Don't go near this 'cheap' 348

http://www.supercarsltd.com/itemdetail.asp?intCarID=29

I bought this car in July 2006, from Eastbourne at a cost of £22,000.00.
It had been a dream to own a Ferrari 348 for many years, but this dream was a step too far. I didn't get advice on the car and got ripped off, however I think the person I bought it off was ripped off too (read on...) It wasn't the best example, in fact it was a very poor one.

The interior trim was damaged, the aircon didn't work, it is an ex track car. The mileage is out by at least 100K (speedo head replaced at 40k, new head showed 100k when sold to this garage by the classic car club with no gearbox, who then sold it on to the guy I bought it off. When I got it, it showed 45k. Impossible to say who clocked it, though this garage are fully aware it is clocked) Some of the bodywork is made of newspaper, particularly the front wings. It had a nasty misfire that I could never cure.

As time wore on, I realised it had been a bad purchase, I couldn't afford my dream, particularly a broken one, and I put it up on ebay, with the faults I knew about admitted (bad engine misfire, bits decribed above, patchy history, poor bodywork) and hoped to get back perhaps 15-18k, someone could surely save her? Then this garage contacted me, having spotted their old car, and told me all manner of nasty stories like:

* The car is a write off, and has had the whole front end replaced
* Their invoice in the history for a new gearbox (which, I hasten to add, is not fitted correctly) is a fake. When challenged on 'how come when you had it originally it had no box, and yet when the guy you sold it to, sold to me, it had one' I got a hastily made up 'oh it's just a spare box put on to move it about the workshop' excuse. Which still didn't explain the invoice.
* The misfire is oil control rings on one bank of cylinders (yet if you call them up and ask about the misfire it apparently needs 'a new set of plugs').
* Load of other bull5hit. PM me with your phone number & I'll tell you all about it....

They then 'genorously' offered to buy the car and collect it from me, some 400 miles away. I sold this car for £12,000.00. I knew they were lying to me given the guilt trip they'd tried on me (oh you don't want to sell it to anyone else and be worried all the time about the fact it's a write off) and the way the story kept changing (gearbox anyone?) but I'd ran out of money by then and needed the cash desperately.

They assured me this car would never see the road again and was in for breaking. They even offered to let me keep the documents but I declined. Please, please don't buy this car (or to be honest, anything from this crowd, but particularly this car) unless you can get it for £12K or thereabouts. Don't let liars profit so easily from the mistakes of others. They didn't think twice about lying to me.

 

what a shame, I really feel for you fella, sorry your dream turned out to be a bad dream. Thanks for sharing the warning.

 

That's a horrible story. Sounds really awful.

It looks like that site features a photograph of it written off on its home page:

http://www.supercarsltd.com/index.asp

 

What low life scum.

 

+1.

 

Very sorry to hear your story.

The owner of Supercars Ltd was posting occassionaly in the UK section last year (see link to profile below) - I haven't time to go through his posts but I
do recall that he made no bones that most his cars were far from mint.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/member.php?u=28308

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/search.php?searchid=1286127

 

some poor person will buy it without getting any checks done. Sorry about your experience, buying any car can be a mine field of problems and isn't just down to supercars.

 

I thought that initially, but the one on their homepage has a crema interior.

Hardly the most confidence inspiring web page I've ever visited. And believe me, I've visited some dodgy web sites

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles Alex. Hope it has'nt put you off future Fcar ownership.

 

Sorry to hear about this.

 

Very tatty and so is their website, sorry to hear your problems.

 

Bummer.

Just out of interest, how much could you make from a car like a 348 if you broke it for spares - a bet it's a fair amount.

 

Success or failure on that probably hinges around whether you can shift the drivetrain/motor for a sensible mount. If you can do that then you can probably make money from breaking a car like this - but also only if you have the time & patience (and garage space!) to do it. It could take literally years to shift it all - not exactly a huge market.

I.

 

what a horrible entry to F-car ownership, as said above I hope it doesn't stop you from returning....with a checked out car. If you find one, normally someone on here or the UK site will know about it.

