3wheeler
Member
PART ONE
Hi, this is going to be a long post, so grab that beer and rack another up.
In February 2023, I purchased a Silver 1.4 Petrol A2 blindly on Facebook Marketplace. After seeing a Diesel go for £5500 with a similar mileage after 6 hours on Autotrader (I was 2nd in line) and then subsequently £7200 two weeks later, I continued my search. In between the Diesel sellings, I saw a Silver A2 petrol on Facebook Marketplace, and having viewed a couple from there priced around £1500 but with over 100k miles (one was not good enough to scrap) I called the advertiser once we'd exchanged a message or two. It too was advertised for 6 hours, and I said I will buy it! There was a bit of a pause on the other end of the line, and he said OK. He took £100 deposit there and then and although it was Sunday, he agreed to me going to collect it that Friday, and took it off the market.
I live on the Welsh side of Hereford, and the car was in Norwich. Now the story starts, and I hope I don't offend anyone with my description of people and events.
I am self employed, and took the Friday off and drove myself to Norfolk. 5.5 hours later I arrived at the wrong address- a duplicate of the one given- and called the seller who asked me to me him in a pub carpark.
Up rocked a Transit dropside with 'Tree Surgery and Driveway Tarmaccing' sign written on the side with his mobile number. My heart sank. I shook hands in the carpark, and explained that I would collect it and get it inspected. He began to get angry, and a bit red, but I explained that if it was what was described, I would pay him the balance of £900 and drive it away to the garage I had arranged for it to be inspected at.
I was led to the back of a golf course and I was met with low-lying brick walled areas each with wrought-iron gates surrounding their own 'temporary' home.
Once I had followed the drop-side into one of the compounds, the gates closed behind me. I gulped.
I inspected the A2, the OSS worked -if a little slowly- and although the bodywork was covered in algae and moss, it looked great. The engine was a little tappety, but all looked as to be expected for £1000 and 66000 miles.
The sellers had put a card under the wiper having seen the car sitting in a garden for a while, and the owner agreed to sell. It was collected by trailer and taken to the home of the seller/advertiser and a new battery put in.
I paid the cash, and the sellers son's wife (the seller had one son and three daughters each on the site in their own gated home) began to sort the ownership details online, and the V5 supplied with the A2 was not the up to date one, although clearly it was a genuine one. Having experience of importing my own car and registering cars without V5s before I agreed to continue the sale.
I had called my insurance company and they OK'ed driving this SORNed A2 to VAS Automotive who were but 10mins away.
The A2 drove brilliantly, although the brakes graunched, and the ABS light flashed along with the Engine Light too along with the 'Ships Whistle'. I rocked up at VAS who had agreed to inspect the car, and put it through an MOT. Once it was on the ramp, they phoned me to let me know the progress.
The photos for this part are of the original advert, outside the sellers house and VAS Automotive.
Hi, this is going to be a long post, so grab that beer and rack another up.
In February 2023, I purchased a Silver 1.4 Petrol A2 blindly on Facebook Marketplace. After seeing a Diesel go for £5500 with a similar mileage after 6 hours on Autotrader (I was 2nd in line) and then subsequently £7200 two weeks later, I continued my search. In between the Diesel sellings, I saw a Silver A2 petrol on Facebook Marketplace, and having viewed a couple from there priced around £1500 but with over 100k miles (one was not good enough to scrap) I called the advertiser once we'd exchanged a message or two. It too was advertised for 6 hours, and I said I will buy it! There was a bit of a pause on the other end of the line, and he said OK. He took £100 deposit there and then and although it was Sunday, he agreed to me going to collect it that Friday, and took it off the market.
I live on the Welsh side of Hereford, and the car was in Norwich. Now the story starts, and I hope I don't offend anyone with my description of people and events.
I am self employed, and took the Friday off and drove myself to Norfolk. 5.5 hours later I arrived at the wrong address- a duplicate of the one given- and called the seller who asked me to me him in a pub carpark.
Up rocked a Transit dropside with 'Tree Surgery and Driveway Tarmaccing' sign written on the side with his mobile number. My heart sank. I shook hands in the carpark, and explained that I would collect it and get it inspected. He began to get angry, and a bit red, but I explained that if it was what was described, I would pay him the balance of £900 and drive it away to the garage I had arranged for it to be inspected at.
I was led to the back of a golf course and I was met with low-lying brick walled areas each with wrought-iron gates surrounding their own 'temporary' home.
Once I had followed the drop-side into one of the compounds, the gates closed behind me. I gulped.
I inspected the A2, the OSS worked -if a little slowly- and although the bodywork was covered in algae and moss, it looked great. The engine was a little tappety, but all looked as to be expected for £1000 and 66000 miles.
The sellers had put a card under the wiper having seen the car sitting in a garden for a while, and the owner agreed to sell. It was collected by trailer and taken to the home of the seller/advertiser and a new battery put in.
I paid the cash, and the sellers son's wife (the seller had one son and three daughters each on the site in their own gated home) began to sort the ownership details online, and the V5 supplied with the A2 was not the up to date one, although clearly it was a genuine one. Having experience of importing my own car and registering cars without V5s before I agreed to continue the sale.
I had called my insurance company and they OK'ed driving this SORNed A2 to VAS Automotive who were but 10mins away.
The A2 drove brilliantly, although the brakes graunched, and the ABS light flashed along with the Engine Light too along with the 'Ships Whistle'. I rocked up at VAS who had agreed to inspect the car, and put it through an MOT. Once it was on the ramp, they phoned me to let me know the progress.
The photos for this part are of the original advert, outside the sellers house and VAS Automotive.
