If you really feel that something was misrepresented you can try small
claims court.  No lawyer and in NY you can sue for up to $3,000 for a $15.00
filing fee.

Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Reeves <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
To: Vanagon@GERRY.SDSC.EDU <Vanagon@GERRY.SDSC.EDU>
Date: Monday, October 20, 1997 1:33 PM
Subject: Advice: Got taken by DPO/ little VW content

>Hello--
>
>If anyone has advice having found themselves in a situation where a used
car
>was misrepresented by the DPO-- and was able to recover some money or not,
>please let me know.
>
>The Story:
>I bought my 83.5 Westfalia in April. When I specifically asked him, the DPO
>told me the humming noise when the Vanagon was running was "normal" for
this
>type of vehicle. It didn't seem normal to me but the PO was a seemingly
nice
>old guy. Since he owned and operated this VW for 15 years I ignored my own
>instincts and put my trust in him. I had never owned a bus before, and
though
>"Hmmm these things are kind of loud." (I'm not the brightest kid in my
>family)
>
>On the 150-mile drive home to New York I began to realize the noise could
not
>possibly be normal. And the noise stopped when the clutch was down. OK it's
>the 4-speed transmission. I'll get it checked.
>
>My local dealer (Trend Motors-Rockaway,NJ) was the only mechanic willing to
>look at the transmision. One trusted transmission shop said he wouldn't
look
>because the parts were too expensive and we'd both be wasting our time.
AAMCO
>and Lee Miles said "No" flat out--take it to the dealer. More mechanics
more
>of the same.
>
>So the dealer says the transmission is shot. The main bearing must have
>started making noise quite some time ago and the fluid was contaminated
with
>shavings according to the mechanic there. The gear were likely worn
unevenly
>and soon the transmission would slip out of gears etc. The only option was
a
>factory rebuild @ $2,800 including labor. Bear in mind no one else was
>willing to to work on or diagnose the transmission.
>
>I bought a rebuilt unit from California for $1,100 and installed it myself.
>
>I have all the receipts and the estimate and diagnosis from the dealer. The
>estimate shows the mileage of the vehicle which is the same as the mileage
at
>purchase date plus 150 miles. My question is has anyone every had a similar
>experience and been able to recover any money from the PO through small
>claims court or other (legal) means. I understand that in most states if
the
>PO is asked a specific question about a vehicle and answers it untruthfully
>or knowingly misrepresents a vehicle he is liable for the cost of the
repair.
>
>The Westfalia was bought in Maryland for $4,500 with 109,000 miles, and a
>newly rebuilt engine. The engine still has the stickers on it from VW of
>Canada so I believe it is rebuilt. I had to do some fuel injection and
>exhaust work to get it operating properly. In fact the exhaust studs at one
>cylinder slipped out due to cross threading. And there were some other
>problems with some equipment which added up to about $2,000 including the
>transmission. None of that cost includes costs for labor which I did
myself.
>
>The Vanagon is running well now with the rebuilt transmission and exhaust
>properly installed etc. But I would sure like to recover some of the cash I
>put into the transmission. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. (But
>please don't tell me to get the car checked out by a mechanic before I buy
>it--because I've already figured that out.)
>
>BTW all the above work was completed with the help of all you list member
for
>which I am eternally grateful. And in August I travelled 6,000 miles from
New
>York to Wyoming and back. So the story is not all bad.
>
>TIA
>Jeff
>83.5 Westy
>