Hi Who may be able to help me ? I had a Auto Appraisal / Pre-Purchase inspection on a T/Bird and the report came in good---- You got it !!!! When the car arrived and the problem area's discovered I emailed photo's to Auto Appraise Inc , Grand Blanc MI (who carried out the apprasial / inspection),they refunded their fee and said they suspended their inspector. Emails have since slowed to almost a stop and I'm left with a car that need's $10--12000.00 in obvious repairs I wonder if the underside was inspected at all!!! It is agreat dissappointment that a life time dream turns to a disaster after paying "Expert's / Professionals for a service that they do not Back Up. Can anyone suggest what I can do ???
Your avatar doesn't give you permission to be an ass-the OP's looking for help. You want intros-go to the Intro section. Zig1, I think you're screwed. If you read the fine print on their web-page-they offer only an opinion and won't warranty anything. See below. "Disclaimer: Notice of Non Warranty Hundreds upon hundreds of different types of cars have thousands upon thousands of moving parts. Old cars are just that - old. A water pump can be fine one day and squealing or leaking the next. Heater blower motors quit in a moments notice. Alternators stop charging without warning. And the list goes on. Cars that have been restored, fully or partially, have numerous parts that are already worn to some degree between 1% and 99.9%. Sometimes this wear is visible, sometimes it can be felt or heard, and other times there's nothing to notice. Only one thing is for certain...if it's old and it moves, one day it's going to break!! So, be hopeful and affirm the best, but don't be naive, or you'll be disappointed. Realistic expectations will net you realistic results. The Auto Appraise Affiliate network has done an excellent job creating a group of well seasoned professionals to protect your interests in the long distance car purchasing process. We have interviewed countless applicants and continue to do so on an on going basis in an effort to provide you with the smartest inspectors in the business. This is what they do for a career...not just a sideline or hobby. These inspectors do all they can to report the vehicle's true condition. If you choose to contract our services, understand that you are purchasing an opinion, not a warranty. The information we present to you is intended only to assist you in the decision process, a decision that solely rests upon your shoulders. Auto Appraise and its affiliates do not bond, insure or guarantee anything. Finally, it is a well known fact that fraud is rampant within the old car hobby regarding the term "numbers matching." Inspectors do their best to report the numbers that they view on parts, and describe how they look. But please be clear that no guarantee is made to the authenticity of any numbers inspected...period. In many cases numbers are not easily viewable or legible. If you seek a guarantee, then ask the seller of the vehicle for one in writing before purchasing an alleged matching vehicle. Auto Appraise does not guarantee or warranty anything on any inspected car. If you have read all of the above paragraphs and can live with these terms, then we welcome you to hire us. Thank you!" How'd you pay? You might have some recourse if it was by credit card-you'll need to contact the card issuer. You could sue the seller, but you'd need legal advice for the practicality of that. So, what are the details? How far away are you from the seller? Same state-that sounds better. Cross-country-not so good. If the car is crap, maybe you'd be better off parting it out and trying to re-coup your investment to try again. Best of luck,welcome to the HAMB and keep us posted.
why would you buy a car without viewing it in person first? you trusted someone else's opinion and you know what they say about opinions.... welcome to the reality of life.
not sure where the OP lives, but if he's in Belgium and his dream car is in Chicago... its really not cost effective to go look at it. In this case... maybe it would be. But if he found 15 different cars he could pay $15,000 just LOOKING at cars. This inspection should be a peace of mind. Sometimes its not.
That sucks. My uncle has used inspector/appraisers 3-4 times on eBay and has never had a problem. The company he went through last time took photos of the car top to bottom and emailed the photos to him so he can see every angle and any area of concern. He doesn't travel to the other side of the country to look at an online auction.
I think you may be able to file a lawsuit regardless of the fine print. I don't know which state you would have to file it in though. Probably the state that the inspection took place in.
You win some, you lose some, this one is on the "lose" side. I have bought things before without seeing them. I take the gamble on what my time is worth and gas money vs. how much could I get screwed. So far I have not come out that bad. Put the $10,000 in it and move on. I guess that you could take legal action against someone but I would rather put the money toward the fix. The individual that did the inspection probably doesn't have a cent to his name. Neal
Pay for a consult with a lawyer. Sometimes there are implied warranties that can't be ignored by businesses regardless of their disclaimer, such as a level of competency to do a job. It might be worth getting the opinion of a pro.
you are correct. It's just that everyone is out to screw everyone now and i wouldn't doubt that the owner paid off the inspector to get the car sold. you sell the car as is-where is and the buyer really has no recourse unless he bought through ebay or used paypal. the inspection company covered their butts with their fine print. i just believe you take a gamble without viewing a car in person and driving it for yourself before purchasing, you made the decision and now you have to deal with the consequences. it sounds harsh, but that truly is the reality of it all.
There is a Blenheim here in Ontario Canada. The inspection agency is apparently based out of Michigan so I am going to assume the car was also located (before purchase) in Michigan. Sounds to me like a little road trip to see the car in person before the purchase would not have been unrealistic in this case. As for a lawsuit ... there might be issues if the buyer is in Canada and the person/company being sued is in the US. Not saying it can't be done, but I'd be willing to bet there will be a few more hurdles to jump.
I have had many appraisers visit our dealership. I am hardly ever impressed. One in particular always sinks the sale...and then another fellow from the same town will show up two/three weeks later and low ball me on the same car. HMMMM? recently, an appraiser showed up, took 300 photos, and failed to notice that the running boards were wooden. There are certainly some good ones. There are likely some bad ones. Is it worth the $3-400? probably for peace of mind. But good questioning and communication are worth much more. I, for one, cannot inspect every car I buy. In fact, over half are bought sight-unseen. Yes, there are some disappointments. But for the most part, the folks that sell to me are honest and represent their vehicles fairly. If I had to inspect each and every vehicle personally, I would spend tons of money and wouldn't get much else done. I hope the OP has some success, but I have my doubts. Time to make the best of the situation and chalk it up to experience.
Wow, after reading the description of the services offered and that they are basically not responsible for anything at all pertaining to their "inspection" ... I can't imagine why anyone would ever hire that company in the first place. So, what exactly are the issues with the car that it is going to cost $12000 to fix? Sorry, I should really add, I am not trying to poke fun at the OP, I just can't believe the wording ... they are basically saying "If you are OK with paying us for absolutely nothing, by all means, send us some cash".
It would be helpful for you to tell us what kind of car, what you paid, what kind of problems it has. What "obvious" repairs are gonna cost $10,000-$12,000 dollars? That's a lot of money for items an appraisal company missed. Is it rust? You've given no details, and yet are asking our opinions. Like someone else said on another thread, that's like asking someone how long is a piece of string. What is it you want to be satisfied? Do you want the seller to return your money and take back the car? Do you want the appraisal company to pay for the $10,000 in repairs? Not really sure what it is you're wanting.
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> That disclaimer thing they wrote is an attempt at an exculpatory clause and its worthless. Any lawyer can tear that thing up. If the defects were truly obvious then this is actionable. Prove it to a judge and youve won. How much he awards you is a guess. Its time to lawyer up! Lets see some pics.
What year T-Bird and some pics would help. They refunded your money,they dang sure ain"t going to fix the car. How much did you pay for the T-Bird?
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