I inquired on a 1998 Mercedes S320 on eBay, and was told it was in amazing cosmetic condition with only a few dings, interior that looked like it had never been sat in, and excellent mechanical condition. I wanted to have a mechanic look the car over for any leaks or issues and I stupidly agreed to have them take care of it. They reported no leaks whatsoever. They talked me into doing the deal outside of ebay to avoid fees.
The car arrived and immediately I could tell I was in trouble. The minor dings turned out to be a dozen major dents up and down the sides of the car. They never mentioned the cracked front bumper, damaged rear bumper, and large rust bubble by the sunroof either. The interior had a falling down headliner. The shipper mentioned he had to put cardboard underneath the car to keep it from leaking all over the car below. When I started it up I was immediately greeted with the check engine light. The seat adjustment wouldn't work, the climate control wouldn't blow heat, and the radio didn't work because the antenna was ripped off.
Driving the car showed a major mechanical fault, the transmission wouldn't shift out of first. I drove it right down to the mechanic, noticing the clunking suspension all the while. Turns out the car had a bad transmission, worn out suspension bushings, and a major oil leak from the head gasket.
I'm out thousands, and thousands, and thousands of dollars to make this car right. More than what I paid for the car in the first place. Nobody cared at US auto. No apologies. No returned phone calls or emails. Repeated badgering does not produce any results. They are used to it.
I'm filing a complaint with the BBB and also with ebay. They are skipping out on ebay fees and scamming people using the site. If enough people complain their account can be blocked and they won't be able to do this to other people. I'm also filing a complaint with the Florida attorney general and Dealer licensing bureau. If you've been scammed, you should too. There is no reason these people should still be employed or in business and be able to do this to other people. Take the time and help bring a little justice to this world.
0 comments