Guy Sold Me a Car on Marketplace with A Dodgy Safety Certificate (RWC) - Queensland

Rosh111 on 25/05/2023 - 21:53
Last edited 26/05/2023 - 09:33 by 1 other user

Hello Bargainers, I bought a car few days ago of marketplace with a valid RWC (QLD Safety Certificate).

A safety certificate in QLD is valid for 2 months and 2000km. The seller told me that he had bought the car only a month ago and used the safety certificate to transfer the registration into his name. Safety certificates can only be used to transfer registrations once. So I knew I had to get another certificate but since the one the seller had was still technically valid (as it was less than 2 months old). Car was also serviced less than 1500km ago.

So I bought the car from him and made the bank transfer and took it home. When I went to get another safety certificate from a local repairer, they failed the car and gave me quote to repair for over $6000. Clearly, the original safety certificate was dodgy and now I find myself in this real pickle of a situation. Am wondering what my options are in this situation. Would love any help.

Problem was a major oil and coolant leak in car. Bought car for $7400.

Thanks in advance.

Automotive

Comments

  • djones145 on 25/05/2023 - 21:55
    +11

    u want 🍿?

  • dcep on 25/05/2023 - 21:59
    +6

    local repairer they failed the car and gave me quote to repair for over $6000

    Breakdown of the quote ?

    Am wondering what my options are in this situation.

    Get another RWC from your mate

    • pegaxs on 25/05/2023 - 22:02
      +7

      Yeah, this is what I don’t get… $6000 is a busted up car. It wouldn’t take an expert to see a car with $6000 worth of RWC applicable repairs that needed doing…

  • Pelicannn on 25/05/2023 - 21:59
    +5

    Easiest would be build a Time Machine and get a pre-purchase inspection.

    What make and model? Purchase price? $6000 is a set of brake pads and discs on a high performance car. Is $6000 more than the car is worth or a significant portion of the cars value?

    • Chandler on 26/05/2023 - 16:41

      Is $6000 more than the car is worth or a significant portion of the cars value?

      Yes:

      Bought car for $7400.

      • Pelicannn on 26/05/2023 - 16:50

        Ty. Wasn’t in the original post I replied to.

        • Chandler on 26/05/2023 - 23:07
          +1

          Yeah I wondered why you were asking and saw that it was in the revisions, replied anyway in case you didn't see the edit.

  • sumyungguy on 25/05/2023 - 22:00
    +4

    It's a requirement for the seller to obtain a safety certificate before disposing of a registered vehicle. Penalties may apply if a safety certificate is not obtained before selling a registered vehicle. You'll need to discuss with TMR, not OzB. Headline should read: Guy Purchased Car Without Obliging Seller to Process Registration Transfer.

    • bestywesty on 25/05/2023 - 23:39

      Not sure if that's the case in QLD. Not certain though.

      • Thrift on 26/05/2023 - 05:32
        +2

        https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/registration/roadworthy

        When you transfer registration of a vehicle, you must give a current safety certificate to the new owner. It is not the new owner's obligation to obtain a safety certificate and you may be fined over $700 for failing to obtain and give a current safety certificate.
        …The new owner will not be able to transfer the registration out of your name without a current safety certificate.
        You will remain liable for tolls and infringement notices issued for the vehicle while it remains registered in your name.
        …You will need to get a new safety certificate every time you sell a vehicle, even if you sell it within the limits set out previously. A single safety certificate can be used for 1 transfer only.

  • pegaxs on 25/05/2023 - 22:00
    +1

    So, at no time did you get a mechanical inspection done?

  • Hybroid on 25/05/2023 - 22:00
    +8

    You should have organised a pre-purchase inspection. Second hand private sales are "buyer beware". There's no guarantee or recourse. Tough lesson.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 26/05/2023 - 09:47

      There's no guarantee or recourse

      I'm sure the recourse is small claims court since if they fudged the RWC, that's fraud

      • Sleeqb7 on 26/05/2023 - 11:16

        Kinda, but not on the behalf of the seller.

        I had a RWC done on my car, it passed with no notes from the mechanic.
        Person buying the car got a pre purchase inspection, their inspector said "Got an oil leak, so it won't pass a roadworthy, but otherwise it's fine."
        "Uhh.. I got a roadworthy last week."
        "Oh. Well look, you're not on the hook here, the person who did the inspection would be the one in trouble."

        Talked to the inspector and got a ballpark of $300-400 to fix the leak, so offered the potential buyer $500 off the price. He accepted.

        As a plebeian, I know nothing about a safety inspection, so the seller can (and will) pass the buck off to the original inspector.

      • bhubb18 on 26/05/2023 - 11:47
        +1

        Why? Maybe it was all fine 2 months ago - good luck trying to prove that

        • coffeeinmyveins on 26/05/2023 - 14:00

          "fine" and then $6000 worth of repairs on a car that's worth $7000?

          Engines don't just randomly explode or have major issues without some sort of warning, most of the time.

  • randomusername2017 on 25/05/2023 - 22:04
    +2

    Report him to the FBM car dealers association..they have standards to uphold.

    • Sinnerator on 26/05/2023 - 08:24
      +2

      anyone who fails has to spend a night with zuck

  • Mokr on 25/05/2023 - 22:23

    What sort of personality did your seller have

  • [Deactivated] on 25/05/2023 - 22:25

    I find myself in this real pickle of a situation.

    @Hybroid reckons British Branston Pickle is a proper pickle so maybe try that to compare

  • El cheepo on 25/05/2023 - 22:28
    +2

    I bought a car few days ago of marketplace

    First rule of marketplace, trust no one.
    Buying a second hand car surely you gotta always be suspicious… I’m no mechanic but if i check everything and am suspicious of everyone.
    I also never go alone, always take someone that knows what they are looking at or get a pre inspection…

    $250 ish for a pre inspection would have saved you this issue.

    Private sale = kinda screwed.

    Edit: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/777064#comment-13797987
    This dude sold a brand new car and the buyer got it inspected…
    Theres a lesson in that.

    • Sinnerator on 26/05/2023 - 08:25
      +2

      First rule of buying a car, is everything the seller says is a lie until factually proven otherwise, not just on FBMP

      • El cheepo on 26/05/2023 - 08:39

        Absolutely.
        I don’t trust people one bit.
        Even the nicest and most genuine people are to be suspected.

        In my experience, unless there is a brand new car sitting there in the persons yard, odds are they are selling the car because it’s costing them money in some way.

      • dtc on 26/05/2023 - 10:17

        To be fair, given the average level of mechanical knowledge, while sellers may not be telling the truth, they might be stating their genuine belief as to the quality of the car / lack of faults in the car. Because many just dont know (and take very few steps to inform themselves).

  • altomic on 25/05/2023 - 22:45
    +3

    Clearly, the original safety certificate was dodgy

    maybe the repairer/new RWC inspector is dodgy , and they are trying to rip you off for "repairs" ?

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/05/2023 - 06:33
    +7

    Go get a RWC from the dude who did the original.

    Doesn't fix your key problem tho, but honestly - someone selling a used car after 1 month of ownership? Didn't ring any alarm bells for you?

    • 7ekn00 on 26/05/2023 - 07:35
      +2

      Nah bruh, no bells, marketplace is legit bruh

  • doctordv8 on 26/05/2023 - 07:42
    +5

    Don't waste anyone's time.

    Take it to a Qld Transport Centre for an inspection.

    If they decree the car and or supplied RWC(invalid anyway) is suspect you will have your ammunition to fight the RWC supplier.
    If proven the seller was in on the scam(if it was a scam), you can then possibly take the pair to Small Claims Court.

    If the RWC was dodgy, and Qld Transport find out, they will be taken to the cleaners. There is a big crack down on atm, and with new training & testing measures being sorted.

    Follow the Law for you own protection.
    Seller. You can not advertise in any way a Registered Vehicle for sale in Qld without a Valid RWC displayed prominently with the vehicle.

