03 SB Marauder, 26k mi, $16k, Phoenix, AZ. Craigslist

[NXSBOB]

Not mine.
http://phoenix.es.craigslist.org/nph/cto/3848635362.html

[WhatsUpDOHC]

Looks familiar....:rolleyes:

[wirebender]

That was for sale last Feb. I'm still kicking myself for not looking at it while I was in Phoenix last winter.

[1Marauder]

CL phoenix central/south phx for sale / wanted boats - by owner
Reply craigslist reply address will appear here Posted: 2013-06-04, 7:35PM MST
2003 Mercury Marauder - Arizona Car - $16000 (Phoenix Area)
SHOW EXTREME CAUTION HERE

This seller will meet you in a parking lot and wants you to bring $16,000 cash. Gives you a P.O. Box as his home address. This is as close as you can get to this person.

I did get him to send copy of vin and pink slip to a federal bank-- and had a check made out to both he and I, so I could buy car and be protected a little.

I bought an airline ticket, rented a car, waisted 13 hours of my life AND A VACATION DAY, and he WANTED to meet in a walmart parking lot.

Car arives dusty dirty so you cant really see the paint finish (cause it might rain later-- I offered to pay the $29 to get it hand washed, since i'd flown all the way there, owner said, "no why waste your $, it might rain later!"

Hood posts appear to show overspray... So a repaint to front may or may not have happened (again since it is dusty.... You can't really tell -- but the posted had been deffinately been oversprayed, and this is NOT factory).

Car has NOT been REGISTERED for over 3 years. AND IS UNREGISTERED NOW! "Why register it? why spend the money if I am not going to drive it?" He says...

Car is uninsured, and has been uninsured for same time (why insure it?... [really?]), thus the owner will NOT let you TEST DRIVE THE CAR, even after youve spent over $400 to fly in to see it (he claims because it is uninsured...)
Car sits extremely low in rear, low in the pictures and low in real life (it is a very expensive fix-- and thus good to get it checked out)...

Owner will not take it, or let you take it, to the local ford store so you can get it all checked out by an independent car guy ("Why waste your money?" He says).

Owner wants to take the plates off the car immediately after you buy it... .and for you to take /drive the car with no plates at all (in AZ they keep the plates... which may be true, but makes it hard to explain to the officer that pulls you over 3 blocks after you buy it)...

There are no matanence records at all, for the last 6 years, and limited records at the dealership -- on a ten year old car (no records for a long long time, car shows an oil change or two...), thus all fluids need to be changed.

After being told and sworn to that everything worked on the car BEFORE I flew there, turns out the pedals do not adjust, and car sits very low in rear. After MY research, the pedals are a $426.62 fix at the Ford store... To which I graciously offered to SPLIT THE COST if the FORD store fixed the car (so I could also get it checked out -- and have a warrenty for the work that I was now paying EXTRA FOR).

ALSO during which, the owner could cash the Fed Bank Check while the car was safe at the dealership where THEY HAVE INSURANCE, AND So we could both be protected, he in getting paid, and me with the car insured, protected, and available when I fly back in to get it. The owner said he would rather fix these issues himself, and then asked ME for the money for the parts, while I was to fly home without the car... Or knowing where the car resides... and let "his mechanic" install the parts that I paid for, on a car that I don't own.

I told him I'd rather give him ALL the money for the car (less fix) and take it as is, and he still declined. Asking for the money to fix the car.

EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING SCREAMED RIP OFF-and even then, I tried to make yet another deal useing a "local mechanic of the owners," as the go between - And the owner still wanted money for the parts, even though I simply offered give him the entire amount asked (once the car was at the mechanic). The local Mechanic is/was totally cool, helpful, and completely understood the situation (with the seller) and for his assistance, I planned on having him bring the car up to snuff, replacing ALL fluids, etc... and doing all of the defferred maintenance (not cheap) for me, as the new owner. Again, protecting both the seller, and the buyer.

The seller would get all the money into his account before the car leaves HIS neighborhood, HIS mechanic, and the out of state buyer having the car protected and insured and available once the check clears (remember the seller only gives a PO Box as his address, not like you know where he lives and see the car at his house. -- his idea to was to meet in a Walmart parking lot and you bring $16,000 cash).

The owner balked at fixing the car at HIS LOCAL mechanic too....

SHOW EXTREME CAUTION.

THERE ARE MANY RED FLAGS HERE.

I FINNALY GAVE UP ON THIS CAR AND THIS DEAL, EVEN THOUGH I HAD 3 hours of banking, a check for the total advertised amount in his the owners name, an open account/loan on this car/vin, AUTO INSURANCE ON THE CAR SO IT WAS PROTECTED, and OVER $500 in air, rental, gas, lunch, a day off work, and a 13 hour boomerang trip in and out of PHX.

AMAZINGLY, I found the perfect car the very next week with 15,000 (fifteen thousand) LESS MILES AND $1,200 LESS DOLLARS!!!!! And no hassles.

SHOW EXTREME CAUTION HERE. EVERYTHING SCREAMS "hinky" DEAL. And the repeated efforts to avoid having the car looked at, even though there was no cost to the seller to do so screams that there may be something very wrong with this car.

AND EVEN if everything does check out alright (not that you can get it checked before you buy it), there is still well over $2400 in deferred maintenance!

RUN, DON'T WALK, TO THE NEXT CAR.

PS. Seller claims to be a car guy... I don't buy it. I have two special cars that have never been rained on. Both have less than 15,000 miles, both are 7 to 10 years old and I store them both all winter. Both are always insured, always registered, and every spring when I pull ithem out of storage and they go straight for an oil change. They have both had five plus oil changes, and two "warranty" dealer services, and the coolant flushed, all with receipts.

PPS I also heard he may be an issue re: his shared assets... And the cash... Well... Again RUN DON'T WALK TO THE NEXT CAR!
Location: Phoenix Area

[BeverleyMara04]

Yep that sure was up for sale last feb.... I called him and he's a little shady whoever buys it becarful.... Stuff didn't add up in the convo I had with him last year

[1Marauder]

I can share any info anyone wants...

[BeverleyMara04]

1Marauder its funny you say that I had the same feeling when I called him and asked for certain stuff and he had no clue what I was talking bout good thing I didn't fly to him that strange odd phone call I had told me it all.... He kept calling me when I told him I didn't want it and that I was buying another marauder which was 2grand more but with 11,000miles on it.... I don't think anyone should buy this car if you meet him be careful

[1Marauder]

I offered him every penny he asked for... And he still "wanted money down"... I kept saying, "No, I will just buy it.." And he would say... But I need money down to hold it.

It was bizarre. He claims to be this super wealthy person... But doesn't insure his assets?
Claims about Arabian horses... But you can't test drive the car... Great businessman, a "car guy" but NO receipts what-so-ever?

No service at all?

B I Z A R E O LAND

[DS650]

http://www.oocities.org/dont_pay_to_pray/images/smellsfishy.gif

[UncleLar]

If you've got his name put it on here and if you have the VIN put it here too so we can get the OASIS run and maybe somebody can do a Carfax and an Auto Check and post the results.
Meanwhile me thinks his Craigslist ads need flagging.

[wirebender]

I can share any info anyone wants...





1Marauder, thanks for the info you posted. I was seriously considering calling this guy and doing exactly like you did. I thought that it looked just like what I was looking for. You probably saved me a big hassle. This group is great!!