ACT Deceitful/Fraudulent practices in a private interstate car practice.

[Whatcher]

Hello all, my first time posting on this forum and it’s quite a complicated issue. Any advice would be appreciated.

Background: We live in the ACT and we purchased a 40 year old car from a private seller in Sydney. Our biggest concern was rust and other damages concerning the age of the car. We asked the seller to get an official “blue slip” from a licensed mechanic in NSW to satisfy us that the car was in working condition and can be legally registered on the road. After paying between $10k and $20k for the car, we went to get it checked by the ACT Motor Vehicle Inspection Station and they gave a seriously conflicting report, so much so they said the car is un-drivable. We know have in our possession, a blue slip from a mechanic in NSW that is most likely fraudulent and an ACT report from an official body directly contravening this.

My question is this, we have obviously lose a decent amount of money to this scam artist. Is there anything we can do to try and get our money back? Maybe a lawsuit against the NSW mechanic or the private seller?

Any constructive advice is welcome.

 

[Skateboard]

1. The mechanic who issued the blue slip may get a letter or/and a visit from an inspector to check his register of blue slips to check his work practices but that would probably be it.

2. In hindsight it would have been better to pay your own mechanic or other knowledgeable person who was familiar with that particular model car to do a thorough inspection of the vehicle and obtain any service and repair history to check.

3. Google motor car traders and you will see many who have received numerous fines for winding back speedos and other suspect and they are still trading. The whole system seems to be very week.

4. You could end up paying more than the car is worth and even if you win you may end up disillusioned, battered and bruised by the legal system.