 

YES POOR ALEX INDEED!!!
BUT IT ISN'T FAIR INSINUATING OR COMMITING SLANDER TOWARDS MY BUSINESS SUPERCARS LTD. AS MUCH AS YOUR LOSS WAS BIG AND PAINFUL YOU CAN NOT PRESUME WE HAD ANY PART TO PLAY IN THIS.
THIS IS HAS NOW CREATED A BIG IMPACT ON OUR BUSINESS AND BECAUSE OF THIS THREAD I HAVE ALSO LOST SALES.

I AM HAPPY TO SHARE THE TRUTH (MY SIDE OF THE STORY) TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE MORE DETAILS (01303 269555)

BRIEF STORY:
YES WE PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE BESPOKES CLASSIC CAR CLUB SOME TIME AGO NOW THE PLAN WAS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH A GEAR BOX. THEY DECIDED THAT THE CAR HAD NO FUTURE WITH THEM AND SOLD IT ON TO OURSELVES FOR THE PRICE OF £13,000 FROM WHAT I CAN RE-CALL. THE CAR WAS A COMPLETE WRECK AND YES AT THE TIME HAD A SPEEDO READING OF 75,000 MILES. I HAD ALSO NOTICED IN THE S/HISTORY WHICH WAS VERY LARGE IT HAD THE SPEEDO HEAD REPLACED AT 45,000 MILES MEANING THE CAR HAD DONE OVER 100,000 MILES - AFTER ALL IT WAS A HIRE CAR! ANYWAY NOT SURE IF I WAS GOING TO BREAK THE CAR OR REPAIR IT, BUT I STILL REPLACED THE DAMAGED GEARBOX WITH ONE SPARE THAT I HAD SITTING ON THE SHELF. THE REASON FOR THIS WAS BECAUSE THE CAR'S GEARBOX WAS ALREADY REMOVED BY THEN BY BESPOKES AND IT WAS ONLY A 4HR JOB TO REPLACE. PLUS THE FACT WE WERE MOVING UNITS SO WANTED IT MOBILE (IT WAS MOTED AND TAXED STILL AT THIS TIME.)
IN ALL THE PRESSURE OF MOVING AND NOT HAVING THE TIME TO TAKE ON SUCH A BIG PROJECT, I DECIDED TO LIST IT ON EBAY. ALSO REMEMBERING THAT I HAD 5 OTHER BIG JOBS TO FINISH FIRST ANYWAY.

WHEN LISTED ON EBAY, WE WERE VERY HONEST, POINTING OUT THAT THE CAR WAS A COMPLETE WRECK AND HAD OVER 100,000 MILES WE COULD NOT STRESS ENOUGH ON HOW MUCH WORK WAS NEEDED TO BE DONE TO PUT THIS CAR RIGHT. THE CAR WAS AUCTIONED WITH NO RESERVE AND SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, WE WERE VERY HONEST ABOUT THIS CAR.

A GENTLEMAN FROM EASTBORNE CALLED UP AND MADE AN OFFER OF £16,500 APPROX AND I ACCEPTED, NOT A PROFIT CONSIDERING I REPLACED THE GEARBOX WHICH WOULD NORMALLY COST £3,000. THE GUY COLLECTED THE CAR AND PAID IN FULL NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.

