Reasonable to Ask for a Partial Refund to Cover Repairs for Honda Accord Purchased off Facebook Marketplace?

Ljgnahz on 28/03/2022 - 15:33
Last edited 30/03/2022 - 14:40 by 1 other user

Recently bought a car with this private seller that I found through the Facebook Market.

First of all, I understand it's 100% my fault that I didn't pay for a mechanic to come and check the car out with me as I initially thought the car was in great condition until I brought it in for a service. Turns out, there was an oil leak, needed to change the rocker gasket, spark plugs, needed a carbon cleaning as the air filter was absolutely screwed.

Only reason I thought the car would be in a good condition other than checking the basic stuff is because I was told by the seller the car gets serviced at a Honda dealership twice a year (btw car is an Accord Euro 2009 with 120k kms).

I'm not sure what to do at this point, the seller was clearly lying to me as he also told me the tyres was brand new when in fact it was changed in 2018 and the car was in prime condition… So would it be reasonable for me to ask the previous seller to give a partial refund to cover the repair cost at least?

Edit: Btw appreciate all the comments and the much needed bashing! Didn't expect this many comments and the honor to be up there with the PC guy!

Edit 2: Just wanted to let y'all know that $500 was returned as part of the sellers goodwill since there's about 100 comments stating that the seller owed me nothing

Automotive Car Honda

Comments

  • GooseLord on 28/03/2022 - 15:37
    +216

    lol, no. He doesn't owe you anything. It's a private sale

    • SBOB on 28/03/2022 - 16:38
      +19

      yep
      You're welcome to take full advantage of the warranty the seller offers, which likely ended at the end of their street, or perhaps driveway if they were less generous….

      • [Deactivated] on 28/03/2022 - 16:41
        +6

        The good old personal concrete warranty, once your off his personal concrete it ends….

    • SF3 on 28/03/2022 - 17:31
      +10

      Coupled with famous last words of…

      I initially thought
      I thought the car

      Would have helped 100% if there was due diligence… if it was a DeLorean, could have gone back to change the past.

      Instead OP acknowledged…

      I understand it's 100% my fault

    • iDroid on 29/03/2022 - 19:43
      +1

      Not to mention that the list of consumables given is absolutely typical. The rocker gasket is hardly a terminal issue and somewhat expected on any vehicle that age.

      Sounds to me like OP got an ok deal!

  • AndyC1 on 28/03/2022 - 15:37
    +23

    Didn't pay for a mechanic check and it was a private sale. A private sale is as it where is and as you drove it away and were happy to part with the money then the contract was completed.

    You are not going to get anything from the seller. Lesson learnt always check and double check when buying anything private as buyers can and do say anything to make the sale.

  • cashless on 28/03/2022 - 15:38
    +14

    Oh no, here we go again….
    Hope you're ready for this OP.

    To be honest the repairs you mention don't sound too expensive - apart from rocker cover gaskets, most of it is service items you should pay for.

    • Intoxicoligist on 28/03/2022 - 18:45
      +4

      Rocker cover gasket should be a ~$50-100 part. I just did one in my CR-V from around this era. Still not something I'd expect the seller to stump up for.

      • Jackson on 29/03/2022 - 19:09
        +2

        Yeah I paid 10 bucks for my last rocker cover gasket for a 4 cyl Camry, shouldn't be more than 50 and it's a job you can do yourself

  • CrispyChrispy on 28/03/2022 - 15:38
    +2

    So would it be reasonable for me to ask the previous seller to give a partial refund to cover the repair cost at least?

    And why would he/she agree to that? They knowingly scammed you, they're not gonna try and help you in any way.

    You can ask, but you're not going to get anywhere OP.

  • AustriaBargain on 28/03/2022 - 15:39
    +8

    If they said they had it serviced twice a year why didn't you ask to look at the service records?

    • jgnahz on 28/03/2022 - 15:40
      -2

      I did and even called up the dealership which they had it done at.

      • djones145 on 28/03/2022 - 15:42
        +11

        well you got scammed by the dealership who did a terrible job at servicing the car!

        • iamherenow on 28/03/2022 - 15:55
          +33

          thought the car was in great condition until I brought it in for a service

          Or the person doing the current service is going a bit overboard.

        • Keplaffintech on 29/03/2022 - 08:16
          +14

          not really, being 'serviced' doesn't mean 'fixing every possible problem in the car'.

          if the dealership spots something like an oil leak, they'll quote you a repair cost and ask for your permission to fix. You don't have to say yes, you can go on your merry way with just a scheduled service.

          • Ultimate Gattai on 29/03/2022 - 23:35
            +1

            @Keplaffintech: I'd rather a good private mechanic than a dealership, sometimes the dealership hits you up for things that don't even need to be "fixed" until alot later (you could wait for the next service or the one after that).

