Bought a bmw, seller was a clown.

RandomNoob

RandomNoob

RandomNoob

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Bought a bmw 330i saloon on the weekend (just about) but omg the seller was an idiot :eek:Seems harsh but this is the only way i can sum him up.

This is what happened.
Phone the seller before viewing the car..

Me: Hi is the bmw still for sale?

Seller: Hello yes it is...

Me: Just want to confirm before coming along to view the car that the price is negotiable?

Seller: Yes of course just don't make me a silly offer.

Me: Ok that seems fair. Can you tell me what sort of condition the car is in and tax and mot length?

Seller: Lovely condition for year inside and out, bodywork is good and has no running problems at all everything works as you would expect, its taxed till end of august and has mot until september.

Me: Sounds nice, can i come view the car at some point this evening?

Seller: It is nice, when you see the car you will want to buy it. Tomorrow is better for me as its the weekend but here's my address and postcode just give me a call before you set out to make sure im home to show you the car.


So... Next day my friend a mechanic came around picked me up to go view this car, rang the seller and after driving 45 miles went to view the car.

Car not exactly 'lovely' condition, few scratches and dents and scrapes but then again its an 11 year old car but the seller should have mentioned this still, i would have if selling the car!
My friend spent 30 minutes looking over the body, the engine and the interior and then went for a test drive. We had already noticed that the tax was in fact out the end of June not august but the mot was correct.
The bodywork needed some touch ups, reverse parking sensors didn't work, there was a cracked foglight, one of the rear lights had a split in it, one of the windscreen heated washer jets was missing and my friend noted an oil leak coming from the camshaft sensor on the engine (which he said could also be the rocker cover).

So after my friend pointed out some faults not mentioned on the phone by the seller we then haggled on the price. The car was up for sale for £1750, despite the faults the seller seemed reluctant to drop below this and kept saying the car was 'mint', trying to explain to the seller it was far from 'mint' was like talking to the wall this guy was seriously not going to sell this car for anywhere near asking price.

After me pointing out the faults and listing them again in front of the seller he was willing to drop to £1500, which was too much imho. So i offered the seller £1200, i would have walked had the car been more local but i had to face facts and realise it was unlikely i would get a 330i bmw for sub £1500 without faults.

In the end after much debate and haggling i was about to just go home and give up whining about the cars faults to the seller, he then just out of nowhere agreed to £1250, he still had a bit of a whine about letting the car go too cheaply.

I know faults aside i may have had a decent car for a good price but i really don't understand why sellers can't be more honest? Why the need to exaggerate and state on the phone before i view the car that it has no problems when its obvious just by looking at it that it requires some work.

This is the exact reason i try and avoid buying cars on the auction site for example because people don't always mention obvious faults.
 
I would have thought as a daily car this would be a a total nightmare but as a project, track car or similar for £1250 it could well be a great idea.
 
Why is the seller a clown? Unless the car is owned by Fox, what condition would you expect the car to be in @ 11 years old?

You asked the condition...he said good for its age. You failed to then ask any more detailed questions regarding the body work condition etc.
 
GinG said:
Why is the seller a clown? Unless the car is owned by Fox, what condition would you expect the car to be in @ 11 years old?

You asked the condition...he said good for its age. You failed to then ask any more detailed questions regarding the body work condition etc.
Click to expand...

+1. Any 11 year old car that has had average use will have scratches here and there.
 
Sounds to me like someone has completely unrealistic expectations. Why would you expect a "mint" 330i when you are paying "utter shed" money?
 
It was an ultra-cheap tatty 330i. The seller wasn't exactly going to be an esteemed University professor was he? Condition sounds exactly as expected for what must be the cheapest 330i in the entire country.

I'd imagine it will now cost you a fortune to keep on the road over the next 18 months after which time you'll give up and then punt it on for next to nothing to the next person..

All the 'faults' you've listed indicate a completely unloved car the owner simply didn't give a **** about, so I'd imagine there is much more lurking in places you can't see.

Don't really understand why you'd buy a 1250 quid 330i. If you can afford for issues etc not to be an issue you can afford to just go and buy a nice one?
 
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Reminds me of a completely unloved 02 plate M3 driven by a chav type in a vest that pulled up ostentatiously at the door of my local Tesco store blocking the entrance/exit. It was covered in bubbles of rust and the engine sounded rough as.

I guess these cars have fallen in price to a level which allows 'the undesirables' to acquire them even though they blatantly can't afford to maintain them.
 
mike gunnz said:
Reminds me of a completely unloved 02 plate M3 driven by a chav type in a vest that pulled up ostentatiously at the door of my local Tesco store blocking the entrance/exit. It was covered in bubbles of rust and the engine sounded rough as.

I guess these cars have fallen in price to a level which allows 'the undesirables' to acquire them even though they blatantly can't afford to maintain them.
Click to expand...

undesirables? Its hardly a prestige motor.
 
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