e-bay issue(longish)

[mazdarotary]

Hey guys I have an issue with a auction on E-bay. I won an auction for a car here in Mass. It is being sold by a dealer who specializes in selling cars that are donated. In the auction it stated it had no title. I went to look over the car one day and the guys selling it sounded like a broken record. saying he suggested i read the whole ad and so forth. Which I did. But before the auction ended i tried getting an answer from the Mass dmv regarding getting a title for it. I never got a solid answer until after I won the auction. They are telling me there is a title,but that it has a lein on it,therefore they have no info on the owner because of the lein condition. They also informed me that all cars sold in massachusetts to a mass resident required a title. No ifs ands or buts about it. Now I am reluctant to give the guy anymore money(i gave him a $300 deposit which was required at auctin end)if I can't get a title for it. He told me he has a copy of the cars registration papers that he can give me,and that I could "probably" use that to get ahold of the PO,and then get info on getting the lein released so I can get a title. The thing is he won't give me this info with out the balance being paid,and I am worried the PO may be dead,or maybe has moved. What do you guys think I should do?I know by bidding I entered into a contract,but if he is selling the car illegally according to Mass law am I still required to go through with it. I contacted the Mass attorney generals office and they told me to not leave the lot where the car is without a title,and that if the seller doesn't want to give me one then don't give him anymore money. They said it is the sellers requirement. I am to the point where I am just sick of it,and would even just forfeit my deposit to be done with it. Now I know this will end with me getting negative feedback,or worst yet losing my e-bay account,but i suppose that is cheaper than $1500. Sorry to be long winded. I am hoping maybe someone on here has some sort of legal background.



Chris

 

[klenger]

It sounds like a scam to me. I'd walk.

 

[Bertram65]

No legal background but being a MA resident and into old boats I can attest to MA be a pain about titles. Unless you can use it for parts I would not not buy it. If the total amount is over a certain amount in MA (I think it's $1500) the car has to pass inspection. As you know no registration no inspection. Threaten to take it and then try to register it, he will have no choice but to take it back, maybe this will help leverage your downpayment back.

 

[mazdarotary]

He knows I wanted to register it,and also said he is selling "as is" which there is no such thing in Mass. All cars sold over a certain amount have to pass inspection,run,drive,bla blah blah,and are also subject to a warranty regardless of what the seller says.



Thanks guys. I have been getting calls from him more and more now,wanting the money. I have not called him back. I hope I can just forget about it while I am on vacation next week. I am sure when I come back from vacation I will have several messages and probably negative feedback on e-bay.



Chris

92 D250

83 RX-7

74 REPU

 

[TGreschuk]

Hey Chris,

I too am an active Ebay'er and I suggest that you preempt his negative feedback by putting your negative feedback first with a reason for your feedback and complain to Ebay. I also would venture to guess that his feedback won't be great either and I would demand my deposit back. Extortion has never been a great motivator for me. If I stumbled across a dealer that was selling on Ebay and read your feedback first and it indicated that "this guy tried to sell me a car with a lien on it and no title and they tried to extort me into paying for it or else he would put a negative comment on my account. Please email for full details" you would look like a stand up guy and I wouldn't dream of bidding from him. On the other hand if you avoid him you will look like a deadbeat and your feedback will look like you are trying to make yourself look like you aren't one. I would take the bull by the horns and post right away and then complain to Ebay. Guys like this wreck it for the rest of us.

Best of luck,

Trent

 

[Rman]

Trent has it, that's what I'd do.

 

[Jeff Clark]

I agree with Trent.

 

[Cummins Pilot]

I agree also.



And I've been burned on Ebay. Me and 3 others were burned at the same time by the same guy. We all filed complaints and such. Ebay never did a dang thing. He still has his account. Now I go and email everyone who bids on his stuff. About half retract bids LOL.

 

[Jeff Clark]

I've only been burned once, and it was on a $10 movie poster, so I didn't care so much. I just sent a cert. check for $1100 on an in-dash DVD player, so we'll see what happens. This is the most I've spent on e-bay so I hope it doesn't bite me in the butt.

 

[NVR FNSH]

Report to ebay and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or other used car dealer licensing agency. I'm willing to bet the state would like to know a dealer is trying to sell cars w/o title.



Brian

 

[guava]

Most state require an insurance bond before the dealer can get a license to sell cars. Ask for the information. File a claim against the bond. I think in this case you can cause enough grief to he'd gladly give you the 300 back just to go away.

 

[McDowra]

Did the ad say anything about the lein? See if leinholder has the title, if they do tell him to notify you as soon as he has paid the lein off. You technically cannot take ownership without the title. Tell him you will buy it when he can prove to the state you own it.



Tim

 

[catoiler]

You guys are forgetting one thing. He has no legal right to sell a car witch he does not OWN!The lein holder is the legal owner and the only one who can sell the car.

I think they call that fraud!But that is my take on it.

 

[mazdarotary]

The state would not tell me who the lein holder was. Either they can't legally or they don't know themselves. The carfax report I have done on it doesn't even show a registered owner. Something is fishy. I think the DMV doesn't know who the leinholder is only because when I sold my 99 Mazda truck to get the diesel a few years back I was selling it while I still owed money on it. It was a big problem because the DMV didn't have a title for it. The bank did,but it wasn't even a paper copy it was an electronic title they said the time that was issued from mazda to the bank. I ended up getting it resolved but it took a while before I could legally sell it.

I am very reluctant to give the guy anymore money on a car that would be absolutley useless to me. Thanks for the input guys.



Chris