What would YOU do? Advice needed please!

[Str8 Jacket]

What would you do if you bought a bike off a fellow Kiwibiker after trusting that the bike was as in "mint condition" as the advert stated but when you got the bike you realised that you'd been had?!
Just imagine this scenario..... You see your ideal next bike advertised for sale by a very trusted member of KB. You contact this person and verify that the bike is actually in awesome condition and that there are no probs with this bike. The bike is to come with a new WOF and 3 months rego, you ask the seller to get a pre-purchase check done on it so that you can be totally sure that there are no probs with this bike......
You believe everything is cool, this person is trustworthy blah blah. So you fly from Wgtn to Akld to pick up this bike that is in "mint condition". You ask to see the pre-purchase agreement but the person doesnt have it on them atm.... but they say yeah yeah everything was sweet but you'll need to tighten the chain at the next stop and oh yeah the bike has no fuel. You think wow that sux after all the person knew I would be riding it back to Wgtn but you think "oh well they are a very busy person" and let it slide, while feeling slightly miffed. Anyway you get to Cambridge and realise that this bike has no rego sticker on it AT ALL and then you are informed that your rear light is only working on one bulb.... Thats cool you carry on. Then you get to Wgtn and your oil light comes on, great the bike was practically out of oil, even though the person knew you were riding it from Akld to Wgtn.... So you go to the post shop to get a new rego sticker only to find out that there was only 3 weeks left on it, hmm that sux! In the next couple of days the wind blows your bike over and the mirror breaks of, you inspect the bike to notice that not only was the mirror only stuck on with knead-it you notice quite a big crack in the Fly Wheel cover with Knead-it residue all over it, when the bike had fallen the knead-it that was on the fly wheel cover cracked off.....
At this point your feeling quite shitty and while the old owner has re-imbursed you 3 months rego they have still yet to answer back my PM regarding the damage on the bike.... But thats not all folks today I discovered that the chain is completely rooted and needs replacing.... What do you guy's reckon? The ad stated that this bike was in "mint condition" only a few scuffs so that's why I paid $3000 for it. I reckon I got ripped off, anyone else?

And before anyone gets all "uppity" about this thread I have still yet to hear back for the seller that I PMed a few days ago regarding this and I have still yet to see a pre-purchase check, which I strongly suspect wasnt done.....

[ManDownUnder]

Ask the seller if they prefer to give your money back, or to provide said inpection report.

Give them first right of reply (which it sounds like you are). If no joy then escalate it.

Lesson learned, business with friends need to be done on same basis as non friends business. Favours can come back to bite you in the butt.

[Str8 Jacket]

Ask the seller if they prefer to give your money back, or to provide said inpection report.

Give them first right of reply (which it sounds like you are). If no joy then escalate it

Yeah ive been waiting for a few days for a reply and no such luck I also rang the person the night I discovered all this too... I would be happy if the person would pay for the new chain, sprockets and labour but im not really trusting that this would happen..... One of the biggest problems is the person was claiming that they were selling the bike "on behalf of a friend". Still I dont think that that should matter, I was dealing with them.

[slinky]

VIR checks are good to get when buying aswell. they are 25 bucks, and tell you everything.
owners, current owner, if stolen, reg, WoF, imported as damage vehicle.

[Blackbird]

Any legal comebacks under Sale of Goods?

[Paul in NZ]

Rather depends on you definition of 'mint' as applied to a 1989 motorcycle. That varies GREATLY from person to person. Personally I'd feel agrieved that you were sent off on a largish trip without knowing whats what BUT then I would have looked at the bike with different eyes maybe?? At $3K for any bike my expectations would be quite low.

Stuff like chain / sprokets? Wear and tear items - I'd expect them to be rooted.

The bit I'd be PO'd about is you requesting a check and it not being done.. Thats just not fair without telling you first.

$3K? Tough price bracket mate....

Either way - let me know what I can do to help - the entire resources of Moto Nuttridge Raumati and all 3 of my spanners are at your disposal m'dear...

Paul N

ps - I was gunna suggest just trading the thing in or selling it on but you kinda blew that option chick...

[dawnrazor]

Short option - clean the bike up PROPERLY and sell it on and try to recoup your money asap.

Long option - play hardball, no joy - then threaten to name and shame, at the end of the day you can not lie in advertisments like this, 'mint condition', has an universal understanding of a level of appearence and up keep. Collect documentation of all corrospondance and advertisments and take his ass to small claims court - end of the day you have cheated.

[slinky]

ask around your friends and family, someones brothers uncles mates daughter....etc
must know a lawyer who could give you a quick answer on some options

[Str8 Jacket]

Rather depends on you definition of 'mint' as applied to a 1989 motorcycle.

UUm, it was advertised as being in "immaculate condition"...

Here's the advert:

This bike is in immaculate condition with new tyres and a quality after market muffler.
It riuns really well and is a great step up from a 250

Being the 89 model it has the 4 piston calipers so has plenty of brakes
It is sold with a NEW wof and 3 months rego.

[Damon]

Wow, that bites, you could always try to get your money back but that's going to be difficult from Wellington, your best bet is to try and get the parts replaced by the seller but if they let you ride the bike that far in that condition it doesn't sound like they really give a shit about you, in which case you've been shafted and not in the nice way

[Str8 Jacket]

Short option - clean the bike up PROPERLY and sell it on and try to recoup your money asap.

I wish but its not an option. I used ALL my savings to buy this bike. If the pre-purchase had infact been done I believe that these problems would have come to light and I would have asked that they be fixed or at the least money off the asking price.... Im not saying that it DEFINATELY wasnt done but im starting to wonder if it was. I have to travel 10 kms each way to work and then home again so I need the transport. It also looks as though I wont be able to go on the holiday I had planned over Xmas cause any spare money I do have will be to fix up the bike.

[Str8 Jacket]

Wow, that bites, you could always try to get your money back but that's going to be difficult from Wellington, your best bet is to try and get the parts replaced by the seller but if they let you ride the bike that far in that condition it doesn't sound like they really give a shit about you, in which case you've been shafted and not in the nice way

Thats exactly how im feeling. Im even more bummed out as I was really honest with the buyer of my KR and im still waiting for a $200 speedo driver for the KR as it died 2 days before the guy came to pick it up, I ended up losing almost $300 on the sale of that just because I was honest! But I thought that that's what people did....

[Pathos]

This is why I don't buy vehicles from people who I have inhibitions over publicly abusing (eg family)

I would blackmail them into covering part of your loses.

If they don't respond just state the cold hard facts with supporting evidence.

ALL that is at risk here is their KiwiBiker reputation. That reputation is built on HOW THEY TREAT FELLOW KIWIBIKERS.

[MSTRS:Me]

And you were so stoked with it before. That's the thing with used anythings - can take weeks to glom any faults. Considering the seller, hang in there for 'justice'.
Did a little research, only to find that you probably paid about market rate. Anyone can be 'caught' with chain/sprocket needing replacement. The rest is more cosmetic???

[Str8 Jacket]

And you were so stoked with before. That's the thing with used anythings - can take weeks to glom any faults. Considering the seller, hang in there for 'justice'.

Just a reply or an honest answer would have been nice. I didnt really want to post this thread but Ive had the bike a week and it seems like everyday there's a new problem! At the end of the day the chain was rooted when I picked up the bike and that IMO should have been picked up on the pre-purchase check.