Car Buyers Beware - A WeBuyCars Story

[BotsBob]

I can't understand the complacency here.
How can Joe soap be held more accountable by the forum instead of a R3. 69 billion corporation?

You buy and sell cars as your specialty, there should be no feigning ignorance on WBC's part, I shouldn't have to be a mechanic to buy a dam car and have to dig in the engine bay for the engine number - WBC should do that and have accurate information on their listings. The only mistake that OP made was trusting that WBC actually gave a sh1t.

These things should simply be expected, especially when a vehicle is listed as a “Category A” purchase.

Now the only thing OP has learnt is not to trust WBC, and I, as a result, have added that to my experience too.

The OP still hasn’t confirmed whether the engine number on the paperwork matches the engine number fitted. This is the most important question here. If the engine change was done before the car was sold to We Buy Cars, and the paperwork updated accordingly, how on earth was we buy cars supposed to know about it?

If however the paperwork and the motor fitted do not match, then We Buy Cars fraudulenty sold the OP a car with paperwork that is not up to date… that is a problem, and the OP has every right to be upset. I don’t think this is the case here. If it was, WesBank would also have been chomping at the bit to assist the OP and get the deal reveresed.

But insisting on them reversing the deal more than a year later, because you aren’t going to do the trip you were planning, and the potential buyer you tried selling the car to figure out based on engine numbers that the car had previously had an engine replacement (with an identical motor), is not going to hold up.

[jaconell]

Get hold of Petri, give him your wishlist and get a proper deal done. Petri, is also not the only "Petri" out there - I have had quite a few dealings with honourable second hand dealers.

Personally, I will not touch WBC with a barge pole when buying, selling I do not care - pay my price and have it.

There is however also a small measure here of the aggrieved buyer not walking away when he should have. Due dilligence these days is a minimum requirement - too much BS going around.

I will be amazed if WBC reacts - the OP is in for a bunfight of note. Adherence to laws & regulations is a very optional trait these days.

[BotsBob]

Something to keep in mind is that WBC sells cars, at least some cars, on the basis of an auction house. And this is important, because if something is bought on auction, even if it wasn't an auction but you're made to sign the auction paperwork (which is how they do it), but if it's bought under those laws, then the Consumer Protection Act is not valid. I'm inclined to believe that this vehicle was sold in such a way, and, because of that, they can't and won't step up to fix it, and they have the papers to back them up.

Category B cars are sold this way, and aren’t allowed to be financed. This was a Category A car and bought on finance, so the CPA would apply. But surely a year later, and with no outright fault from WBC side (unless, the engine numbers don’t correspond with the paper work - OP needs to confirm this), the CPA would no longer apply.

[Spectaitor]

You also cannot abducate all your responsibility as a buyer. The missing service history should have been a red flag but with car fever most us would have shrugged that off.

Sorry, but OP is trying to hold WBC responsible a year after he bought the car. I feel for the guy but this was never going to fly. I dont think any dealer would have entertained something like so long after the sale.

So what you are saying is that WBC did nothing wrong just because they got away with it no, they are still responsible for the deception.

If the OP found this out 2 weeks after purchase - "BOOOOOOO WBC". Now that he found out only a year later, then "Sorry boet, it's your fault"

[mullerza]

So what you are saying is that WBC did nothing wrong just because they got away with it no, they are still responsible for the deception.

If the OP found this out 2 weeks after purchase - "BOOOOOOO WBC". Now that he found out only a year later, then "Sorry boet, it's your fault"

You are being obtuse, that is not what I said. You are assuming WBC hid the engine change and the paper work is dodge. The facts are not clear but the inference seems to be that the paperwork is in order OP is upset that WBC did not tell him about an engine change.

I have found OEM's to be very helpful and on a number of instances have gone to a dealer (VW and Audi) with a photo of the licence disc of a car I want to buy and asked them to pull the service history for me. It seems the next buyer did his homework and checked with Toyota and now the OP is in the lurch

You cannot abducate your responsibily as a buyer to be careful.

[Spectaitor]

You are being obtuse, that is not what I said. You are assuming WBC hid the engine change and the paper work is dodge. The facts are not clear but the inference seems to be that the paperwork is in order OP is upset that WBC did not tell him about an engine change.

I have found OEM's to be very helpful and on a number of instances have gone to a dealer (VW and Audi) with a photo of the licence disc of a car I want to buy and asked them to pull the service history for me. It seems the next buyer did his homework and checked with Toyota and now the OP is in the lurch

You cannot abducate your responsibily as a buyer to be careful.

At the end of the day OP has to open his wallet, so to say, to seal the deal and no 1 forced him to do that. That is very correct.

I am, however, assuming that WBC did not provide correct information, case in point with the service history red flag, ultimately attempting to deceive as far as OP is concerned. I still stand by my assertion that WBC should be held to a higher standard instead of the wholesaler shpeel.

