Rodd Sala Mispresents the condition of the Rolls Royces he sells on ebay Barriington, Illinois

I know it's too late now for the car purchase, but for expensive items you are purchasing on eBay or Craigslist (or wherever) you might consider using a verifiaction service like WeGoLook.com.  They aren't auto mechanics or experts, but they will have an independent representative contact the seller and arrange to meet to make sure the item actually exists and to verify the sellers claims that can be verified by a non-expert.  They will take current digital pics and provide them to you along with a simple report.  Great service for expensive items.

I purchased my'72 Silver Shadow from Mr. Sala last year on ebay. To say that I am satisfied is an understatement. I am an old car enthusiast, I love fine cars, I own several vintage cars, and I am a professional businessman.  

I have read the complaint by John Shevelew regarding his Rolls-Royce purchased from Rodd Sala. I am a medium sized collector and have had several dealings with Mr. Sala.

I have more than one first hand experience and I must say I have experienced the complete opposite to that reported by Shevelew. Rodd proved to being nothing but patient, understanding and 100% helpful in all aspects of dealings. The quality of his cars are well above standard and each time I have been very happy!

I think people like Mr. Shevelew (a first time RR owner) need to understand what buying an old Rolls is all about. They need alot of attention and maintenance. Any car that is 40 something yrs old needs this. A Rolls-Royce even more so. If you think a late 60s Shadow has issues, try a RR vintage! If you expect to buy an older Rolls that wont need repairs ( some of which can frustratingly occur at the most inopportune times) then you are very mistaken, buying the wrong car and need to look elsewhere.

Knowing Rodd well enough, how he operates and surely evidenced in my own dealings with him over the last few years, I think the problem lays with Shevelew. If he did have some problem he should have contacted Rodd straight away and discussed it with him. I know Rodd would acknowledge if it was his own fault and he would have fixed it.  He is a an honest guy.

The problem, it appears, is that Shevelew took it upon himself to get it fixed elsewhere before even speaking to Rodd and then expected him to foot the bill. Anyone who has anything to do with cars and is involved in any of the tight circles KNOWS that is not the way to handle it!

A buyer has certain responsibilities just as a seller does. You are wrong on this Mr. Shevelew and you should learn from this experience, apologize to Mr. Sala and move on!

It certainly appears that Mr. Sala has addressed all issues and has made more than fair attempts to resolve this problem.

Although I would be VERY leery of buying any vehicle sight unseen on the internet, I would certainly give this dealer serious consideration.

And of course, now I will get the standard accusation of being a shill for Mr. Sala. LOL.

Mr Shevelew seems eternally unhappy no matter what I try to offer. All this nonsense about scamming and dishonesty is simply unfounded, very time consuming and certainly defamatory. I refute Mr Shevelew's claims but notwithstanding, have made the following offers to appease him (and in an effort to resolve this silly bickering on this web-site). My offers included:

1) Pay an ex-gratia payment for repairs which was the amount initially agreed to by Shevelew.

2) Purchase the car back from Mr Shevelew for the full purchase price.

3) Conduct all repairs at my shop at no cost (including shipping to and fro).

None of these seem to satisfy him.

I guess when you have been in a business (of any sort) over 30 years, you will always get 1 or 2 bad apples that you will NEVER satisfy. Mr Shevelew is proving to be this. The car he bought is outstanding for $20,000. This is why I posted the pictures. It is only normal to expect issues and problems on a +/-40 year old car. I explain to anyone who buys a Rolls-Royce to expect regular NON-ROUTINE maintenaince accordingly. If Mr Shevelew is so disappointed, why does he say his car is worth $10,000 more? This is WHY I think he will not accept my offer for a refund. He knows deep down he bought well.

If any one has doubt, I openly welcome direct contact to ensal@comcast.net or 312-320-6996. I would be only too happy to provide many references, emails, and letters of thank you from happy customers. I would "cut & paste" them all here but this website does not allow "cut & paste", so here are some comments:

....."Rodd went out of his way to provide support and ongoing knowledge of Rolls-Royces. He's a guru.".......

