Autotrade vans

Perhaps a passer-by has a good idea. It is a long story, so don’t be bothered unless you have a little extra time today, or want some entertainment or perhaps enlightenment.
Introduction. Have you ever had to deal with an auto insurance company after an accident? Hopefully, your experience was a good one. But, from what I read, some of that here, but mostly elsewhere, it may not have been. Please read carefully. Yes, it is long (1/2 of the max that Reddit allows), but facts are facts and you can’t understand without them. The plot thickens and the direction changes, as the story is told, just as in reality it did for me. Do I need advice? Perhaps, with the question being like the TV Show where John Quiñones asks- “What Would You Do?” If you’ve had a similar experience, tell me about it.
In this situation, the bottom line is that Allstate’s own concerns, policies and procedures, in dealing with my loss, took precedence over the actual loss and my being “made whole”. Simply put: After the accident, Allstate created more loss, and I can do nothing about it. Or can I? What would you do?
So, in Dec. of 2022, I was picking my wife up from work in a small town in PA. I was stopped at a red light waiting for it to change, and was swiftly hit from behind by “man in van with dog as passenger”. WHACK!!! My car was forced into the one in front of me, despite my foot being on the brake, causing the engine to stop, my hood to unlock and bend upwards, the head light and grill to become broken and dislodged, steam to rise from the open hood and something dribbled out underneath. I was stunned. It looked like a real mess. “My car”, was now the one in the middle of the road, smashed and disabled, holding up all the traffic. The car was towed away and in two days I was told by Allstate, whom I did trust at first, that my car was totaled. Certainly, Allstate is an expert at this stuff, right? (My first accident in 40 years.) This began my month long (a little more actually), journey into hell, which no one ever paid for, but me. The car damage was eventually paid, the journey to hell was not. No one was physically hurt, seriously, so that was good. I didn’t get the dog’s opinion.
Bad Hands and Mayhem at Allstate; Was I Abused? This was an unfolding set of unlikely circumstances (one would think), which are best seen and understood in hindsight. At very first, there was an immediate rush to judgment where the adjuster, who had not examined the car, rattled off things that he believed had probably been damaged with my car, and then concluded by guessing, the cost of repair would be too much and a “verbal totaling” of the car was given, or “deemed” as it is called in the industry. He was an expert, so I did not question his conclusion. Damn, I thought. 64,000 miles and I had just bought the car last year after an extensive search. I was immediately given a settlement offer which seemed low, such that I did question and decline it. I needed to research again, and find what records I had, of the value. I had done that not long ago. The adjuster seemed surprised if not annoyed that I did not take his offer. His job was not done.
The car would be towed again to a free location for storage, as the adjuster explained. The cost of leaving the car where it was, was too expensive. He did not disclose, however, that the car would be towed far away (60 miles), to an auto yard which was contracted with Allstate to accept totaled vehicles for auction, dismantling and scrapping, otherwise known as “salvage”.
During these initial stages, unknown by me, there was a lie and sophisticated misleading, in writing, by the Allstate adjuster assigned to my case. After I suggested the value of my car to be higher than Allstate thought, and backing my claim with data, he gave me the following written statement a few days later regarding auto valuations by insurance companies for Pennsylvania: “The process of… vehicle valuation is set forth by the insurance department which specifies a market area of 100 mile radius from your garaging ZIP code. "I have no intention of disregarding a clear mandate from the governmental agency that oversees my license” (12/22). The lie is pretty severe as it is a “blanket” statement, putting up a wall and signaling an end to discussion regarding the distance Allstate uses to establish car values (from comparable transactions with similar cars). However, some people buy cars online and you see it also through eBay and TV advertisements (Carfax, Carvana, Kenan Thompson [Autotrader] etc.). And there certainly are reputable dealers beyond 100 miles of me. Other people I am sure (like me), own cars which are not currently available for sale within 100 miles from where they live. What do they do? So, then comparisons are made with other cars not identical, but that are “similar”, based on someone else’ opinion, and I must accept that???.
I have owned 4 similar station wagons in the past 20 years. My 2nd wagon was from Florida; my “totaled” wagon had recently been purchased in NJ, I am in Pennsylvania, more than 100 miles away from both.
In addition, in the same document, the adjuster wrote that Allstate uses only one approved source for obtaining car values: “…there are only a limited number of sources from which insurers may obtain values for vehicles deemed a total loss. CCC is an approved vendor and the vendor we use exclusively for values.” I took this to mean that there were no other places to obtain values, other than the CCC source he was using, and such a limited use of resource was legal, and he and Allstate could not be challenged. End of argument, without an expensive attorney or solo appearance in front of a judge. Too bad for me. Questioning the adjuster would get me nowhere.
This unfolding set of events was “done to me”, therefore I am suspecting it is done to others, routinely. Or, Allstate does not supervise their adjusters or provide oversight and alternatives if needed when an adjuster goes rogue, which is just as bad. Either way it is a systemic problem convenient to Allstate for limiting payouts. “It”, Allstate’s “oversight and valuation process”, happened to me, and the next four weeks were worse than the accident itself.
A Bit of “Backstory”. I began suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 1988. With MS, you have to do what you can do. Things change, maybe you can do what you have to, maybe you can no longer get it done. You didn’t bargain for it. You adjust as best you can, or give up. MS doesn’t give up. Some people do better than others, for known and unknown reasons. Motivation helps but is often not enough.

