'WILD WEST'
I bought 7 second-hand cars on Facebook Marketplace in NINE months – my warning to other motorists after it cost me £17k
Osman's wife had some choice words for him
A MOTORIST who bought seven used cars on Facebook Marketplace in just nine months has issued a warning after splashing £17,000.
Osman Malik, 45, says he was forced to buy another car nearly every month this year after a string of dodgy deals.
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Osman, a pharmacist, says he was scammed twice and also sold a series of faulty motors.
Among them was a Mini with its plates cloned and a Honda that broke down on the motorway within hours, lasting only days later.
Osman, from Greater Manchester, says he has forked out £16,750 in just nine months after the horror run of botched car buys.
A dad of two, he is now imploring car buyers to be extra careful on Facebook Marketplace.
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He describes the platform as being "like the Wild West".
The Rochdale man said: "I don't think most people own eight cars in their lifetime, let alone a few months.
"It's partly down to me being scammed online and partly me being stupid - but I've certainly had some rotten luck along the way."
He first hit the market for cars when his old Honda Accord was written off following an accident in December last year.
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After scouring Marketplace, he settled on a VW Golf for £2,000.
But he later found out the roof lining was sagging dramatically and needed urgent repair, so he swapped it online for a Land Rover Freelander in January.
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However, that packed in just two weeks later and a mechanic found sand in the oil sump, meaning it needed to be scrapped.
Osman then paid £1,300 for a VW Passat in February but soon discovered it had a cracked windscreen, side panel damage and warning lights all over the dash.
A buyer bought the car with its known faults, allowing Osman to purchase a Mini One for £1,000 in April.
But three weeks later he was shocked to be hit with a bus lane fine from Manchester - despite being at home in bed at the time.
The plates had been cloned and put onto a similar mini but Osman was able to successfully appeal when he pointed out his had a different colour roof.
Osman then sold his Mini over fears similar trouble would continue and bought a BMW 1 series for £1,000.
He then found out it needed bodywork repairing and a £500 key replacement so sold that and bought another Honda Accord for £850 in August.
But he was then forced to also scrap that also after it broke down on the motorway just hours after buying it.
What is Facebook Marketplace?
Social media company Facebook has its own virtual market, where users can list items for sale.
It allows strangers to buy and sell items to each other.
It is commonly used for cars because it cuts out the need for a third party.
Users can simply send a message to the seller to arrange a time to view the product, test it and possibly buy it.
But that convenience can come at a cost if a buyer hasn't done their proper vetting.
It is always worth researching the profile of the seller to assess whether they appear trustworthy.
As seen in the case of Osman, there is limited protection if a deal goes pear-shaped.
Osman has now settled for a Citroen DS4, which he paid £9,000 on finance for after finally listening to his wife Maria and going direct to a car dealership.
He said: "My wife basically said I couldn't buy off Facebook anymore so I went to a dealership.
"I'll never use Markeplace for cars again because there's no rules or regulations on there really.
"Advertisers don't have to pay to upload so they can put anything up there, with no checks in place.
"These are the cars I just bought. I saw loads more that I didn't even bother test driving.
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"They were in such bad condition when I got there, but advertised as in excellent condition.
"Basically, don't use marketplace for buying cars, it's like the Wild West."
Osman's eight cars in nine months
- VW Golf - bought for £2,000 in December last year.
- Land Rover - swapped for VW Golf on Facebook in January.
- VW Passat - bought in February for £1,300.
- Mini One - bought in April for £1,000.
- BMW 1 Series - bought in June for £1,000.
- Honda Accord - bought in August for £850.
- Citroen DS4 - bought in August for £9,000.
- Work/repairs - £1,600.
- Total spend - £16,750.
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