Bought a car that is rebuilt, what can i do?

[chosen-juan]

I saw a car i liked, checked it out three times and it seemed fine so i decided to pick it up. The seller told me that it was running perfect and that the title was clean.

As i went to register it , i found out that it was rebuilt meaning previously written off and fixed? Was he supposed to tell me by law that it was rebuilt? I called him once and he doesnt agree to return the money.

Can i get my money back or am i screwed? On the bill of sale we didnt write sold as-is.

[ercchry]

his registration that he would sign over to you would say rebuilt right on it... how the hell would you miss that?

[Sorath]

buyers beware, shouldve done a carproof first

[chosen-juan]

he never signed registration over to me..

[revelations]

just bought a used car.... did a canada-wide search, very impressed with carproof.

Did you bother with a mechanical inspection or does "it looked fine to me" suffice there too?

[01RedDX]

.

[Eleanor]

Originally posted by chosen-juan
he never signed registration over to me..

Then you shouldn't need to worry about it, cause it ain't your car! :thumbsup:

[chosen-juan]

we signed a Bill of sale, isnt that that same thing? ...Im reading the back of the registration on my parents car, and its like a mini bill of sale..?

[chosen-juan]

Originally posted by Eleanor


Then you shouldn't need to worry about it, cause it ain't your car! :thumbsup:
'

...wtf, well i gave him money?

[boxer23]

He has to tell you that the car is rebuilt by law. if he doesnt give you your money back, you can take him to court.

[84 318i]

Originally posted by 01RedDX
and yes, carproof is worth every penny.

+1 :thumbsup:

[rpalm35]

Originally posted by chosen-juan
we signed a Bill of sale, isnt that that same thing? ...Im reading the back of the registration on my parents car, and its like a mini bill of sale..?

It is similar, but you need both peices to get the car registered under your name..

Basically the car is still his...

Buyer Beware indeed!

[chosen-juan]

Originally posted by rpalm35


It is similar, but you need both peices to get the car registered under your name..

Basically the car is still his...

Buyer Beware indeed!

Are you sure? Ive purchased other vehicles before and all i needed was the bill of sale and proof of insurance to register it. Never have they asked for the previous registration.

[GTO]

no you either need a bill of sale or previous registration and insurance to register the car you don't need both.

[rpalm35]

Originally posted by GTO
no you either need a bill of sale or previous registration and insurance to register the car you don't need both.

Really??

I have always been asked for both when insuring and registering cars..

different places, different policies??

Sorry for making an uneducated post.. :dunno:

[euro_racer]

Originally posted by chosen-juan
I saw a car i liked, checked it out three times and it seemed fine so i decided to pick it up. The seller told me that it was running perfect and that the title was clean.

As i went to register it , i found out that it was rebuilt meaning previously written off and fixed? Was he supposed to tell me by law that it was rebuilt? I called him once and he doesnt agree to return the money.

Can i get my money back or am i screwed? On the bill of sale we didnt write sold as-is.

he has to tell you the title or at least mention that it was in accident by law. if it does not say sold as it you are good to go in court :)


Originally posted by Eleanor


Then you shouldn't need to worry about it, cause it ain't your car! :thumbsup:

fail


Originally posted by rpalm35


It is similar, but you need both peices to get the car registered under your name..

Basically the car is still his...

Buyer Beware indeed!


fail x2


perhaps the laws have changed since a couple months ago but i dont know about you guys but i have been trough alot of cars and only a bill of sale was needed every time, the back of the registration acts as a bill of sale aswell

[chosen-juan]

Originally posted by boxer23
He has to tell you that the car is rebuilt by law. if he doesnt give you your money back, you can take him to court.

Is there anything in writing to back this up?

[Geeman]

You can write a bill of sale on toilet paper as long as its legible.

Back of the registration is just convenience.

From what I remember when I worked at AB Registries, the policy says a Bill of Sale needs
- description of the car: year, make, model, VIN
- buyer and sellers information (which is funny cause the back of the tear off portion doesn't have the sellers info sides his signature, but it does have his plate #)
- signed, dated, purchase amount


Will the guy tell you what it was written off for? Insurance companies write off old cars all the time now, maybe it wasn't a huge accident, no frame dmg?

[euro_racer]

Originally posted by Geeman

Will the guy tell you what it was written off for? Insurance companies write off old cars all the time now, maybe it wasn't a huge accident, no frame dmg?

this guy is right, it could have been something small. they even write off cars that were stolen some times :)

if you checked it out/got inspection and it looks good, i would not worry too much about the title

[Gibson]

My cars a rebuild but I can't tell and I didn't find out until I went to insure it. The way I see it is that they replaced some parts with some newer ones and I didn't have to pay for it.

Besides, for a car to have a rebuilt status it had to have a solid inspection.

[revelations]

Originally posted by Gibson
Besides, for a car to have a rebuilt status it had to have a solid inspection.

you mean like the ones at the GoFC ?

