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Not long ago I purchased a 'new' direct import automobile. This car was purchased from a used car dealer. The car had 0 mileage and appeared new. I have had several problems with the car including a cracked radiator etc. Most of the work was covered under a 1 year warrantee that I received on the car. Suspecting something wasn't right, I had the car inspected. It was in the opinion of the inspector that the car had a lot more kilometers then the 5000K I had put on the car, and was most certain the car had been in a major front end collision.

Is there any legal recourse in a situation like this? Do I just dump this car as soon as possible or do I have any claim against the seller?

Cheers,

Clem

cadidalhopper wrote:Is there any legal recourse in a situation like this?

In theory I would have thought yes. But in practice, as with many situations in Dubai, dumping the car and moving on might be less hassle in the end. Try calling a lawyer for an opinion.

You could also try the Dubai Municipality Trading Standards Office (or whatever it is called these days!). If you have an inspection report from a reliable source (ie the Dealer who SHOULD have supplied the car in the first place) you might be on to something, but it is more likely to be Caveat Emptor.

I know of people who have been threatened by unscrupulous used car dealers in the past here, so you are going to have to have good evidence of the car's provenance - with a proper report and some backing, you may be able to confront the dealer with a potentially damaging public campaign if he does not sort the situation out. Having said that, two blacks still don't make a white, and stooping to the dealer's level may not get you anywhere either.

There is quite a bit of correspondence on these Forums about dodgy cars, but at the end of the day you'll get what you pay for - there is no such thing as a cheap car and if it IS cheap, there is probably something wrong with it. Listen to Mike Brightmore on the radio or on my interview with him on 'Autodrone' at www.podme.org He's been in the clean end of the Trade since it got cleaned up - probably as a result of his influence - and he would tell you the same: if a car looks too good to be true, it probaly isn't true.

cadidalhopper wrote:Not long ago I purchased a 'new' direct import automobile. This car was purchased from a used car dealer.

Inform us the dealer name for our notice.

I will gladly post the name of the dealership after I sort this thing out. I have tried to contact a lawyer, just waiting for one to return my phone call. Any suggestions for legal advice? I tried to google 'Dubai Municipality Trading Standards Office' without much luck.

I would be satisfied with a refund minus rental for the use of the car over the past 3 months.

Yea, a good deal is usually a bad deal. Welcome to Dubai.

The link for http://www.podme.org./ was inactive?

Thank you for your replies and advice.

Sorry about that - entirely my fault.

In my desire to keep spelling and punctuation as correct as possible, I inadvertantly added a full point at the end of the sentence finishing with the link. Delete the 'dot' at the end of the address (I have corrected it in the original response) and you should be good to go. Mike Brightmore's interview is programme number 0070.

Good luck with the problem.

Hi Guys
The municipality department you are after is- The Economic Department. They are based down by the creekside in Port Saeed, Diera.
They can be really helpful at times, but you are sometimes thwarted by their volume of work. Go prepared and you might shortcut a few delays Autodrones advice is good though, get yourself a report from the local authorised dealer on the condition of the vehicle first so that you have some evidence for the officials to look at. You will also need all documents you have about the vehicle. Just go through it all yourself first and sense check your complaint. Dealers are clever when giving out paperwork, did they ever claim that the 0 kms are genuine? Is it in writing? Did they definately state that it was 'new'? Did they put it in writing? Details like this will be crucial when the Economic Dept decide whether to take up the case. If you don't have proof, you will be fighting a very difficult battle.
Let us know how you get on? Good luck, I hope you nail the criminals!

This is one interesting place. I took the car back to the individual who had convinced me that there was some extensive previous front end damage to this automobile. I ask for a formal inspection in writing to proceed with building a case against the car dealer. I return a day later to pick up my car and the report. The owner of the shop is no where to be found and the mechanic says, "Car is in perfect shape." I, of course, question the lack of findings after the previous diagnosis. Translation of reading between the lines goes something like this: “Yea the car was in an accident that is obvious to us, but if you’re asking us to attach our name to any document that will be used for a legal proceeding; we want nothing to do with that!!” Very Niceeee!!

I did talk to a lawyer who assured me that if I can get someone to document that this car was damaged, he would have a case. Claimed that if the case is strong enough, it has been his experience, that when confronted dealers will generally back down fairly quickly and refund the price rather then fight it. This sounds pretty positive from someone who hasn’t seen any of the paper work. Then a few hours later I received an email from him asking me to deposit 2500 Dhs in his account in order to proceed. LOL heck at least quote a few laws and look at my information first before hitting me up for a little cash. I am beginning to think I am the dumbest looking fella in Dubai.

On a side note, I sent the dealer an email requesting to sell them my car. They called me. I described the car to them. They immediately said they were not interested. It's an American spec car. They don't buy them. Yea, I know... my stupidity. I did ask several dealers what the difference was prior to my purchase. Hearing the same thing many times convinced me this was not a big deal here. "Gulf specs.... well that was for older cars before new technology... there is no difference today... just a little buzzer at 120 K." Live and learn.

