Cheap Restorations and Worse

Ermin-trude (who really is 190evo2, but he sometimes usesanother id to escape negative feedback) sold me a classic Saab 900 convertible.

The car was described as being completely original, totally rust and accident free. It was also supposed to have had a new hood professionally fitted.

I had problems on driving the car home with the electrics. As a result I became suspicious of the car and had it professionally inspected. The car had a significant amount of underbody rust, some minor accident damage and to quote the specialist 'one of the most poorly fitted new roofs he had seen'.

ermin-trude (190evo2) stated that in his opinion the car had been fairly described and refused to take the car back or offer any compensation. It appears that despite using absolute statements as long as you say youbelieve what you have said (highly unlikely in this case as 190evo2 descibes himself as a Saab specialist) you can get away with it. It also appears that the fact that the auction had no reserve is in some way significant.

E-bay dispute resolution procedures are a complete and utter waste of time. Ermin-trude (190evo2) simply refused to respond, as he had no arguement with the pointsI was making as I had a report from a specialist garage to prove all of the defects/problems.

I have contacted citizens advice and trading standards and what a surprise trading standards know this person, have previously investigated and have felt the need to prosecute.

At the end of the day I felt that I have fallen victim to a confidence trickster. The listings are worded very carefullyand are deliberately misleadingto give him escape routes in the event of dispute.Also when I finally after much consideration, and giving him sufficient opportunity to deal with the issues fairly, left negative feedback, he responded by using my name. When I subsequently responded stating that the report I had from a Saab specialist proved all of the issues he complained of feedback abuse and to my horror the feedback was removed. He has never given me feedback even though I paid within 24 hours of 'winning' the car which has meant that the record of the transaction has justdisappeared from the ebay records. His knowledge of these slights of hand show that he has been here many times before all topped off by the fact that he now claims that it was an entirely different person who sold me the car (his wife/girlfriend, even mother for all I know). Apparently the sale was a private sale but he had been in posession of the car for something like 10 months butnever advised DVLA that he was the new keeper. It clearly was a trade sale.

He had taken to putting the following statements on his listings

4. Bidders should satisfy themselves as to the condition of this car prior to bidding. I have described the car as accurately as possible, but I will not be held responsible for any errors of description. No warranty is given as to the age, authenticity, suitability, provenance, attribution, origin, condition, fitness for purpose, merchantable or satisfactory quality or roadworthiness of the vehicle and any express or implied conditions and warranties are hereby excluded.

How many genuinesellers feel the need to make these statements? Although now he has changed the format of his listings. It is worth comparing his listings with dbj400, tur130, tur190 and henry1103. Check out the backgound.

Yes I should have been more aware when purchasing and I have well and truely had my fingers burn't (loss on the car is 2,500) but people like ermin trude (190evo2) rely on the trust that honest people will have in the statements that they make and the general intregrity of people.

If you are thinking of buying from this person check absolutely everything out. Also check out all of the history as he will describe servicing as having been done by marque specialists when this is completely untrue. In fact when I looked into it one of the garages was a bog standard Ford/Fiat garage and the other garage whose stamp was in the service book for the most recent services was completely untraceable! Genuine service history?

BEWARE.