Bio-D
New member
If this is the wrong place to alert fellow TDI club members please forgive me and remove.
I welcome anyone with positive dealings with this dealer to ring in - I just feel it is important that others are aware of our experience with Bob at Nice Cars Company in Bellingham, WA
Text of complaint filed with Washington Attorney Generals office:
I have just returned from an incredibly negative experience with a car dealer in Bellingham, WA. This car dealership, named “Nice Cars”. The owner, Bob, had advertised a “RESTORED” 1996 Passat TDI Wagon. We conversed back and forth via email and phone to discuss in depth the quality of the restoration process of this vehicle. Here is a quote from one of Bob’s email messages:
We currently have 4-1996 Passat TDI wagons here. Two are sold and about done. That leaves two that haven’t been sold yet. One is black, the other is a dark blue, called “Windsor Blue”. The blue one has 178K miles which is not high for a 12 year old car and certainly not high for one of these. We know of several of these with 500K miles and one with 661 K miles. This blue wagon has had a complete repaint. Mostly due to hood and bumper rock chips and being “keyed” completely down one side. So we took off the bumpers, grill, headlights, taillights, door handles, deck lid, hood, etc.. The body and all the pieces were painted separately with base/clear urethane paint. The pieces were all color sanded with 2000 grit, buffed and re-assembled. The cloth seats were removed as most of our customers prefer the leather seats, the carpet was removed, cleaned and reinstalled. The hinges and latches have been oiled and new door handles will go in the two front doors. The drivers window riser mechanism is being replaced. This car has the new timing belt and Tensioner, new water pump, new serpentine belt and Tensioner, new Pentosynth synthetic German oil and Bosch filter, new alternator belt, flushed cooling system, new, correct phosphate free coolant, new battery, new fuel filter, new air filter, new fuel lines, new vacuum hoses, new relays, new VW chrome emblems, new wheel bearings, new brake pads, new brake rotors, new tires, front end alignment, charged A/C system, timed injection pump, cleaned injectors, new glow plug rail, new N-75 Turbo sensor, new light bulbs, new 4-way flashers, new windshield and other numerous upgrades. The black one or the blue will be $17,000 with leather, $16,500 without.
When asked directly about rust and bondo, Bob assured me that the car was was clean and had been repaired correctly, that it would be mechanically sound and very nice. We agreed upon a price of $16,000 for this car which had 178,000 miles. While this is an expensive price for a car of this age and mileage, I figured it was worth it due to the completeness of the restoration which described to me by Bob through our communication.
In working out the details of the transaction, Bob had just purchased a different 1996 Passat wagon in our home town of Missoula, MT. He asked me to deliver this car to him while I was picking up our “restored” Passat wagon. On Tuesday July15th, my family and I drove to Seattle, WA and spent the night. On Wednesday July 16th, we drove north to Bellingham, WA. Upon arriving and inspecting our new car, it was clear that the condition of the car was not as described by Bob. The “restored” car had just been painted and a lot of rust had been covered up. The passenger side front fender had a two inch rust hole at the bottom where it attaches to the rocker panel. The underside of the car had rust in every seam. The muffler was completely eaten away with rust. On the running gear of the car all the bolts and metal parts were covered with rust. In the engine compartment all the metal clamps and screws were covered with rust. On the interior of the vehicle many of the attaching screws were covered with rust. Bob’s reaction to my analysis of the condition of the car was one of anger. He began yelling at me for pointing out the many flaws of the car and the inaccuracy of his description of the “restoration” of this car. It was immediately clear that we would not be purchasing this car from Bob.
