Just saw this 71 Challenger ad...trouble?

[7E-Bodies]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/497141717768270/

[Chryco Psycho]

 

[JH27N0B]

For those of us who avoid Facebook like the plague, what am I missing?

[Brads70]

For those of us who avoid Facebook like the plague, what am I missing?

quote...... ( I didn't bother with the single picture of a car in primer)

Seller's Description
DO NOT deal with Tony Swain or Ken Brown for the 1971 Dodge Challenger listed for sale!  It is being marketed as complete and "paint ready," and yet there is not one single straight panel on the car.  VIN numbers are not where they should be, and the ones it has (dashboard and fender tag) can easily be changed.  The grille is beat and from a '70, and I can't be sure the doors and fenders were original to the car either.  No other VIN numbers could be found.



Several people are apparently involved in the deal.  One guy owns it, a couple others are listing it for sale, answering questions and making representations about its condition, and none of them really know ANYTHING about it.  Everything they tell you is patently false.  First a "reputable shop" did the work, and that changed to a friend who did the work, and then they bought it that way, etc., etc.



It looks pretty decent in the photos.  I made preliminary plans to purchase it based on those pictures and the seller's representations.  Listed at $9,400, they were all too eager to accept my initial sight-unseen offer of $7,000 (assuming it met with my expectations) and loaded it up on a trailer to bring it to me in northwest Tennessee.



I offered Ken (the guy I dealt with on the phone) a $400 delivery fee only IF I agreed to purchase the car, $250 via paypal and the balance in cash at the time of sale.



When it arrived last Friday, I discovered it's a cobbled together Bondo Buggy -- I put my finger THROUGH the driver's side quarter panel! -- that did not meet my expectations or ANY representation made to me previously.  My magnet did not stick more than it did.



I paid him $158 in cash for his time and fuel and sent him and his friend on his way home with the car (140 miles) along with a request to return my $250 paypal deposit.  An hour or so after they left with the car, Tony called to ask if I would be willing to pay $6,000.00 instead; of course I said No.  It would take $40K to turn this into a decent car!



When he later refused to return my paypal deposit, I filed a claim to get the balance of my initial deposit back. 



It is interesting to note that Tony apparently grew a conscience at some point and offered to refund $200 of my initial deposit.  This is a paste of his Private Message to me:  "Hey Billy I do understand your frustration of having to pay $400 for delivery of a vehicle. Although that's the agreement that I saw we had I do understand that that's quite a bit of money for delivery. Although I do not agree on giving you the full $242 back I would however refund $200 from PayPal and keep the $42 that would be a total of $200 for delivery."



However, his WIFE escalated the claim (yet another unknown party to the sale???) and paypal denied it this morning despite it being paid "for Goods and Services," NOT as a gift.



Don't make the same mistakes I did!  These guys are bad news, are totally clueless about what they're trying to sell, and operate in BAD FAITH at every turn.  If I had ten red flags to wave, I'd be waving them all.  Caveat emptor ... BIG TIME. Less

[Katfish]

 He got off cheap, I know it sux, but hard to get a car transported that distance for $400.
Curious why he didn't go look at it before throwing cash at it.
Glad he warned future buyers.

[anlauto]

He's paying $7000 for a Challenger...what exactly were his expectations ?

[Flatdad]

What's the seller's side of the story?

Sounds like he hauled a project long distance for cheap so the potential buyer could inspect it. Scam artists don't do that...

[anlauto]

  I don't feel too sorry for the buyer here...

[HEMICUDA]

He's paying $7000 for a Challenger...what exactly were his expectations ?

To get exactly what was represented maybe?   What does the price have to do with how it was represented?  I guess, if your on the low end money wise, selling a car or even "100% restoration services" , a customer should expect to have to take it in the a$$?  Yea, I don't think so, the buyer had every right not to take the car or any financial burden.

[7E-Bodies]

I didn't have an opinion either way, I just wanted to make any members aware of turbulence before they stepped in something. Personally, I feel if an e body is less than 10k and doesn't break in half when winching it onto a trailer, you're at a pretty good starting place.

[anlauto]

Personally, I feel if an e body is less than 10k and doesn't break in half when winching it onto a trailer, you're at a pretty good starting place.

Yea, I agree, you don't get much for $7K these days