Advice please re: car purchased off ebay

fishingcinema

Evening all, I am after some advice please for my brother

He purchased a car off ebay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171016742013?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

He contacted seller to ask if be could collect one evening after work seller agreed and asked if he would be paying cash on collection, brother replied yes (big mistake) seller also said he was away but gave a number and said a friend would deal with it all. So brother phoned and arranged collection.

Brother got hold of a truck left from work drove 3hrs to Essex got there at 9pm to collet the car from an airfield.

First thing he noticed was no seats and the man said oh it dosnt come with a steering wheel but you can borrow this one to load it onto the truck?

Brother loads it on and sets back off home getting home at gone 12.

Next day going over the car it is missing

The wiring loom has been cut away the listing said that this was included the front grille has been taken off, the drivers side wing mirror and wiper blade have both been taken off, there is a substantial crack in the drivers side front window and securing strip in the front window is missing. The headlights are missing. Other strips off the body work are missing, the radiator is missing, the rubbers round the doors missing, the front door cards missing and the car was full of bits and pieces that were not even from the car. Old used broken car bits springs ext, paperwork men's underwear.

The listing stated "There is no engine or gearbox but it is a rolling shell on 318i struts and drum back end with diff. All lights wiring loom etc are all intatc, it would only need an engine and gearbox dropping in the hole to make it a running and driving car."

So I sent the seller a polite message detailing the above and said I appreciate that you were not there to hand over the car so may not know about this. No reply, so I opened a ebay case asking for either the parts that have been taken off to be replaced or for a £100 refund to purchase these parts.

Now the seller has replied to say return the item for a full refund the only problem with this is that my brother spent £80 in fuel collecting the car which would not have been a problem if the car had been described or even if the lights front grill window screen and door rubbers were all there he would have let the rest go. But if he returns the car it is going to cost him another £80 in fuel meaning he has spent £160 on something he has not even got.

Also going through completed listings the seller is not listed as a bussiness but sells a lot of bmws and bmw parts and brother said there were lots if cars there, he thinks the car did not go for enough money and that's why they have stripped all the parts off it.

Can anything be done or is it a case of tuff luck, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks again

Brooker_Dave

fishingcinema wrote: »

Can anything be done or is it a case of tuff luck, any help would be greatly appreciated.

It was only £250, asking for £100 cash back was always going to be wishful thinking.

Your brother should have either gone to look at it before bidding, or asked for more photos.

Rolling shell turned out to be rolling shell...

techspec

As above - he had the chance to check before paying.