....."loved my Rolls. Exactly as described and look forward to enjoying it this summer".....

....."Rodd is a true asset to Rolls-Royce. My wife told me I certainly bought mine from the right person".......

.... " no-one knows these cars like this guy. I had 2 issues that Rodd was able to guide me thru remotely and at NO CHARGE! What a great find. This is my first Rolls and I know I will buy again from him.".....

These few examples above are typical of the many people I have dealt with. I am sorry, Mr Shevelew elects to take up so much of his time (and now mine) to air his dirty linen when all he needed to do was contact me for a FINAL RESOLVE and conclusion. I think the key to resolving any problem, in any purchase, is to FIRST, pick up the phone and try to resolve it with the seller. NOT, take the item elsewhere and then expect the seller to "help-out" AFTER the event. 

I noticed that Mr. Sala is making another attempt to explain his dishonest behavior.  The facts continue to speak for themselves.  The question of returning the vehicle was never raised.  He did offer to send me two brake accumulators which he claims were worth $1500.  Since the repairs to the brakes had already been completed and I did not trust him to send me working parts, I suggested that he sell these himself and send me the $1500.  He refused (I guess they weren't worth the money).

I have received a number of ebay inquiries regarding Mr. Sala.  The following support the fact that he continues to rip buyers off:

Just wanted you to know I ALSO got ripped off by Rodd....he sold me a 1978 Silver Wraith....The odometer does not work....Several of gages don't either...There was a BB Hole in the back opera window. The leather was not as he described. There is a tapping sound after 30MPH. He was horrible to me...he's a crook and tried to make it sound like it was me who was the problem. By the time I found out all that was wrong I couldn't leave feedback. I'm sorry you had to go thru it too. Jeff

and another.........

Saw your comments on your Rolls Royce purchase and wondered about it. I just bought one of Rodd Sala's cars and it's not exactly what I thought to receive. He seems to be cooperative,but it's beginning to look as tho it's going to cost me money and I'm not a happy camper. Can you tell me how it went down for you?? Bob

I find it particularly amusing that he is posting pictures of the car in his rebuttal.  That coupled with the text I have published from his ebay ad, should demonstrate how dangerous this guy is.  He's a very convincing liar.  If anyone would like a certified statement from the Sr. Technical Advisor for the Rolls Royce Foundation attesting to the actual condition of the car versus Mr. Sala's advertisement, feel free to contact me.  I also have a copy of the repair bills outlining the work that was done.  Do not get conned by this guy.  I am sure that he will go out of his way to make it look like it is my problem.  That's his standard operating procedure as you can tell from the ebay email comment above.

There are many legitimate folks out there selling Rolls Royce motorcars.  I would strongly suggest that you find someone else and save a lot of money and time.  You don't have to believe me, but if there is any doubt, you should go elsewhere.

The report outlining the detail of events pertaining to the complaint by Jon Shevelew can be downloaded by cut & pasting the following link:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/29764447

Many photos of this 66 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow sedan showing the very fine condition of the car, can be seen at the link below. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14011548@N04/sets/72157622546485256/ 

Rodd Sala

ensal@comcast.net

312-320-6996

Unfortunately, the details and claims made in this complaint by Jon Shevelew are inaccurate and misleading. A compassionate effort was made to satisfy the concerns of the complainant in various forms but were refuted. A detailed report is available by email, fax or regular mail. This report includes:

1) A detailed outline of the sequence of events.

2) An outline of the offers for an ex-gratia settlement in parts, service, cash and full refund for the purchase of the car.

3) Copies of correspondence between the seller and purchaser evidencing the cooperation of the seller and the refusal of the purchaser to work towards a reasonable and amicable resolve.

4) A copy of the comprehensive Terms & Conditions applicable to the sale of this +/-40 year old Rolls-Royce for a modest $20,000.

5) A detailed list of voluntary after sales support provided by the seller to the purchaser irrespective of any "as-is" conditions.

