WARNING! BAD CAR! BAD DEALER! My Story!

This is based upon my recent real life experience and is my personal opinion.
Buyers beware of whom I believe to be an unscrupulous internet car dealer:

Collector Motors LLC, d.b.a. American Automobilia LLC , 7786 Blankenship, Houston Texas Ebay name: Challenged1

Lemon of a Car: Silver 1988 Ferrari 328 GTS VIN# ZFFXA20A4J0077277.

Adminstrator, please make a note of this 328 car #77277 in the 328 Registry! Hopefully no one will waste their money. My opinion this is a parts only car.

This car is/has been for sale on the following websites and also on ebay numerous times over 2006.

http://www.americanautomobilia.com/

http://www.collectormotors.com/

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=012&item=220009424228&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

My Story:

I observed this Ferrari for sale on ebay several times, it appeared to be a decent car and I decided to check it out for myself. Note: buyers be suspect of a seller using the anonymous bidder process..there maybe a reason the seller doesn't want you to know who is bidding on this car, other than privacy reasons.

I ran a carfax which did not ring any major alarms other than indicating no history prior to 1996 and in 2004 it was at an auction three times between 55,565-55,750 miles. But I said what the heck, this guys says "making this historic classic an oustanding investment that you can enjoy both now and when you get a substantial return on that investment." I trusted his ad.

I spoke to this classic car dealership on several occassions during July and August. (They are terrible at returning calls by the way) I mainly dealt with a woman named Alexis on the phone, who could never tell me anything specific about the car other than to say that their partner bought it and his wife said he couldn't keep it. (the man sympathy hook!) She was not really thrilled that I suggested that I may want a PPI by a third party. She told me most of the PPI inspectors they have dealt with were terrible and not really worth the money. She said that the ad tells everything about it and I really needed "come on down to see it" and that they will even pick me up at the Houston airport and bring me to the warehouse.

I spent the time money and effort to personally check out this "every reason to be proud of condition" "runs and drives without issues" car.

Upon my arrival I called them and Alexus said that noone was availbale to pick me up at the airport and to take a cab at their expense. To their credit the owner John did pay for my taxi cab from the airport, he wasn't happy about it but paid it nonetheless.

I was met at the business by John who grunted at us pointed the car out and said "there's the car do your thing." he proceeded to drop the few records upon upon the hood of the car in front of me in a very curt and rude manner as if I was inconvienencing them by looking at the car and the records. Hindsight says I should have caught on the wording on the ebay page his notice of "no tire kickers or test pilots."

I spent a about 30 minutes looking this collection of parts over:

The exterior was as the photo ads showed. ..it looked ok for a older car. Except upon closer inspection there were alot of nicks, chips, scratches, rusty lug nuts, rust bubbles in door panels, alot of rust inside of the passenger door, improperly mounted front airdam, badges missing from rear of car, black & red spray paint specks or something in the door wells which led me to the inside...

Ugh, the interior was atrocious! Rips, tears, nicks and serious fading in the now nearly pink decking. The whole interior, which I think used to be red and is now black, looked as though someone spray painted the leather and plastic black (alot of over spray and nicks and tears with the red leather underneath now showing thru). A poor recarpet job with thin black carpet..there were remnants of the old red carpet still hanging on the screws. No mention and/or records of this terrible thing ever being done to this "every reason to be proud of" car. The Poor thing! So I just said to myself (your 800 miles from home and nothing to do so what the hell keep looking and gathering intel to give someone else the heads up. My wife was very patient thru all this, which lasted less than an hour. The car had numerous hardware issues such as latches and releases and hydrolic pistons that malfunction.

The icing:

SEVERE external oil leakage and years of encrusted oil buildup in/under the engine compartment,and an ample amount of OIL and thick sludge inside of the radiator. I had to stop there. I called several mechanics, who said possible blown head gasket and probably at least a $10,000 +/- fix, barring any other issues. The advertisement for this car indicates "always meticulously maintained." Obviously not by them! Based upon the records I observed there was no serious work done since the major in 1998 @41k.

Now the kicker which really pissed me off.

I found John in his office and asked to take the car for a test drive. John sternly refused and said that I can't let you drive the car. I said someone can go with me. He said "I can't do that I pay alot for insurance for my employees to drive the car and I'm not going to pay alot more to let customers drive the cars. I can ride with one of his employees or not all. I said I think I had seen enough of the car and that I didn't understand that he wasn't willing to let a customer drive a car that was for sale. I asked him how he expected to sell cars if the customers can't drive them. I walked back into the warehouse and John followed.

