Sold a car to a relative and it broke... | FerrariChat

Sold a car to a relative and it broke...

Discussion in 'Australia' started by James-NZ, Aug 9, 2009.

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  1. James-NZ

    James-NZ F1 Veteran

    Jun 26, 2007
    5,822
    Hamilton, NewZealand
    Full Name:
    James
    I know, I should know better than to sell something to someone I know, no less my partners Uncle....

    So, Long story short. My partner's uncle is looking for a car, something like what we own, we had been thinking of changing the car so suggest ours could be had for the right price if they are interested...they take it for a test drive and we agree on a deal (good price as they are family etc) I want to sort out a drivers window fault prior to selling them the car. We are all agreed and happy. The window problem is sorted and the car is prepped and delivered. Everyone is happy.

    He decides to take the car over to there holiday home up the Coromandel coast (400+kms) all went well and he enjoyed the drive. Once home again he parks in the drive and washes the car, he then gets in it to move it and the gearbox will not work....I get a call and stop in while passing a few hours later, the gearbox has dropped all its oil and the undercarriage of the car is wet with gear oil, including up the rear bumper, so the car has somehow managed to drop the gear oil while driving.

    I have no idea how this would have happened, but here is what I know:
    The car was running great while we owned it and there were definitely no gearbox problems or oil leaks.
    We sold them the car and 2 days later its is broken.
    The driver is not used to driving manual and admitted that on the night we dropped it off...


    So, what would be a fair out come from this?

    I have made no offers as yet, I feel bad about there situation but the car had no warranty as such.

    To make this more interesting there are no replacement gearboxes avalable and the one in it will have to be rebuilt....if that is even possible...
     
  2. goober

    goober F1 World Champ

    Nov 15, 2004
    15,894
    Adelaide & Thredbo
    Full Name:
    Buddy Miles
    not that it helps but my four F's of business i never break
    1. dont invest in family......................it always ends in tears
    2. dont invest in friends.....................it always ends in tears
    3. dont invest in anthing that flies.......it will crash
    4. dont invest in anything that floats...it will sink
     
  3. Looney

    Looney F1 Rookie

    Jul 1, 2004
    2,767
    Gold Coast
    Full Name:
    BB
    mate i feel for you,

    although by the letter of common sense you're in the right, perhaps for harmony its best to go 50-50 in the repair?

    i remember i sold someone at work a Xbox 360 a few months back, and it broke 2 days later. it worked fine when he picked it up and had a play with it,

    i was actually going to give him some money back until he accused me of knowing it would break and that i was trying to offload it before it did.
     
  4. Looney

    Looney F1 Rookie

    Jul 1, 2004
    2,767
    Gold Coast
    Full Name:
    BB
    mate

    "if it floats, flys or #ucks, its going to cost you allot of money"
     
  5. James-NZ

    James-NZ F1 Veteran

    Jun 26, 2007
    5,822
    Hamilton, NewZealand
    Full Name:
    James
    And you bring this list up NOW!!! :p

    Man I should have known!!

    Thanks. It seems you agree with me, I was thinking 50/50 on it would be the right thing to do. Not my fault at all but I just feel if I was in there situation I would want the seller to come at least someway to the party to sort the car out. As I said, I have made no offers as of yet, I want more details before I offer anything.

    I'm thinking this is going to cost a fortune to fix....my guess is the gearbox seized after running out of oil....but why did it run out of oil....? Hole in the casing is my guess, what caused the hole is the expensive bit....


    2001 VW Polo GTi .....
     
  6. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 20, 2003
    51,457
    SFPD
    Full Name:
    Dirty Harry
    From what I've gathered - your serious about this girl. Now, if you plan on being shackl- I mean, married to Her, know this - you're marrying not just Her, but Her Family. And they're going to be married to you. So, approach it with the mindset that this is Your Uncle, not Hers. What would you do for you kindly Uncle?
     
  7. James-NZ

    James-NZ F1 Veteran

    Jun 26, 2007
    5,822
    Hamilton, NewZealand
    Full Name:
    James
    I agree Wax, this is the approach I am taking....I think 50/50 is the right way to go...
     
