Test Drive ends at beach

4possm · 22-05-2015, 05:30 AM

As a cars salesman, this sort of thing never crossed my mind when people took longer than normal on test drives, Only ever had one car stolen but this is almost worse.
Poor car.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news...ill-test-drive

When an Invercargill car salesman was waiting anxiously for his car to be returned, he had no idea it was stuck in the ocean at Oreti Beach.

Regent Car Court salesman Jared Bekhuis said a potential customer and his two friends took a $15,000 Ford Falcon XR6 for a 15-minute test drive on Tuesday. But he began to feel uneasy as 15 minutes ticked past, and called a few of his colleagues.

"They told me not to worry about it until it had been more than an hour."

Sand fills the interior of the Ford Falcon XR6
Robyn Edie
Sand fills the interior of the Ford Falcon XR6

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About two hours after the trio had driven off the lot, Bekhuis received a call from a fellow salesperson.

"She said 'Jared, your Falcon's at the beach.' I said `yeah right 'and laughed it off as a prank, 'cos we do that a bit here. But it turns out she was right."

When he arrived at the beach, the trio were standing there dripping wet, he said. At no point did they offer an explanation.

A Ford Falcon XR6 with a $15,000 price tag was written off after people taking it for a test drive got it stranded at Oreti Beach, near Imvercargill.
Supplied
A Ford Falcon XR6 with a $15,000 price tag was written off after people taking it for a test drive got it stranded at Oreti Beach, near Imvercargill.

"Prior to the test-drive they talked to me, but after they hardly said a word.

"There was just no remorse."

According to witnesses he spoke to at Oreti Beach, they watched the car being driven head-first into the waves repeatedly.

"It's like they were trying to wreck it," Bekhuis said.

"I thought the guy [the customer] was a bit strange, but you can't judge a book by its cover, he had a full drivers licence and I had all his details. I've sold more expensive cars [than the Falcon] to rougher people."

A salvage operator drove the trio back to the car lot while Bekhuis made them wait until police arrived. Despite several attempts using four-wheel-drive vehicles, it took a specialist salvage truck to pull the Falcon out of the sand, and it was ruined, he said.

"There was sand up to your ankles...water and sand in the cupholders...as soon as salt water gets to an engine, that's it."

David Sutton, who said he was driving, explained the incident by saying ``I got stuck."

Acting Sergeant Todd Utteridge said police were investigating.

BradEL · 22-05-2015, 06:06 AM

I read that in the morning news today, what the hell were they doing driving in and out of the surf?! What on earth is wrong with some people, I mean crashing some one elses car head first repeatedly into waves. WTF!!!

devilcv8 · 22-05-2015, 07:04 AM

To be fair they heard the falcon handles like a boat so they wanted to check for themself....

Seriously, I hope the old you break it you bought it happens in this case.

HULK_I6T · 22-05-2015, 07:24 AM

A used car salesman that i know told me at gym he allowed a guy to test drive a holden vt back in the day and it came back with a different interior.

Someone had swapped over the interior. Confirmed by photos taken for initial advertising purposes. Car returned with completely different interior trim (rips and scuffed everywhere). He reckons car gone for about an hour, must have had a team of people waiting to change interior.

Police got involved but yard couldnt prove it was them as many people test drove the car. Just banned them from returning.

New spare tyres going missing was very common.

99AUXR · 22-05-2015, 07:19 AM

The insurance company will get the money from them.

richo77 · 22-05-2015, 08:12 AM

I'm beached az bro

Vesper Martini · 22-05-2015, 09:07 AM

Saw a post on facebook of the person that witnessed it happen, apparently they had no idea they were doing something wrong, and just appeared to be really really stupid

**Kingsley** · 22-05-2015, 10:23 AM

How you would think you could intentionally wreck a car and get away with it when the car yard has your full details is astounding. I hope he enjoyed it. He's now debt to an insurance company.

GT0132 · 22-05-2015, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superpursuit05

How you would think you could intentionally wreck a car and get away with it when the car yard has your full details is astounding. I hope he enjoyed it. He's now debt to an insurance company.

Definitely a screw loose and it's not on the car. The psychological make up of some people really blows me away

BadMax · 22-05-2015, 11:57 AM

Invercargill says it all...