I am having the car inspected one more time to see if I have any case here. I went to a new car dealer. It will cost a bit, but I hope to get an honest analysis.

Looking over the purchase paper work I have to admit it is cleverly crafted. There is no documentation as to the mileage on the car. No where does it state, NEW. Even if I can prove this car was in an accident and has far many more K then the odometer states, I can't see being able to make a case against the dealer. His fine print is pretty clear stating that any piece of crap you drive off his lot is yours until you can find some other fool to take it off your hands.

My best option seems to be pawning this car off on someone else. I've determined that this city makes you do immoral things that you wouldn't ever consider doing in your own country. (See prostitution thread in the General Section.) I am quickly learning that it is a case of eat or be eaten living in Dubai. I'll probably wait until spring when my insurance concludes, shake the hand of a prospective buyer, look him in the eye, and lie my @ss off!! Not the way I like to live, but when in Dubai….

Truth is I sort of enjoy the car. I’ll try not to think of the money I will lose turning it over so quickly and enjoy driving it for the next six months or so. I am a firm believer in maintaining and driving a car until it dies. I have been the final owner of most of the cars in my life. This one I’ll send down the road before I potentially have any pricey problems do to its former life.

Thank you all very much for the information, kindness and suggestions. I hope I can return the favor one day. Welcome to Dubai.

What is it? An Infiniti G35? A Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.7? A Ford Mustang V6? A Nissan 350Z Convertible? 4x4 Motors and their ilk are pawning a lot of these vehicles from America. I know they are American is because some of these (except G35) were never made available here as Gulf-spec vehicles thru local dealers.

A hard lesson to learn, and the hard way, or so it seems.

If the car is available through a locally franchised dealer then it's a good bet that it is the genuine article and not a 'grey' import. I can guess where your next car will come from!

If it is any consolation, there will be few guys in the same boat when the Toyota dealer starts bringing in the proper FJ Land Cruisers - they'll be less expensive than the grey ones, they'll work, they'll be under warranty and they'll hold their value as well as any other Toyota. Any of these that you see on the road now will be worth washers when the 'real' ones come in November or thereby.

Expect to see a few of the US ones in an unscrupulous dealer near you around the end of the year: you have been warned!

Thanks for the replies Autodrone. Funny you should mention the FJ Cruiser. I looked pretty closely at these. Fortunately I saved some money. My purchase was a bit cheaper. You think they will hit the market cheaper then the 'grey' models? November you say? Might be a good time to make the switch. How can you go wrong with a Toyota? Seems to be the 'camel' of the desert. Usually takes me a while but I eventually catch on.

One last question. Perhaps I shouldn't have this car formally inspected. Does a car dealer keep the findings on record? Perhaps for me to play completely stupid I shouldn't document any information at my own cost. I've decided to drive the car for awhile. Hate to see a prospective buyer call the dealer. Yes, a bit underhanded.... but this is Dubai. Man I hate playing this way.

An engineers report might do more harm then good for me at this stage.

Cheers

I understand that the FJ Cruiser will be formally launched for sale in the region (with the right specs, of course!) at the Motor Show, and should be available then or shortly thereafter, depending on stock and launch response. It is not going to be, relatively speaking, an expensive car and certainly it will not be at the exhorbitant rate paid by some to be 'first' into one here. Bear in mind that, whatever the price, it will hold it's value better than anything 'grey' and that the cost of ownership is a whole cost, not just what you shell out to get into one.

On your problem, the ball is clearly now in your court (excuse me - it is Wimbledon Fortnight!) and you need to decide finally whether it is worth pursuing. An independant engineer's report will at least give you peace of mind with regard to what you are driving, but may not make you feel any less guilty when you chop the car for the next one. It might be interesting to see what exactly your saving was on the car you bought against a similar car from the dealer at the time of purchase - if the saving was big, then it all falls back to "caveat emptor"; if not, then it might be worth pursuing on the basis of the car not 'being of merchantable quality' with the Municipality Trading Standards Office. Either way, it will probably be a long haul to get any redress.

You could always refer the dealer to this Forum and then actually name names - you have had quite a few 'views' on this correspondence - though you would have to very careful of what you said to stay clear of a libel suit. Good luck whatever you decide.

Greetings

I echo Autodrone's sentiments about the grey imports. The FJ is another in a long line of vehicles introduced by the grey importers before the manufacturer had nailed the ideal set up for this region. The PT Cruiser, Cayenne and many more preceeded it. The common thing about them is their unreliability and shocking re-sale value (suprising that the 2 go together! Not really). The problem it leaves us mere mortals is, how do we know if its genuine or not if we are thinking about a second hand one? Simple solution, get the chassis number and check with the distributor, always! They will always be pleased to let you know.

And, by the way, the FJ when it officially arives will be real good value! Wait and see.