If it is the link as given by oldnotbold, then the seller's previous sale items have been car parts.
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If it is the link above then it doesn't say he's only had the car for two weeks. But if he has and the moving house bit also true then this would make me very nervous.
You can do an RAC check on it's identity too for £5 and if you put in a chassis number then you get some protection from RAC too if there are issues.
But I think this sounds dodgey.
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I will try and answer a few of your questions
Yes it is the car in oldnotbolds link.
The seller is the second owner, bought on 15 Jan 08 according to the HPI check.
The seller is quite happy to meet at the home/ business address (same as log book) and receive the funds by transferring them from bank to bank electronically using the business computer.
rtj70 - I've had another look on autotrader and the Ghias are going for £7K to £8K. A lot of money I know but they have high residuals.
The best time to sell on ebay is between 4pm and 6pm on a Sunday, not at 4pm during the week when there are less bidders. Maybe this was why there were few bidders.
The consensus of opinion seems to be a resounding "runaway."
Thank you all for your contributions and good advice.
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Jeez you are a suspicious lot, I wouldn't rule it out though would tread carefully.
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I am surprised someone would buy a car so close to buying a house and find they needed to sell.
On Autotrader there were definately a few Ghia auto TDCis of similar age (but higher mileage) for around £6k... so the price might be about right and this is genuine.
But personally (and you too) think this is too good to be true.
But if you do a check via the RAC (who own HPI) and put in log book number, chassis etc. then there is extra protection. And if I was buying any car for this price I'd want an independent inspection as well... This still could be a bargain for you.
I'd run but if you're not going to I'd make sure the car is as described, in good condition etc.
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rtj70 - -I did do the HPI through the RAC (£5 = bargain) and all the checks came back OK. I take it that gives me the £5K of cover
In Autotrader on a 02 plate there is one Ghia at £6K and 8 between £6900 and £8K so at £5500 it is cheap.
My main concern before buying was if there was any outstanding finance on the vehicle as I could lose the car. After speaking to the seller I am more concerned with the fact that they are moving house. I think they should be able to produce legal documents to prove the purchase of the house to prove their story.
Might be worth my while asking if they mind me putting it through an MOT before I part with any cash to see if they spot anything I don't.
Just because I've won an Ebay auction doesn't mean I can't walk away though so its got to be worth a look as they may be genuine.
Edited by sparky29 on 31/01/2008 at 23:38
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I would get an RAC/AA check. MOT it as well. MOT only checks it is roadworthy could have more problems. If you're spending £5500 it's not much additional cost.
Also for the RAC HPI check you need to enter chassis and V5C references to get more protection... could do it at their PC??
I'm still a little dubious about someone buying a car two weeks ago and needing to sell quick. If advertised properly he could get more for it and probably worth his while.
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Just look at that e-bay listing. A totally professional advert - no occasional lister puts all that in - wonder how many other identities he has on there? [And he's managed to acquire three negatives just in the last 6 months on this one alone.]
The motor is spivved to death too - it's got "private trader" written all over it. If he really bought it two weeks ago, then he'll be happy to show you the garage receipt to prove how much of a loss he's made..... Or has he "mislaid it in the move?"
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I have had a full HPI check done by getting the V5 details over the phone.
It came back OK.
Do Ford dealerships let you check the authenticity of the service records to check mileage?
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Never buy anything on E-Bay that you're not prepared to lose!
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Sparky,
I would agree with the posters who say to proceed with caution.
The car may be fine. The seller too.
But one of the main things to realise is that the price you paid IS the going price for this car. I very much doubt if you "can sell it next week and make an easy 2 grand." You can put it on auto trader for 2 grand more but will it sell?
If you do an eBay completed items search for 2002 ghia galaxy the prices listed in green show you the items that sold in the last 2 weeks. One with less miles sold for £5600, the two others for less.
What is most concerning is the seller's reason for sale (as identified by other posters) and the length of time he has owned it. If he is fibbing about that then he could easily be fibbing about the car.
His previous purchases and sales include motorbike/ car parts and marine items; he is technically aware.
Why not ask for the 1st owners address as listed on the V5 and contact them?
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Just look at that e-bay listing. A totally professional advert - no occasional lister puts all that in - >>
I very occasionally sell on e-Bay and I try to make a listing look good, I am more suspicious of loads of spelling errors, various coloured fonts and stupid statements, this one looks reasonable to me.
Re Ford dealers, phone them and quote the reg and they should confirm the mileage with no problem.
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He's a trader I'll bet .£900 for a alternator and aircon regas whos he kidding well scratched tatty example needs taxing a set of new tyres wanted worth about £4k at auction.
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No other cars under that ID in the past few months, just a few motorbike bits, how many IDs can he have?
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Surely all the VIN checks, HPI etc won't prove that those details belong to that actual car ie possibility of a ringer? Need to check everything when there and I would be a bit wary signing up on my home banking to transfer money to someone's account on someone else's computer!
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When I was buying a Ford a few years ago, the service dept at our local Ford looked it up on the computer and confirmed the service record.
Can have as many ID's as he likes.