1. Due to difficulty with my leg, having a car lower to the ground is preferable to one where I have to step up into the auto (like an SUV).
2. A car which loads through the back (like an SUV, but lower) is very helpful as well. As I stated above, the last four cars I have owned since 2004 are Ford Station Wagons (1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002; two from PA, one NJ, one Florida). There is a niche of available used wagons with low miles primarily from estates. They are good condition and affordable, versus a used late model $25,000+ SUV with higher mileage and related high cost, maintenance and insurance.
3. Being economical is one thing I can do.
4. To supplement my limited disability income, I deal in used and “collectible” merchandise, requiring me to load boxes occasionally, to my lower level car. The back hatch found on these wagons I have owned, is a necessity for what I do. They are not comparable to sedans, although sedan values were the valuations I was given, and used to create the insurance estimate. Compared to modern SUVs, Ford wagons with low miles, circa 2000 - 2004, are a more economical and functional decision, given the available “niche” and my handicap. So it’s not that an uncle died or something, and I got this old junky wagon from him. It’s a vehicle I intentionally hunted for, to purchase for very good reasons. I needed a replacement value for that and nothing else.

Out of Options to Get a Fair Deal? I knew that a replacement for my car was possible but may require a hunt again (I had already done it four times). Obtaining the needed valuation looked unlikely however, and I’d have to pay perhaps double ($7,000-8,000+?) what Allstate would pay me for my totaled car. It was clear the adjuster was not going to hear anything further from me. The adjuster did not care, and in addition, gave me a value based on Ford sedans, not Ford wagons (which haven’t been built since about 2005). These wagons, according to my research, are worth significantly more than sedans. Two out of three of the comparables the adjuster gave me had 150,000 miles, with smaller engines. For a 2002 car, 150,000 miles is next to “junk status”. My car had 64,000 miles when hit and was a station wagon with a more powerful Duratec engine. These are big differences. He would not change his valuation, claiming his actions were mandated by law (as stated above) and that his source of valuation was the only one that would be used. I felt tied down and helpless, forced to take an offer I knew was wrong, from a guy whose job it apparently was, to do exactly what he was doing to me (cause mayhem), rather than helping me get back to where I had been (good hands). Within a little more than a week, I no longer trusted him, a man I was now forced to depend on. I felt abused. It was tortuous. In hindsight, it is clear he was hoping I was desperate for a replacement car and therefore motivated to accept the “low-ball” offer he had given me.
It Was Not True. I later checked with the PA Insurance Department specifically on the matter, and indeed, his claims (cited above in bold) were specifically not true. Via email the Department stated: “The 100 miles is an industry practice and not a law” (6/12/23). In addition, I earlier read 31 Pa. Code § 62.3e (a code for doing appraisals) and learned that in addition to the CCC “source” for valuations he had previously described, there were two other independent valuation “Methods” called Actual Cost and Dealer Quotation “methods”, which he was free to use but didn’t tell me about. One has to learn and know the code in order to differentiate the meanings between “source” and “method”. Beyond these two facts, in addition, his consideration of wagons being the same as sedans was inaccurate and did not follow valuation rules set in the code. The code actually tells him that since my car, a station wagon, was not listed with CCC (which it wasn’t) and was no longer manufactured, he must use a different valuation “Method” than his CCC “Source” method. He did not.
For people who want a good Taurus wagon, low miles, 2000-2004, the average price is considerably more than a sedan with the same mileage. That price must be paid. That’s my experience backed by data. If one is looking for a good condition wagon, they are simply not going to buy a sedan, as to them a sedan is worth nothing. If they are looking for a sedan, they will have no interest in a wagon. The two cars are not comparable or interchangeable. They serve two different markets willing to pay different values. About ten to twenty percent of Tauruses built were wagons, making them today much harder to find.
