Anyone have information on Collectible Classics in Bryn Mawr, PA?

FYI, Joey asked BaT to disallow commentary from me, and they complied!

BaT removed my post (that had 5 thumbs up) where I pointed out that he had been evicted from the condo building where he was running an illegal dealership, and then they refused to allow me to make another post.

BaT is in the bag for sellers, no matter how sleazy they are and no matter the harm to buyers. Caveat emptor over there, they control 100% of what you see and what you don't, so aligning with sleazy sellers will have substantial consequences on the quality of the automobiles sold there. The transition to eBay is almost complete ...

 

BAT is useful in price negotiations, but unless it was a car and seller local to me that I could personally visit and vet before committing to a bid/purchase, I'm going to retain it as ONLY a tool to be used in price negotiations.

 

for what it’s worth I have only heard good stories about BAT stepping up to protect buyers when a real issue arises.

 

Well this has been a very entertaining thread. There always another joker out there thinking he's smarter than everyone.

 

Youthful courage is usually based on inexperience.

Or as some of my colleagues prefer to say, "beware the old man in a field where many die young"

 

For me it's pretty discouraging that the mighty Hearst Corp. would team up with a guy like this, and allow its platform to be used as a tool for fraud. This "joker" sold almost 150 cars on bring a trailer as a "dealer" when he didn't even have a dealers license.

His own condo association kicked him out, but Hearst Auto embraced him.

It's all about the Benjamins. Even at the expense of BaT's own users and bidders.

 

LOL dm_n_stuff

 

Stay Clear of CollectibleClassics.club - and the Benjamini brothers.

[email protected] is investigating false statements, etc. -- and they have more than 175 listings and 150 sales.

Their in-house photographer uses intense WHITE lights to create glare so defects in cars they list are not visible.
BaT needs a way to report dealers without integrity and to show which listings use an in-house (biased) photographer vs a BaT hired photographer.

 

Contact [email protected] -- since this "dealer" has sold more than 150 vehicles via BaT, the number of complaints (and lawsuits) will keep growing.

BaT should have a way for active members (especially those who have purchased via Bat and/or the Seller) have a way to write a certified review.

 

Nonsense. I've purchased four cars on BaT. All four under-represented their needs. Contact BaT, they will act on a cursory "investigation" that leads nowhere.

 

Agreed. It is LONG overdue for BaT to allow ratings and disputes from both sellers and buyers to be published publicy. The site is built on the "wisdom of the crowd". That would take it ot the next level.

 

Guy title skipped, misrepresented the car, etc. Crickets from BAT, considered suing, moved on.
Buyer be ware!

 

BaT is becoming the WalMart of used cars. They are pushing more and more product, and protecting their volume sellers from any scrutiny or accountability. They know where their bread is buttered. The sellers, and particularly high volume sellers, are BaT's customers, not us one and two-off buyers.

Same with Cars and bids, but probably even worse because over there they actively censor posts that are even slightly critical of any offering. I'm not talking about flagged - critical posts are just disappeared like they never existed. Gotta push the product and collect the commission.

This all started out as a cool and exciting new concept of crowd-sharing for enthusiasts, and is now just another corporate take over.

 

Sadly, BAT has turned down the trail blazed by Craigs List and eBay.

 

If Joey or his brother should attempt to take action to remove these posts, please contact me.

The reason I originally posted here was because I bought a 24k mile (special order) 7-series via BaT from Collectible Classics. I knew the original owner took great care of it for 10 years. When CC purchased it, they let his father... use it for a few months and about 1,000 miles. (Their cell phone numbers are stored in the car memory. It also came with their insurance paperwork, home address, etc. The BaT listing stated it was his father's car... so I expected CC knew more about this car than most they sell.)

I wanted others researching Collectible Classics to see this 'thread.'

The good thing about BaT is (most) comments, statements, photos, videos... are not deleted. (When a "dealer" writes "perfect" or "guaranteed" - they will lose in court.) The listing for my purchase stated the vehicle had 2 key fobs (it had one); it said 2 tires were 2017, and 2 were 2022. (It had 1x 2014 tire with 2 "bulges" conveniently not in any BaT photo, and the 2017 tire had 1 huge "bulge" conveniently cropped-out in several photos. Upon delivery, it was unsafe to drive 2 miles to the emissions and safety inspection site.)

The new fob was $550; the new tires were $850. It had several deep scratches conveniently not visible (or mentioned by the "dealer") in any posted photos (due to extreme white lighting used), etc. Shame on me for not flying to PHL to personally inspect a car from a BaT "dealer" which has sold over 150 cars via that site. I expected a super "dealer" to post / mention all imperfections with integrity.

BaT was able to assist me in getting a $1,000 check from Joey for the key fob and tires. (That took weeks - but I have a photo of the check, emails from Joey, BaT, others at CC, etc.) Yes, I could have gone to Small Claims and gotten $3,500 or whatever to repair/replace/repaint the two bumpers... but I was "done" with CC.

Frankly, I've lost a lot of respect for BaT from their handling of this from a super "dealer" which has sold 150+ vehicles via their site. If they don't respect Buyers, people won't return.

 

Therein lies the greatest limitation with online auctions. I know we have all gotten used to the entertainment provided by these online auction sites, and many of us (you) have purchased automobiles from the likes of BaT, Cars and Bids, Pcarmarket and such.

But in truth often large sums exchange hands based on a set of photographs and a catchy description. But what does the engine sound like? What does the interior of the car smell like? What's the overall impression of the vehicle upon first sight? Most of us know when to walk away from a used car, however much wash and wax it was given. within second of seeing it in person.

No 200+ pics can replace an in-person survey - however brief. Obviously in most cases one can in fact view the car in person if they so choose, but with a 7-day auction window how often does that truly happen? In most cases one bids, wins, and hopes for the best. And increasingly online sellers are learning how to take advantage of these limitations by showing edited or partial images, and overall embellishing the car's history.

In out times everyone is impatient and transactions are often carried out in the shortest possible time, often ignoring the potential consequences.

 

Wish I had found y'all sooner. I bought a Corvette from Joey on Bring-a-Trailer and it is nothing like advertised. He boasted "accident free" low mile, etc. Within 2 minutes of delivery it was obvious the drivers door has been replaced, There is a blue door on a grey car and they painted the grey over the blue without primer, without even removing the window molding (Blue under the rubber) AC does not work, heater does not work, substantial oil leak, horn does not work. I was able to track down the original owner, in Montana. He is 85 yrs old, his Daughter dealt with Joey during the sale. (You can find the car on resent results at Bring-a-Trailer, 1989 Corvette Convertible, 36K miles, by Classic Collectibles)

Joey told me he had no idea there was prior damage, until I told him that the daughter sent me the video (same one she sent him) and documented the sale, he even talked her down further in price because of the replaced door. When I confronted him today, he told me that he believed a got a fair price and that was "my problem" if I don't think so. He did offer to refund $1,500. I don't think that will fix the heater and AC, much less the body and paint.

I have been in Law enforcement for 35 years, became a detective in 1991 and now I am a Chief for an agency in Texas. A little embarrassed to be taken this way, I really thought Bring-a-Trailer was a top notch site that protected the buyer. I've decided to make this one personal. I contacted the PA Attorney General today. I am not going to allow this guy to get away with this. I intend to pursue civil and criminal charges. It's not about money, I can bring this car up to good value for about $6,000. He needs to learn a lesson.