Bought a 68 mustang,ebay seller stated its as new is it gets.$7,000+ in repairs

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NickT916

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hello,

i bought this vehicle on ebay from PA and i live in CA
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0364339745&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT

on the auction seller stated this

"This car has been professionally restored..."
"Practically everything for this car is new or has been reconditioned to it's original state."
"The body has been removed of all rust and has had all new sheet metal replaced."
"This car is as close to new as you can get for a very affordable price."


when i received the vehicle, i checked things out and there is about 13-14 things that need to be fixed, adjusted or replaced. To take it to a shop and get it all done, i would be looking at about $7,000+ to get it all done. I taken pictures of all the damages and things that need more work. I put a list together and sent it to the seller, but he does not reply. I also tried to file with VPP on ebay, but it got denied due to vehicle being older than 10 years.. even tho on the auction it stated "This vehicle is eligible for up to $50,000 in Vehicle Purchase Protection"

Im not sure what my options are at the moment, but i would like to get as much help as possible. If i can take the seller to small claims, would it have to be in PA or CA? what other suggestions can you guys offer?

thank you

Nick
 
You can't use small claims. You are way over the limit.
If you are going to file suit then you will have to do so where the seller lives.

My only suggestion is that in the future you should inspect the vehicle prior to purchase. Used vehicles are sold as-is... buyer beware. Kind of hard to do when the vehicle is in PA... but that is the risk you take.
 
At this point you have to ask yourself whether it is worth the cost to make the repairs or not. Did you request an independent inspection? For that kind of money, I would have found some way to have a neutral party take a look at it for an evaluation.

I think you're pretty much out of luck unless you can obtain voluntary compliance form the seller or are willing to go to superior court to sue him ... perhaps in PA. I suspect that such an effort would cost you more than the $7,000 you would have to put into the car.

In a side note, I am still amazed that so many people make major purchases cross country, sight unseen like this. I swear, a week doesn't go by that we don't get a report of someone allegedly swindling someone else on Craigslist or eBay. Well, Craigslist tends to be best for fencing local stolen goods, eBay seems to be best to just draw in the suckers from cross country. My sister and her husband have been taken twice on eBay (for about $15,000 all told) and STILL they buy and sell on it!!

Oh well, different experiences, I suppose.
 
i can get an estimate for the repairs etc... im currently at about $9,000+ estimated. My lawyer told me to get 2 estimates and i can do all the work myself (which is what im doing because im a mechanic) and i need to keep track of all the work done, pictures, time spent etc. Then i can file a lawsuit here in CA because it wont be a small claims.

im debating on what to do, but i will be repairing everything and keeping track. My lawyer said it will be $3,500 to start and he would want to file for a full amount of the vehicle. The lawyer then take 35% at the end of whatever the settlement is.
 
I think you have a pretty slim chance of getting a judgment.
The vehicle should have been inspected prior to purchase.
 
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