And the Car was Not Totaled! (Here We Go! Part two) But the complaint I make is not about physical damages “not being paid”, or “not being paid enough” (although that did happen). Instead it is about the consequences of being lied to and misled by someone you trust, all while being forced to give up control of one’s car for almost a month, during which time I initially accepted Allsate’s story that my car was totaled, and nothing was done to repair it, and it was essentially inaccessible at a salvage yard, and I almost lost it. If not for my own actions against the will of the adjuster, I would have lost my car. I was forced to act in a manner against the controlling party’s will. This, I believe, becomes what is called a “Tort”, done by Allstate to me. “Do what we say or you will be screwed”. It has nothing to do with the person who hit me and my settlement with him. I had to become aware of being abused. I had to see I was mislead and lied to, in order to change my orientation to the matter. Not easy. It was very emotionally exhausting and required much time and attention. Giving up was not an option or I would have lost my car. It was torture.
After questioning the car’s removal to the salvage yard, to my surprise Allstate returned the car to my shop. It was repaired to be safe and passed its yearly inspection (conveniently due). I was driving again in my good car by January 20, 2023. I was paid $3,521.03 on about August 1, 2023 by Allstate for damages to my car. I had to “step around” the adjuster and threaten a law suit directly to Allstate. The payment eliminated the liability the other driver had. But it made clear the settlement was for driver’s liability, and several prior communications trying to forge a settlement always indicated that my right to sue Allstate would not be limited by a settlement. This came after several disclosures over the months by the adjuster, that the car had been “deemed” a total loss and therefore no collision repairs could be paid or approved by Allstate. It was interesting that he described the matter as if some other place or person had “deemed” it, as if he had nothing to do with that decision and it was just the way it had ended up. The car had been “deemed” a total loss, and therefore, such decision could not be changed by he or Allstate. But he was the source of the “deeming”!. The car was restored to a safe, drivable, good looking state for less than $400! Laughable now, but the entire episode was a psychological and emotional wreck and nightmare, done to me by Allstate.
But Now the Car is Listed as Having Been Totaled. Indeed, checking online with VINCheck, a database provided free to the public by The National Insurance Crime Bureau, my car is listed as a salvage vehicle. You only get “salvage” after “total”. Someone reported the car to them as a salvaged car, and it wasn’t me. After notifying VINCheck that my car had not been assigned or salvaged (which could only be done in a signed statement by me), and had just passed inspection, I received no reply. Currently, nothing has changed. I suspect this misinformation has also spread to other VIN websites used to check car histories. Why should I be required to pay money to check additional VIN websites, or spend my time arguing with someone on this, or have to explain in the future to any interested party, why the car is listed as salvage but was never “rebuilt”, and then argue a depreciated price? A rebuilt salvage vehicle loses 20-40% of its pre-accident value. A salvage vehicle can’t be registered. I am told by PA DMV that unless I apply for a salvage title, the title will not become a salvage title. Earlier, Allstate reused to make payment unless I signed a salvage statement that the car was totaled, which would have begun a detailed costly rebuild process and a deduction in settlement amount, if I were to keep the car and seek to register it again..
