Do not purchase a vehicle through My Car Guy, Dave Sutch, unless you have the opportunity to inspect the vehicle prior to purchase. As an auto dealer, I expect Dave has access to sale inventories that you don't, but that advantage comes at a cost. At least a portion of his business is to buy vehicles, sight unseen, with his client's money, making the purchase himself and then transferring the sale to you. In my experience, he will then take no responsibility for that purchase should there be a problem. You would be better off buying the vehicle sight unseen yourself because you may have recourse against the seller if the vehicle is misrepresented. When you buy from My Car Guy, you are assuming all of the risk and forgoing any protections the law may provide you from a misrepresented sale.
In my case, Dave purchased, then sold me a vehicle that obviously did not match the sales description and he was unwilling to challenge his purchase or refund my money. I spent $18,600 on a vehicle that several body shops have since quoted at least $15,500 for rust repair. When I picked up the vehicle it was immediately obvious that there was far more rust on the vehicle than advertised. There's no way I would have bought the vehicle if I had had the opportunity to see it first. Both Dave's expertise and his network failed me.
Why did I make this purchase? My wife met Dave through a business networking group many years ago. He sold himself as a vehicle broker with purchasing expertise and wide connections in the auto industry, who specializes in finding the right vehicle for people. He quickly found a vehicle that fit our needs in Pennsylvania. I'm in California. I made the purchase, sight unseen, with reservations that were dispelled by his claims of trustworthiness, the value of this extraordinary deal (quote: "I'll buy this myself if you don't") and his assurance that the vehicle would be inspected by a reputable entity before the purchase.
However, once my money was transferred and the purchase made, problems surfaced. Dave told me that I would need to pick the vehicle up in Pennsylvania posing as his employee. Somehow the vehicle was no longer at the dealership that had advertised it, but was now in the hands of a used car wholesaler, which also turned out to be the inspector. (The purchase was made in Dave's name and only he, or someone working for him, could receive it as they required a licensed dealer to claim it). I drove the vehicle off the lot and across the street to look it over and immediately saw that there was far more rust on the vehicle than was described or pictured in the advertisement. I found myself standing outside of the wholesaler's lot having purchased a falsely advertised vehicle, with no recourse against the seller, without even the right to purchase from them.
Months have passed and Dave refuses to take any responsibility for this bad purchase and sale nor has he looked at the vehicle or the pictures I've sent showing the extent of the rust. He did offer to help sell the vehicle as long as I provided him photos that hid the extent of the rust problem, so that he could perhaps sell the vehicle to you. I chose not to take him up on his offer. After consulting lawyers, I've come to understand that I have very little chance of getting any compensation from him. Vehicles of this age (2004) are sold "as is" and Dave has never laid eyes on the vehicle, so he cannot be accused of intentionally misrepresenting the sale. My Car Guy, Dave Sutch, took on no risk. That's his business model; all profit, no risk. read more