Due to the fact that we had delivered another vehicle to Bob, we did not have transportation to get back home. When I asked Bob to pay for a rental car for us to get home, he shrugged his shoulders, turned and he walked away. After several hours of deliberating about our options, we agreed to spend the night in the Seattle area and return the next day to view another car that they were working on. We were allowed to leave in the car we delivered from Montana. After having some time to think about it, my wife and I agreed that we did not want to have anything to do with any vehicle from “Nice Cars” company. We called Bob numerous times starting the evening of Wednesday July 16th, and continuing through the 11:35 am Thursday July 17th. At 11:54 am, Bob finally returned our calls and again became irate at our refusal of purchasing one of his vehicles. We had arranged for a one-way rental through Hertz Rental Car of Bellevue, WA. Bob agreed to meet us in Bellevue to take delivery of his vehicle and pay for our rental car home. We waited for three hours for Bob to arrive at the Red Lion Inn on 112th Ave. in Bellevue. Upon his arrival, I handed him the keys, the title and the bill of sale for the car we delivered from Montana. At that point, I questioned Bob regarding the reimbursement for the rental car. He again became irate, began yelling and refused to pay the $203 it cost us to rent the car from Hertz. We quickly loaded up our rental car and left for home.
I am writing this to you in hopes that we can spare others from being scammed by this dishonest dealer. I am not seeking any reimbursement or compensation for my expenses; I am simply hoping to help others avoid this dishonest dealer and his extremely volatile interactions.
Example of Bob’s Nice Car ad that I responded to: (this is not the original ad I responded to)
1996 Passat TDI GLS Wagon, B4V - Rarest TDI of All
Reply to: sale-758061161@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-07-16, 6:50PM PDT
Very Rare 1996 VW Passat GLS TDI WAGON, many upgrades, see below. The "B4V", rarest TDI of all!
In the 18 Year history of the Passat, the 1.9 Turbo Diesel was only available in 1996 and 97.
Only 1,200 sold in North America, 980 of the 1200 sold in the U.S.
This is #126 of the original 980 1996 Passat TDI wagons. Very Rare "GLS" model
German Built, Wolfsburg Edition. LARGEST VW Wagon ever, AND up to 50 MILES PER GALLON!!!
Very high quality, smooth running road car. A Left lane Autobahn car!
Last of the Audi built 1.9 Turbo Diesels. Rarest color of all - Tornado Red!
25 Gallon fuel tank allows up to 1,200 MILES A TANK!!! -Biodiesel Ready!
These are the rarest TDI of all, the "Crown Jewel" of the TDIs.
The 1996 Passat TDI had the best (Audi Built) body, the best version of the 1.9 Turbo Diesel
and the best Transmission of all the TDIs.
Some of the Upgrades/Restoration Work Done to Ready this Wagon for its New Owner:
New Timing Belt and Tensioner
New Serpentine Belt and Tensioner
New Water Pump
New GLX-VR6 Driving Lights
New Brakes/Rotors on GLX-VR6 hubs
New OEM Turn Signals
New PENTOSIN TEILSYNTHETISCH Synthetic Oil, Bosch Filter
(Oil made in Germany for VW Diesel Engines)
New Fuel Filter, Bosch
New Air Filter, MAHLE
New Cabin Filter, MAHLE
2004 VW-GTI Alloy Wheels
New VW Phosphate Free Coolant
Michelin Tires
Original Heidleburg Stereo
New Battery
New Drive Axles
New Wheel Bearing
New Ignition Module
New Antenna Assembly
New VW, Passat and TDI Emblems
Heated Black Leather Seats
Tuned up, Timed pump, Ready to go!
Odometer Reading of only 131,000 Miles
Things this TDI DOES NOT have:
Does Not Have a salvage/rebuilt title
Does Not Have a check engine light on
Does Not Have a disconnected check engine light
Does Not Have any dents in Original Tornado Red Paint
Does Not Have an ash tray used for Smoking Debris
Does Not Have a broken cup holder
Does Not Have any malfunctioning electrical components
Did Not have any animals in the car
ONE YEAR WARRANTY AND Certified Insurance Value Appraisal
WHO IS SELLING THIS TDI?
This TDI is being offered by a shop that specializes in TDI Volkswagens
NICE CARS COMPANY, Bellingham, Washington. Independent 20 year Volkswagen Dealer
Certified VW TDI repair shop. Correct TDI OEM VW parts. Lots of diesel VWs, Restoration, Maintenance, Service.