I Was Abused. It was only because of my finally doubting the adjuster and persisting with Allstate, that I got my car back and repaired it, and was compensated an amount for the damage to my car. I was abused by Allstate Insurance. I am not wanting to sue the driver for his conduct, my attention is on Allstate for theirs. There are “bad hands” over there (not “good”), and “mayhem” starts at Allstate (at least it did for me). They are one of the largest insurers in The US, and their advertisements and actions should match. Allstate creates expectations of service and treatment based on their widespread long standing advertisements. They never advertise that you’d have to “submit” to their ill will in order to be in good hands and to avoid mayhem. That sounds like an abusive relationship to me. Give up something in order not to get harmed. You need not be an Allstate client for this to happen. Allstate merely provides insurance to a bad driver, waits for an accident to occur, and then creates mayhem for the injured party in order to reduce payout.
Conflict of Interest. Pa. Code § 62.3f (the code for doing appraisals) specifically states that appraisers “Not have a conflict of interest in the making of an appraisal.” If the appraiser in this case was influenced by requirements of his job to accept an inaccurate “Source appraisal” from CCC, or in any other way influenced to reduce or limit the appraisal as a result of job requirements and other pressures to perform, the adjuster did not act independently but yielded to a conflict of interest. If the use of an appraiser is in the financial interest of Allstate at the expense of an injured party’s interests, it is a conflict. If Allstate uses appraisers to make it appear appraisals will be fair and accurate but they know otherwise, then it appears to be a fraud. Finally, part f of the code concludes “This chapter and the act, and this section in particular, shall be strictly interpreted to protect the interest of the consumer and place the burden upon the appraiser to eliminate any conflict of interest in the making of an appraisal.” Allstate then, in my opinion, must demonstrate a particular level of autonomy given to appraisers to authorize appraisals. Any evaluative process by Allstate on the appraiser’s job performance that rewards him for lowering appraisals certainly seems a violation of this code. In my case here, we even had an appraiser falsely claim his hands were tied by the law, in order to limit his appraisal. My appraiser had the opportunity to correct matters, eliminate conflicts, and make me whole from the start, but he did not. I had to make myself whole.
Final Takeaway. In hindsight, it appears a well thought and established routine of persuasion and misinformation, in order to achieve a quicker and reduced settlement, was done to me by Allstate. It resulted in the perceived loss of my car, and then the loss of my car for a month, with a continuous sense of urgency, severe aggravation, manipulation, helplessness and abuse. There was never a concern for establishing truth, loss and expense, and paying it. Instead there was inclusion of misinformation and ignorance of other. The time I spent in the first month of this matter has to be at least 40 hours. I lost sales on eBay, missed auctions. My sleep was totally broken. They took my car, refused to replace it, and lied about it. It was about all I could deal with for that month. Accept our interpretation of your loss, or suffer the consequences, which we are trying to control. It literally was torture: “the practice of inflicting suffering on someone in order to force them to do something” is the dictionary definition. How much is a month of that worth?
The PA General Assembly Title 18 § 4117 warns: “Any person who knowingly and with intent to defraud any insurance company or other person files an application for insurance or statement of claim containing any materially false information or conceals for the purpose of misleading, information concerning any fact material thereto commits a fraudulent insurance act, which is a crime and subjects such person to criminal and civil penalties”. There is nothing in that law which places the shoe on the other foot and is directed at the adjuster or insurance company, if they mislead or defraud. I doubt, that such absence in Title 4117 allows adjusters or insurance companies freedom to do whatever they please to a random individual with no consequence.
So finally, again, the question is “What would you do?” The statute of limitations, I believe, is two years. That will bring me to December. And to repeat, the harm done to me that I have been describing, was done by Allstate to me. The driver has been released.
Thanks for reading.