[ragu]

My accord has a rebuilt title, it bugged me for a bit after I found out (the buyer didn't tell me it was rebuilt) but there hasn't been a single thing which went wrong; still a solid car. I would actually not really mind a rebuilt car as long as the inspection and everything was good.
In future make sure you do carproof on any car you buy. :dunno:

[D. Dub]

Originally posted by chosen-juan


Is there anything in writing to back this up?


Good God man -- make a freakin effort!!! Look it up!!!

Find out for yourself already -- if not -- you deserve to get screwed.

[teggypimp95]

Yeah sorry bud its your own fault. Its your job to take down the vin number and find out these sorts of things before you buy the car. Of corse he is a shady seller for not telling you about it, but still nothing you can do. Once you have signed the bill of sale, AND/OR the original registration the car is yours and your problem.

[teggypimp95]

what kind of car is it, and how much did you pay for it?

[canuckcarguy]

He should have told you, you should have asked. You have a valid bill of sale (definitely don't need a signed registration to register the car or have valid title).

If he sold you the car for a fair price, and it's a good car, I'm not sure what your rights are. In court, he could simply claim that he told you about the rebuilt status, and it would be your word against his. Plus, if you got a very good price, that's likely a reflection of the fact that rebuilt cars aren't worth as much as clean title cars. Unless he's a licensed motor vehicle dealer, I don't think you can do very much.

If I were you, I'd have a good shop take a look at the car and make sure it's okay, and then enjoy your new car. Good lesson for next time.

[Civ2NR]

On a similar note, I was told before that if you are importing a car from the US that has been rebuilt/salvaged you automatically cannot pass the OOP inspection, thus can't register it. Can anyone add clarity to this? I was told this by my neighbour that owns a garage and some guy brought in a $60G truck from the US and when he ran the VIN it had a salvage title associated, new owner had no clue, and it couldn't pass the OOP.

NEVER buy a vehicle without a carfax report. It only costs like $7.95, why they hell wouldn't you?:dunno:

[alloroc]

Originally posted by Civ2NR
NEVER buy a vehicle without a carfax report. It only costs like $7.95, why they hell wouldn't you?:dunno:

Because Carfax is pretty much useless for Canadian registered vehicles?

Carproof ftw.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by teggypimp95
Once you have signed the bill of sale, AND/OR the original registration the car is yours and your problem.


He can sue him, if he thinks it's worth it, as the seller is legally supposed to tell him about the status, but it's not like the cops are going to get involved or anything.

So for a $50,000 car, yep it'd be worth it, for a $500, not a chance

[5G_celica]

unless you have something in writting that shows that he stated the car has a clean record, you're stuck with the car. because unless he comes clean (which I doubt considering he would lie about the status) it's your word against his. and taking him to court will be useless, cause they'll give him the benifit of the doubt.

I hope this wasn't too expensive of a lesson for you.

just enjoy the car for now, because the resale is what this will affect.

[revelations]

Originally posted by Civ2NR
On a similar note, I was told before that if you are importing a car from the US that has been rebuilt/salvaged you automatically cannot pass the OOP inspection, thus can't register it. Can anyone add clarity to this? I was told this by my neighbour that owns a garage and some guy brought in a $60G truck from the US and when he ran the VIN it had a salvage title associated, new owner had no clue, and it couldn't pass the OOP.

NEVER buy a vehicle without a carfax report. It only costs like $7.95, why they hell wouldn't you?:dunno:

I recall attending the City impounded car auction and they had a gorgeous white Merceces up for auction. It was a nice car except it had been torched so the drivers area was basically melted - couldve been fixed for a mere $10k probably - however the vehicle was driven up by a drug dealer here from the states and the vehicle was written off once already. It was clearly stated during the auction that that vehicle could NEVER be insured in Canada.

It sold for 3k from what I remember..... but whats stopping someone from selling it BACK to the states?
(eg eBay).

[Civ2NR]

Originally posted by alloroc

Because Carfax is pretty much useless for Canadian registered vehicles?

Carproof ftw.


Sorry dude, carfax/carproof, I was referring to a VIN check in general.

[Moe Man]

dont worrie about it, if the car looks good who cares, i had a honda accord and the fender was hit and it was a right off, fix the fender and got it re-inspected for frame damage and gave it to my cuzin, the car has been running perfect.

[71/454]

I'm curious what the result of this was. I am under the impression that anything that has a salvage or rebuilt title must be disclosed to the buyer by the seller, regardless of whether it is a private or dealership sale. My truck is a rebuilt title and I wouldn't even think of not disclosing that if I sold it. If you want to test it and see if I'm right, go sell a car with a rebuilt title or a salvage title to a dealership and count the seconds till you hear about it. I know a guy who sold a truck that was rebuilt to a guy who a year later traded it off on a new truck, long story short somebody went to jail.