  8. SPEEDCORE

    SPEEDCORE Four Time F1 World Champ

    Jul 11, 2005
    45,906
    Full Name:
    Toe Knee
    Can't drive manual properly and now magically the gearbox breaks.... hmm, did you ask him how many times he crunched the gears :p


    But yeah Wax knows best :eek:
     
  9. goober

    goober F1 World Champ

    Nov 15, 2004
    15,894
    Adelaide & Thredbo
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    Buddy Miles

    crunching the gears wouldnt make it leak.....unless he was practising a reverse to first to light it up scenario
     
  10. jeffQV

    jeffQV F1 Rookie

    Feb 13, 2004
    2,976
    NZ
    Full Name:
    jeff
    Yep sounds fair to me, no bias and so no room for dispute. Shyte luck though (and I have to agree with Goober!) hope it all works out (when the wedding?) :)
     
  11. goober

    goober F1 World Champ

    Nov 15, 2004
    15,894
    Adelaide & Thredbo
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    Buddy Miles

    well better late than never............the amount of friends that ask me for a job and then you cant sack em.


    every time u do someone u know a favour...........it always ends in tears......bit like marriage
     
  12. ihavearedferrari

    ihavearedferrari F1 Rookie

    Nov 23, 2007
    3,316
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Adam
    Can't find a used gearbox from a wreck for a Polo in all of NZ??
     
  13. goober

    goober F1 World Champ

    Nov 15, 2004
    15,894
    Adelaide & Thredbo
    Full Name:
    Buddy Miles


    that will be the next problem....he will want a fully recond one
     
  14. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,225
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    hold it, if you find a crack in the gbox casing then it is totally his fault or do you want to stump up for everything that breaks ??

    I think I bought a set of disc pads off you that ran out of pads early didn't I ?? :)

    just send me $450 for your half you crook :p

    seriously, if he drove 400 kms and then he finds all the oil has leaked out then how can you be the blame ?

    gearboxes will only go for a short distance (unless it's a roller) with no oil
     
  15. goober

    goober F1 World Champ

    Nov 15, 2004
    15,894
    Adelaide & Thredbo
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    Buddy Miles

    you can kiss that goodbye.........the legs will stay shut unless its fixed properly.............
     
  16. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,225
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    you've got heaps of Golfs haven't you ?

    is there a weak spot in the gearbox ?
     
  17. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,225
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    another clue would be to ask him if he heard any whining noise (unless he's a pom , in which case this is a useless tip :p ) , and when he first noticed the sound
     
  18. James-NZ

    James-NZ F1 Veteran

    Jun 26, 2007
    5,822
    Hamilton, NewZealand
    Full Name:
    James
    A missed gear change in my old 911 made inside bits become outside bits....

    Wedding???? Man, I am having a bad day!!

    So much sense......

    I have contacted every known person likely to have one, it needs to be specific to Polo GTi, I am as surprised as you but there are currently no Polo GTi's being dismantled. Nothing on ebay ether....
     
  19. goober

    goober F1 World Champ

    Nov 15, 2004
    15,894
    Adelaide & Thredbo
    Full Name:
    Buddy Miles

    u must have some black dude that runs midnight motors over there..............in aust its called Bailey's midnight spares and sex toys
     
  20. Horse

    Horse Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Dec 1, 2005
    34,652
    Brisvegas
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    Jon
    Funny you should say that, i think they have.
     
  21. James-NZ

    James-NZ F1 Veteran

    Jun 26, 2007
    5,822
    Hamilton, NewZealand
    Full Name:
    James
    I agree with you, more than you know. But in the interest of keeping the peace I feel I should help out. I could say its totally your problem and on your coin but that will more than likely cause a larger problem for me. What I don't want to happen is my generosity coming across as gilt. There was definitely nothing wrong with it before I sold it, in fact I went the extra to sort out a few minor things so the car would be perfect for them....
     
  22. James-NZ

    James-NZ F1 Veteran

    Jun 26, 2007
    5,822
    Hamilton, NewZealand
    Full Name:
    James
    Wonder what freight would be on a good used polo gti box?? ;)

    Can't be much more than a blow up sheep? :eek:
     
  23. goober

    goober F1 World Champ

    Nov 15, 2004
    15,894
    Adelaide & Thredbo
    Full Name:
    Buddy Miles

    the bitterness of bad driving lingers long after the sweetness of a cheap price in buying a car......
     
  24. goober

    goober F1 World Champ

    Nov 15, 2004
    15,894
    Adelaide & Thredbo
    Full Name:
    Buddy Miles
  25. Modeler

    Modeler F1 Veteran

    May 19, 2008
    7,330
    State of confusion
    Full Name:
    a.n.other
    Would depend a lot on examining the gear-box.
    A blown seal or a big hole in the bottom. Apart from your relationship with the buyer just what went wrong will be in play.
     

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