dadofstickboy
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posted on June 12, 2003 05:12:56 PM new
This is about a friend of mine who purchased a car on Ebay 4 years ago!
Was asking me for help or ideas but he's already exhausted every thing I could think of.
Story is:
4 years ago my friend purchased a car that was in the process of being restored. Upon selling and receiving pymt the seller was to finish the restoration and announce when pickup & delivery was possible.
The sale was made and the payment was made in full, don't know if it was a MO or check or what but it was made through the mail.
The seller received his money in full and started to do the restoration,sent emails on progress and pictures to go along with it.
2 years ago progress slowed down to a trickle, now nothing is being done. Seller won't answer emails or phone calls no contact whatsoever!
He's been in touch with: His local police,Sellers local police,Postmaster General,Attorney General,Sellers local branch of the FBI.
All told him there was no crime commited that it was a civil action.
My friend contacted a lawyer and was told they could do nothing from here,he would need to hire a lawyer and go to the state seller was from to Sue seller. And even if he won he would still have the job of collecting.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how he may be able to persue this fruther without going to another state and spending a ton of money?
Nobody wants to travel a 1000 miles hire a lawyer sit in court and still end up with nothing!
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sarniaflower
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posted on June 12, 2003 05:16:58 PM new
did your friend transfer the ownership (pink slip) to his name or is the car still in the sellers name?
[ edited by sarniaflower on Jun 12, 2003 06:01 PM ]
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dadofstickboy
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posted on June 12, 2003 05:24:22 PM new
I'm not sure would have to get back to you on that.
I think what you may be getting at is he could go get the car because it's in his name. But the car unfinished is worthless.
And he already has thousands in it all would be lost!
[ edited by dadofstickboy on Jun 12, 2003 05:25 PM ]
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sarniaflower
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posted on June 12, 2003 05:40:57 PM new
yes but then it would be a police matter and if not nothing else he may get some satisfaction and maybe all the work has been done and the seller is driving it around or he finished the work and sold the car again to someone else... oh boy that would be a dilly
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dadofstickboy
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posted on June 12, 2003 05:46:44 PM new
Thing that gets me is they all told him it's not a crime.
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auctionace
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posted on June 12, 2003 05:54:34 PM new
Your friend can hire a goon to break the guys arm ( a few cartons of cigarettes is all it costs ). Better than wasting money on a lawyer and better satisfication.
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dadofstickboy
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posted on June 12, 2003 05:57:40 PM new
Problem with that is the guy wouldn't know what it was for.
And if he did he would know who did it!
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rarriffle
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posted on June 12, 2003 06:01:04 PM new
i think after this length of time he is probably sol. hiring an attorney would be his only hope IMHO.
makes me wonder why anybody in his right mind would even be a party to this type of deal.
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TheFamilyBiz
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posted on June 12, 2003 06:08:00 PM new
I'm not a lawyer and not in law enforcement, but they might be right. The worst it could be is fraud - promising to deliver, but not delivering.
I don't know that I would have thought of entering into such an agreement. If I might have - I would certainly not now...
Knowing what protection is in place for buyers - you should keep that in mind when considering any type of dealings. Hindsight is 20/20 -- would have been a good idea to make payments on it as the work was shown to be done via pics -- then only at the end, deal through some sort of escrow company to protect yourself...
Unfortunately, that advice comes 4 years and a day too late.
Wayne
Trying to Make a Difference - One Satisfied Customer at a Time....
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dadofstickboy
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posted on June 12, 2003 06:14:04 PM new
He's bought a few cars off Ebay and never had any trouble.
But this is the first that wasn't complete and running.
The guy he bought it from is in the buss. of restoring so he thought it was an up & up deal.
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Twelvepole
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posted on June 12, 2003 06:39:47 PM new
Unless he has the pink slip it is not even his car to make a complaint over...
It is not a crime for a contractor not to finish work, just a civil suit... good luck collecting if this person is having money problems, he might be trying to get your friend to sell it back for a huge loss to your friend or even worse he has finished the car and is really scamming your friend...
No matter what your friend decides, first thing to do is get possesion of the car.
AIN'T LIFE GRAND... 
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