Problems after selling car

Alz0r

Hi All,
Not sure if this is the right forum for my problem but im looking for advice.
I sold my car just under 3 months ago. I drove it a long way (5 hours) to meet the seller who came with 4 of his mates and went over the car with a fine toothcombe. They noticed some damage to the front grill surround and some further damage behind the grill - it looked like something had hit it from the front (without causing bumper damage), so not sure what had hit the car but whatever it was it must have been high off the ground and pointy as it didnt come into contact with the bumper which protrudes further forward than the grill....
Anyway - I didn't know about this damage, it was my wifes car  I never really drove it but I was also buying another car at the place we met so a body shop technician kindly came out and gave an estimate for the repair of around £3-400 which I agreed to take off the sale price as the prospect of leaving the car 5 hours from my house wasn't ideal.
I also had an independent inspection of the vehicle done before I sold the car at the request of another buyer (who pulled out) which came back as all clear, apart from 2 tyres which I had changed.
Long story short, the buyer has come back and said that within the last 2 weeks the front headlight has developed a fault. He's taken it to Audi who have spotted the grill damage and now washed their hands of any warranty repair (the car is less than 3 years old) saying it's accident damage. The labour bill so far is £300 and they want another £3000 to change the headlight, which the buyer is now persuing me for.

Any advice or guidance appreciated.

Alter_ego

If it was a private sale, and you told the truth in advert etc. Tell them to jog on!

JustJane101

According to the AA:

Buying a used car privately

• You won't have the same legal protection as you would if buying from a dealer
• It's up to you to ask the right questions and inspect the car thoroughly before you buy.
• It's a good idea to get a thorough car check to make sure there's no shady past.

Because your legal rights are more limited, unscrupulous dealers may masquerade as private sellers:

• Be very wary if a private seller wants to meet you somewhere other than at their home, or if their name is not on the V5C registration document.
• A dealer pretending to be a private seller is committing a criminal offence.

The only legal terms that cover a private sale contract are:

• The seller must have the right to sell the car.
• The vehicle should match the description given by the seller.
• The car must be roadworthy – it is a criminal offence to sell an unroadworthy car and an MOT certificate from a test several months ago is no guarantee that the car is roadworthy today.

https://www.theaa.com/car-buying/legal-rights

If they inspected the car completely prior to purchasing from you, and were happy, I can't see why they can pursue you. What happens if the fault was caused by them?

I'm not an expert though, this is what google tells me. Others may be able to shed more light.

Jumblebumble

Alz0r said:

Hi All,
Not sure if this is the right forum for my problem but im looking for advice.
I sold my car just under 3 months ago. I drove it a long way (5 hours) to meet the seller who came with 4 of his mates and went over the car with a fine toothcombe. They noticed some damage to the front grill surround and some further damage behind the grill - it looked like something had hit it from the front (without causing bumper damage), so not sure what had hit the car but whatever it was it must have been high off the ground and pointy as it didnt come into contact with the bumper which protrudes further forward than the grill....
Anyway - I didn't know about this damage, it was my wifes car  I never really drove it but I was also buying another car at the place we met so a body shop technician kindly came out and gave an estimate for the repair of around £3-400 which I agreed to take off the sale price as the prospect of leaving the car 5 hours from my house wasn't ideal.
I also had an independent inspection of the vehicle done before I sold the car at the request of another buyer (who pulled out) which came back as all clear, apart from 2 tyres which I had changed.
Long story short, the buyer has come back and said that within the last 2 weeks the front headlight has developed a fault. He's taken it to Audi who have spotted the grill damage and now washed their hands of any warranty repair (the car is less than 3 years old) saying it's accident damage. The labour bill so far is £300 and they want another £3000 to change the headlight, which the buyer is now persuing me for.

Any advice or guidance appreciated.

Wish them luck in suing Audi for not honouring the warranty on THEIR car
Point out that you did not supply a warranty and if they had required one they should have bought from a dealer

macman

For pity's sake, you sold it to them 3 months ago! How do you know what they have done to the car in the meantime? It's sold as seen. Their car, their problem.
£3000 for a headlight!?

Alz0r

Thanks guys! Yeh 3k is steep but I was under the impression that I was still responsible for the car for 3 months after the sale. 

ontheroad1970

macman said:

For pity's sake, you sold it to them 3 months ago! How do you know what they have done to the car in the meantime? It's sold as seen. Their car, their problem.
£3000 for a headlight!?

I'm guessing its a full LED unit.

DoaM

Alz0r said:

Thanks guys! Yeh 3k is steep but I was under the impression that I was still responsible for the car for 3 months after the sale. 

Who or what gave you that impression?

Private sale? Caveat Emptor! The only requirements of a seller for a private sale are a) that they have good title (i.e. can lawfully sell the item), and b) the goods match the description.

waamo

Alz0r said:

Thanks guys! Yeh 3k is steep but I was under the impression that I was still responsible for the car for 3 months after the sale. 

Only if you are a dealer or offering a warranty with it.

Alz0r

Ahh OK - I'll politely tell him to jog on then! Thank you all

foxy-stoat

Alz0r said:

Hi All,
Not sure if this is the right forum for my problem but im looking for advice.
I sold my car just under 3 months ago. I drove it a long way (5 hours) to meet the seller

I got that far and thought, do what ?!

If the advert was 100% honest then no make back on you.