Ebay user makaveli878 and his collection of MR2 listings

[niknakpaddywak]

Hi folks,

Pretty new here so excuse if this isn't the place / kind of content thats appreciated - I was just wondering about a MR2 I saw listed, and contacted the seller about (makaveli878) - that has been sold. A link to the ebay is below (and screenshot).

Specifically if the person that it was sold to is here and can speak to whether or not it was as described. I was umming and arring about whether or not to go and see it and this thread (https://mr2oc.co.uk/forum/41/166499.html?start=28) put me off entirely!

In the very likely chance the person who purchased this car isn't here - has anyone else had any recent dealings with ebay user makaveli878 and was I right to steer clear? It seems he still has a few listings up for MR2s so at the very least perhaps this can serve as an updated note of reassurance/warning to any other prospective newbie buyers like myself ..!

Thanks

EBAY LINK = https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-TOYOTA- ... Sw-iFgQ-tw

[Synz]

I have no first hand experience with this seller but he clearly knows how to present a sale. Cars are polished, detailed with good pictures and reasonable prices.

Almost too good to be true?
Best thing with any purchase is do your due diligence. Read the buyers guide, check the usual places for rust and don’t be afraid to prod the sills. You have to remember these cars are pretty old now so you’re unlikely to find a perfect one. Check what history it has and if it checks out... MOTs all visible one DVLA site etc.

5 minutes of digging shows this chap is the director of two companies:

PERFORMING CLASSICS LTD
Company number 12758415

&

DS BEDFORD MOTORS LIMITED
Company number 08221170

Plenty of public information out there if you’re willing to check.

Hope you find the mr2 you’re looking for

[jimi]

Mmmmhhh he has 4 MR2's for sale, including a MK1 for £11450, might be worth it since it has a catalytic converter, ABS and seat belt pre-tensioners ..........
No it doesn't, UK Mk1's never had cats and no MK1 ever had the other two factory fitted. It also has some fairly suspicious history ( look at the MOT's ) and doesn't appear to have been taxed for 5 years.
In conjunction with the info TLF posted on the other thread I doubt I would buy a car or anything else from him.

[TonyleFrog]

^^
I also doubt that the tyres are Eagle F1s. I may be wrong but I don't recall them being produced in 14".
In any case the sipes look all wrong. I reckon they're more likely to be Eagle GT3s

I see he's still taking all the pics at the same location as before. His trademark spiel is this:

all brake calipers have been professionally painted in red heat resistance paint last month.

It appears in every single MR2 ad of his. I wonder who his 'professional' painter is...
Painting calipers is purely cosmetic. As the saying goes, beauty is only skin deep.
It's what's underneath that counts.

The address for DS BEDFORD MOTORS LIMITED is the office of the company's accountants
https://goo.gl/maps/UJhqa1UF64xCuB959
The company has a history of compulsory strike-off notices.
Likely due to consistently being late with the required annual confirmation statement.

However the address for the other one is different.
It's a house on another street in the same Elstow estate where the pics are taken.
https://goo.gl/maps/UYVMUibUUocumCkY6
Home address perhaps? Or maybe that of a family member.
ISTR he has a brother who did/does his MOTs.

PERFORMING CLASSICS LTD was only formed last year and has no trading history.
Makes me wonder whether a phoenix job is in the pipeline.

was I right to steer clear?

What do you think?

He currently has 5 cars for sale on e-bay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/makaveli878/ ... 7675.l2562
No private seller has that many MR2s up for grabs simultaneously. He's trading.
So why does his e-bay account have no business address? And only a mobile contact number?
Both big red flags.

I'll bet if you were to have any problem/s with a car you buy from him, he'll pretend it was a private sale.
Or some other way of trying to wriggle out of any responsibility.

[jimi]

^^
I also doubt that the tyres are Eagle F1s. I may be wrong but I don't recall them being produced in 14".
In any case the sipes look all wrong. I reckon they're more likely to be Eagle GT3s

I think your right about the tyres, I'm fairly sure they were only available from 15" ( which I have)

It's a nice looking MK1 and a Sherwood Toning is quite rare, but not £11450 rare, I wouldn't pay that for it especially not from him.

[Voivod]

He had load's of MR2 for sale for many years,some of them was failed MOT for rust in usual places when I've checked it. There was another one for sale for around £7000 with very low miles on Ebay. It was 1992 I think on K reg but had thre engine from Rev1..when I asked the seller for VIN plate and model number he said that there is no plate and it looks like someone removed it

[S81933]

To my mind the clue is in his moniker "makaveli", too much like Machiavelli for me!