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Paint Me Proud

Paint Me Proud

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A friend has just purchased a 3.5t horsebox from eBay. They didnt view it first so just went on the description.

They collected it last week and have been looking into its service history etc.

The ebay advert stated the box was 'regularly serviced' but it turns out it hasnt been serviced for a few years.

Its MOT is due in a fortnight and the new owner is going to have to cover the cost of getting it through the MOT.

Now my friend wants the person they bought it off to cover the cost of the work as it wasnt regularly serviced as they were told.

I'm not sure if i agree to be honest. Perhaps think as they basically 'bought as seen' that they are just trying to recoup a bit of money (as my friend bought on impulse and is worried funds wont stretch)

What would you do?

(ps i feel a bit bad because she did it after seeing me buy mine unseen from ebay but i have alot more experience of horsebox buying and knew what i was looking for!)
 
I'm not sure she has a leg to stand on - she went to pick the box up, paid the money and drove it away. It may have been regularly serviced, just not as often as she thought. Once every 5 years would be regular, just not often.

The MOT question - did she ask how much MOT it had before she bid?

Out of interest, what payment method did she use?
 
Yes she knew it only had a few weeks MOT when she bought it, but she only saw it on ebay 12 minutes before bidding end so it was definitely an impulse buy!

She paid cash on collection :rolleyes:
 
They were rather trusting buying it unseen. I would grin and bare it. The fact is hasn't been serviced 'regularly' could be irrelevant, isn't most servicing is done on a mileage basis? and I would be surprised if it did 10 000 miles a year, so if it was serviced 3 yrs ago and had only done 5000 miles since then why would it be serviced more often. The previous owners have obviously got it through the previous MOT's and the new purchasers should have been aware when the MOT is due. So sorry, it is not the previous owners problem (IMO)
 
Depends on what someone classes as "regularly serviced", could mean anything in some peoples eyes from topping up the screen wash and oil to one person, and to another changing the oil and filter, air filter, brakes etc. Could have been serviced by a friend which is difficult to argue the point as they wouldnt be able to provide a service stamp like a Garage.

MOT - did your friend get the box cheap? If so then I dont really think the old owner covering the cost of the MOT is appropriate. Sounds like she bought it as seen as you say and thats the risk you take with EBay. She perhaps would have been better asking the vendor to get it through its MOT before purchasing it then wouldnt have this worry.

Hope it doesnt take too much work to be right for her. If her receipt says "sold as seen" then I dont think she has a leg to stand on. She could always ring Trading Standards or the Citizens Advice for help.
 
Well, she can ask them... but I bet I know what answer she'll get :/

Would have been best to check the paperwork when she went to pick it up - I think by handing over the cash and driving it away, she has accepted it in the condition it was in. With cash on collection, there is no recourse through Ebay - not sure that they'd find in her favour even if there was. Think she is just going to have to bite the bullet and pay whatever the costs are tbh. I do feel for her, it's easy to get carried away :(
 
thanks guys, what you are saying is pretty much what i have been thinking.

I really hope it isnt too much for her to get through the MOT but she has already had quotes to have a load of work done to the interior. :rolleyes:

I tried to nicely and subtly suggest that she uses the money for the MOT and forget the interior for now and 'do it up' as she goes along (it is completely usable as it is, and personally i would bother changing the interior)

I will be keeping my fingers crossed though as we are planning on taking our little boxes out to fun rides etc together so dont want to loose my travel buddy!
 
Your friend is being ridiculous. She cannot expect to buy a vehicle without a warranty from a private seller without inspecting it and then have every possible thing that might be wrong with it corrected for an MOT. Presumably the fact that its MOT is due in 2 weeks time affected the price she paid for it, so if she was wanting a box that already had an MOT, thats what she should have bought! And tbh, service history isn't that hard to check, if you leave yourself enough time.

Why is that so many people buy things and then expect the seller to provide an ongoing support service for them?!
 
Mithras said:
Why is that so many people buy things and then expect the seller to provide an ongoing support service for them?!
Click to expand...

I know! I bought mine unseen a few weeks ago and realised this week that the ramp needed a new board (its one of those renault master ones so the ramp is only tiny). I didnt piss and moan about it, i bought as seen, so i went out and bought a new board and replaced it last night. Never once crossed my mind to ask the seller to pay for it! :rolleyes:

I think she is just panicking now as it was such an impulse buy - do hope it all comes right for her though :)
 
I am always suspicious of something with a short dated MOT, I would think that best practice is to sell with a full MOT.
Ebay is not ideal for items one has little knowledge of, I buy stuff which is branded or top quality and nearly new, I have been pleased more often than displeased, but there is a risk in any transaction.
On Ebay there is a risk of shiiming, or shilling, that is someone bids up the price so that their friend (or the owner with another account name) gets a better price. There are checks in place for this, but a one off sale will be not be noticed.
 
Alssssssso to think about "service history" means naff all ... Plenty of people are more than capable of servicing their own vehicles, plenty of people use unregistered or cash in hand mechanics, and then there are also those dozy people like ME who have their vehicles serviced once a year like clockwork and then stuff the paperwork into a bag somewhere never to see the light of day again.
 
You'll never believe this. The seller of friends horsebox has agreed to sent a cheque for £150 :eek::eek:
I amazed, i know if i had been the seller i would have told my friend to get stuffed, lol!:rolleyes::D
 
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