Botched purchase-98 A4 1.8T

[ChadEbert]

Even after several years in the auto industry, I'm confused.

Was all set to pick up a 98 A4 1.8 T this am, have seen it, driven it, etc. I woke up a little early and it dawned on me that I had yet to visit autocheck.com to run the VIN. Upon doing so, I learned that the car had been in an accident in September.

I called the seller, who had assured me it had never been in an accident, and asked him about it. He said he had no knowledge. A few hours later he called me back and said that it had, in fact, been in an accident. He claims his brother was driving it when he (owner) was out of the country, had an accident and the car was repaired before he returned to the states. He just learned of this after I called him this AM. (Fishy.)

I asked him what insurance company paid out the claim, and it was State Farm, the same insurance as mine. I called my buddy who's also my agent, he ran the VIN and informed me that State Farm had paid out a claim of $9,000. No bodily injury.

So why would they pay a claim that high when the car is worth less? I think they would have declared it a total loss. The title is clean, not a salvage, so I'm totally lost.

How would the owner's brother be able to file this claim and see it thru til the end? It all doesn't add up to me.

All in all, I think the seller, who is moving out of the country, was trying to sell what he knew was a repaired car to some sucker before he bailed the states. He caught wind that I did my homework and started backpeddling to cover his ass.

Come Monday AM, I'll have a copy of the work done from the body shop to see just how bad it was. Moral of story? When buying a used car, invest the 20 bones in AutoCheck.com, it might save you from a disaster.

Happy weekend!
~C

[Talibangunner925]

car fax i think is only 5$

[ChadEbert]

I prefer autocheck.com, better lay out, but once again that's just preference. I'm just stoked it all worked out as it did!