I told John that this car had some problems and in my layman's opinion it probably had a major engine problem..he grunted and said "yeah uh huh." As I gave him the records back he became irrate and said "you can leave now." and indicated the direction of the door. I said nothing derogatory toward him. I graciously thanked him for his time, picked up my luggage and walked out to the adjoining business next door to call a cab back to the airport. John proceeded drive the car around the building revving the engine.

While in the neighboring business Seamless Solutions, I called a cab and thanked the nice receptionist for letting me use their lobby and their phonebook. In walked John, from the back, he saw me and asked if I called a cab. I said yes and tried to politely tell him that I wished he had given me the truth before I flew down from St. Louis. I never even got three words out! He rudely interrrupted me and then rudely threw me out. He told me he wanted me off the premises now! My wife and I left to wait for the cab curbside in the rain and the 88 degree weather.

I figured to myself fine! I won't lower myself to his level by making a scene or or have him spitting bloody chicklets (as much as I wanted to at this point) thats not my thing. My wife and I are degreed professionals and own our own business. I am also a full time official in the executive branch of the US Government. I refuse to let this Troll get the better of me or anyone else.

Prior to flying to Houston I had indicated to them that if the car was satisfactory, and I did buy it, that I'd like to drive it back to St. Louis. They said it was in good shape and that there was no reason why I shouldn't be able to drive it back. WOW! Thank God I didn't listen to them or I'd probably be sitting along side of some highway with an engine seized up, a now parts only car, I big hole in my wallet, and a damaged ego.

I feel that it is my duty to let everyone know what happened to me and report this so called dealership of vintage and collector cars and this particular car, so that no one is hoodwinked into a bad deal! I am also sharing my story with the Better Business Bureau.

I want to thank all of you at Ferrari-chat and God for giving me the wisdom to check this car out first. Some of you had even given me names of some places to get a PPI if the car was to my liking and I wanted to proceed. I called several of the places and had them in the wings if I were to proceed. Thanx again. I won't let this knucklehead or this experience divert my quest for an Fcar. I'm just that much wiser and lucky enough to still have all my marbles.

Dave.
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Greg G,

The personnel from the business next door were not involved in any way with this fiasco. I mentioned them because they, allowed me to use their lobby for a while. It appeared to me that Collector Motors rented warehouse space in the rear of your cousin's business. The few front line employees gave me the "aire" that that they tolerated this other business and/or John. Seamless was professional and was probably wondering what the hell that was all about. One person who worked there was a guy who drove a Mercedes. He just happened to see John throw me off the property. He had to wonder what the hell was going on and why John was being such a jerk to a polite man and his wife standing in the lobby with luggage. I'd be interested to know what John told him.

I'm estatic to know that this may be forwarded and eventually back to John. He needs to know you can't treat customers like crap and/or conduct questionable business practices. Especially when you have no idea with whom your dealing and/or what they do for a living. Trust me, this post was just my attempt to quickly warn others and not my main course of action, that is still to come.

If your cousin has any concerns please have him contact me. I'd be concerned for him if he is involved with these "slimy" people in any business dealings. He may want to wash his hands of John so as not to tarnish his reputation.

Dave

 

I agree to some extent, but an 18 year old ferrari with 50k isnt a filet. I wasn't asking for prime rib just a nice tender ribeye as listed on the menu. What I was served was rotten ecoli infested horse meat! It would have been worse had this guy covered it in marinade, but I dont think he was all that bright and really gave a sh__!

Bottom line is John, an alledged dealer, is out to sell cars online to the unsuspecting people who trust what they read. Sorry we can't all be as all knowing as you teterman! I'm so sure the first Ferrari you bought and layed out $40-50k was a just a walk in the park! We should all be that lucky! It would be different if I had unlimited funds but I don't!

BTW, they did over the phone offer me to drive it but I had to come down there to do so! So its either buy a plane ticket to go look or try to convince the dealer to allow the car to dissappear for a day for a PPI by a third party. the cost was about the same. I choose to look see first and I happen to know a little about cars and woud have gotten a PPI if the car looked good. So I was willing to shell out the dough to buy a decent steak.

But If your a legit dealer and you know the car has a blown head gasket (obvious) and it will take about 10 grand to fix you absolutely need to disclose this, not hide it!!!!!!
I would never sell you a horse with a founder problem or chronic laminitis. First of all its unscrupulous and second it would be illegal to represent it as otherwise and then fail to disclose it! Especially over the internet ..its called fraud! Wire fraud to be exact.

And you cant tell me that when you look at buying a used car you just get the keys and jump right in with out looking at it first. Nor would I buy it with out driving it.

Thanks for your input.