[cruvon]

Hi guys, we were trying getting a used car to use as a beater. Found one that we found interesting, did the RTA check(is NSW registered), all good and pristine. Had a friend just do a normal mechanical check since all looked good with the car and the kind polite sounding pregnant lady seller assured us that all was in order. As has been adviced on the REVS site, I waited to do the REVS check last night before handing over the money today, thinking it was more a check for outstanding finances and a unrequired formality, since the RTA check came out fine and the lady sounded honest.

Was stunned to find the vehicle info on REVS showing

"* QLD WATER DAMAGED VEHICLE *
> The supplied vehicle identifiers indicate that this vehicle has
been subjected to water damage. Contact the NSW Department of Fair
Trading on 133220 for information prior to purchasing.
If you intend to proceed with the purchase after contacting
The NSW Department of Fair Trading, purchase a REVS Certificate
online or ring the REVS Call Centre on 133220 to order
a REVS Certificate before you buy the vehicle. "


Thought it was some sort of glitch since the car had looked good and drove well so called the lady owner up who denied knowing it was ever involved in a flood.
Recalled that when I asked the lady for the cars manual, she said she lost it while moving houses. Told her if it's a genuine mistake on the part of REVS call them and fix it but then she was like I as a buyer need to do those checks and asked me if it really matters what REVS says since the RTA check came clean and the car is in excellent condition, thus giving away her plot.
Also called up the Fair Trading number the REVS site suggested calling for more info on the car, thinking they would shed some light. They told me to call QLD, called the QLD registry and they refused to divulge information on the car since I wasn't the owner,duh.

Did some research and found that a private seller is not obliged by law to tell anyone if is a flood affected vehicle though a dealer is if he has knowledge about it, but guess a dealer too could act innocent. While guess the darned lady was well within her rights legally, I think it's just low life behavior on her part and morally wrong to not disclose such serious information, what a waste of our time and we would have got stuck with a lemon if we didn't do the REVS check and believed her.

Just thought would mention that if you ever buy a used second or third car, even from a honest sounding pregnant lady, do all the checks possible besides the RTA check, because there are some scary sellers out there.

EDIT: One site I found quite important was this that does more thorough checks across states
http://www.carhistory.com.au/products/
A no cost basic REVS test can be done here before doing a full REVS test
https://online.revs.nsw.gov.au/revs/public.htm
Offcourse, the RTA vehicle history test is a separate test that one has to do but that was all clear and didn't show me any flood info or that the car had some relation to QLD.

[sbce90]

Must have been an E93.

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

should've just lowballed her lol

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by SBC

Must have been an E93.

lol

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by bmroxm5

should've just lowballed her lol

I would have, but not after reading about the after effects that flooding does to a car, plus the thought that it might actually have swum in somebody's sewage

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...eID=51994&vf=1

http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/di...d-vehicles.htm

http://www.racq.com.au/motoring/cars...e_buyers_alert

http://www.racq.com.au/motoring/cars...ehicle_repairs

http://www.auctionfinder.com.au/arti...le-auction-43/

http://www.carhistory.com.au/news/ar...dot?inode=9067

http://www.carhistory.com.au/news/ar...dot?inode=8694