Phone - 360-398-2854 - Open Noon to 7 P.M. - Mon - Sat Closed Sunday
E-mail - vwsforsale@hotmail.com
Other TDI Wagons available * Other TDI Wagons available * Other TDI Wagons available
I welcome anyone with positive dealings with this dealer to ring in - I just feel it is important that others are aware of our experience with Bob at Nice Cars Company in Bellingham, WA
Text of complaint filed with Washington Attorney Generals office:
I have just returned from an incredibly negative experience with a car dealer in Bellingham, WA. This car dealership, named “Nice Cars”. The owner, Bob, had advertised a “RESTORED” 1996 Passat TDI Wagon. We conversed back and forth via email and phone to discuss in depth the quality of the restoration process of this vehicle. Here is a quote from one of Bob’s email messages:
We currently have 4-1996 Passat TDI wagons here. Two are sold and about done. That leaves two that haven’t been sold yet. One is black, the other is a dark blue, called “Windsor Blue”. The blue one has 178K miles which is not high for a 12 year old car and certainly not high for one of these. We know of several of these with 500K miles and one with 661 K miles. This blue wagon has had a complete repaint. Mostly due to hood and bumper rock chips and being “keyed” completely down one side. So we took off the bumpers, grill, headlights, taillights, door handles, deck lid, hood, etc.. The body and all the pieces were painted separately with base/clear urethane paint. The pieces were all color sanded with 2000 grit, buffed and re-assembled. The cloth seats were removed as most of our customers prefer the leather seats, the carpet was removed, cleaned and reinstalled. The hinges and latches have been oiled and new door handles will go in the two front doors. The drivers window riser mechanism is being replaced. This car has the new timing belt and Tensioner, new water pump, new serpentine belt and Tensioner, new Pentosynth synthetic German oil and Bosch filter, new alternator belt, flushed cooling system, new, correct phosphate free coolant, new battery, new fuel filter, new air filter, new fuel lines, new vacuum hoses, new relays, new VW chrome emblems, new wheel bearings, new brake pads, new brake rotors, new tires, front end alignment, charged A/C system, timed injection pump, cleaned injectors, new glow plug rail, new N-75 Turbo sensor, new light bulbs, new 4-way flashers, new windshield and other numerous upgrades. The black one or the blue will be $17,000 with leather, $16,500 without.
When asked directly about rust and bondo, Bob assured me that the car was was clean and had been repaired correctly, that it would be mechanically sound and very nice. We agreed upon a price of $16,000 for this car which had 178,000 miles. While this is an expensive price for a car of this age and mileage, I figured it was worth it due to the completeness of the restoration which described to me by Bob through our communication.
In working out the details of the transaction, Bob had just purchased a different 1996 Passat wagon in our home town of Missoula, MT. He asked me to deliver this car to him while I was picking up our “restored” Passat wagon. On Tuesday July15th, my family and I drove to Seattle, WA and spent the night. On Wednesday July 16th, we drove north to Bellingham, WA. Upon arriving and inspecting our new car, it was clear that the condition of the car was not as described by Bob. The “restored” car had just been painted and a lot of rust had been covered up. The passenger side front fender had a two inch rust hole at the bottom where it attaches to the rocker panel. The underside of the car had rust in every seam. The muffler was completely eaten away with rust. On the running gear of the car all the bolts and metal parts were covered with rust. In the engine compartment all the metal clamps and screws were covered with rust. On the interior of the vehicle many of the attaching screws were covered with rust. Bob’s reaction to my analysis of the condition of the car was one of anger. He began yelling at me for pointing out the many flaws of the car and the inaccuracy of his description of the “restoration” of this car. It was immediately clear that we would not be purchasing this car from Bob.