[Weapon_R]

Disclosure can be as much as verbally telling a buyer, "this car has been rebuilt". It's up to the buyer to verify what the status of a car's title is and other relevant information.

The only way to fix that is to change the laws so that sellers are required to list the status of a car on the bill of sale.

[da_rite]

Originally posted by Civ2NR
On a similar note, I was told before that if you are importing a car from the US that has been rebuilt/salvaged you automatically cannot pass the OOP inspection, thus can't register it.

your neighbor's wrong. i've imported a car with a salvage title. its just treated like every other car.

Some cars in the states get title's when they're severely busted that will not be allowed on the road again...like non-repairable status here

[Kloubek]

I did not know in a private sale it was required to say a car has been rebuilt. But even if it is, then it's word against word.

A bill of sale OR signed registration is adequate as proof of sale for the car. You do not need both in Alberta.

(In BC, you do need the registration. If you don't have it, they will charge you extra.)

[Redlyne_mr2]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
Disclosure can be as much as verbally telling a buyer, "this car has been rebuilt". It's up to the buyer to verify what the status of a car's title is and other relevant information.

The only way to fix that is to change the laws so that sellers are required to list the status of a car on the bill of sale.
That is correct.. buyer beware if its a private sale. If it's from a dealership it's the dealers responsibility to advise you.

[Jynx]

Unless he is a registered car dealer then he DOES NOT have to disclose information about the vehicles history to you.

When dealing with private sellers it is actually buyer beware, as you have no recourse for getting money back from him.

[zipdoa]

Originally posted by chosen-juan


Is there anything in writing to back this up?

Well a friend of mine sold his GTI VR6 with a busted connecting rod, and told the buyer it needed an oil pump. He sold the car as-is, and the buyer fucking sued him for the cost of the car. My friend appealed and lost again.

Maybe that can be motivation for you.

[MikeAg]

:facepalm:

[71/454]

Jynx I beg to differ with you. The full story of the guy who bought the truck is that it was a wreck that was rebuilt from 2 trucks. The guy who fixed it also sold it and told the buyer it was a rebuilt vehicle, and put the vin from the original truck in the glove box in case there was a problem verifying which was which, and for parts chasing or service at GM, it was a fairly new truck. The buyer keeps it a year then decides to trade it off at a well known dealership. They find out not by running the title but by finding the extra vin in the glove box. They ask the guy what the hell is going on, run the vin, find it is rebuilt. The guy trading it in says he didn't know it was rebuilt, and because the guy who originally sold it and fixed it didn't show it as rebuilt on the bill of sale that he had a copy of, he was on the hook, and went to the big house. True story. If you are selling make sure it's listed on the bill of sale and keep a copy.

[Jynx]

Originally posted by 71/454
Jynx I beg to differ with you. The full story of the guy who bought the truck is that it was a wreck that was rebuilt from 2 trucks. The guy who fixed it also sold it and told the buyer it was a rebuilt vehicle, and put the vin from the original truck in the glove box in case there was a problem verifying which was which, and for parts chasing or service at GM, it was a fairly new truck. The buyer keeps it a year then decides to trade it off at a well known dealership. They find out not by running the title but by finding the extra vin in the glove box. They ask the guy what the hell is going on, run the vin, find it is rebuilt. The guy trading it in says he didn't know it was rebuilt, and because the guy who originally sold it and fixed it didn't show it as rebuilt on the bill of sale that he had a copy of, he was on the hook, and went to the big house. True story. If you are selling make sure it's listed on the bill of sale and keep a copy.

Well its one thing to not inform someone, its something else to completely mislead them. If the appropriate VIN number was not attached to the rebuilt car then thats borderline fraud. If you have a vehicle that is rebuilt status and your registration shows that, you have no obligation to tell the buyer.

There must be more to the above example then you know or are explaining because to the best of my knowledge private sellers have no obligations to the buyers. Dealers on the other hand are obligated to inform a buyer of any potential pertinent information (although this rarely happens)

No big deal either way, your example is a 1 in a million shot...

[71/454]

You didn't read my post correctly. Regardless, in Alberta it is full disclosure if you know the vehicle has been rebuilt i.e. the previous owner did the rebuilding or just plain had it registered in his name with a registration that shows rebuilt status he knew about it, so he must inform the buyer, it's the law. Someone made a good point about his word against yours like if he told you verbally, but to protect himself as the seller he should write it down.
The original poster asked if there was anything he could do, yes he can take him (the seller) to court for failure to disclose. Rebuilt vehicles usually garner a lower price tag than their non rebuilt counterparts so if you paid less than average chances are you will get squat, the judge would say you knew and thats how you got a good deal. If you paid going rate or average price for a devalued car and you can prove he did not inform you, you have a case.
Doesn't anybody remember when the out of province and write off laws changed years back because of all the curbers putting junk on the roads. You the consumer have laws to protect you.