I'd not had my first Gen'-1 long when it seemed to suffer a puncture. (It turned out to be rim-corrosion.) Taking out the jack, etc., I could find no wheel-nut spanner. That left me stranded (tho' it was my own fault for not checking that the tool-kit, such as it is, was complete).
Thereafter I would e-mail the seller, asking if he'd kindly look around for the missing item. (With no other Insights nor any plans to have one again he had no need of it.) And I offered to send him in advance more than the cost of postage and an amount for spanner itself. I received no reply.
Hmm.
Then I reflected upon the fact that he was not an 'Insight-person': he just happened to have bought it in the expectation of good fuel-economy and had not truly appreciated quite what he had there. So, excusing him, I let it go.
Well, the opportunity to acquire a second 1st-Gen' Insight arose. This time it would be from an enthusiast. I purchased it, went to drive it and discovered it had been supplied with a failed 12V battery. I was stranded again.
I wrote to the seller and asked politely, mildly and with no sense of censure if he could say how old was the 12V battery (in case a warranty-claim might apply). No reply.
Double-hmm.
Gentlemen, ladies: I could not sell a car in that state: knowingly with an omission of equipment or deficiency in componentry to render it undriveable.
Thats the difference between an avid Insighter and a person who thinks it is just a car.
I sell any used vehicle "as is", but I honestly tell them any defects I know of and a brief explanation of why I haven't corrected those faults. That way there is no recourse for the buyer. Never had a complaint or enemy from those transactions.
Willie
__________________
01 5 speed. "Little Red Rocket"
The first "TURBOCHARGED" Hybrid, (01/2003)
296,000 mi. @ 58.0 LMPG
2007 Honda Fit, Red Sport AT
1998 Ford F-150, NASCAR "Limited Edition"
(3K made, possibly the prototype one)
"Well, the opportunity to acquire a second 1st-Gen' Insight arose. This time it would be from an enthusiast. I purchased it, went to drive it and discovered it had been supplied with a failed 12V battery. I was stranded again".
"Well, the opportunity to acquire a second 1st-Gen' Insight arose. This time it would be from an enthusiast. I purchased it, went to drive it and discovered it had been supplied with a failed 12V battery. I was stranded again".
YOU got TWO???
Yes, Suntory1980,
But it doesn't make me a bad person. What makes me that is not telling the other half about it, and keeping it in side-roads, moving it often: a getaway-car should always be a surprise to others; which you decide when, if ever, to let them in on. Ha.
Of course the first rule of thumb is 'Buyer Beware'. However I have always tried to be as honest as possible when selling so that the buyer is not disappointed with faults found later on, as you were. Despite this, when selling my last Audi A2 I had not been aware that the Webasto auxiliary heater was defunct as my car had always been kept in the garage / frost-free and the buyer asked me about it a couple of weeks down the line. There was nothing I could do about it at that point. So it is possible that they were unaware the 12V battery was failing or you were unlucky and it just happened to fail on your first drive?
.
__________________
2005 Insight, UK Spec Silver 5 speed with Alpine stereo, subwoofer & speakers with iPod link, IMA C&C, Shark Fin Aerial, Garmin EcoRoute HD, Skinz sound deadened rear shelf, 'InsightCentral' number plates, 19" rear wiper, Osram nightbreaker plus bulbs
Previous owner of 1999 Japanese Silver 5sp, 2001 UK Citrus 5sp & 2000 Japanese Red CVT Honda Insight - An extraordinary car for ordinary people
just be glad you only had those problems, the guy that sold me my insight sold it to me with a bad IMA battery, he clearly just pulled the battery ground to rest the IMA light. The IMA came on a week after I bought it. I reset it and guess how long it was off? 1 week. Jerk. I was pissed so I contacted him and he was having none of it, I hope ************************ because I gave him a very fair price.
Last edited by admin; 04-25-2012 at 05:57 PM.
Reason: No need for a comment like that here.
'. . So it is possible that they were unaware the 12V battery was failing or you were unlucky and it just happened to fail on your first drive?
.
Yes, it is possible, C. S., tho' unlikely. They did say they'd been charging-up the battery. (Er, why?: no-one needs to charge a battery in normal use, and this car, I was told, had been used regularly.)
In a legal case about a lemon some other poor sap had been sold, in finding for the plaintiff the Judge observed, "A car that does not go is no car at all." And anyone who sells a car without disclosing known faults is a heel; and when it's a Gen-1 Insight it seems even worse, somehow, doesn't it? (Just not in the spirit of amity: that sort of thing.)
just be glad you only had those problems, the guy that sold me my insight sold it to me with a bad IMA battery, he clearly just pulled the battery ground to rest the IMA light. The IMA came on a week after I bought it. I reset it and guess how long it was off? 1 week. Jerk. I was pissed so I contacted him and he was having none of it, I hope he dies slow from cancer one day because I gave him a very fair price.
I do sympathise, 'interestedguy': you were treated shabbily: very.
But banish from your heart all bitterness. And please don't wish that on anyone. (Karma can play tricks. Rarely are they amusing.)
And hey, you've still got an Insight! (Cheer-up, mate.)
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Could you sell yours like this? (UK)