The seller is a passionate and knowledgeable collector of Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motor cars with a strong reputation earned over 30 years dedicated experience. He knows the marque intimately and is a proud contributor to the preservation of Rolls-Royces. He has written papers, articles, reports, service and maintenance bulletins on Rolls-Royce motor cars ranging from early 30's vintage thru to 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's models. Many of his cars have won shows and awards for their presentation. Much effort in recent years is concentrated to providing good quailty driver standard Rolls-Royces for the pleasure and enjoyment of every day driving. 

Interested or concerned parties should email me on ensal@comcast.net or phone 312-320-6996 for personal service.

Just like the person who first responded and is trying to toss the blame on you because you purchased the car "as-is" sight unseen, it should be explained how purchasing collector cars on ebay works so others who read this understand that it can be a safe way to buy.

I know first hand because the first classic car I restored and sold was via ebay and the transaction was satisfactory for myself and the buyer. The vehicle was shipped and paid for by the buyer, but paypal puts the funds in escrow for x amount of days. During this period the buyer can inspect the vehicle and if satisfied the funds are released to the seller, if not, the car is shipped back and the money is not released to the seller. keep in mind the buyer was in Michigan, I lived in the NYC area at the time.

What people need to understand, is when purchasing a collector/classic/show car etc, it is considered a rare find..so it is not the same as buying a 1996 Honda civic where you are looking for an everyday dependable daily driver..you can find those anywhere.

Now when any vehicle, specifically a classic vehicle being advertised as "needs nothing", "show car ready" etc...but is sold "as-is", sure if the engine exploded the buyer is screwed and has no recourse..because the engine exploding could be caused by something the seller was unaware of..and no warranty is implied when sold "as-is".. Sometimes even an inspection will not predict an engine or transmission or any mechanical part is about to break, these things do happen for no apparent reason or from normal wear...

...but, where the line is drawn is if the ad is deceptive such as stating parts are new, but turns out they were not, or if the vehicle sold was not the one in the ad..whether a mistake or outright fraud. The law does protect the buyer in this case. However you chose to fix the car and find it is not worth it to go after this seller. Others may chose to take action. Either way I just wanted to clear up the idea that buying a vehicle "as--is" removes all responsibility from the seller..it does not in all cases, some cases are black and white, some are gray, and some are outright fraud. Also want to state that hundreds of collector and show cars are bought and sold on ebay every day with no issues and both parties are satisfied.

You make some good points. It just gets to me that people out there get away with this. How they sleep at night is beyond me.

I feel that people like this hurt others who are ethical sellers, by causing others to be skeptical about purchasing from ebay. Most sellers describe very accurately and on a vehicle claiming to be "show ready" such as the one you purchased, even surface rust on a valve cover bolt should be mentioned, and here this seller claims the ad must be a mistake...like he never proof read his own ad for a Rolls Royce and noticed most of the ad is untrue?

Well anyhow, Best of luck with the car, even though you had to put that  much work into it. I am sure it has potential if you were willing to have all those repairs done instead of shipping it back to the thief and notifying paypal or however you paid that you were defrauded..

Aside from the fact that I am not litigious by nature, it makes little sense from a financial standpoint for me to go after this guy.  The cost for me to pursue this legally (he's in Illinois, I'm in NJ) would easily exceed the 8k involved.  If I did pursue this course and got restitution, this guy would be operating again a week later under some other name.  I felt the best way to help folks would be to make sure that they can discover his practices and stay away.  I have also posted this on the RR International Forum where thousands of RR collectors have seen it.

As far as being financially successful, I achieved that by always acting honorably and expecting the same from the people with whom I did business.  98% of the time this has served me well and allowed me to retire 10 years ago at 47 years old.  I believe that there is nobody I've ever had a business or financial transaction with that would have something negative to say about me.

Regarding your home purchase analogy, there are varying levels of due diligence to be performed based on the monetary amount of the transaction involved.  I would not make a home purchase without complete inspections because of the financial commitment involved.  It's all relative.  I will hold onto this car for a number of years and during that time it will appreciate in value and I will recover most if not all of my investment down the road.  If I end up losing anything, it will really be the cost of money during that time.