            • Keplaffintech on 30/03/2022 - 19:04

              @Ultimate Gattai: Agree, depending on the situation:

              Whilst in warranty, go to the dealer. (Not because you have to, but because it will make it less difficult when you try to claim under your warranty).

              In the last year of warranty, get an inspection done by a private mechanic, and get the dealer to fix problems under warranty.

              After warranty has ended, use a private mechanic.

        • Antikythera on 29/03/2022 - 17:42

          more likely getting scammed currently, by whatever dodgy mechanic he got the current quote from.

      • ol mate on 28/03/2022 - 15:47
        +28

        Then they didn't lie. The car was taken to the dealer for a service twice a year, and they were charged for it (whether the dealer did the service or not is another question…)

        Also, how do you know the tyres were changed in 2018? They might have 2018 as the manufacture date, but they could've sat around for 3 years before being fitted (entirely possible, especially with places like Tempe Tyres)

      • AustriaBargain on 29/03/2022 - 19:15

        JV you can just say that to me, I don't mind. You don't need to make a new account.

  • djkelly69 on 28/03/2022 - 15:40
    +2

    Someone exaggerating or even outright lying in a private car sale is not a scam.

    • AustriaBargain on 28/03/2022 - 15:43

      Especially when they can just deny all the lies.

    • Mokr on 28/03/2022 - 16:07
      +4

      It's dishonestly and fraud. But legally not much you can do op.

  • Jason Genova on 28/03/2022 - 15:41
    +32

    I understand it's 100% my fault that I didn't pay for a mechanic to come and check the car

    case closed.

    • LordSydney on 28/03/2022 - 22:50
      +1

      sickening & pissening.

  • pharkurnell on 28/03/2022 - 15:41
    +2

    the seller was clearly lying to me as he also told me the tyres was brand new when in fact it was changed in 2018

    You didnt look at the tyres? Wow.

    OP.. what would you say if you were selling a 2009 model car and some toss came back asking for 1/2 his money back to fix it ??

    Yea the seller in your case would say the same.

    • andresampras on 28/03/2022 - 17:52

      You didnt look at the tyres? Wow.

      My first thoughts on reading the post - came looking for this comment. Doesn't really make sense though - if the seller says they're new and they look new, how does OP know they're from 2018?

      Lesson learned for the OP - don't skimp on checks for big ticket purchases.

      Although in the scheme of things the issues with this car don't sound major. I'd say it's entirely possible they didn't know about the issues either…

      • pharkurnell on 28/03/2022 - 17:55
        +1

        how does OP know they're from 2018?

        Date stamp on sidewall

        • andresampras on 28/03/2022 - 17:56
          +1

          Didn't know this was a thing. TIL.

          • pharkurnell on 28/03/2022 - 17:57
            +2

            @andresampras: the reason many places sell tyres cheap is age

            • andresampras on 28/03/2022 - 17:59
              +5

              @pharkurnell: so then is it plausible the seller DID put on newly purchased tyres, which happened to be from 2018?

              • pharkurnell on 28/03/2022 - 18:00

                @andresampras: Yep, could have bought them this morning… but one look at them would show some wear

                • andresampras on 28/03/2022 - 18:03

                  @pharkurnell: ah so when you mentioned cheap old tyres - you meant used tyres, not new tyres made in 2018 and waiting in some warehouse, hoping for some action

                  • pharkurnell on 28/03/2022 - 18:08
                    +2

                    @andresampras: Brand new never fitted tyres sittin somewhere since 2018. Always check ya dates when buying a bargain

                    • andresampras on 28/03/2022 - 18:13
                      +15

                      @pharkurnell: thanks, sensei.

                      For anyone else not in the know:

                      The chronological age of any tire can be found on the tire sidewall by examining the characters following the symbol "DOT". The last four numbers identify the date of manufacture of the tire to the nearest week. The first two of these four numbers identify the week of manufacture (which range from "01" to "53"). The last two numbers identify the year of manufacture (e.g., a tire with the information "DOT XXXXXXX2714” was manufactured in the 27th week of 2014).
                      Source: https://www.continental-tyres.com.au/car/technology/tyre-kno…

              • Save 50 Cent on 28/03/2022 - 22:43
                +3

                @andresampras: Hmmmm in that case, would you say the tyres are “current”?

  • djones145 on 28/03/2022 - 15:41
    -5

    you didnt get scammed
    you got suckered into buying a lemon

    well u purchased a car without doing due diligence

    • daleroy1234 on 28/03/2022 - 16:39
      +40

      Doesn't sound like a lemon. Just usual wear and tear on a car.

    • andyfc on 29/03/2022 - 10:04
      +5

      How on earth is this a lemon?

      It literally sounds like 90% of the cars on the road if a over eager mechanic looked them.