I'm about 4 weeks into viewings, making offers etc in Belfast and I did not expect how difficult it was going to be. 5 of the houses I've been bidding on ended up selling for £30k+ over asking - one £45k over for a house with an asking price of £200k. In other scenario I was the highest bidder but the seller chose a bid £5k lower because the other buyers made an offer earlier than I did. I'm constantly expanding the area I was originally considering and resetting my expectations.
I know I'm only a month in but has anyone recently had an offer accepted and have any tips before I go to Autotrader and attempt van life?

Hi Van life community! I'm decided that I want to get a Ford Transit 350 Extended High Roof to convert myself.
I absolutely hate dealing with car dealerships and I want to crowd source how people shopped for their vans? I've been looking in Autotrader and other traditional sites but I'm green at this and will appreciate any input! TIA!!

Looking to buy this van since my 2014 mdx transmission crapped out. I'm thinking with all fees, taxes and registration it should be near 20k. I also have to spend 2k on converting the vehicle to have controls since I can't drive with foot pedals. Do you guys think this is a good deal or overpriced? I've been looking for a while and give current market conditions this is the best I can find. Even private buyers are just people buying cars at auction and flipping them for profit. Tried Facebook marketplace, craigslist, Autotrader and they're all the same tbh.

Was thinking about getting a transit custom 2018 and above. Looked on autotrader and prices are fair but Is there a better place to get a van than looking on autotrader?

Plan to buy a 7 seater. Never liked cars like S MAX, much prefer van look 7 seaters. Now I'm undecided between a Multivan and Caravelle.
For similar price, I can get for example this 2.0 TDI 150PS Caravelle: 2021 White Volkswagen Caravelle 2.0 TDI Executive DSG Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr for sale for £48,495 in Loughborough, Leicestershire (autotrader.co.uk) Or this 1.4 TSI hybrid Multivan:
2022 Silver Volkswagen Multivan 1.4 TSI 13kWh Life DSG L1 Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr for sale for £48,499 in Kettering, Northamptonshire (autotrader.co.uk)
Multivan is obviously almost new but I'm concerning about its reliability, also would 1.4TSI hybrid be too weak for this 7 seater plus 4 adults, 1 child and 1 baby and luggage? Multivan is based on Golf, which I think it'd be ridiculous to spend 50k on a Golf based car? But Caravelle is based on VW van, not sure if that is worth it?
Caravelle has swivel seats which is good. But it also has smaller table, outdated electronics.
The seats on Caravelle look more plush but is less flexible than Multivan
Appreciate any insights, thank you!

Slight preference on the Porsche for premium feel but open to others if the reliability and maintenance will be dogshit. Open to spending a little more if the Porsche is decently reliable. Cars ranked in order on preference.
Thank you

First post here.
I work as a recording engineer, carting around lots of heavy equipment. Really I could do with a van, but only for 3/4 days a month. Currently I drive a Golf Estate, and just about manage to squeeze all the kit in. Probably massively overloaded!
I’m looking to change to a larger vehicle that will do for work and general use around London, plus the occasional family holiday with lots of camping stuff. Budget around £12K, ideally less, must be automatic petrol.
Narrowed it down to approx 10 yr old: 1) VW Sharan, poss Japan import. 2) Imported Japanese Toyota, probably the Estima.
Plenty of options of Autotrader with fewer than 60K miles.
Does anyone have any bright ideas of what I might be missing here, or how those two options would compare in practical terms for what I need? Bells and whistles not needed, main focus is on reliability.
Anyone already have similar lifestyle/requirements that they’ve found a good solution for?
Edit: thank you for replies, do keep them coming. Realise petrol is a limitation. Will look more broadly at Japan imports.

Hi All,
My partner and I are UK citizens from New Zealand planning on moving over to Bristol.
We want to purchase a Van/ Campervan when we arrive and travel around the UK for a few months from June-August before settling in Bristol.
Couple of questions:

1. Best place to purchase a van - Autotrader, Gum tree etc?
   
2. What's the best approach for insurance, I have no UK driving history and I'm 27 so I assume it will be quite expensive and I know campervan insurance can be a bit tricky as it is. -We won't have a postal address at this stage.
   
3. Do you add additional insurance if you want to travel in Europe?
   
4. Any general tips, is our plan realistic?
   

Appreciate you taking the time to read my post!
Cheers,
Al
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The time has come to sell my beloved van, and I’ve been out of the game for a while so I’m trying to figure out how to best advertise it. I know about the Samba, but I’m in ATL and most listings appear to be west coast. Do people still use Craigslist? Or Autotrader? Am I allowed to cross post here?
FWIW it’s an Aswan brown 1984 4-speed, mechanically solid but with some cosmetic projects. Planning to list at $18,500 based on a few comps on Samba, but man it’s hard to price these things!

Hello,
I'm buying a van privately from someone on autotrader and after some advice as I've not bought a van before. I'm buying this to convert into a camper. I've also only ever driven hire vans when moving stuff around.
It's got full service history and the MOT history looks good (no advisories on the last one). Mot renewal is December 24. Any advice on what to check/do when viewing the van?
I've not really bought a vehicle privately before either (always through dealers). What needs to happen paperwork wise?
I'm going to see if we can complete the AA buyers/sellers contract thing https://www.theaa.com/car-buying/buyers-sellers-contracts
Cheers.