But yes, the mystery of how much the paperwork matches the actual vehicle is still to be determined.

[mullerza]

At the end of the day OP has to open his wallet, so to say, to seal the deal and no 1 forced him to do that. That is very correct.

I am, however, assuming that WBC did not provide correct information, case in point with the service history red flag, ultimately attempting to deceive as far as OP is concerned. I still stand by my assertion that WBC should be held to a higher standard instead of the wholesaler shpeel.

But yes, the mystery of how much the paperwork matches the actual vehicle is still to be determined.

If there was deceit on WBC's side then burn them at the stake (I dont think so), BUT OP could have avoided all this headache with very little effort and some very basic homework up front

I feel for the guy, and hope people can learn a lesson from this.

[Snyks]

You cannot register a car when the engine number does not match the paperwork. You'll have to take it for a police clearance first.

[Spectaitor]

Question to the comments saying that it's sometimes impossible to find the engine number on a vehicle.
If anyone has worked with those that do COR or such, it's very much possible that it was quite simply never even checked by anyone during the registration process, no? I've COR'd a few vehicles and watched the guys do it and I've never seen one searching for the engine number - ever.

[Graham]

So what you are saying is that WBC did nothing wrong just because they got away with it no, they are still responsible for the deception.

If the OP found this out 2 weeks after purchase - "BOOOOOOO WBC". Now that he found out only a year later, then "Sorry boet, it's your fault"

Im still assuming that the paperwork is correct, ie, this new engine number is on the papers. But we wait for the OP.
If my assumption is correct, how would WBC know that the engine was swopped without the prev owner telling them, which I bet he didnt? Serious question

[Searcher]

What a shoddy deal, there is no way that WBC do not bear some or all responsibility for this mess.

Where is their due dilligence before the sale or their after sales service for a vehicle bought in good faith.

I guess TCP's stock price crash is the best judge of character and says it all.

[Kalahari Safari]

Question to the comments saying that it's sometimes impossible to find the engine number on a vehicle.
If anyone has worked with those that do COR or such, it's very much possible that it was quite simply never even checked by anyone during the registration process, no? I've COR'd a few vehicles and watched the guys do it and I've never seen one searching for the engine number - ever.

If you don't find your engine number cross over Zambia with it.

These guy find the number for sure, they even found the misspelled digit on the number in one of mine, being a "Z" not a "7"

On the other hand on a V8 BMW you have to remover the engine cover and look for the number behind the water pump, certainly a bit of a shlep.

[Fluffy]

What a shoddy deal, there is no way that WBC do not bear some or all responsibility for this mess.

Where is their due dilligence before the sale or their after sales service for a vehicle bought in good faith.

I guess TCP's stock price crash is the best judge of character and says it all.

TCP's stock price is a function of the market economy.

Nobody in that sector is doing well.

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How is it shoddy. ?

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Due diligence It's a used car not a company.

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Guys it is what it is.

If I go to Fruit and Veg market and buy some grapes and there are a few bad ones - that's what I paid for and got.

If I went to Woolies and paid twice the price, I would have a sh!_it fit if even one grape was vrot two weeks later.

[RobH]

If I go to Fruit and Veg market and buy some grapes and there are a few bad ones - that's what I paid for and got.

If I went to Woolies and paid twice the price, I would have a sh!_it fit if even one grape was vrot two weeks later.

That is your price perception, and not the law. The law is not interested in what a business charges for goods, if it stipulates that all grapes must be perfect for a week after purchase then that standard applies.

[Kamakazi]

It's all fake news if you ask me, 1st post mentioned it is a Toyota & the premium Prado Nogal.

How is it even possible for a Toyota to have complete engine failure that needs replacement before it was even run in?

[Estee]

I compare the prospect of buying a car at WBC to looking for a wife in the pub of the Royal Hotel in Boksburg.

One shouldnt be surprised when there is a surprise.

[2beFree]

I compare the prospect of buying a car at WBC to looking for a wife in the pub of the Royal Hotel in Boksburg.

One shouldnt be surprised when there is a surprise.

Is Boksburg now part of Holland

[Fluffy]

I compare the prospect of buying a car at WBC to looking for a wife in the pub of the Royal Hotel in Boksburg.

One shouldnt be surprised when there is a surprise.

Exactly - and then wanting to sue the Royal Hotel because you didn't get Charlize Theron.

Or was that Benoni. hmmm.

[Henkus]

Why do we and under this I say everyone, not just those who get sold a lemon cry when something like this happen?

Is the onus not on the buyer to make 1000% sure of what he/she is buying?

[TOY4X4]

Exactly - and then wanting to sue the Royal Hotel because you didn't get Charlize Theron.

Or was that Benoni. hmmm.

Charlize is one of only four, almost unobtainable.