But what about the guy who doesn't have the 8k to get the car fixed and is stuck with no way out?  That's my reason for this posting.

That people with limited funds may think the car is a viable investment..and then are left penny-less. And this is the reason there are laws to protect consumers.

Now you claim to be an avid collector and can afford what happened...but I ask..how does anyone become financially successful if they allow themselves to be ripped off?

If you really want to help others..help yourself first..by taking action against this crook. A post here is a good first step..but you need to take legal actions against this seller.

What if your life savings were put into a house that was sold "as-is"...but everything in the house needed replacement and it was flooded? That would be acceptable..other then if the ad  regarding the house stated everything was new and serviced. Surely you wouldn't just write this off.

Thank you guys for your response.  The car was advertised as-is, but as you already know, that doesn't excuse fraudulent statements regarding the condition of the car.  I didn't have the car examined prior to the sale since it was in Illinois and I am in New Jersey.  Nonetheless, I am an avid collector and have bought many vehicles this way.  Ebay's feedback process is usually somewhat reliable when dealing with online sales.  With the exception of a few minor descrepencies over the years I have found descriptions of vehicles to be fairly accurate.  The problem I have with this guy, and he continued to use the exact same wording in his other ads, is that he is blatantly lying about the condition of the car.  Claiming things were serviced and repaired which had never been touched.  Claiming that a car is virtually "show standard" when it is barely a reasonable "driver".  Those aren't minor differences but are obvious attempts to inflate the value of the car.  Fortunately, I'm in a position where this purchase doesn't kill me, but my real concern is for the guy who is scraping enough money together to buy his first collector car and gets nailed by this joker.  That's why I felt it was important to give other folks an opportunity to research this guy before they make a purchase from him.

According to the original poster..the text is taken word for word from the ad. No where is it actually stated that this car is sold "as-is"

What it says at the end of the ad is "A pedigree Silver Shadow, in all, this is an
immaculate example that needs nothing spent on her. It is virtually show
standard and, in my opinion, could be shown as-is", which is implicating the car is in such pristine condition..that it could be in a car show in it's current condition..the ad seems to say nothing about being sold as-is.

But regardless, even if the ad stated the car is being sold in "as is" condition, that does not give a free pass to false advertise with impunity.

If this seller is actually a dealer..recourse will be easier. But either way, "as-is" does not hold up against a false advertising charge. Now if the ad said nothing about the mechanical condition..or stated something like "all original" and the original parts failed, as-is would hold up..but the ad clearly states all new brake system parts, immaculate, needs nothing etc.

The as-is clause protects the seller against normal wear and unforeseen future repairs or catastrophic damage..it does not allow the seller to get away with a deceptive ad whether due to error or fraud.

Now the seller may have a right to dispute the charges to repair the vehicle to the condition it was described as in the ad..but the seller can not legally flat out refuse to do anything just because he/she thinks it was too expensive to fix.

....Of the "as-is" clause...it does not matter if you bought the car sight unseen on ebay, or though your local paper and had it inspected first. If there is deceit in the ad..or as you claim ..."he (the seller) said he must have been confused and the claim in his ad was an error", this is an admission that the ad was deceptive.

I too have sold cars on ebay and craigslist..and am always 100% honest. Never had an issue.

 It is very important for sellers on ebay to describe the items condition truthfully and as accurately as possible. An "error" does not excuse the fact that parts claimed to be serviced and repaired were not. "As-is" does not excuse an "error" in the ad or anyone could post an ad for a new car and deliver an old wreck, then claim it was an error. That won't hold up in any court.

You most likely have recourse so check into the laws regarding this.

Best of luck.

cars are sold as is, unless a warranty is implyed in bill of sale, you know your buying this 43 year old car as is, correct??

then why you don't have your "rolls royce club" mechanic check out before you buy? seems pretty silly to me to not have the car checked, then complain after

did you even look under the hood? in the wheel wells?