Looking for advice as to what to look out for and whether this is reasonable.
Want a camper for weekend trips, cycling trips and overnight stays after work.
Thanks
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202401215767773?postcode=TN233HR&advertising-location=at_vans%3Flid%3Dut8joeq6rd8l&utm_source=product-service&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=at_braze_vans_web_email_api_daily_paygo_first-time-live&utm_term=vans&utm_content=&fbclid=IwAR3MrKQFU8cgSdRr6QDabJ5G2QV6OEGGa-kBMJYek7shZdlf0erI7hQfNsc

Im looking at buying a car from autotrader from a car dealership, however, on autotrader there is no link to get to the dealership page, and when I google the place, nothing shows up.
It does have 2 phone numbers I can call however to book a test drive of the car, which I will call in the morning. When I called at around 9:45pm it obviously went to voicemail but said 'you have reached the used cars of...., we cannot take your call now'.
I can find the limited company profile on gov.uk showing it was established in April last year and the guy running it has had 1 other car business that was in 2018 and is now dissolved.
The car description says 'A STRESS FREE NO HASSLE CAR AND VAN BUYING EXPERIENCE , 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE OF BUYING AND SELLING HAND PICKED LOW MILEAGE MAIN AGENT PART EXCHANGES' which implies they have been doing it a while.
The car also says in the description it has FSH, nationwide delivery, will be MOT'd before being handed over etc etc.
What do you think? I really like the look of this car but am a tiny bit skeptical of the place considering I cannot see anything about it online.
Idk if maybe it is like a private seller or an appointment only dealership or what. It doesn't even have the address of the place so the only way to find out is to call.
Idk if im allowed to actually link the autotrader page here so I haven't but let me know if it'll help.

