went away for the weekend 2 says later (Wednesday) and got a call on saturday last to say it was ready. I told him I was away and that I might be able to pick it up monday depending on my flight.

Rang him yesterday at 4pm to say I wouldn't make it in time - no answer. Rang him this morning to say I can pick it up saturday. He's gone and sold the courtesy car I have and so he wants it back, I said no can do and found out he still hasn't replaced a bit of the dash that's faulty.

He's now saying that he's going to charge me 30euro a day for rental of the car I have until I leave it back and hung up on me.

I've been texting him since saying there is no rental agreement and that his choice is either I'll see him saturday or he delivers my car and picks up the courtest car. He kept texting back saying he'll charge me 30 euro a day.

His last text was: "You owe me 30 euro a day until you leave it back, that's it"

My reply: "Haha, not a chance mate and you know it. You can't just make agreements up over the phone like that just because it suits you. You haven't a leg to stand on. I'll see you saturday or you can deliver mine and pick this one up at any stage at your cost".

Am I right to assume that he hasn't a leg to stand on - he gave me a courtest car with no mention of me having to report back as soon as mine is ready. And since technically he STILL hasn't honoured his end of the agreement because a panel in the dash that's faulty needs replacing then my car isn't ready as agreed.

peasant

Time to pay a quick visit to a solicitor IMO ...you may be skating on thin ice there.

niceirishfella

peasant wrote: »

Time to pay a quick visit to a solicitor IMO ...you may be skating on thin ice there.

No need to see a solicitior.
You never signed a rental agreement on the car you have a courtesy car..........cos, thats what it is....a courtesy car......not a rental.

he's a bluffer.........and you're doing the right thing. You have him in a corner - keep him there.

ShiverinEskimo

You think so? I mean so far he's sold a car which came with an agreement for it to be NCT'd, Dash Panel Replaced, and Full Service.

OUt of those three only the NCT was done so far. He's said he's serviced it but didn't stamp the service history book. And the dash panel is still faulty.

When I left it in I told him I wanted the Turbo fixed, NCT done and dash panel replaced before I picked it up and was given a courtesy car in return.

He still hasn't completed the third part of the agreement and now is saying he'll charge me rental fee for the car.

Aside from the fact that the car had a major fault from the word go and I have not had use of it surely in a court of law he wouldn't have a leg?

peasant

You never signed a rental car agreement, but you never signed a courtesy car agreement either.

You now have that courtesy car for a long time for several reasons ...not all of them are the sellers fault.

I'd be careful, that's all. He might just be the one to confront you with a solicitors letter the next time you show up.

ShiverinEskimo

I can't imagine he will - if he does show me something like that then I'll list the reasons why its a bad idea - he still doesn't realise that I've copped the fact that service history hasn't been stamped.

The initial agreement was NCT, Dash Panel, Service. So far only NCT - surely no judge would go against a contract with three specific conditions two of which have not been met.

niceirishfella

I would write to him personally - not a solicitors letter.......that will escalate the matter. Outline your stance, and inform him as to when you will return to pick up the car with all agreed work completed.
keep a copy and fax it to him and keep the tx cert of the fax to acknowledge he got the fax etc.
start keeping a diary and record of events.

giddynurse

i think you should tell him that he will be going to court if he does not fulfill the necessary requirements for the car.. i mean you paid a lot of money for it.. and tell him if he wastes any more of your time, then he can refund you with 12k.. if he disagrees.. then just vandalize the place.. it will make you feel better.. and all of the cars a probably stolen anyway

geoff29

just read this thread there..

yeh I'd be fairly careful at this stage op. Can't say I would have sent that text you sent - I mean there's tough and fair - but no need to be a smart ****er.

As the others alluded to, look at it from his point of view - the *facts* are:
He sold you a car - with a warrenty - a good start!
Car failed.
He replaced the turbo - albeit with a refurbished one. Still did it.
He booked the NCT and got it done.
He gave you a car in the meantime - *many* people wouldn't do this and I've even had main garages charge me for this

Yes, I agree nothing has been signed. But are *you* not the one giving him the run-around now? Yes, the service stamp is still not done - but you can't have everything - and does it *really* matter? Without meaning to be too hard on you, I've been in the exact same situation a dozen times, but the poor-little-me bit may not stand up to a judge since the seller has already gone to a reasonable amount of trouble... esp given that you now wont give back the car!!!

I've bought many a second hand car and there are times when you just have to say right thats how it is and get on with it - i.e, if it was me - I would have got him to do the turbo and then *I* would have booked and done the NCT myself - and that prob would have been a matter of days. If it failed *then* it would have been time to write the letters - but as it is, assuuming the car is *right* and *nctd*, if I was him I would be getting the ink-well out...

ps. those saab engines, the old triumph, are prone to head-gasket failures and your oil sludge etc. think you were lucky if your getting away with only a blown turbo - suspect life of the engine may have been compromised however - so may need to look to the future if you get me

cabrwab

Op ask the question how did you sell a car ive had for 3 weeks?!!

Id agree you are maybe slightly on thinning ice.
Be careful don't want you getting badly burnt. Id meet him half way offer it too him. You still need to get the last job done.

