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Original poster

Sold car privately now they want their money back

221 replies

Raspberrysins · 14/03/2021 16:19

I sold my car to a lady on Facebook. She test drove it on Monday. Picked it up on Friday. Meanwhile I also found a car and bought it with the proceeds. She turned up on my doorstep yesterday claiming the car is ‘no good’ and wants her money back. She said it smells of fumes and that the engine was smoking. She brought another lady who was pretty bolshy. I didn’t know what to do! She demanded that I go and pick it up from her house and so I did this and also I arranged for the garage who’d recently MOT’d it to take it for a check on Monday. I did this all as a gesture of goodwill. I felt sorry for her as honestly the car had been fine for me and just had some work done. I’m feeling so anxious now about what the outcome might be. What if the garage uncover a problem that I didn’t know about? What’s my responsibility? The car is legally hers and my understanding is that with a private sale it’s ‘sold as seen’. It’s up to her to check it properly. I never set out to scam anyone. I know officially I don’t have to do anything but I feel so very anxious. Her son lives in my village and I am worried they might cause trouble.

OP posts:
MonochromeMinnie · 14/03/2021 18:14

Advise her that you’ve reached out to the garage or contacted the garage, even.

oil0W0lio · 14/03/2021 18:14

I'd have shut the door in her face
I'd have wanted to....however she sounds like a bolshy difficult person and the best strategy (for a quiet life) I recon is to be polite but concise, dont give her any reason to kick off if she's already spoiling for a fight.

Beautiful3 · 14/03/2021 18:15

When the garage confirms its fine, ring/text the lady to say the garage say its fine and to go collect the car from the garage. You shouldn't be driving it uninsured. If she comes to your house then do not answer the door and block her calls.

AnneElliott · 14/03/2021 18:18

Sounds like the awful woman who bought my car a few years ago. I think I had a thread about it at the time - really long story but she was a nutter! Would never sell privately again.

I think you have to be firm if the garage says there's nothing wrong with the car. Don't pick it up - tell her to do that. And yes call the police if she turns up again.

willibald · 14/03/2021 18:19

@oil0W0lio

I'd have shut the door in her face I'd have wanted to....however she sounds like a bolshy difficult person and the best strategy (for a quiet life) I recon is to be polite but concise, dont give her any reason to kick off if she's already spoiling for a fight.
Well, of course. 'Private sales of automobiles are caveat emptor and sales are considered final. I will not return money or take back the car. Good bye.'

I've sold quite a few cars, though. Had one guy really chance it, show up with a cheque. No. Then tell me, not ask, that I needed to wait till he could get the cash. I had someone in second place already waiting with cash. Guess who got the car, and was very pleased with it?

NancyPickford · 14/03/2021 18:19

Sold as seen. Let the buyer beware. I sold a classic convertible, and gave the woman a good long drive in it, showed her how to work the roof mechanism, all went well, she was happy. Bought it and drove off. The next day phoned to say the roof was no longer retracting, but just in a kind of 'just my luck', way. And that was that.

willibald · 14/03/2021 18:22

It's a common ploy, buy it, drive it around for the weekend and then chance your arm to see if you can get the money back. Had that happen too. My brother and father were there. They laughed. 'You chancer. No. Car is sold as seen, private sale. Sale is final. Goodbye.'

Original poster
Raspberrysins · 14/03/2021 18:22

@Tal45 no when I drove it for 30 mins it did not smell of fumes. It was smoking under the oil cap though at the end. I’m not sure this is always something to worry about. I think the woman is a nervous type and seemed to think the whole car was faulty when I believe it isn’t.

OP posts:
SeaToSki · 14/03/2021 18:23

She probably drove it with the hand brake on or put the wrong fuel in it and knackered the car and is now trying to weasel out of it.

RedRiverShore · 14/03/2021 18:24

Most insurance allow you to drive any car not owned by you but I think it is only 3rd party cover and you generally have to be over a certain age, 21 or 25 something like that

Viviennemary · 14/03/2021 18:32

I don't think you should have taken it back. This is a recognised scam. Return the car to her and say as far as you are concerned the car was sound when it was sold.

oil0W0lio · 14/03/2021 18:33

she thinks it's ebay where you can make a complaint and paypal will refund your money!