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As long as the car was straight and true, and I got it for the right price, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest if he was a private trader. I really don't see why this bothers people so much. As long as the car's straight, and you don't pay a penny over private sale price for the car, what's the problem?
You can confirm the service history with any Ford dealer. This is another good way to check the VIN number and engine number too - this will be on the Ford database.
You can examine all the documentation.
You can meet the seller and grill him in person. Use your instinct and judgment (this is important!)
You can run HPI, V5C and MOT serial number checks using the numbers that you see on the car and the documentation (not what's quoted over the phone). HPI guarantee the accuracy of their information by the way, as long as you provide ALL the information they ask for.
Do the usual checks you'd do when buying any car privately, and if you don't know what you're doing, take someone who does with you. I'm not going to list all the checks here - they're available on line, but you're looking to make sure the car is
1) The one the paperwork describes, and that the paperwork is genuine.
2) Not hiding any accident damage or bodgery
3) Free of any major defects
If all this checks out, you get a nice line of "not recorded"s on the HPI check, and the price is good, buy the thing. When arranging to see it with the seller, it's always worth throwing in things like AA inspections and a mate who's been a Ford technician for 20 years coming with you to look at it, even if its complete nonsense. Just gauge the guy's reaction.
No need to get involved with bank transfers, and certainly not from someone else's PC. Bankers draft is just as good and can be verified by the seller.
Cheers
DP
Edited by DP on 01/02/2008 at 09:11
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>>Can have as many ID's as he likes.
According to eBay a member can have a maximum of two accounts.
Quote:
Registering two different eBay accounts
Many members find that they need two accounts. They may use different accounts to organise a large number of items they are selling, to sell different types of items, or to keep accounts used for buying and selling separate. You can register two different eBay accounts. However, keep in mind that:
Both accounts must have different User IDs and different email addresses.
End Quote
Also "eBay requires a unique email address for every eBay member".
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I suspect that the guy is 'in the trade' in some shape or form - that's judging by the advert and by what he's previously bought/sold. Not necessarily something that should stop you buying, if the vehicle is OK.
Its hard to say what the car will be like until you inspect it. Personally I would not be keen on this particular model (115bhp Diesel engine with the good old Ford 'self destruct' autobox and fitted with a towbar!). I would at least give it a good test drive and check that the 'box shifts OK. Any flaring or slipping and walk away - unless you want to spend 1-1.5k on a rebuild.
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"good old Ford 'self destruct' autobox"
Aprilia - I was under the impression the Galaxy and Sharan used JATCO autoboxes?
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I've often bought cars in December (seller needs Xmas cash) or January (seller skint after Xmas) the only odd thing here is he's only owned it for two weeks but then who hasn't had a SWMBO that you just have to obey after you've done something daft (such as buy a car against her wishes) And as the the money transfer by the business computer that maybe simply means an Electronic Funds Transfer terminal such as we all stick our credit/debit cards in every day.
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I don't like his feedback. Looks like he's careless.
Inspect it before paying. You are bound to find one thing wrong and not mentioned allowing you to void under ebay rules.
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Private bidders list enables him to get a friend to bid up price and you will never know.
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I too would be suspicious -
There are three negatives in his feedback in the last three months and a couple of neutrals as well. I don't like that at all. His story does not ring true to me.
You seem convinced he's OK sparky but remember that the best con artists are very persuasive, they always have a good cover story.
If I have learned one thing in forty years as a buyer it is that if something seems too good to be true it usually means trouble.
Check paperwork , engine numbers , vin plates , accident damage , double check, ask questions , treble check and ask more questions and if you do not get satisfactory answers , walk away. I would have an AA inspection done. Losing £50 is one thing , losing £5.5 K is another entirely.
I would walk away from this motor myself sparky but its up to you .
Caveat Emptor.
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have a look back three or four weeks and see if you can see him buying it on ebay - even on a different id.
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Hang on.... he is said to have had it for only two weeks. He put it in the auction on 26th January so had it about 10-11 days before deciding to sell it.
I bet he a (private) trader who's bought this at auction and is moving it on.
He might not be dodgey and the car might be fine - you'll not know with inspecting it.
But him being at the house he's "packing up" still makes me think it's dodgey. He might not have any connection to the house at all. And so no comeback.
As an aside, we discovered the locking wheelnut key for my son's car was missing. So I went to the address of the previous owner on the V5... nobody of that name lived there and the occupant was an elderly lady who'd lived there for years. But the V5 said that was the previous address. So the V5 address might not be legit.
It's £5500 you're dishing out. Take care.
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>>Can have as many ID's as he likes.
Billy,
Those are the 'rules' but how many email addresses can you have - I have a personal one with namezero and one linked to the website of a charity I help manage, have had in the past hotmail, yahoo, postmaster addresses - used only once or twice when contacting something I suspected might lead to Spam.
Anyone can make up an account name and get a free email address.
The four adults who live in this house all have ebay accounts, so you are not limited by your postal address either.
Edited by deepwith on 01/02/2008 at 14:08
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>>Anyone can make up an account name and get a free email address.