APPROX 4MTHS LATER I SEE THE CAR ON EBAY AGAIN FOR SALE, BUT MUCH OF THE LISTED INFO WAS WRONG. SO I CONTACTED THE BUYER TO MAKE HIM AWARE OF THIS. I TOLD HIM THE COMPLETE TRUTH ABOUT THE CAR AND IT'S HISTORY AND OFFERED TO RE-BUY THE CAR FROM HIM DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD NOW SETTLED IN MY UNIT AND HAD CLEARED SOME OF MY PROJECTS. HE ASKED ME WHAT I WOULD PAY FOR IT AND I OFFERED £12,000 A LOWER PRICE THAN BEFORE BECAUSE THIS TIME IT WASN'T RUNNING CORRECTLY, THERE WERE ALOT MORE PROBLEMS WITH IT AND THE FACT THAT I WAS ABOUT TO TRAVEL 500 MILES TO COLLECT IT. ALEX EXPLAINED TO ME THAT HE HAD JUST BEEN CONNED OUT OF PAYING £22,000 FOR IT BUT NOW REALISED THAT THE CAR WOULD COST ABOUT £10,000 TO PUT RIGHT - IF IT COULD EVER BE RIGHT. HE TOLD ME THAT HE JUST WANTED RID OF THE CAR AND WOULD ACCEPT MY OFFER EVEN THOUGH I TRIED TO SWAP HIM MY OWN DECENT 1999 PORSCHE SO HE HAD SOMETHING WORTH THE £22,000 HE HAD PAID OUT.
I TOOK THE PORSCHE WITH ME JUST IN CASE, SO HE HAD THE OPTION.

I THEN DROVE 500 MILES TO COLLECT THE CAR PLANNING ON DRIVING IT BACK CONSIDERING IT WAS STILL TAXED.
ME AND MY COLLEAGUE MET ALEX - HE SEEMED QUITE A NICE CHAP THOUGH QUITE SHY.
WHEN I WAS THERE HE ASKED ME WHAT MY PLANS WHERE WITH THE CAR LIKE HE HAD THROUGH E-MAIL BEFORE. I TOLD HIM ONCE AGAIN I WAS VERY SURE TO BE BREAKING IT AS THAT WAS WHAT I WAS PLANNING TO DO, I EVEN OFFERED HIM TO KEEP THE DOCUMENTS WHICH HE REJECTED, HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T CARE WHAT I DID WITH THE CAR AS LONG HAS NO ONE ELSE WAS GOING TO BE CONNED LIKE HE WAS. I PROMISED HIM THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN.

I THEN ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME AFTER PAYING HIM AND FILLING OUT THE DOCUMENTS AND RECEIPTS.
THE CAR MADE IT AS FAR AS NEWCASTLE THEN BROKE DOWN. I WAS THEN STRANDED IN NEWCASTLE FOR 2 DAYS!! WHEN EVENTUALLY I MANAGED TO GET THE AA TO TAKE THE CAR HOME TO KENT (3 TRUCKS LATER BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET THE LOW CAR ON THE FIRST 2), WHICH THEY HAD TO DO IN 2 JOURNEYS BECAUSE OF THE 12HR 50MPH TRUCK TRIP (THE AA DRIVER LED ME TO BELIEVE HE WAS ONLY ALLOWED TO CARRY OUT AN 8 HOUR DRIVE, IN WHICH ANOTHER AA DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO TAKE OVER)

EVENTUALLY I WAS HOME.

THE CAR HAD AN ELECTRICAL FIRE WHICH BURNT OUT THE E-C-U, ENGINE LOOM, AMPLIFIER AND ALARM SYSTEM. I FIRST BLAMED IT ON THE NEW £896 ALARM BUT WAS AFTER INSPECTION TOLD IT WAS SOME OTHER DODGY WIRING.

£2000 LATER THE CAR WAS UP AND RUNNING AGAIN.
I HAD ALSO SPENT £250 IN PETROL UP TO SCOTLAND ( IN 2 CARS), £800 WITH THE AA AS I WAS NOT A MEMBER, £100 PETROL TO DRIVE BACK, £400 IN HOTEL BILLS, APROXIMATELY £200 IN FOOD DRINK AND CLOTHES REMEMBERING THERE WAS MYSELF AND MY WORK COLLEGE.

THIS CAR NOW OWED US £16,750.

I LEFT THE CAR FOR MONTHS THINKING OF A WAY TO RETURN MY MONEY AND THE ONLY OPTION SEEMED TO BE TO SELL IT ON OR DO THE REPAIRS TO MAKE IT RIGHT AS IT NOW OWED ME FAR TO MUCH TO BREAK.

I FINALLY DECIDED TO ADVERTISE THE CAR AT £17,500 BEING COMPLETELY HONEST ABOUT THE CAR'S HISTORY, MILES THE DOGGINESS AND ALSO SHOWED CUSTOMERS A MASSIVE LIST OF REPAIRS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE APPROX 40 REPAIRS - 2 FULL PAGES WORTH.

