Intro Thread / Hoping I didn't buy a 30K lemon... (9 Viewers)

[sjpitts]

BTW, did OP buy his own copy of the CARFAX? I seem to recall someone on this forum saying they had bought a vehicle relying on the CARFAX they received from the seller, and it turned out that the seller provided CARFAX had been photoshopped to hide some things.

 

[LongDuck]

 

[NeverFinis]

However unlikely, I think the odometer is correct.

BaT does give you a carfax, and there are prior records of the odometer, prior to the current seller.

There is a 20+ year gap between a reading at 57,708 miles and one in 2023 at 91,958 miles recorded by an auction.

That is a long time to avoid paying someone else to work on your s***....explains the state of it. I mean, my LX450 has a similar history.

Finally, another reading of 93,690 miles done at a garage in late 2024.

All before the current seller.

 

[COS80]

I gotta say, I feel for the PO. I bought my LX sight-unseen 2 yrs ago and I was terrified of getting screwed. I paid a shop to do a PPI, and that was a complete waste of money (they said things that were good were bad, and overlooked a bad alternator). I'd have been suicidal if I would have gone through this.

I hope you get your money back.

 

[Old Nick]

You can tell who is willing to fill a bad engine with diff oil and screw over some poor sucker (or more likely has) and who isn't throughout this thread.

You are absolutely correct. I feel for the op too. It's a total bummer. As I noted earlier, I got shafted a decade ago... but it wasn't for nearly 30k. I still think that the op should send this thread and all of the evidence/expertise in it - including the shenanigans with the title/cats/carpet, etc. - to BaT.

 

[bhsdriller]

Even if he did BAT can't do anything. All they are doing basically is connecting sellers with buyers.
They might ban the sellers account but that's it

OP would have to go after the seller directly

 

[Old Nick]

Even if he did BAT can't do anything. All they are doing basically is connecting sellers with buyers.
They might ban the sellers account but that's it

OP would have to go after the seller directly

Even a seller ban would be good. I know that he won't get much traction without a lawyer... (not advocating for that)... but I'm a big fan of what Shakespeare had to say in Henry VI, Pt. II. regarding lawyers... Ol' "Dick the Butcher" knew a thing or two.

 

[Dindu Nuffin]

Far as I know and can tell, it's illegal to sell a vehicle in FL without cats installed. If that's not an out, you can at least get the seller into some deep s*** with the EPA and other agencies.

*edit- a little more googling and it most certainly isn't legal for him to have sold you that truck knowing it didn't have cats. Additionally, there should have been a letter certifying that the emissions system is in place and hasn't been tampered with. If it were me, I'd give him one chance to reverse the sale (getting the truck back to FL might be a sticking point so be prepared to eat that cost) before dropping the hammer on 'em about the cats. Then go find a better deal for half of what you paid.

 

[KYLXFJ]

If the seller knows they cannot list it on BAT again, and if that are likely to only sell it for 15k tops, they now have fifteen thousand reasons to call your bluff and force you to lawyer up to get anything. Its probably not their first rodeo at being a sleaze. Not to discourage you, but to be taken into consideration. The money spent fighting them could go a long ways to fixing up the rig. They know that too. Its still a cruiser and still a beaut! Congrats and wish you the best.

 

[Batameez]

If this is actually a dealer then it may be worth contacting the Florida attorney general with the issues about the title and lack of cats. You might want to confirm that the dealer is actually registered as a business in Florida first, professional grifters could pull that slick move easily. Otherwise, you'd be shocked how many people keep a business going because they haven't had a person go after them yet.

 

[COS80]

This would be interstate fraud, btw.

 

[Batameez]

Good call, I'd find as many ways as possible to drown him in crap to make him give in and take the truck back.

 

[DivByZero]

There is a 20+ year gap between a reading at 57,708 miles and one in 2023 at 91,958 miles recorded by an auction.

That's probably the time the half-stripped body of the vehicle was sitting in a junkyard or barn after the side impact damage, before someone bought the husk and bolted spare parts into it to sell it as a low-milage "gem".

 

[CrabCake]

I'm going to stay out of the conversation on where this vehicle has spent its life...but to the OP, I get it. I picked mine up on BAT 3 years ago...did I pay a premium, most likely, but I got a great rig out of the deal that I plan to keep for a long time. When I bought mine, I basically got the bug for the 80 and came across the auction for mine. I hadn't done the research on MUD (didn't even know about MUD), or any real research on them...I just loved the idea of a super capable truck that I could still work on (and had a crush on since they came out but I couldn't afford at that time). With my auction, I did buy from a private seller that owned it for 8 years and had lots of receipts (and owned several LC's over the years including a 200 that he replaced the 80 with). The seller was very honest about everything and made me feel confident to fly from MD to AZ and do a road trip back home. All worked out for me and I'm still 110% happy with my purchase.

Quick story on BAT...I bought my 80 there, so I had a feel from the buyer's side of the table. A year later, a good friend had a 10th anniversary Mazda RX7 that he wanted to sell. He was the original owner, 88k mile car, garage kept, photos looked immaculate (he paid a BAT photographer to take pics). There were some known issues that, while not major, would have been nice for a buyer to know and reported in his writeup for the listing. When the listing came up, a lot of this info was not included (per BAT writers)...they basically put 95% factory specs, and then maybe a bump for an issue here or there. Long story short, in my opinion from both sides now, it's basically up to the bidders/watchers to call out any issues that they can spy in pics or vids. BAT and the sellers are in the business to sell cars...I have a new outlook on auction sites. This is beneficial to dealers/flippers too as they may not even know themselves what they have, but can list up a polished turd if they want as long as BAT thinks it will sell.

Back to my friend's situation, he was pushed by BAT for a reserve of $20k...he wanted $24k reserve. Within a couple of minutes of the end, it hit reserve...my buddy was dying thinking it would sell for $20,100.00. Bidding war started, ended up going on for another 45 minutes and sold for $38k. Payment was wired next day by the winner, a car transporter showed up a few days later, off to CA it went. Turns out a woman bought it for her husband as a surprise gift, no questions asked.

 

[simple]

 

[COS80]

Derp

 

[Devils Paw 80]

View attachment 3936559

"Complaing"? Might as well give it a shot, talking to the seller first. He just might say, "Hey, sorry man! It was an honest mistake. How about I refund you $15K?" Somehow I get the impression OP in this thread will be doing NONE of the above.

 

[Gomgwtfbbq]

hey guys, while I appreciate the advice from the 80-series legal team... I don't have the energy or time to try and pursue something like that.

Like I've already said. I gambled and lost. Have to own it. I am going to contact the seller but don't expect a lot out of that conversation.

Appreciate the folks who've commented on the things that are out of place, its a good list of things for me to make right.

 

[simple]

Good attitude. Although having a conversation with the seller about specific things and providing receipts for "fixing" things like the catalytic converters is advised. The seller might pay for half lets say. I've done that and had dealers do that for me also. Pointing out the carpet isn't original when the seller thought it was is going to get you nowhere. The carpet isn't "broken or defective" it's just the opinion from people online that it doesn't look original.

Also lesson learned, get a PPI if you really aren't sure on condition. It's worth the $500 for a long distance purchase.

 

[Dindu Nuffin]

My whole point with bringing up the law re: cats was as a way out of what was a stupid, stupid, stupid stupid purchase. You want to live with it, then that's your deal. But the guy's gonna keep fcking people and you have a chance to possibly stop that by nuking him from orbit via FL AG, consumer protection, FBI (they're the ones that handle interstate fraud), ect...

Or you can sit on your hands and wallow in it and let bad behavior continue to be rewarded. Your call. I'm out.