Overhaulin'

I sold my car two weeks ago and now the buyer wants their money back, what do I do?

Recently I sold my car as my fiancé and I are in the process of downsizing and we don't need 3 cars. I prepped the car for sale by taking it to the dealer and having them do a safety check and multi point inspection. As a result, the dealer told me I had 2 issues: a torn cv boot w/ bad joint and an engine mount which was leaking oil. I replaced the joint/axle, did an oil change, and left the engine mount issue and took note that it was a known issue. I listed the car on craigslist for a price below kbb "good" value knowing that the car needed the engine mount to be replaced as it was leaking. Other than that, the car is in great condition inside and out, etc. The buyer comes by for a test drive of course so I give them the keys and they take the car for a spin for 10-15 mins. At that point they are in love with the car and want to buy immediately. I told them I'd love to sell it but I have to hold off until I get the title from the bank (I just paid it off within a week of the sale). So we small talk a bit including about known issues with the car. I inform them of the leaky mount but other than that I know of no other issues. A true statement. With that said we agree on a price, even lower than the listed price but still reasonable enough for me and also agree to meet up when the title arrives. A week later we meet, exchange cash for title and it's done. So now the buyer is claiming that the transmission is failing and the cooling system is breaking down and they want their money back. They want me to refund them money and take the car back or theyve mentioned taking me to small claims court. What do I do? I genuinely feel bad about the situation but I didn't hide anything. I feel like I've done what I was supposed to do. I've never sold a car before so I don't know how to respond. The buyer has already registered the car, I've dropped it from my insurance and notified DMV already. Please help!

Public Comments

1. Laugh in his face.. He should have checked into all of that BEFORE he bought the car.
2. Your hands are clean from that car. There are buyer beware laws to protect you He should have had the car inspected himself
3. Think about how your local used car dealership would handle this. No warranties were expressed or implied. The title has changed hands, and the buyer has no legal recourse. If you have a lawyer, it might be worth paying for 30 minutes of his time to confirm this. Some communities have charites that offer free legal advice, also.
4. Dont feel bad. It is the responsibility of the BUYER to have it professionally inspected by a mechanic before buying a car. Clearly they have buyers remorse now. If you had been honest and told them all the problems that YOU know of then it is now their problem. Tell them it is a used car and that you told them what was wrong, what you were told by a mechanic and have the records to prove it (from that mechanic). And that it was sold UNDER kelly blue book value and that they can sell the car to someone else or fix it. It is their problem now because you were HONEST up front and already have signed the title over to them. Tell them that via email or phone call and never meet with them again. Ignore all other calls from them. Print out the ad you used to make a craigslist posting. If you made an account through CL then you can see your old ad and print it out. Or print out any copies of emails you exchanged with them. They may try to take you to small claims court but if you bring all your evidence showing you had it inspected and told them all about what you knew of that was wrong with the car AND priced it below blue book value (print out a copy of what the value of the car was for private sale and what you sold it for to them). They will not win in court if you keep all this paperwork. It is their problem now if you were honest and up front that the car had major problems. Stop all further communication with them after you tell them you arent going to take it back. They have now used the car for several weeks. They would have to pay a fee to file in small claims court. Also they would be assigned a random court date in the future, meaning they would have to maybe miss work that day. So they most likely will not sue you when they realize they risk losing more money and time. Dont take the car back! They have buyers remorse.