ShiverinEskimo

I know but there is just no way I can drive from Dundalk to Tallaght before Saturday. I'm just back from hols so there is no chance of getting a day off work.

Plus the original agreement when dropping it back was for the dash panel to be replaced and this isn't done - I'm reluctant to go down at all really until that is done because he could just keep saying he'll get back to me. I have something he needs and I need him to get more work done. If I go down and take my car I'll have my car but no gurantee he'll do the last item of work.

cabrwab

Well you have stated that you can't get back to him until saturday. Fair enough. This all must be fairly frustrating.

You explained to him about the work situation yeah? I dont know any point in just ringing him again?

ShiverinEskimo

Yea I told him what shift I was on and everything and that there's no way I'm going to sit on the M50 for 3 hours to get back to work 10am. He doesn't open til half 8 each morning.

Can you imagine having to drive the whole way round the m50 (starting in Tallaght) at about 8:45am?

No. Chance.

I've offered for him to drive up and drop my car off and pick his up if he's desperate to have it that badly and he replied "U have sum cheek!"

I have some cheek?

geoff29

at the end of the day, its his car. sorry to say it

ShiverinEskimo

I know yea, but an agreement is exactly that. I'm not in breach of the agreement, he is. The repairs are not completed and I was given that courtesy car as a replacement until such time the repairs were completed.

geoff29

true - is there any way that it can be sorted some eve after traffic etc?

ShiverinEskimo

I discussed that - I work til 8pm this week. So by the time I drive down it would 9/9.30.

This wouldn't bother me too much but when I asked him his opening hours he said 8.30-5 and didn't sound like he would entertain any kind of ad-hoc arrangement.

I'll see him on saturday if I dont hear from him by then. If he wants to try and charge me he can but I wont be leaving without my car. If he won't give me his car and somehow wrangles the courtesy car keys from my grasp then I'll sue him.

cabrwab

Well sorry to everybody but the OP has serious done his best here, he told him saturday or late in the evening, or the guy can come get it anytime he wants.
I think very accomadating IMO.

OP try him again, your both being put out. You can't get time off so fair enough.
Don't know what type of legal stance you will have to sue.

I do really feel for you. But if he hasn't fixed it that is terrible!

geoff29

spose

anyway best of luck either way with it op - at least its been an experience! haaa..

ShiverinEskimo

That it has.

I'll post back here on Saturday for those interested.

Cheers lads.

ShiverinEskimo

Thought I'd update you kind folk who posted up on this.

I went down that Saturday expecting Battle Royale but had a stroke of luck.

I arrived and the office was closed and there was a young lad valeting the cars. I just said I was there to pick up the Saab and was the owner around. "He's just popped out for breakfast - he'll be back in 20 mins" he says. I told him I was in a rush and asked if he could sort me out. He said no bother and he got me the car keys, showed me the old Turbo and took the courtesy car keys off me.

Needless to say I blazed out of there like a bat out of hell. Couldn't believe my luck. The NCT test results and disc was waiting on the dash for me too - it failed the first time for headlamp alignment so it had to be re-tested at a total cost of 76 euro or something which I was happy for him about.

So all in all I finally got my car fixed and NCT'd with no face-to-face confrontation but buckets over calls and texts.

But it's not over yet - It's 7 weeks since I bought the car now and I haven't received my Log Book. I spoke to the VLC in Shannon and they said there is a three week backlog max which is backed up by my friend who bought a car a couple of weeks after me and got his log book about 2 weeks ago.

I've spoken to a cop friend of mine and he said I have two choice - ring the garage again and ask when they sent it and if I dont get a satisfactory response report them to the Gardai as it is a criminal offence not to submit a change of ownership. Or, replace the Vehicle Licencing Cert myself through the lost docs process and apply the change of ownership myself.

I really have no interest in ringing him - I imagine he has lost the doc himself and hasn't applied for the replacement and has now completely forgotten but the less I deal with him the better for my blood pressure so I'm going to see about doing it myself.

niceirishfella

Well, for all the hassles he put your way - i'd get the ROZZERS onto him! You'll get your documentation fairly lively then - remember - you owe it to him!

ShiverinEskimo

Believe it or not - got up this morning at 9 and went straight down to the cop shop to get my lost docs form stamped. Bish bash bosh your one behind the desk stamped it with little or no question and sent me on my way.

I got back home in time to meet Postie on his way in my gate - 1 letter for me all the way from Shannon.

The garage did actually submit it - albeit 5 weeks after I bought the car. So that's one less thing to worry about.

And the last thing to worry about was the dash panel - and it is winging it's way to an Ebay fixer upper as we speak.

Finally feels like I've bought a car. only took 7 weeks :rolleyes:

niceirishfella

yayyyyyy!!!!

ShiverinEskimo

\o/ :pac::pac::pac: \o/

geoff29

nice to hear all has ended well.

I secretly like Saabs you see

ShiverinEskimo

Secretly? Haha - it's been a lot of fun showing it to people. A lot of people just think they are ugly cars and that's half the reason I love them.

Girls say things like "well it's a very boyish car" trying to be nice.

Priceless - I think the appeal of them for me is that they don't appeal to everybody.

Mac 3

Followed this from the start, fair play to you for getting it sorted, all sorted now.