Viviennemary · 14/03/2021 18:34

People are right. She needs to pick it up herself.

DustyMuse · 14/03/2021 18:36

I'm sorry I haven't taken the time to read throuh all the thread. I just wanted to say that I sold a second-hand collector's car after my divorce and something very similar happened to me. Two men came a long distance to see it and try it out. They were very friendly and must have seen that there was no man in the picture. They kept pushing the price down but I sold it to them because it had been a mental burden for far too long.

A few days later I received a horrendous mail from one of them threatening me that if I didn't pay them back as the car was faulty, they would take me to court. I initially panicked and then realised that it was completely ridiculous as it had passed the equivalent of the MOT just before (I live in France). I asked advice from my car mechanic, my insurance company, and lawyer and they all agreed it was a scam so I should do absolutely nothing. I received more threatening mails from them with false accusations. I didn't reply and they soon left me alone.

My garage said that these scams are far too frequent and advised me from now on never to sell my car privately.

CantBeAssed · 14/03/2021 18:36

Smoke coming from oil cap is usually quite a serious problem, unless oil was topped up and its just a bit that was spilt around the engine thats smoking....take nothing else to do with the car...ring garage and tell them to contact her regarding collection and any work needing done as you are no longer the owner...

LunaLula83 · 14/03/2021 18:43

You picked up the car, you have to pay her back. Lesson learned

RandomUser18282 · 14/03/2021 18:45

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Original poster
Raspberrysins · 14/03/2021 18:45

@AnneElliott that sounds awful! It’s certainly put me off ever selling a car privately again.

OP posts:
Original poster
Raspberrysins · 14/03/2021 18:46

To those saying she is probably trying to scam me I genuinely think she isn’t. She wanted the car. She thinks I’m the scammer!

OP posts:
Thisgirlcando · 14/03/2021 18:47

I had something very similar recently. I sold my car to someone at work for her son (won’t do that again). When I sold it there were no issues whatsoever, I wouldn’t sell it to someone I knew if I thought it was going to break. Within a week they were telling me it had a leak, it never leaked for me. They tried to argue that because of lockdown I didn’t drive it enough to notice, but they had taken it for a 30 mile test drive.

They kept saying to take it to the garage I had taken it to for the service to have it checked, I gave them the garage number and the date of the service and left it at that, they kept telling me they couldn’t afford to have it fixed as if they wanted me to shell out. In the end I just said I would be disappointed too if it had happened to my car after I bought it but there would be nothing I could do about it, let me know what the garage say, I hope it’s not too expensive for you.

For all I know, the week they had it he was ragging it around everywhere and created the damage or bumped it. Let them ring the police, let them take you to court. Their car is broken, not yours. Do not pay any money because then you look responsible and they will come back about every issue in future.

Original poster
Raspberrysins · 14/03/2021 18:47

@LunaLula83 I don’t agree

OP posts:
GabsAlot · 14/03/2021 18:49

you shouldnt have driven it best thing you could have done was just say you need a report on any problems and then talk to a solcitor

youve practically admitted theres a problem by taking it to a garage

FreddyTheFlute · 14/03/2021 18:49

@LunaLula83

You picked up the car, you have to pay her back. Lesson learned
No she doesnt.
SchadenfreudePersonified · 14/03/2021 18:50

@justanotherneighinparadise

I’m not sure you’ve screwed up as much as everyone is saying.

You paid for the car to have work done, she thinks there is an issue with the work the garage undertook, so you took it back to the garage as an act of goodwill. I think that’s fair enough. It’s what happens now that’s the problem. If the garage say the work is fine then she'll want a refund. If the garage say there’s a further issue then she’ll want you to pay for it. So you need to decide what you do next.

As above.

If she and her friend threaten you again, call the police.

If they threaten to call the police, hand then the phone.

This is a civil dispute - the police may come out, but only to make sure nothing kicks off.

RagamuffinCat · 14/03/2021 18:58

Who has the keys at the moment?