Is It Just Me Or Are All Used Car Yard Importers Dodgy?

[Alkatraz]

Ok, now I did quite a lot of research before buying my 370gt SP from Japan so I think that I am correct with the points I make below but I am also completely happy to be proven wrong. It would actually make my day to be proven wrong and find out that the dealers associated with the cars below are not all SCUM SUCKING, PIECE OF S&%T, DODGY ASS, SELL THEIR OWN GRANDMA TO THE STREETS FOR $5 ASSHOLES!!!

If I am indeed correct though, is it even legal for car dealerships to be advertising cars incorrectly, ie. saying a car is a top of the range model when it isnt?? Imagine a dealership advertising a Holden Commodore VE SSV as an HSV GTS......somehow I think that if you mentioned that to the ACCC, they would do something about it. I understand that in some cases you can argue, buyer beware, if your dumb enough to buy it, thats your problem, but then why should someone be arrested when they go back to the dealership and drive the car straight up the salesmans ass......

Take the examples given below.....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2008-Nissan-Skyline-V36-370GT-Premium-Black-5sp-/140563290907?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item20ba399b1b

Listed as a Premium model but with cloth seats??? I'm pretty sure Premium meant leather which would make this the regular, stand, povo pack 370gt.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2008-Nissan-Skyline-370GTS-Black-/170590489673?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item27b7fc4c49

I hope that the S after 370GT is a typo because this is an auto with no paddle shift which again (and i am happy to stand corrected) would make it a standard 370gt.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2008-Nissan-Skyline-370GTS-Grey-/160557753431?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item2561fce457

Two different dealers who both happened to accidently press S after typing GT? hmmmmm...........same as previous example.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2008-Nissan-Skyline-SP-V36-Silver-M-Coupe-/280565441338?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item415300e33a

Ok so this one is @ Edward Lee's who we all know is dodgy as F%&K. So its an SP without full leather??? Did the Japanese guy who ordered it say "Me want SP, but no likey leather, so charge me SP price but give me S model" (no offence to any Japanese people here)

Please someone tell me that I have gotten it all wrong and that you can order an SP without full leather or an S with the standard auto box and no paddles or 6 speed manual. I have looked at dozens of Auction sheets and never saw an SP without leather or an S with a standard auto........If not, can someone on that side of the country please get in touch with the ACCC and go down and have a chat with the dealers. How many people do you think get ripped off by these guys and never know about it.

Send comments and suggestions to "Al's wild rant for the day"...PO Box 666, Dodgy Dealers Piss Me Off And Must Die Street, Perth, WA, 6000

[zei20l]

the way i look at it is most of the dealers have NO idea what they are selling anyway............

the dealer you have mentioned claims that an M35 stagea has a 2.5L VQ35 350z motor!

also, i feel your pain!

Edited June 21, 2011 by zei20l

[Alkatraz]

Well to be fair to the dealer, it probably does have a 2.5L VQ35 350z motor, and GT-R badges on the back.

After the car was crashed and written off in Japan, they imported it, bogged it up, painted it, found a blown motor somewhere and stuck it in. When someone comes to buy it they will say "damn, hasnt got any fuel in it so you can't go for a test drive, but dont worry shes all good and if you buy it I will even fill it up with fuel for you....if you pay the sticker price" <----- actually i think one of the ad's i listed actually said that last part in the description.....sounds like good deal to me.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Alkatraz

[zei20l]

hahaha i always get a full tank of fuel when i buy cars.

i agree that some dealers ARE dodgey as, AND they dont know what they are selling.

they are out to make money, they arent into cars like we are where we can glance at a car (whatever it is youre into) and tell you exactly what trim level it is and whats been added to it blah blah

PLUS, they dont care if they are wrong. some idiot will come along who THINKS he/she knows what they are on about and buy it anyway

[n15m0]

correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think premium = leather. at least for the V35 that was the case. Leather was always an option.

[Alkatraz]

V36 370gt premium models all come with leather, I'm 99.9% certain of that. The v35 and v36 have totally different spec levels.

I just realised that the title of this thread is very misleading and I must apologise to all of the respectable importers on this forum. I was refering to used car dealers who import and not all importers in general. If it is possible to change the thread title I will.

[asitag]

i also understand your pain Alkatraz!

I remember when i was doing a search on carsales for my v36, i kept getting dealers that were advertising their v35s as v36s.

buyer beware! plus if youre gonna spend so much on a car, maybe you should do your research. i don't feel bad for anyone that buys a dud.

do your research, and you wont be fuct over

[MadMike]

As anyone who has been through the process will testify, find the car you want at auction in Japan and import it yourself.

[fcruz3r]

simple rule. don't go on ebay to buy a car.

[rondofj]

why not do private buy on carsales

[scarf]

when i was looking around for a sedan, I would contact the dealer regarding the advertised car.

The advertised car was not the car for sale. "It has been sold". Even to date they are using the same "sold" car in their advertising.

[djr81]

when i was looking around for a sedan, I would contact the dealer regarding the advertised car.

The advertised car was not the car for sale. "It has been sold". Even to date they are using the same "sold" car in their advertising.

Yeah it is called bait and switch. Advertise a good cheap car & wait for the customer to turn up. Then sell them whatever is left on the lot.

You can either ascribe it to incompetence or malpractice. Take your pick.

[vee35]

why not do private buy on carsales

The dodgy guys I eventually bought from, actually advertise on CarSales to appear as a private sale.

[zei20l]

The dodgy guys I eventually bought from, actually advertise on CarSales to appear as a private sale.

yeah that happens a lot too. i think its to save costs on advertising on those sites.....

[asitag]

"we JUST sold that car, but we have another one that is exactly the same"

In car sales, you are not allowed to change the licence plate number when you advertise. so instead of paying another ~$40, they just keep the same ad on there.

dirty

[TUFF_350]

As anyone who has been through the process will testify, find the car you want at auction in Japan and import it yourself.

Agreed, but can be quite hard if you don't have the funds and are requiring a loan to purchase. Some institutions will give you an unsecured personal loan till the car is road registered (so they can take security) and you can refinance but you'll have to hunt around.

[Alkatraz]

Thats true, not that many people simply have the cash lying around or are even able to get an unsecured personal loam, especially for $40-50,000 to get a v36.

That said, it is definitely the way to go if you do have the spare cash.

[Deep Dish V35]

Any car that is second hand is bound to be dodgy to some degree anyway. Just depends how dodgy you want to be (ie: cheap)

[Haxorz]

Yeah, agreed. Notice how they never come with log books either. Pretty strange for such new cars from a country where everybody crosses their T's and dots their I's.

[Alkatraz]

If the dealer can't show you the auction sheet, walk away. I think that most of these guys will be looking to import the cheapest ones they can find which would generally mean they have issues. If they can cover up any faults then they can make good money on them.