Truther’s couldn’t care less about the truth they have an agenda. Though people wealthy and poor alike rape and then kill to prevent the victim from reporting the rape they insist that Avery is special. If Avery were the Gilgo Beach murderer I can't imagine what crap they would be spewing to try to pretend he was innocent.
Avery is exactly the kind of controlling jerk who would rape a woman. Evidence shows he was desperate for sex because his girlfriend was in jail so he was desperately looking for someone to have sex with prior to the rape. He also felt that all women were to blame and owed him because a specific woman made a mistake and identified him as having attacked her and he went to jail for a crime committed by Allen. In jail he drew torture chambers and had fantasies of torturing women.
After he got out of jail was he a good boy? No the police had to go a number of times to his residence for domestic dispute issues and he was being investigated for statutory rape of a relative. Avery filed a lawsuit because of his mistaken conviction and far from trying to be a good boy during the pendency, he showed his usual lack of control and if anything the suit seemed to embolden him because anytime police did anything he screamed they were doing it because of the lawsuit so felt he was bulletproof.
He made Halbach uncomfortable and she planned to quit her job. In the past he knew she was coming and intentionally waited for her in a towel claiming he just got out of the shower. He had her phone number and made that prior appointment where he was in a towel directly with her by calling her as opposed to calling AutoTrader.
His previous practice was to call AutoTrader directly to make the appointments. In some instances he was selling vehicles for himself. On a couple of occasions his relatives wanted to sell vehicles and he volunteered to list them for the relatives. In those instances he provided the name of his relative but gave his own name and number as well and indicated he would be the contact person providing the ad.
His family didn’t have any vehicles to list and yet he wanted an excuse to get Halbach to visit that would be attributed to his family as opposed to him. So he decided he was going to list Barb’s van. Barb didn’t want to sell her van and had an argument with Steven when he said he was going to list it. She said she didn’t want to sell it because she would not get much money for it so it would be better to just give it to her kids. He said he didn’t care what she said he was calling to list her vehicle. She said she would not pay for the ad and he said he would. This is further proof of how he was controlling with his family.
In arranging the call he deviated significantly from the past. Instead of calling in advance he called that morning for a same day appointment. Instead of calling Halbach directly as he did the last time he called AutoTrader pretending to be B Janda. AutoTrader was unsure that Halbach could do it and said they would have to call back to either confirm it or to schedule it for the following week if she could not do it. He pretended to be B Janda and provided her number and address without any mention that he would be handling things and to call him to confirm the appointment. Since he didn’t provide his own name and number as he had in the past that meant that her unmanned number would receive the message of whether she could come or an appointment should be scheduled for the following week. As a result he had to call AutoTrader a second time pretending to be B Janda to ask if she would be able to come or not.
Why would he insist on listing his sister’s van when she didn’t want to sell it; call AutoTrader instead of Halbach; and not tell AutoTrader that he would be handling it as he had told them in the past when listing vehicles for the Jandas? It is pretty obvious that he wanted to get Halbach there and yet to do it in a way where the records would not contain his name so police would not realize immediately that he was the one who was trying to get her there. Thus he decided to list a vehicle of someone else [whether that person wanted it listed was irrelevant to him and the ad would not even run so it would not matter in the end] and to do it directly with AutoTrader pretending to be that person that way he would have no direct connection.
If his plan had worked what would have been the result. No one would have known if Halbach ran away from home or what. Police would have believed that B Janda made an appointment and that Halbach had come and gone and they have no idea what happened to her after that.
But the Sturms found her vehicle and everything unraveled after that because they found all the other evidence as well including Barb admitting to police she had an argument with Steven because she didn’t want to sell her van proving he lied when he told police she asked him to list it for her. Indeed she kept the van for years after the murder.
How do truthers react? They make up all sorts of excuses.
They suggest Avery wanted to sell the van because he didn’t think it was good enough for his nephews and wanted to get them something better. Avery didn’t even make up this lie the truthers did it for him. They don’t care about facts or evidence and simply make up anything they desire.
Next they say Barb didn't stop him from listing it so she effectively agreed to let him list it and this makes it true he listed it for her. He said he didn't care what she said he was listing it and would pay himself so she felt she had no way to stop him. How does her not feeling she had a way to stop him change the fact that Steven was the one who insisted on it being listed in order to get Halbach there in a manner that would shield his role to AutoTrader?
Then they say he didn’t pretend to be B Janda he simply provide the name B Janda and the address and telephone. They refuse to address why he would not do what he had in the past and also provide his own name and number and to indicate he would be handling the transaction. Since he was not listed he not only had to call a second time to ask if she could make it, he had to sit at the window watching for her because she would not be coming to his trailer for the ad. He didn’t do this by accident it was for a reason and the reason is obvious so they ignore the issue.
At the end of the day they say that Avery had a lawsuit going and believed he was getting a payout so he never ever would have risked that payout by raping a woman. Thus he had to have been framed.
They simply created the narrative that Avery would not have raped a woman and rather than to actually follow the evidence, truthers just make up any excuse they desire to reject the evidence and reject reality in favor of their fantasy that Avery would not have done it.
They even make tons of excuses for Avery's past misconduct like blaming Sm for him driving her off the road and trying to kidnap her at gunpoint. They say that she was lying to police and left him no alternative to this. What sane person would say that such is legitimate and excusable? It just shows how out of control Avery could get and why their argument that he would not commit any crimes during the lawsuit is so ridiculous.
Then they expand upon that saying Avery would not have burned her behind his house he would have gotten rid of her body some other way and would have crushed her vehicle even though the VIN of a crushed vehicle has to be provided to a buyer to that actually would have resulted in him being busted. They simply made up he would not do what so many other criminals are documented as having done and insist this is proof he must be innocent. All it amounts to is holding unreasonable belief that he would not have done something and then making the leap that because you refuse to believe he did such that he can’t have done it and someone else must have done it. It is little wonder why such idiocy can only survive in an echo chamber.

