To be completely hacked off...?

[PineapplePrincess]

Been in negations to buy a second hand car off of a friend of a friend. We had agreed price, but given the value and age of the car we asked to put the car through a full service to check condition. The service cost £800, to which we agreed to pay.

Service was undertaken and highlighted a number of items of work which really needed done within a short timespan. The value of the work totalled over £6k.

We went back to seller and asked them to revise the price by £2k. We were taking the hit for more than half of the repairs bill and already invested £800.

Seller initially refused and we walked away. They then messaged and asked for us to increase our price by another £1k. We didn’t respond, then they message again to advise they had another buyer at the £1k raised price.

Timing was suspicious so we called them out. Turns out the garage we took the car to be serviced at are the new buyers.

AIBU to be hacked off? We’ve basically wasted £800 and have nothing to show for it. We’ve introduced the seller to the garage. The seller has an car worth more as it’s gone through a full service and is in a better condition as a result. The garage has been able to check the car out and know it’s condition, at our cost - probably hyped up the repair bill, and then cut us out.

We’ve asked the seller to provide a contribution towards the service, but they have refused. Would have written of the cost of the service if they were selling to random other person; but to sell to the garage we introduced them to feels like we’ve been ripped off.

Why on earth would you pay for an £800 service on somebody else's car?

They saw you coming.

A prospective buyer shouldn't be paying for a service before any sale. Why did you do that? Sorry you've been bitten.

Why would you service a car you don't own? They should have serviced it to make it saleable. Maybe not the best idea you ever had!

What the fuck! This is so weird, why would you pay for the service?

Certainly wouldn’t have paid to service it. They aren’t legally obligated to reimburse you and they have made it clear they won’t.
You won’t make the mistake again though. Bad luck. X

You paid £800 paid for a service on a car you dont own.

They tried to get the sellers to drop the price.

The garage will buy it for 1k more tha you are willing to pay.

Now you want an introduction fee?

What?

£800 for a service, bloody hell is it a rolls?

The garage havent done anything wrong either.

If the seller contacted them to get the work done or to query what they said then mentioned that you had dropped out, so they made an offer...where is the problem?

Whenever we've bought a car, we always get a new MOT

Are you mad ...I’m thick when it comes to cars
But fuck me id not of parted with a dime till that car was mine

You were still considering buying it after you found out it needed SIX GRAND spending on it??!!
Is this a wind up or is it a Lamborghini?

I had to read it twice to check that yes you paid £800 for a service and the car needed 6k worth of work why did you do that ??? . yes they saw you coming lesson learnt never ever pay 1p unless you own the car .

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/buying-or-repairing-a-car/buying-a-used-car/

At most you get an independent inspection done for say £200. You don't pay for servicing, maintenance, parts, etc on a car you don't own.

I don't understand why you don't understand that.

You said you didn't want to buy it so I'know that sense they've done nothing wrong...YOU wanted the service before you bought it and you agreed to pay, if they were decent they would have probably took the 2k off as they must have known it needed work if it was 6k worth!
Anyway you fucked up. A service shouldn't have cost £800 either you have been mugged off big time.

Yes, probably not our best decision. We had every intention of buying the car, but suspected it needed some work. The only way to confirm was to get a full check from a specialist dealer.

We were willing to walk away if the bill totalled too much, and would have sunk the £800, knowing we wouldn’t have been left with an unaffordable bill.

It was DH dream car, and he became quite emotionally involved. He paid for it with his money btw, not ours!?! I trusted him on this, as I know nothing about cars, or car buying.

@Protienshakesandtears - no not asking for an introduction fee. Just annoyed in general. Seller knows they have lucked out, and pretty much said they feel guilty about it, but not guilty enough to split the service bill.

@Guiltypleasures001 - not quite a Rolls no, but a unique and expensive car, but s very old one at that. Seller got the MOT done which came back fine as the car is road worthy. Service confirmed that there’s work needed in the next couple of months.