Dodgy Bristol Bongo seller - several aliases?

[haybal]

He's got 3 more up finishing 01:20
This one must be known by someone
321670808410 using 2 accounts again

181668396999

111600134990 Over heating probs and shot arches

Hi Gasy
This bongo (321670808410) was owned by a FB member Mike Vickers (Mazda bongo owners Group)

[Gasy]

Is it a good one then
How did he get his hands on it?

[mikeWalsall]

Mike is on my FB friends / bikers list .. I have eMailed him to see if it is a genuine sale ..

[Simon Jones]

It's morphed in the very rare left hand drive version known as 'ognoB'

[mikeWalsall]

Weird eBay picture ..

But it certainly looks like Mikes as he has pictures of Mike Hailwood / TT on the rear of the drivers side ..



... and BONGO .. on the near side ..

[Simon Jones]

Looks like buyer dropped out or perhaps he bought it himself using one of his other ebay identities:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1998-R-REG-MA ... 234bcc914d

[mitch]

He continues to sell two vans a day on ebay. I keep reporting them regardless of the ebay account. Some of his accounts have not been used in a while so may have been closed down.
Anybody got an address yet??

[Snail921]

What exactly do you intend to do if you get an address? I've no idea where he lives. I lived in Bristol for part of the 70's but I don't recognise his street. I can tell you where one of his vans is, though. It's sitting in my drive. Did 220 miles today, ran like a sewing machine, beautiful. I know what you'll say, I was lucky but I reckon you make your own luck in this world. I got a Bongo that I'm delighted with, is the envy of my friend who has one in a much more parlous condition, and I got it at a bargain price, delivered to my door.
Regards,
Brian.

[mitch]

Hello Brian,
I am really pleased that you got a great van. I do think you are lucky though as his selling practices are lax at best, criminal at worst
Clearly I am not the only bloke on this and the Bongo facebook site that thinks so.
I just don't want to see anyone else getting ripped off.There seems to be a weight of evidence suggesting this bloke is ripping Bongo fans off.

Regards

Mitch

[Snail921]

what I'd like to see is the evidence, and I speak as someone who was, for more than 20 years, a magistrate. I've said here, and elsewhere that I'd rather his practice was altered, I don't like one day auctions , for example, but I wait to see real evidence of criminal activity. The only evidence I have is sitting on the drive outside.
I bid, I won, I arranged delivery, it arrived. There have been one or two niggles but nothing that a few quid haven't sorted, the only thing that really annoyed was that he'd taken the LB out but there was no mention of an LB in the listing so fair enough.
I'm not arguing for or against him, what I'd like to see is an authenticated list of the problems caused by him, then we can all decide how to regard him, and whether to buy from him in the future. As things stand, I'd do so.

Regards,
Brian.

[Simon Jones]

How about fabricating a receipt for a fitting of a new cambelt: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... lt#p635820

Or threatening to pay a visit to a dissatisfied customer: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 90#p638263

Or sending threatening text messages: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 75#p638188

Unfortunately, most people only hear about things which have gone wrong, so all the other vehicles he may have sold which could be perfectly fine are the ones we rarely hear about.

[Snail921]

Mine came with a receipt for a recent service and written across the top was Cam belt not replaced. I promptly had it done. looking at your list, Simon, the question arises, and was raised by Colin some time ago, why, if you have a text as evidence, haven't you gone to the police? Threatening behaviour is an offence under the public order act which can carry up to 6 months inside.
Regards,
Brian.

[mikeonb4c]

what I'd like to see is the evidence, and I speak as someone who was, for more than 20 years, a magistrate. I've said here, and elsewhere that I'd rather his practice was altered, I don't like one day auctions , for example, but I wait to see real evidence of criminal activity. The only evidence I have is sitting on the drive outside.
I bid, I won, I arranged delivery, it arrived. There have been one or two niggles but nothing that a few quid haven't sorted, the only thing that really annoyed was that he'd taken the LB out but there was no mention of an LB in the listing so fair enough.
I'm not arguing for or against him, what I'd like to see is an authenticated list of the problems caused by him, then we can all decide how to regard him, and whether to buy from him in the future. As things stand, I'd do so.

Regards,
Brian.

I'd been waiting for a post ike this. As you've shown, it is easy to jump to wrong conclusions about the quality of goods just because someone has an odd way of trading. I think the old adage 'caveat emptor' probably applies here.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Mike and Brian (Snail)....
Yes...I've been waiting for this!...
Frankly, he amuses me with the attempts to hide corrosion, and the gaudy throws , plastic glasses, and so on, but he's no worse than any other seller. The secret is revealed on these very pages within the Forum...study, understand, sally forth and buy with knowledge...or take your chances , and moan later....any second hand purchase is going to cost money in repairs, as the secret's in the description...."It ain't" new"....and someone , somewhere has thrashed it!. If you don't know what you're buying, take a friend who does!. I've bought a few rubbish cars, but I knew they were , and I knew they would be a resto. project. I bought a Type 2 with a sparkly new MOT that I knew would fail just at a glance, and I knew before I went to see it, that the bottom 8 inches all round would need completely re-metalling, and I wasn't wrong!....The whole lot took years...BUT, there are those folk who expect a "runner" for very little money....What pleases me is the folk who ask questions on here BEFORE going to buy!...there's information in abundance!
To sum up, old Bill Shakespeare had it right....
"To Buy or not to Buy, that is the question....whether 'tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous mis-purchase"...
Cheers
Helen

[Simon Jones]

Simon, the question arises, and was raised by Colin some time ago, why, if you have a text as evidence, haven't you gone to the police?

The answers are in the 8 pages of info on the other thread: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... Bloodhound
He has been reported to Trading Standards, HMRC, the police and eBay.

I've had no direct dealings with the individual in Bristol but I know of lots of people that have. Some, like you have ended up with vehicle they are happy with, while others have discovered a number of issues shortly after purchase which have cost many hundreds of pounds to rectify. Looking at a comment from Mark Elvin, he spend £2000 fixing the engine fault.

Mike's advice is absolutely spot on, especially when buying something unseen on an online auction site where you don't know whether the people bidding against you might have a vested interest in pushing the price up. Would I be happy buying something from a seller who appears to use several different IDs (some of which can clearly been seen to have made purchases from the other IDs)? No, that rings alarm bells for me, but it doesn't mean there isn't a bargain to had if a prospective buyer goes in with his eyes wide open.