Specialist dealer sold my car but won't give me proceeds...
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 12:19 am
OK folks, I'm putting this up here after nearly 3 months of waiting to be paid.
At this stage I'm not going to name and shame, although I have told the dealer in question he's lucky I haven't done so yet.
The dealer in question did a good job of selling my car on commission back in mid July, that is he got a good price which meant a good sum to me and a healthy commission for him. We have a formal contract which said that he would pay me over the agreed sum minus commission and costs within 14 days. I went on holiday until end of July expecting the cash to arrive in my account in late July as agreed.
Alarm bells started ringing when no money was received. So I contacted the dealer. He said there was a problem with the car and he didn't want to give me the proceeds of the sale until that problem was sorted or just in case the customer asked for his money back. The problem was an oil leak. The customer had told him about the leak on 10th July and he'd told me. He'd said he would probably send a truck, bring the car back and see what the issue was. So, having heard nothing else, I had expected the issue to have been sorted by end July. The dealer had done an oil change and turned the sump plate in early July before the car was sold so I expected it to be something to do with that. Turned out it was but had the dealer even tried to look at the car in July?..not at all. So I started to wonder maybe if this was a useful tactic to delay payment to me. I started to press him harder. On 31st July the dealer had someone local to the buyer look at the car and sort the leak...Guess what, leaking from sump plate. So around 7th August dealer concedes that the customer is happy and he will pay me.
The weeks go on. What follows is a long list of broken promises to pay, interspersed with claims that various family members are ill and that generally cashflow is slow. I'm a reasonable guy, I stay patient but make it clear how unhappy I am and that he needs to make the payment to avoid legal action and reputational damage. He finally sends me £5k at the beginning of October. Progress I think..but then he goes quiet again. So I go over and see him (from N.Ireland..and he's in England ). He is ultra apologetic and tells me he's sold a car and will pay me w/c 8th October. Nothing. So again I call and message. Nothing still.
So that's where we are. All here will know the price of a freshly restored '78 SC. Take a few grand off for commission and you know the sum owed here. It's a fair chunk of money.
So, what do I do. Legal action? Name and shame on here? I'd have thought the guy would be so concerned about his reputation that he'd want to avoid any of this. And he does have a good reputation to maintain...
I've thought long and hard about even putting this out on the forums but I've run out of patience. I know the guy at least follows the forums so maybe the threat of name and shame will encourage him to pay me what I'm owed...
If not I think it is in the interests of all Porsche owners to know what kind of guy this is and be able to avoid a similar situation. Mods may disagree of course...
Let me know your thoughts Pls.
Allen.
At this stage I'm not going to name and shame, although I have told the dealer in question he's lucky I haven't done so yet.
The dealer in question did a good job of selling my car on commission back in mid July, that is he got a good price which meant a good sum to me and a healthy commission for him. We have a formal contract which said that he would pay me over the agreed sum minus commission and costs within 14 days. I went on holiday until end of July expecting the cash to arrive in my account in late July as agreed.
Alarm bells started ringing when no money was received. So I contacted the dealer. He said there was a problem with the car and he didn't want to give me the proceeds of the sale until that problem was sorted or just in case the customer asked for his money back. The problem was an oil leak. The customer had told him about the leak on 10th July and he'd told me. He'd said he would probably send a truck, bring the car back and see what the issue was. So, having heard nothing else, I had expected the issue to have been sorted by end July. The dealer had done an oil change and turned the sump plate in early July before the car was sold so I expected it to be something to do with that. Turned out it was but had the dealer even tried to look at the car in July?..not at all. So I started to wonder maybe if this was a useful tactic to delay payment to me. I started to press him harder. On 31st July the dealer had someone local to the buyer look at the car and sort the leak...Guess what, leaking from sump plate. So around 7th August dealer concedes that the customer is happy and he will pay me.
The weeks go on. What follows is a long list of broken promises to pay, interspersed with claims that various family members are ill and that generally cashflow is slow. I'm a reasonable guy, I stay patient but make it clear how unhappy I am and that he needs to make the payment to avoid legal action and reputational damage. He finally sends me £5k at the beginning of October. Progress I think..but then he goes quiet again. So I go over and see him (from N.Ireland..and he's in England ). He is ultra apologetic and tells me he's sold a car and will pay me w/c 8th October. Nothing. So again I call and message. Nothing still.
So that's where we are. All here will know the price of a freshly restored '78 SC. Take a few grand off for commission and you know the sum owed here. It's a fair chunk of money.
So, what do I do. Legal action? Name and shame on here? I'd have thought the guy would be so concerned about his reputation that he'd want to avoid any of this. And he does have a good reputation to maintain...
I've thought long and hard about even putting this out on the forums but I've run out of patience. I know the guy at least follows the forums so maybe the threat of name and shame will encourage him to pay me what I'm owed...
If not I think it is in the interests of all Porsche owners to know what kind of guy this is and be able to avoid a similar situation. Mods may disagree of course...
Let me know your thoughts Pls.
Allen.