I WAS EVEN VERY CAREFULL ABOUT WHO I SOLD IT TO AND EVEN TURNED AWAY CUSTOMERS THAT I THOUGHT WERE GOING TO BUY IT TO FLOG ON AS A GOOD CAR.
I THEN 1 MONTH AGO REDUCED THE PRICE TO £16,500 WHICH NOW OWED ME OVER £17,000 WITH ADVERTISING COSTS.

ONLY 2 DAYS AGO I SOLD THE CAR TO A CUSTOMER WHO SEEMED 100% GENUINE, I HAVE CHECKED HIM OUT AND BELIEVE HE IS GOING TO BE DOING THE PROPER REPAIRS, WHICH I HAVE ALREADY SUPPLIED SOME OF THE BITS FOR HIM TO DO. THE PRICE I SOLD IT FOR IS £15,250. THE CUSTOMER IS MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE HIS MOBILE NUMBER TO ANYONE WHO WISHES TO CHECK ANY PARTS OF THIS STORY

SO ALEX!!!
THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR I NEVER MADE ANYTHING BUT THE PAYMENT FOR MY GEARBOX
THE SECOND TIME I OWNED THE CAR I LOST OVER £2,000.

SO HOW ARE YOU MAKING ME FEEL WHEN ALL I AS A COMPANY HAVE DONE IS TRY AND HELP YOU OUT.

THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS PROFITED IS THE GUY FROM EASTBOURNE WHO BROUGHT IT FROM ME FOR £16,000 AND SOLD IT TO YOU FOR £22,000, WITH A CLEAR PROFIT OF £6,000 SO WHY NOT DIRECT YOUR UPSET WHERE IT SHOULD BE INSTEAD OF PART-BLAMING US AT SUPERCARS!

P.S WE PRESSURE TESTED THE CYLINDERS WHICH GAVE A GOOD READING, AND THEN CHANGED THE PLUGS. IT NOW RUNS PERFECT.

TO EVERYONE READING THIS, I THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE TIME TO EXPLAIN OUR SIDE OF THIS LIE RIDDEN STORY. IT'S A SHAME, BECAUSE I FEEL WE WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL AND HELPFUL TOWARDS ALEX - BUT I SUPPOSE YOU CANNOT MAKE EVERY CUSTOMER HAPPY. AS FOR MY WEBSITE - THIS IS A TEMPORARY LAYOUT WHICH IS LONG DUE A MASSIVE UPDATE. THANK YOU AND BEST REGARDS.

MR. A. BROWN - SUPERCARS LTD
DIRECTOR

 

Thank you for giving your side of the story Adam.

 

That's the big problem with internet forums, everyone jumps on the motor trader without hearing both sides.

 

Fair play, Adam. Hopefully no lasting harm will have been done to your business.

 

Yep, hat off to you for coming on here and giving your side.

*whispers* the key your looking for is just to the left of the 'A'.

 

Isnt just motortraders that get a rough ride on these forums though Steve. Thats quite a generalisation, although i understand where you are coming as you work in that industry.

Theres always two sides to EVERY story.

 

Thanks for posting Adam.

Slightly OT, but it is good to know that a 348 engine can still run well after 100Kmiles of hire-car driving.

 

Yes but this is a motoring forum so it's the motor trade/traders that will get a slating.For instance, no one is going to come on here and have a go at the fruit & veg industry/traders are they

Agreed, and we should wait to hear both sides before making comments like this :-

 

Agreed.
And maybe Alex is very pissed because he never did his home work be for he bought a ferrari. Only himself to blame on that one IMO. Would one buy a house with out a search and report? So why not research the second most expensive item that one can buy next to a house, in this case a ferrari.

 

My local shop is ****e.... Cant get a decent discount on a bulk buy of sprouts and I have my suspicions the the "fresh local produce" is in fact a ringer...

B*stards the lot of them

 

hmmm, someone bought it...