Over the last 11 months, I have had an absolutely horrendous experience with John Hawkins and Specialist Cars of Malton (SCoM). I would strongly advise that anyone considering selling or buying a car to or from this dealer do so with grave suspicion and great care. Ideally get your solicitor involved before you do anything.
John Hawkins himself is a very likeable, affable and genial person and a great host. He talks a good show and he's good company. Unfortunately I found that all of these positive attributes are at odds with the way in which he runs his business.
My story started when I viewed a car which John Hawkins told me was jointly owned by him and another individual. An original, pre-signed V5C, was shown to 'prove" that John Hawkins had power to negotiate and seal a deal in respect of the particular car. I would later find out that neither John Hawkins or Specialist Cars of Malton had any legal interest in the car and that they were in fact selling on a commission basis, on behalf of a private owner.
A deal was struck whereby SCoM agreed to carry out certain modifications and improvements to the particular car. SCoM estimated that six weeks would be required to deliver the finished article but, at my suggestion, our contract terms reflected a six week target but an absolute deadline of twelve weeks.
I don't believe SCoM actually did any work at all over the first six weeks. At Twelve Weeks I was sent a set of photographs which indicated the car still had several weeks of work remaining. Sixteen weeks into the project, the car was repossessed by the REAL owner. Prospects were looking very bleak for me with the potential loss of a very large deposit and nothing to show for it. Months of negotiations with the owner followed. Various commitments were made by John Hawkins and SCoM and were reneged upon. Ultimately , over the course three months, payments were made SCoM to the owner and then by me to the owner, the result of which was that title to the car was transferred to me and the car was returned to SCoM in order to be finished.
Upon collecting the car I found it to be a very poorly executed project and over the course of the following weeks many, many deficiencies came to light. The sad reality is that it is a danger to me and to other road users and indeed, such is the state of 'tune" that the engine represents a danger to itself. It is effectively an undriveable and unsafe car which is not suitable for road use.
Through communications with John Hawkins, Specialist Cars of Malton and subsequently his solicitors, Gordons LLP of Leeds, I sought to agree terms on which the car would be returned for rectification of the faults by SCoM. Unfortunately terms could not be agreed and I was left with no option but to send it to an independent specialist in order to have the project completed.
I now expect that I will have to invest a further, very significant sum of money with my own specialist, and to sue Specialist Cars of Malton for compensation for my losses.
In publishing this review I am conscious that it may very well have a negative impact on my ability to secure a positive outcome for me in the months to come but I feel that the Porsche loving community and the public at large need to be warned about this dealership.
I became aware of this forum having been directed to it in relation to the recent events surrounding another independnent dealer and I would like to thank the Forum Administrators for providing me, and potentially others, with a platform to share the details of very poor experience with Specialist Cars of Malton.
Ciaran.
Dublin, Ireland.
John Hawkins himself is a very likeable, affable and genial person and a great host. He talks a good show and he's good company. Unfortunately I found that all of these positive attributes are at odds with the way in which he runs his business.
My story started when I viewed a car which John Hawkins told me was jointly owned by him and another individual. An original, pre-signed V5C, was shown to 'prove" that John Hawkins had power to negotiate and seal a deal in respect of the particular car. I would later find out that neither John Hawkins or Specialist Cars of Malton had any legal interest in the car and that they were in fact selling on a commission basis, on behalf of a private owner.
A deal was struck whereby SCoM agreed to carry out certain modifications and improvements to the particular car. SCoM estimated that six weeks would be required to deliver the finished article but, at my suggestion, our contract terms reflected a six week target but an absolute deadline of twelve weeks.
I don't believe SCoM actually did any work at all over the first six weeks. At Twelve Weeks I was sent a set of photographs which indicated the car still had several weeks of work remaining. Sixteen weeks into the project, the car was repossessed by the REAL owner. Prospects were looking very bleak for me with the potential loss of a very large deposit and nothing to show for it. Months of negotiations with the owner followed. Various commitments were made by John Hawkins and SCoM and were reneged upon. Ultimately , over the course three months, payments were made SCoM to the owner and then by me to the owner, the result of which was that title to the car was transferred to me and the car was returned to SCoM in order to be finished.
Upon collecting the car I found it to be a very poorly executed project and over the course of the following weeks many, many deficiencies came to light. The sad reality is that it is a danger to me and to other road users and indeed, such is the state of 'tune" that the engine represents a danger to itself. It is effectively an undriveable and unsafe car which is not suitable for road use.
Through communications with John Hawkins, Specialist Cars of Malton and subsequently his solicitors, Gordons LLP of Leeds, I sought to agree terms on which the car would be returned for rectification of the faults by SCoM. Unfortunately terms could not be agreed and I was left with no option but to send it to an independent specialist in order to have the project completed.
I now expect that I will have to invest a further, very significant sum of money with my own specialist, and to sue Specialist Cars of Malton for compensation for my losses.
In publishing this review I am conscious that it may very well have a negative impact on my ability to secure a positive outcome for me in the months to come but I feel that the Porsche loving community and the public at large need to be warned about this dealership.
I became aware of this forum having been directed to it in relation to the recent events surrounding another independnent dealer and I would like to thank the Forum Administrators for providing me, and potentially others, with a platform to share the details of very poor experience with Specialist Cars of Malton.
Ciaran.
Dublin, Ireland.
opcorn:
