Used car from private individual totally misrepresented, help!

[miltrywife]

What is the name of your state? Car was purchased in NY. I am a resident of NY but live in NJ, husband is in the Army.

Please Help I bought an 87 corvette off of Ebay and it was misrepresented. I have the ad and all the seller's emails about the car. In a nutshell, he said "the car's engine and transmission were great, run strong. The car had no leaks of any kind. Absolutely no rust anywhere. Would pass inspection without a problem."
So with all my questions answered, I assumed truthfully, I bought the car, sent money and he sent me the title. I registered it in NJ and went to pick it up. When I arrived it was not in as good a condition as he led me to believe but I figured that with a couple hundred it would look really good, no big deal. As we got ready to leave in the car he told me there was a small transmission issue, but it was just a linkage needing to be adjusted. I asked him, in front of a soldier that had traveled with me to pick up the car, if it was safe to drive 4 hours home. He said yes. I found out that the car vibrates once you go over 45 mph. I also found out that the car leaks gas, alot of gas. The odometer is not working and some of the digital dash is not working. I had done a carfax report and asked all the right questions. He emailed me his responses so I have them in writing. I based my decision to buy the car on what his ad on Ebay stated and his email responses, plus the blue book for what he represented the condition of the car to be. So right now I am up to over $2000. in repairs and we haven't even gotten to the transmission yet. I emailed the seller, told him I wanted to work this out and he said it is my fault for not checking out the car prior to buying it and that he wasn't aware of any of those issues. The National Auto Shop I took it to said that the gas tank has been leaking for a long time and is very rusty. I emailed the seller and gave him the auto shops number so he could verify the info. He said everyone knows they are rip offs. Do I have legal recourse if I can't get the seller to see reason? My husband has always wanted a corvette and I thought this would be a great gift but it is turning out to be a nightmare. I do not have unlimited money and my husband was injured six days ago in Iraq and I am just not sure what to do at this point. Please help!

 

[JETX]

Do I have legal recourse if I can't get the seller to see reason?

Sorry, but probably not. Simply, you bought something sight unseen based solely on the claims of someone. The obligation is on YOU to perform your due diligence BEFORE you purchase something. You should have taken the vehicle to YOUR mechanic before buying, or at least gotten a written 'condition statement' from a mechanic by the seller.
Do a search on the internet... under 'Caveat Emptor'.

 

[absconder]

Never ever drive a car with a leaky gas tank!! ITS VERY DANGEROUS. 1 spark and up she goes with you in it maybe.http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

 

[msiron]

The seller won't see your reason because you took the white elephant off his back, so to speak. You bought a car you know absolutely nothing about and didn't get the advice of a C4 or C5 tech, who knows these cars, and I can tell you it's going to cost you big for this mistake before it's over. I have 2 vettes myself that I bought new (one is 35 years old the other is 17 years old) you have to know these cars and what is set at interval for repairs and good preventative maintenance. Every year when I take mine home from winter storage, I have to sink $$ into them, that's just the way it is, so accept it. You can't just give this car to any mechanic, the car needs a master tech who is corvette certified to work on them. Find one at a Chevy dealership and stick with him/her.


Good luck

 

[miltrywife]

Thanks for the advice. I really should of had the car gone over before buying it, I know better. I am just too trusting and assume that everyone else will be as honest as I am when I sell a vehicle. We bought a vehicle this way last year but it was closer and we did actually go check it out and that vehicle was better in person than the ad made it sound. That van has been wonderful! Not that it didn't need a few things but the seller was honest about possible problems. It seems to come down to how honest the seller is. Just for clarification, we didn't know the car was leaking gas until we were almost home, I actually assumed it was an exhaust leak that we were smelling, and once it went below half a tank it stopped leaking out or so I thought. You are right though, I shouldn't have continued driving it once I realized gas had been leaking/pouring out. That was a potentially dangerous call on my part. Thanks again

 

[msiron]

Good luck with the car. They are high maintenance especially at 17 years of age so expect to sink thousands and hope for the best. Can I ask what you paid for the car?

There is a plethora of bulletins on the 87 vette, if you would like a list let me know. It is too large to post here.