      Completely normal, car would probably drive fine.

      Change plugs and filter, monitor rocker cover gasket leak, if bad fix it.

      OP is a moron thinking he could get a refund on what is the most normal maintenance items on a car.

  • Fergy1987 on 28/03/2022 - 15:52
    +39

    Why dont you ask the guy who built it at the Honda factory to chip in too

    • pyramid on 28/03/2022 - 15:55
      +1

      That got escalated quickly….

  • Ocker on 28/03/2022 - 15:55
    +2

    A fool and his money parted

  • RM on 28/03/2022 - 16:00
    +15

    Can't decide what is worse - not getting a mechanic to check the car or expecting seller to chip in now

  • pegaxs on 28/03/2022 - 16:05
    +15

    Hahahahah *slaps thigh*

  • juzza87 on 28/03/2022 - 16:08
    +90

    The seller said the car was built in 2009 but it was built from parts from 2002 and won't accept DDR4 RAM… whoops wrong thread.

    • purelysam on 28/03/2022 - 18:16
      +2

      PLEASE SHARE THIS

    • YTW on 28/03/2022 - 22:33
      +3

      You made me spill my drink. Was not expecting this comment at all. Thankfully missed the work laptop!

    • ZenderBing on 29/03/2022 - 09:50
      +1

      that thread was(is) hillarious. Better arguments than the court proceedings from each party.

    • purelysam on 31/03/2022 - 23:25

      Oh man, both parties are in the wrong. But there's nothing I hate more than seeing 'gaming computers' for ridiculous prices on Market Place.

  • JimB on 28/03/2022 - 16:08
    +11

    120k and needing to change the rocker gasket and spark plugs due to an oil leak isn't the end of the world.

  • Davo1111 on 28/03/2022 - 16:08
    +1

    13 year old car? lol

  • juzza87 on 28/03/2022 - 16:08
    +6

    How do you know the seller was being honest and the mechanic you brought the car to isn't being dodgy?

    Rather than be upset and dwell, at least you now have a car which you know is in good shape.

  • nephilim on 28/03/2022 - 16:10

    Spark plug thing shouldnt be a issue, if you buy a 2nd hand car without log books, first thing you should do is a major service.

    • jgnahz on 28/03/2022 - 22:31

      yup, I bought it last thursday and had it sent in to my designated mechanic for a major service. These are really the main stuff, but other than that everything seems good.

      • derrida derider on 28/03/2022 - 22:45
        +7

        And as others noted, not much wrong with it - normal wear and tear for a 13yo car. You've got nothing to complain about mate, and no evidence at all the seller lied to you.

      • Save 50 Cent on 28/03/2022 - 22:46
        +5

        You had a good deal mate. Pay up to fix the minor issues and move on.
        Next time, buy a brand new car if you expect a brand new condition.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 28/03/2022 - 16:13
    +8

    caveat emptor

  • slknv on 28/03/2022 - 16:13
    +7

    First of all, I understand it's 100% my fault

    End of story there. You bought it as is.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 28/03/2022 - 16:14
    +11

    Being ozbargain forums, I cannot wait for the follow up post from seller starting THEY were hard done by.

    • ZenderBing on 29/03/2022 - 09:51
      +1

      Yeah, we need the other side of the story, especially around the new 2018 tires.

  • apsilon on 28/03/2022 - 16:21
    +21

    Everything you've mentioned are just service items. Rocker gasket, yep they need replacing when they start to leak like all seals. Spark plugs, yep need changing fairly regularly and 120k is likely the normal interval. Air filter, again, regular service item. Carbon cleaning. Assuming you're talking about the intake? Again, normal service item due to EGR and at 120k it's probably due. Tyres, maybe they are brand new in their eyes. Had them changed just before covid and hasn't used the car much since. You don't say they actually needed to be changed. Sounds more like you haven't had a car before and don't realise they require regular maintenance.

    • lgacb08 on 28/03/2022 - 17:01
      +1

      yeah, this guy got it spot on, sound like OP is not a very savvy at car related stuff so my advice is just either pay through the roof for a brand new car with 7 year warranty and peace of mind or listen to the mechanic and get everything done as. The car sounds in ok condition for its age, depending on how much you paid for it.

  • MS Paint on 28/03/2022 - 16:32
    +2

    Surely, part of your research to purchase a used car was this….

    It literally takes 30 seconds to check the age of all 4 tyres

    • pharkurnell on 28/03/2022 - 16:33
      +1

      again… you bring logic to this place… steady on now…

    • spackbace on 28/03/2022 - 18:21
      +10

      Next minute they'll be saying they didn't do a ppsr…

  • pharkurnell on 28/03/2022 - 16:33
    +2

    Im tipping this didnt go the way OP expected…

    • MS Paint on 28/03/2022 - 16:35
      +5

      Here I am, eating microwave popcorn with MAFS catchup, when the real drama was in the ozbargain forums. I'm so disappointed in myself.