Due to the fact that we had delivered another vehicle to Bob, we did not have transportation to get back home. When I asked Bob to pay for a rental car for us to get home, he shrugged his shoulders, turned and he walked away. After several hours of deliberating about our options, we agreed to spend the night in the Seattle area and return the next day to view another car that they were working on. We were allowed to leave in the car we delivered from Montana. After having some time to think about it, my wife and I agreed that we did not want to have anything to do with any vehicle from “Nice Cars” company. We called Bob numerous times starting the evening of Wednesday July 16th, and continuing through the 11:35 am Thursday July 17th. At 11:54 am, Bob finally returned our calls and again became irate at our refusal of purchasing one of his vehicles. We had arranged for a one-way rental through Hertz Rental Car of Bellevue, WA. Bob agreed to meet us in Bellevue to take delivery of his vehicle and pay for our rental car home. We waited for three hours for Bob to arrive at the Red Lion Inn on 112th Ave. in Bellevue. Upon his arrival, I handed him the keys, the title and the bill of sale for the car we delivered from Montana. At that point, I questioned Bob regarding the reimbursement for the rental car. He again became irate, began yelling and refused to pay the $203 it cost us to rent the car from Hertz. We quickly loaded up our rental car and left for home.
I am writing this to you in hopes that we can spare others from being scammed by this dishonest dealer. I am not seeking any reimbursement or compensation for my expenses; I am simply hoping to help others avoid this dishonest dealer and his extremely volatile interactions.
Example of Bob’s Nice Car ad that I responded to: (this is not the original ad I responded to)
1996 Passat TDI GLS Wagon, B4V - Rarest TDI of All
Reply to: sale-758061161@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-07-16, 6:50PM PDT
Very Rare 1996 VW Passat GLS TDI WAGON, many upgrades, see below. The "B4V", rarest TDI of all!
In the 18 Year history of the Passat, the 1.9 Turbo Diesel was only available in 1996 and 97.
Only 1,200 sold in North America, 980 of the 1200 sold in the U.S.
This is #126 of the original 980 1996 Passat TDI wagons. Very Rare "GLS" model
German Built, Wolfsburg Edition. LARGEST VW Wagon ever, AND up to 50 MILES PER GALLON!!!
Very high quality, smooth running road car. A Left lane Autobahn car!
Last of the Audi built 1.9 Turbo Diesels. Rarest color of all - Tornado Red!
25 Gallon fuel tank allows up to 1,200 MILES A TANK!!! -Biodiesel Ready!
These are the rarest TDI of all, the "Crown Jewel" of the TDIs.
The 1996 Passat TDI had the best (Audi Built) body, the best version of the 1.9 Turbo Diesel
and the best Transmission of all the TDIs.
Some of the Upgrades/Restoration Work Done to Ready this Wagon for its New Owner:
New Timing Belt and Tensioner
New Serpentine Belt and Tensioner
New Water Pump
New GLX-VR6 Driving Lights
New Brakes/Rotors on GLX-VR6 hubs
New OEM Turn Signals
New PENTOSIN TEILSYNTHETISCH Synthetic Oil, Bosch Filter
(Oil made in Germany for VW Diesel Engines)
New Fuel Filter, Bosch
New Air Filter, MAHLE
New Cabin Filter, MAHLE
2004 VW-GTI Alloy Wheels
New VW Phosphate Free Coolant
Michelin Tires
Original Heidleburg Stereo
New Battery
New Drive Axles
New Wheel Bearing
New Ignition Module
New Antenna Assembly
New VW, Passat and TDI Emblems
Heated Black Leather Seats
Tuned up, Timed pump, Ready to go!
Odometer Reading of only 131,000 Miles
Things this TDI DOES NOT have:
Does Not Have a salvage/rebuilt title
Does Not Have a check engine light on
Does Not Have a disconnected check engine light
Does Not Have any dents in Original Tornado Red Paint
Does Not Have an ash tray used for Smoking Debris
Does Not Have a broken cup holder
Does Not Have any malfunctioning electrical components
Did Not have any animals in the car
ONE YEAR WARRANTY AND Certified Insurance Value Appraisal
WHO IS SELLING THIS TDI?
This TDI is being offered by a shop that specializes in TDI Volkswagens
NICE CARS COMPANY, Bellingham, Washington. Independent 20 year Volkswagen Dealer
Certified VW TDI repair shop. Correct TDI OEM VW parts. Lots of diesel VWs, Restoration, Maintenance, Service.
Phone - 360-398-2854 - Open Noon to 7 P.M. - Mon - Sat Closed Sunday
E-mail - vwsforsale@hotmail.com
Other TDI Wagons available * Other TDI Wagons available * Other TDI Wagons available