Car dealers pretending to be private sellers

bartelbe

I often take a peek at the classic car section of ebay, and I have noticed there are sellers posing as private sellers, who look like they are really dealers. Wording of ad something like, restro project no time, now for sale. Everything indicates private seller.

Yet this seller will have hundred of feedbacks for cars and parts. Plus other cars for sale with same wording. They look like dealers posing as private sellers.

Am I being too suspicious? Or is this away of dealers getting around consummer protection?

culpepper

Probably is a dealer if they have feedback for loads of cars.
One of my neighbours is a dealer. Someone in his family sells cars and he gets to resell the part exchange models. He parks them in various places up and down the area with hand written 'for sale ' signs in the side window with price and phone number etc just like you would if you were trying to sell your own.

bartelbe

culpepper wrote: »

Probably is a dealer if they have feedback for loads of cars.
One of my neighbours is a dealer. Someone in his family sells cars and he gets to resell the part exchange models. He parks them in various places up and down the area with hand written 'for sale ' signs in the side window with price and phone number etc just like you would if you were trying to sell your own.

Now as far I understand it if I buy from a private seller it is all at my own risk. If I miss a fault on inspection, then that is my problem.

Whereas with a dealer if I find a serious fault which the dealer didn't tell me about, as a buyer I would have legal right to money back or to return the car.

What is the situation if a dealer pretends to sell privately?

scheming_gypsy

A dealer is a dealer regardless of how he's selling. So it'd just be a case of proving he's a dealer (feedback etc) or him proving he's not.

Johno100

One tip I have heard is if you phone the private seller/dealer start the call with "I am phoning about the car you have for sale". If they reply with "which car?" then there is a very good chance it is a dealer.

motorguy

bartelbe wrote: »

I often take a peek at the classic car section of ebay, and I have noticed there are sellers posing as private sellers, who look like they are really dealers. Wording of ad something like, restro project no time, now for sale. Everything indicates private seller.

Yet this seller will have hundred of feedbacks for cars and parts. Plus other cars for sale with same wording. They look like dealers posing as private sellers.

Am I being too suspicious? Or is this away of dealers getting around consummer protection?

Its traders trying to avoid their responsibilities under the SOGA, and moreoften VAT and TAX too.

motorguy

Johno100 wrote: »

One tip I have heard is if you phone the private seller/dealer start the call with "I am phoning about the car you have for sale". If they reply with "which car?" then there is a very good chance it is a dealer.

google the sellers phone number - it usually throws up anything else they've had for sale.

motorguy

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

A dealer is a dealer regardless of how he's selling. So it'd just be a case of proving he's a dealer (feedback etc) or him proving he's not.

If someone is hiding the fact they are a trader, then they will be very unlikely to know or want to accept their responsbilities under the SOGA.

It would be much better to either find a legit trader who is willing to stand over their item OR buy from a private seller.

These under the radar sellers are the worst of both worlds.

salubrious

motorguy wrote: »

Its traders trying to avoid their responsibilities under the SOGA, and more often VAT and TAX too.

This is right, a lot of these 'wheeler dealer' types who pretend to be private sellers are usually employed/unemployed and looking to make a few quid on the side without the grief of having to abide by any consumer protection or pay any tax

It's rife with a lot of the stuff you see on Ebay.

bigjl

Surely the point of eBay is that it is an auction site.

If i sell something on eBay and it is fairly described then i would expect to be paid and the buyer to hesd off never to be seen again.

I had assumed it was the same for all buyers.

As Autotrader prices are more expensive for this very reason.

I may be wrong as far as classified adverts go.

goonarmy

And arent these dodgy folks selling cars at the roadside also breaking the law? Round here they get stickers on off the trading standards when they can be bothered.