      • pharkurnell on 28/03/2022 - 16:36
        +6

        I lost all faith in you at MAFS..

      • bdl on 28/03/2022 - 17:02
        +7

        Mechanic At First Sale

    • jgnahz on 28/03/2022 - 22:31
      +3

      Nah I kinda needed this to be laid out bare for me. I definitely wasn't expecting any kind of empathy, but I found plenty of comfort from people who described the issues the car has as "not too major". :)

  • [Deactivated] on 28/03/2022 - 16:34

    Sure you can ask but they'll just laugh.

    You didn't do you're due diligence and took a risk and it didn't pay off. You're stuck with the bill

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 28/03/2022 - 17:06
      +1

      I think a laugh is the best response OP can hope for.

  • AdosHouse on 28/03/2022 - 16:35
    +3

    "needed a carbon cleaning as the air filter was absolutely screwed"

    What? Is that what your mechanic said?

    • SBOB on 28/03/2022 - 16:41
      +4

      yeah 'carbon cleaning' would be a good phrase translated into 'find a different mechanic'

    • MS Paint on 28/03/2022 - 16:42
      +7

      Sounds like op recalled a couple of familiar words and structured his own sentence using said key words.

      • andresampras on 28/03/2022 - 17:54

        haha this made me lol

      • jgnahz on 29/03/2022 - 00:42

        definitely did not explain it properly through the post.

        Mechanic had checked the air filter and found a black mess in it. I was told that there was a carbon build up. I hope this was what was going on not sure either

        • Geoff01 on 29/03/2022 - 18:58

          Air filter sucks air in from outside. It's not part way through the engine management.Nothing to do with carbon build-up. That's the egr valve. Spark plugs are about $4 each and air filter maybe $20-30.

        • CocaKoala on 31/03/2022 - 00:19
          +1

          Mechanic had checked the air filter and found a black mess in it. I was told that there was a carbon build up

          Hahaahahhaa. Better check the blinker fluid while at it

      • AdosHouse on 29/03/2022 - 04:01

        I'm thinking a dirty air filter, and the intake manifold needs a carbon clean, but then I read OP's reply to you and I'm back to being confused.

        • zfind on 30/03/2022 - 11:41

          My thoughts too. Grotty but normal air filter and an intake manifold needing (or not) a clean to clear the oil / carbon buildup from the EGR system.

  • solidussnake on 28/03/2022 - 17:09
    +1

    Hahaha what a great read 😂

  • altomic on 28/03/2022 - 17:10
    +4

    if you had bought it from Gumtree then you would be entitled for a Partial Refund to Cover Repairs

    • Baysew on 28/03/2022 - 17:26
      +3

      Was that bought in to protect off shore oil rig workers who are buying a car unseen, as a present to their son who has graduated from Bond University?

  • dogboy on 28/03/2022 - 17:12
    +1

    Take it to the Honda Dealership where they got it serviced. This mechanic sounds like a ripoff merchant.

  • DemocracyManifest on 28/03/2022 - 17:14
    -1

    There’s no way the tires have been on since 2008, there would be considerable wear…also mechanics have been known to skip corners. It’s a used car, that’s what you get. There was a post a month or so ago where the OP marked a few areas and when they got the car back, they checked, and what was paid for had not been done

    • MS Paint on 28/03/2022 - 17:18

      was changed in 2018

      • DemocracyManifest on 28/03/2022 - 18:00

        Oh lol, still, doubt all the tires would be not replaced since then. We’ve had a rotation, two new tires and now two new wheel bearings

        • apsilon on 28/03/2022 - 18:04

          Depends. If they've been like me and working from home the past ~2.5 years, I've done maybe 5000km, actually probably less as I'm pretty sure I've only gone through 4 tanks of fuel.

        • kerfuffle on 28/03/2022 - 19:38

          I haven't changed my tyres since 2017 (I expect to be told to change them within the next year or so). I do get them rotated regularly though.

  • GoldenDragon888 on 28/03/2022 - 17:48

    How much did you pay for this car?

    • pharkurnell on 28/03/2022 - 17:56

      This should be scary…

    • jgnahz on 28/03/2022 - 22:32

      man lets not…

  • GoldenDragon888 on 28/03/2022 - 18:12
    -1

    Now as per this oft reference post it is not always buyer beware, but you need to proved that the buyer knowingly and wilfully misrepresented the condition of the car.

    https://www.lawanswers.com.au/threads/car-sold-privately-buy…

  • dojomojo on 28/03/2022 - 18:24
    +11

    I've got a current PC that I'd like to sell you if you're interested?

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