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In August, 2007, I purchased a 2000 Porsche Boxster during Reno’s famous Hot August Nights from Silver Auctions of Spokane, Washington.
The trouble started as soon as I drove the car home from the auction site, a whopping twelve miles. To make a long story short, over the next two weeks the local Porsche dealer, and another independent shop both evaluated the car and found a host of problems including oil in the cooling system and coolant in the engine oil, swollen hoses from the long-term crossover, and oil leaks. Both estimated repairs from $5, 000 to $15, 000 (depending on the exact cause), for a car I had just bought for over $20, 000!
The second mechanic told me that the car had every symptom of having been through a flood, and was certainly delivered in defective condition. They even found a large water-logged paint brush wedged in the spoiler compartment of the rear wing, along with silt and debris in the rear compartment and in the trunk liners.
Silver Auctions was contacted and updated from the start, and Mitch Silver assured me that he would work to get the situation resolved, although now eleven months have passed and I still have this inoperable car sitting in my garage covered with dust. Even though HIS bidding contract specifically states that the buyer is protected against exactly this kind of thing, he has done nothing to resolve the case. I am just sitting here with a piece of junk in the garage, with a pre-auction inspection report stating that the car is in excellent condition.
I purchased this car in good faith. I relied on the cars presented at the auction being in good condition unless stated otherwise, with no undisclosed defects, and believed that buyers were protected by Silver Auction’s bidding contract. The Vehicle Inspection Form provided to me has half the sections left blank, and the Vehicle Description Sheet posted with the car at the auction has all areas marked as “Excellent”, which is far from being either an accurate or truthful description. I retained an attorney several months ago, letters have been exchanged, and almost a year has passed with Silver Auctions refusing to take responsibility and honor their Bidding Contract.
Hot August Nights is a great event. It’s great for car lovers and great for Reno. But it’s just not right for this company to come into our town and unload lemons on unsuspecting buyers, and make lots of money doing it.
If posting this situation can keep this from happening to even one person this year, then we can at least feel a little bit better. Please - Buyers Beware. If you are considering purchasing a car at auction, have a mechanic you know and trust go over every inch of the car before you buy.
Regarding the Porsche Boxster, this matter has been resolved with Silver Auctions. We appreciate Mitch Silver's efforts this past month in working to resolve the situation, and have reached an agreement that is acceptable to both parties. We do however, plan to address the issue of misrepresentation with the seller of the vehicle, Bill Woodring of Oklahoma City, who consigned the Porsche with Silver Auctions and is responsible for both Silver Auctions and myself incurring a loss of several thousand dollars.
Be prepared when you buy at Silver Auctions. It's buyer beware. A close inspection of their vehicles will show many second rate cars with a myriad of problems. I would never shell out thousands of $$$ without a strong buyers guarantee and an independent mechanics evaluation. After all, there is a reason a vehicle is being sold and it's usually not because it's a wonderful cherished car in great condition but the seller needs the money for an operation for his ailing mother.
I just have to read one complaint about a auctioneer who does not stand up for one of their buyers and takes such a long time and the need to hire legal counsel to resolve a blatant misrepresentation of the condition of this car to know that i would never deal with sliver auto auction.
They need to stand behind the cars they sell. Without buyers, they don't stay in business. I'm a big fan of Hot August Nights too, and what Silver Auctions did is just plain wrong.