**MercurySilver** · 22-05-2015, 01:24 PM

surely someone that stupid couldnt even pass a driver test ffs

i got stuck
yeah, no **** sherlock

BradEL · 22-05-2015, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

surely someone that stupid couldnt even pass a driver test ffs

i got stuck
yeah, no **** sherlock

John Key gives anyone from anywhere in the world a license, no questions asked

2011G6E · 22-05-2015, 05:55 PM

You just have to take your chances sometimes, but even the best preparation can end in tears...

I remember a "stolen motorbike" listing in a Just Bikes magazine. It was a Harley, higher end model but stock standard for once. The guy had advertised it for sale, middle aged guy turns up with highly modified old RX7. They talk about the nice old Mazda for a while, check out the Harley, guy leaves his licence details and security deposit of a couple of hundred bucks cash (and the car of course). Rides off on short test ride.

Never came back. RX7 was stolen, licence was a fake.
Think of the thought and effort that guy put into stealing that bike! Stealing a car, making up a fake licence, handing over real cash money as a "security deposit"...
As you strangled the thief to death you'd almost want to say to him "You ingenious and clever bastard"...

xxx000 · 23-05-2015, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradEL

John Key gives anyone from anywhere in the world a license, no questions asked

Any opportunity to drop a bit of racism in eh?

marty351 · 23-05-2015, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxx000

Any opportunity to drop a bit of racism in eh?

??? Scratching heads here. Racism?

BradEL · 24-05-2015, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxx000

Any opportunity to drop a bit of racism in eh?

How was that racist? I didn't mention any particular race or country at all. Only saying how it is a big concern though that every single day in the news we see some more foreign drivers who are not used to the driving conditions causing accidents because there is absolutely no testing or anything for foreign drivers. That isn't racist at all, it is just an issue that is currently in the media all the time, and one that many countries around the world are facing or would have have faced previously. Not racism.....

99AUXR · 23-05-2015, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradEL

John Key gives anyone from anywhere in the world a license, no questions asked

Totally agree with this . . . I need an HT license to drive a small flat deck tow truck.

However some people can come from other places in the world with better roads than ours and jump into a 6-7 Birth camper that weighs more?

The amount we collect from the side of the road is shocking.

V8 fan · 24-05-2015, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99AUXR

Totally agree with this . . . I need an HT license to drive a small flat deck tow truck.

However some people can come from other places in the world with better roads than ours and jump into a 6-7 Birth camper that weighs more?

The amount we collect from the side of the road is shocking.

Helps pay for car mods though eh

stupid me

no it doesnt

Ford17 · 22-05-2015, 06:30 PM

Needless and stupid.
They need to be made to repay every cent of that.

Squalo · 22-05-2015, 07:02 PM

Drugs are bad, m'kay

**fordomatic** · 22-05-2015, 08:20 PM

15k for a BF XR6? As if insurance will pay that

XRSIKS · 23-05-2015, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordomatic

15k for a BF XR6? As if insurance will pay that

I was about to say this story is a Hoax. No BF XR6 is worth $15k.

4possm · 23-05-2015, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRSIKS

I was about to say this story is a Hoax. No BF XR6 is worth $15k.

You obviously don't live in New Zealand, we get ripped off majorly on 2nd Hand fords and holdens.

XRSIKS · 23-05-2015, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4possm

You obviously don't live in New Zealand, we get ripped off majorly on 2nd Hand fords and holdens.

Damn Imports :P

ST · 23-05-2015, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRSIKS

I was about to say this story is a Hoax. No BF XR6 is worth $15k.

? Mine's insured for 14.5k.

XRSIKS · 23-05-2015, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST

? Mine's insured for 14.5k.

Must be a NZ thing...

My FG was almost 2k less than that!

ST · 23-05-2015, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRSIKS

Must be a NZ thing...

My FG was almost 2k less than that!

I live in Melbourne so I'm not sure why that is? Mine does have VERY low kms though - just over 30k.

STINKY NINJA · 23-05-2015, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST

? Mine's insured for 14.5k.

My 2010 g6et is insured for 32g,doesnt mean its worth anywhere near that...

Brazen · 22-05-2015, 08:23 PM

Doesnt even sound like an accident, a witness said they were repeatedly driving head-first into waves....?

Maybe they are former customers?

You Yangs · 23-05-2015, 09:35 AM

Been to Invercargill, the Bluff oysters were nice.....