    Buyer. You can not buy a car without the above, being a never used RWC within Date & Klm, unless your intention(and you do it) is to de-register the vehicle and return the Number Plates.

    • sumyungguy on 26/05/2023 - 09:22
      +1

      A correction: From 1 September 2021, vehicle owners are no longer required to obtain and display a safety certificate before a vehicle is offered for sale. This includes when a vehicle is offered for sale on a dealer's lot, advertised online, or a 'for sale' sign is displayed on the vehicle.

      • blonky on 26/05/2023 - 10:31
        +2

        The full blurb is
        "From 1 September 2021, vehicle owners are no longer required to obtain and display a safety certificate before a vehicle is offered for sale. This includes when a vehicle is offered for sale on a dealer's lot, advertised online, or a 'for sale' sign is displayed on the vehicle.

        It is still a requirement for the seller to obtain a safety certificate before disposing of a registered vehicle. Penalties may apply if a safety certificate is not obtained before selling a registered vehicle."

        Does not need to be displayed but still needs one for sale

    • payless69 on 26/05/2023 - 12:14

      If Whingepool says no so should also do Ozb

  • Seraphin7 on 26/05/2023 - 09:27
    +2

    Caveat emptor

  • coffeeinmyveins on 26/05/2023 - 09:48

    What $7k car needs $6k in repairs for an oil leak?

    Get a second opinion from another mechanic.

  • brendanm on 26/05/2023 - 10:28
    +1

    Is this a Holden Cruze?

  • Bafranz on 26/05/2023 - 10:39
    +1

    Go get a rwc from the same place as they did

  • JimB on 26/05/2023 - 10:43
    +1

    I'm guessing VW or BMW with fairly high KMs.

  • JafferMoney on 26/05/2023 - 10:48
    +1

    Steal his car.

  • payless69 on 26/05/2023 - 12:12

    Back onto Marketplace with it or worse use Scumtree!

  • Bargainitis on 26/05/2023 - 16:20

    OP, sorry to hear about this.

    Can you actually keep us posted on what eventuates from this?

    It won't be the first or last time this will happen….

    • Rosh111 on 26/05/2023 - 20:16

      Will do

  • Farrba on 26/05/2023 - 16:25

    i bought car with rwc in the past. when car failed after few weeks, just realised the shop that issued rwc is a wrecking business, so the seller bought the car from them then asked them to issue rwc. not really sure if thats allowed.

  • TurboTortoise on 26/05/2023 - 20:12

    sorry OP, I dont get it. Is the car registered in your name now or still in the sellers? I cant see how you transferred rego without a safety certificate.

    • Rosh111 on 26/05/2023 - 20:15

      Its still technically in his name. Registered till August.

      • TurboTortoise on 26/05/2023 - 20:18

        Yes thats what I thought. So are you driving a stolen car? Or if you get parking ticket / fine does it register to his name…. But come August no matter what you are driving an unregistered car. Basically the owner has not sold the car. He/she has your money and you are driving their car (hopefully insured).

      • awdavgds on 16/10/2023 - 16:32

        I hope you got it sorted. Had it done ANY ks since the safety certificate was issued out of curiosity ? That would be more alarming. I bought a $3K car which had expired RWC in Victoria by 1 week (30 days in Vic) and it'd only done 22 ks since the RWC was issued. So thinking that it was all fine I proceeded and then paid $185 to a local tester to only find $1,100 worth of items the first person supposedly missed. I paid the money angrily and sent an Email to the first tester for a please explain. No answer surprise surprise.

        I had the car for 11 months but drove it all of 187kms in that time (I was saving it for my 16 y.o. son to learn in). He showed zero interest in obtaining his Ls in that time so I listed it for resale at $4500 (Covid tax). I oferred it for sale with RWC seeing as I had only done 187ks and surely by now the car was mint. $198 later I was told there were 3 items needing attention for $345!

        So…perhaps garages do make crap up. Both the places I went to a very reputable about town by the way. Either way I hope you got another opinion on the condition of the car.

        Or at the very least, you racked up a ton of fines for the previous owner.

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