Practically Classics Forum

Right then, here the deal; I've bought a GRP mini (Cord) as those of you who know me from a certain other forum will already know.
My mate Fintan - who stays and works in the States - went all the way to Barcelona (no, not the one in Spain, that would be far too easy ) to oversee its transport from there to NYC by road, on the back of a vehicle owned by his company in fact. When he arrived at the address from which the car (OK, so 80% of a car but how else do you obtain a genuine BL-sanctioned GRP mini shell?) was to be collected, it wasn't there. He recognised the place it had been as the original pictures showed certain distinctive features that identify it but no rolling shell, no sign of the vendor, who by the way has $**** US of my money and nobody willing to offer any insight as to its current whereabouts.
I've been in touch with the British Embassy along the coast in Caracas, I've also been in touch with Hague, since he's supposedly developed a keen interest in Venezuelan affairs since the election and I've been in touch with the shipper to ask whether they'd mind holding the container only to find that - quite reasonably from their POV - they can't as its remaining contents (an American car and several chests full of parts to go with that) have to be in the UK by the end of this week regardless.
The shipping company have at least confirmed that the car was booked to go on the boat and that the part of the payment for that had been received by them but the mini itself is AWOL somewhere.

Has anyone been shafted this way before and if yes; how did you resolve the situation?
I'm a wee bit pithed off about this as the amount I've thrown at the thing would have bagged me a usable MK1 automatic within the UK and that wouldn't have been missing its engine even though that's the least of the problems with this one. I just always wanted a glass mini and thought that I'd have one by now, back in the UK being fitted with the auto front subframe and engine/gearbox unit that I've been stashing away at work.

Is it just me, or.....

Hiya John,
Gutted for you mate, got to say it looks dodgy from here

First two questions, how did you pay? and where did you buy it through (i.e ebay, private ads, etc ) ?

Looks like something you'll just have to put down to experience. Even if it's eBay, the most you can hope for is a strike against the vendor. I hope you only paid a deposit and sent Fintan with the balance in cash.

It was a private sale. I sent him with the whole lot but couldn't say in public what form the payment took - suffice it to say that it's the car I need to find. Fintan still has the Venezuelan registration papers, however I still want to find the car. The optimist in me says it's harder to hide than Dollar bills....

Ouch, little recourse then unless there was some form of payment protection which sounds unlikely.

I hate to say it but it sounds like he decided to have the money and the car, unless someone is willing to let you know his whereabouts I reckon your stuck. The other problem is that any legal authorities are unlikely to be interested or at least difficult to deal with.

Probably the only chance of finding the fella or the car is a little local bribery.

I hope I'm wrong, if you can find the car you could possibly liberate it, so I wish you the best of luck. Relatives of ours lost a good couple of hundred grand after paying for a house to be built in Spain, they got the house but no electric or water, illegal build without certs, builder did a bunk and despite spending many more thousands couldn't get anywhere with either the spanish solicitors who let them sign or with the builder through the courts, nor could they get the house recognised legally and put right at any cost. I imagine Venezuala would be even worse to seek recourse in

You'd imagine correctly! The place is a bloody nightmare. Every sane person I know advised me never to buy anything from a list of certain, South American countries (including Venezuela) but when you just have to have something and the only one for sale in the whole world is down there.......

Sounds like it's just as well I have no plans to buy a Spanish property any time soon, that sort of hit could finish me off!

bad luck mate, keep plugging away but try not to send any more money.... keep us informed

Gutting news, and I just hope that it's resolved quickly and it turns up for you.

My (GRP) hovercraft is full of eels.