I am not sure it is as easy as it is being implied. Ebay have tightened up quite a bit in the 5 years I have been a member.
When registering with a free web address (hotmail or yahoo address etc.), in order to verify your identity to eBay, you have to place your credit card or debit card on file. All seller's have to have this on file as well as bank account details. The credit/ debit card must match billing address. Etc.
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I know of a part-time trader who has at least three Ebay IDs. He buys classic cars and caravans in France, often on ebay.de and ebay.fr and Germany and brings them over to the UK, and sells them using another of his Ebay IDs. I've watched him for several years. His ads when selling do not mention he is a trader.
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Two things spring to mind - 1. The a/c doesn't work (well, it does at the moment, but when the gas leaks through the same hole that the last lot went through, it won't), and 2. You've already bought it!
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I have an ebay login linked to a hotmail address and I can assure you they don't have any of my card details. It's only if you sign up to paypal that you need to do that.
And someone bought it 10 minutes ago....
Edited by normd2 on 01/02/2008 at 16:11
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>And someone bought it 10 minutes ago....
Make it 24 hours and ten minutes - it's 1 Feb today:
"Ended: 31-Jan-08 16:02:12 GMT"
And the seller can't spell "Small patch of lacer missing from passengers rear panel"
Edited by oldnotbold on 01/02/2008 at 17:49
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He can't spell Witter towbar either; but that whole ad reads like an experienced shyster's shpiel - which he has now been exposed to be.
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I went around to have a look this morning and it was all as it seems. He lived and worked at a funeral directors and was moving to get away from work. His other motor related fleabay sales were just him getting rid of his toys before the move. He genuinely wasn't anything to do with the trade and proved himself to be a bit of a tyre kicker as he didn't know what I was doing when I was checking it out.
All the stamps in the log books had receipts from the Ford dealerships to confirm them. The V5 matched the HPI check. The sellers name and address was the same on the driving licence as the V5. It was previously owned by an RAF organisation in Fairford.
There was a receipt for £980 spent in November. This was for a new alternator and air-con pump and re-gas. Obviously the RAF had been conned into changing the alternator as we had to jump start the car to get it going. It wasn't in A1 condition and had a few slight scratches that you would expect from a 6 year old car. The laquer on all four wheels was coming away - is this a common problem? The interior was in pretty good condition apart from the black had come off the drivers handle (is this a common problem? - elbow rest?) and the rear seats backrest tilt levers had come off (probably from loading the boot.)
When I took it for a run it took quite a while for it to come up to running temperature with the heater off (I don't know if this is normal but my 2.8 litre diesel is a lot quicker) Also the air con was not particuarly cold but to be honest we didn't know if we were turning it on properly or not. I was going to read the manual after the test run.
I am wary of getting stitched up with an ex-taxi so I phoned up the dealership to confirm and double check the recorded mileage against the last service.
The man from the dealership asked do you want the last service or the last job?
I said both.
He told me the service date and mileage (which corresponded to that in the log book)
He told me that it had also been in on 17 Jan (He bought it on 5 Jan) for a misfire fault when hot, possible injector fault. I had my phone on speaker. The owner said that they have got the dates wrong and it wasn't him who took it in. I asked if they had a name and they gave the sellers. His face was a picture as he tried to talk his way out of it.
I also sent him an email before the sale ended asking if the cam belt had been changed and he said he thought so because the next service is just an oil change.The dealership said it should have been done at 60K and hadn't been done and is not part of the service.
I told him that he I wasn't going to buy a car with an existing fault and he agreed. Think he was glad to see the back of me in the end.
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Common faults on MkII Galaxy that I remember from when I researched them :
Peeling lacquer on polished alloys
Coating on interior door pulls peels off
Failed wiper motor
Failed aircon/climate control
Bent sills from incorrect jacking (it's a heavy car)
On a minor note the Ford badge on the tailgate goes flaky as well.
There is a Galaxy forum somewhere IIRC
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Well done sparky for methodically working through a "check list" and showing great tenacity seeing it right through.
Wait to see it re appearing on ebay as "relisted due to time waster " :)
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Well if the 5th Jan injector fault has been fixed and you want an auto diesel it seems like a good buy as long as the cam belt is done cos that is over due.
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Quoted £331.93 for a cam belt - Ouch!!!!
Did one on a Peugeot 106 last month by following a Haynes manual line by line when I had to change the fuel injection pump. When does it start being worth it to do work yourself rather than using dealers or garages just to get a stamp or a receipt?
Also incidentally, on one of the receipts was replacement of two wiper blades at £22.80 each (not inc. labour) %*&^%$£%&^$%!!!!!
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Any cars i've sold on ebay have always been listed as 'any inspection welcome before sale end,if you can't be bothered to inspect and still bid and win its your car,if you can't accept these terms please do not bid,i will not enter negotiations after the auction ends'I have sold cars from 500 quid upto near new cars for just under 10k.Touch wood never had to deal with any real messers yet.
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If you send an email the day before the auction ends asking if the cam belt has been changed and they say it has who is messing who around?
Works both ways.
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Thats the point, i would only tell the truth or not reply to the question.
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