**Would post in Motors, but think its more of a GD question**
Hi all - I would like your collective advice on something
My best friend is emigrating this summer. When she told me last year she asked if I would be willing to buy her Mini off her when she went. I have always wanted a Mini and I want to help her out as much as I can so I said that I would be happy to buy it off her in principle.
A few months ago I asked her to put the Mini through a full service (which I would pay for) to make sure that the car is 100% sound. She refused saying that it had only had a service last year and she was told that the car is in mint condition. At this point alarm bells started to ring, but I backed off and told her to forget I asked.
A couple of weeks ago, I arranged temporary insurance cover and took the Mini for 24 hours. My friend had advised me that there was an electrical fault on the car, but not to worry too much as it doesn’t cause issues all the time, but to fix it it would cost £500.
I took it to my local garage (to a mechanic we trust) and asked for a full look over and a rough estimate from the mechanic of what the car is worth. He advised us that the brakes are shot/rotten and need full replacements (pads and disks etc.) on all 4 wheels. As well as a few other bits and bobs he suggested £400-£500 for the work, plus the electrical work on top too. He said that it’s not really worth the amount she is asking for it. Whilst driving the car back to my friends house that day, the electrical fault happened 4 times on the M60 so it’s not something that I can really ignore and I my eyes, it will have to get fixed too.
At this point me and my other half are getting really reluctant to buy this car. It has only done 70k miles but its 13 years old this year, an automatic (I drive manuals) and she is asking for £2,500 for it. With what our mechanic said re: the breaks etc. and to fix the electrical fault, the whole thing is starting to cost more than what the car is worth.
I said to my friend that we would take the car for £2,000 or we will give her the full £2,500 if she gets the brakes fixed. She wasn’t happy with that, so I suggested that she should get her own quotes and let me know what she finds out.
Today she has told me that her mechanic has said that the breaks are fine to pass an MOT
and she doesn’t know why we have been told that they are rotten. So she wants the full £2,500. No further mention of the electrical fault and the cost to fix that too.
I don’t really know what to do! Another friend has said to suggest to put the Mini in for its MOT (that’s due in June) at a totally independent garage and see what the outcome of that is and go from there (if the brakes are really as bad as my mechanic says then it would fail) but I am getting to the point where I really don’t want to buy the car now at all.
How do I tell her all this, without hurting her feelings and not losing her friendship? Or is it all borked now? I have tried to keep all the dealings about the car as natural and business like as possible but I know her and she is quiet sensitive and she will probably get very upset if I pull out of the sale
So (W.W.G.D.D) what would GD do?
TL;DR - agreed (in principle) to buy my friends car off her last year. Was told that there was a £500 electrical fault this year, and after my mechanic looking it over I have been advised that it needs new breaks at £500 total. I offered £500 off the asking price. My friend has got a 2nd opinion which completely contradicts my mechanics opinion and wants full asking price. How do I (or how would you) get out of the sale without hurting her feelings or damaging the relationship beyond repair?
Hi all - I would like your collective advice on something
My best friend is emigrating this summer. When she told me last year she asked if I would be willing to buy her Mini off her when she went. I have always wanted a Mini and I want to help her out as much as I can so I said that I would be happy to buy it off her in principle.
A few months ago I asked her to put the Mini through a full service (which I would pay for) to make sure that the car is 100% sound. She refused saying that it had only had a service last year and she was told that the car is in mint condition. At this point alarm bells started to ring, but I backed off and told her to forget I asked.
A couple of weeks ago, I arranged temporary insurance cover and took the Mini for 24 hours. My friend had advised me that there was an electrical fault on the car, but not to worry too much as it doesn’t cause issues all the time, but to fix it it would cost £500.
I took it to my local garage (to a mechanic we trust) and asked for a full look over and a rough estimate from the mechanic of what the car is worth. He advised us that the brakes are shot/rotten and need full replacements (pads and disks etc.) on all 4 wheels. As well as a few other bits and bobs he suggested £400-£500 for the work, plus the electrical work on top too. He said that it’s not really worth the amount she is asking for it. Whilst driving the car back to my friends house that day, the electrical fault happened 4 times on the M60 so it’s not something that I can really ignore and I my eyes, it will have to get fixed too.
At this point me and my other half are getting really reluctant to buy this car. It has only done 70k miles but its 13 years old this year, an automatic (I drive manuals) and she is asking for £2,500 for it. With what our mechanic said re: the breaks etc. and to fix the electrical fault, the whole thing is starting to cost more than what the car is worth.
I said to my friend that we would take the car for £2,000 or we will give her the full £2,500 if she gets the brakes fixed. She wasn’t happy with that, so I suggested that she should get her own quotes and let me know what she finds out.
Today she has told me that her mechanic has said that the breaks are fine to pass an MOT
and she doesn’t know why we have been told that they are rotten. So she wants the full £2,500. No further mention of the electrical fault and the cost to fix that too.
I don’t really know what to do! Another friend has said to suggest to put the Mini in for its MOT (that’s due in June) at a totally independent garage and see what the outcome of that is and go from there (if the brakes are really as bad as my mechanic says then it would fail) but I am getting to the point where I really don’t want to buy the car now at all.
How do I tell her all this, without hurting her feelings and not losing her friendship? Or is it all borked now? I have tried to keep all the dealings about the car as natural and business like as possible but I know her and she is quiet sensitive and she will probably get very upset if I pull out of the sale
So (W.W.G.D.D) what would GD do?
TL;DR - agreed (in principle) to buy my friends car off her last year. Was told that there was a £500 electrical fault this year, and after my mechanic looking it over I have been advised that it needs new breaks at £500 total. I offered £500 off the asking price. My friend has got a 2nd opinion which completely contradicts my mechanics opinion and wants full asking price. How do I (or how would you) get out of the sale without hurting her feelings or damaging the relationship beyond repair?
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