A Raymore man says he was scammed after the car he bought needed thousands of dollars worth of repairs he was not aware of.
Joseph Vincent needed a large SUV for the youth baseball team he owns, the Raymore Rebels. He found a 1998 Ford Expedition on Craigslist from a man in Belton. He went to check it out and asked if he could have it inspected. He said the seller said no because he already had several other offers on it. The buyer insisted a mechanic inspected it already and found nothing wrong.
"He said that the truck is in really good shape, I would trust this thing cross-country," Vincent told 41 Action News.
Vincent admits he was in a hurry and drew up a bill of sale before having it inspected himself. The seller signed it, stating to his knowledge the SUV was in good condition and that a mechanic inspection did not find any problems over $500. If the inspection found more defects than ones already disclosed, the sale would be refunded.
Vincent handed over the $3,500. But within a couple days, he noticed several issues with the vehicle. He took it to a Ford dealership for a full inspection, and the results he got were shocking. There was a long list of problems - including an engine oil leak, blown ball joints, brake issues and cracked tire rods - needing more than $5,000 in repairs.
"I kind of let my guard down a little bit because I'm so busy running a baseball club, and I'm thinking, OK I just told this guy what the truck is for, he's not going to rip me off."
Vincent says even the minor issues the seller originally agreed to fix in the bill of sale have gone unmet. He said the only mechanic inspection report the seller provided was a Missouri Motor Vehicle Inspection and didn't list any of the problems the Ford dealership found.
"I'm letting him know that these things are wrong and he's not really responding at all. Basically no answers at all," says Vincent.
41 Action News called the seller and left a message, but we have not heard back.
What comes next
Vincent says he could take the seller to court, but it's not worth the effort.
"At this point, it's over. There's no response," he said.
He sold the Expedition for $1,700 with full disclosure of all the issues found.
"One week, we paid $3,500 for a vehicle we thought was in good shape and lost $1,800 in one week."
What you can do differently
Vincent admits it was partially his fault for not taking the Expedition for an inspection before paying but wants this to be a lesson for all.
"Don't take anybody's word for it, even if they put it in writing," Vincent warns. "Have your own mechanic look at it first. "
The Raymore Police Department agrees those looking to buy a vehicle from an individual shouldn't be so trusting.
"Make sure if you are dealing with somebody locally you take the car to a mechanic of your choice. Don't be in such a hurry to buy that you overlook some of those obvious things," Raymore Police Chief Jan Zimmerman told 41 Action News.
Other important tips to keep in mind before buying:
- Always inspect the car in the daylight.
- If the seller seems to be in a hurry, that is usually a red flag.
- Test drive the vehicle. Any seller should allow that.
- Take the car to a mechanic of your choice, not the seller's.
- Run a title search.
- Get the title.
- Get proof of safety and emissions inspections. Missouri law requires a seller to take care of inspections prior to sale.
- Get a signed copy of any warranty.
Click here for more auto buying information from the Missouri Attorney General's Office.
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Sarah Plake can be reached at sarah.plake@kshb.com.
