I got a tip that a yellow color Skoda vRS is available for sale.
Year of registration = March 2005
State of registration = Karnataka, Bangalore
Price quoted = 5.25 (Negotiable)
More details on the car are available at this site
USED CARS KERALA,cartrade.co.in online showroom 4 used cars
Before you rush to buy. Read through rest of the story.
Reg number - KA 04 MB 7557
The story:
I call the number listed in the site. Express my interest for the same.
The price listed is 5.25 lacs and he is willing to give it for 5.0 lacs.
Sounds amazing.
The car is in Calicut. I ask the RC and insurance papers to be mailed to me so that I can look and take it further.
But it's refused right away as he is not willing to give the papers to a stranger.
On 16th Jan 2009, I take a bus from Bangalore to Calicut
I stay in an exteremly cheap hotel (Wondering why am I going through this ordeal)
I then meet Biju (the person listed in the site)
Biju:
A very decent person, in this business for 8 years.
This is his first experience with a Skoda vRS so I will definitely forgive his part on this story.
Dont hold him accountable!!!
I take a bus from Calicut to a small village 40 KMS away towards Guruvayur.
After an hour of travel, I see the yellow vRS in flesh.
The car looks neat from the outside.
- Crack on the left headlight
- small paint job on the hood
- minor scratches
Pop the hood
- A running crack on the left side of the crack (Suspicion starts)
Interior
- Looks very old
- Leathers are in a sad state
- The dash is painted
- Steering has it's airbag setting off
Not a great feel. But having travelled so much and a 5.25 price tag at the back of my mind I play along.
The drive - No power
- No turbo whistle
I have driven Siddartha's vRS and test drove 3 more, when I compare them..its nothing
- The brakes have no feel ..forget the ABS
- The steering wheel is totally off, No alignment (I see a sticker on the car stating that wheel alignment done on 19th Sep 2008) and it way off... so my suspicion starts to grow
I was extremely disappointed.
Playing along
I just did NOT get the feel to go for the car, the lucurative price tag kept me going
I called up Siddartha and got his thoughts, he asked me to hold on and did his helpful bid to check with the RTO. (Thanks dude for being there
)
I get the xerox of the RC and a policy paper of the insurance.
And head back to Calicut. This time the journey felt toooo long as the excitment of the vRS had totally died out.
Since I missed the early bus to Mysore, I had to spend the entire night in the cheap hotel and catch the night Volvo to return home.
Climax
I returned home on Sunday morning, started to work on the research
Found the phone number of the owner, contacted him
The car was sold on the early part of 2007 to Reliance Insurance with a total loss claim.
Owner's recommendation was not to take the car even if it was given for
FREE
Reason, I put this post is there are many vRS buyers who out of desperation could make a wrong move.
If this is the car you come across, please walk away.