Hi All,
I was hoping for some advice please. I have a small business and I was looking at purchasing a van.
My knowledge of vans starts and stops with knowing that I want it to be the size or a berlingo.
I have a small budget but I found this:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202308090613083?dueToME&sort=price-asc&advertising-location=at_vans&make=Citroen&model=Berlingo&page=2&postcode=BN43%205HJ&radius=25&fromsra
Are there by immediate red flags with this and are there specific things I should be looking for or to avoid?
Many thanks 🙏

Hi All,
I was hoping for some advice please. I have a small business and I was looking at purchasing a van.
My knowledge of vans starts and stops with knowing that I want it to be the size or a berlingo.
I have a small budget but I found this:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202308090613083?dueToME&sort=price-asc&advertising-location=at_vans&make=Citroen&model=Berlingo&page=2&postcode=BN43%205HJ&radius=25&fromsra
Are there by immediate red flags with this and are there specific things I should be looking for or to avoid?
Many thanks 🙏

Hi All,
I was hoping for some advice please. I have a small business and I was looking at purchasing a van.
My knowledge of vans starts and stops with knowing that I want it to be the size or a berlingo.
I have a small budget but I found this:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202308090613083?dueToME&sort=price-asc&advertising-location=at_vans&make=Citroen&model=Berlingo&page=2&postcode=BN43%205HJ&radius=25&fromsra
Are there by immediate red flags with this and are there specific things I should be looking for or to avoid?
Many thanks 🙏

Shortlisted two MPV/Vans.
Would appreciate your advise on these two;
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311103840112
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310273398277
What would you go for and why?

I'm looking at buying a van for my wife's business, and everything we could afford on Autotrader runs on diesel. When I check the registrations on the LEZ web site, none of them are compliant. Are diesel vans basically just banned from the city centre now?
(This is not a moan about the LEZ - I am 1,000% in favour of it, and if we can't get a van into town then fair enough.)

SOLD
I am selling my sprinter !
Used 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Cargo Standard Roof w/144" WB Van 3D For Sale in Seattle, WA - Autotrader Private Seller Exchange
Loved it but I need to sell it due to recent life changes :(
More pics in the link!
Hit me up with any question :)
---
Here are more details:
Mercedes Sprinter Van 2020, 144, High Roof, 2500 4x4.
No accident, first owner, well serviced.
42,300 miles and just did the 40k service a few weeks ago, Mercedes confirmed that it is in perfect conditions!
Tires: Open Range A/T, Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol. Perfect if you drive in snow.
Includes all available stock features: Swivel seat package, heated front seats, electric seat adjustments, Low & High range 4x4 package, Active lane keeping and lane change assist, 360 parking cameras, Apple Car, towing package, etc. (full list at the end of this post)
The van was professionally converted by Mammoth Vans: https://www.mammothvans.com/
The build includes: the adventure wagon conversion kit (insulation, 12v and usb outlets throughout the van, ceiling LED lights), a Goal Zero 1500X battery with the vehicle charging kit and a circuit breaker, Flatline Sleeping platform with a super comfortable memory foam mattress, flarespaces (one with a T-Vent awning window), Mule bags for overhead storage, overhead shelf in the driver's cabin, Espar S2/D2 heater, Smartfloor (6-rail config) with L-Track system, 2 passenger captain seats that are movable on the L-Track and completely removable (see pictures), Roambuilt side steps, MaxxAir Fan, an ARB Zero 63QT chest fridge, a Poler outdooindoor foldable table, a Fireside Outdoor pop up fire pit, FieryRed Traction Boards, Slick Lock for the back door for extra safety.
I've also built a custom high table in wood specifically to fit where a traditional galley would be located (picture available on demand). It provides enough space for the ARB chest fridge to fit under it. If you're interested, I can include it as well. The L-Track system makes it super easy to secure a custom table/galley like this one or install any compatible galley available on the market

I found a van on autotrader. 2005 diesel e350. VIN says RWD but post says 4x4. Is there an easy way to tell that a 4x4 upgrade has been installed and what kit may have been used?
Also how much do you think such a kit would increase the resale value?

So I need a van in a hurry to move some stuff. I'll be using it afterwards, so I think it's probably better to buy than hire.
I've spotted this one, and it's about what I'd prefer to pay:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202312054580027
The dealer seems fairly reputable, at least going on Autotrader reviews. The problem is, mainly, that I can see, is the mileage, which is 236,000 miles! Only two previous owners, though.
I notice also, that although I can't see any rust, there seems to be some places where there's bare metal showing, underneath, and just under one of the doors. It could be an issue, as I'll have to leave it outside. I wonder with the bare metal like it is, but apparently no rust, is it's likely been kept mainly indoors and somewhere warm? The back also looks a little bashed, but I don't care so much about that, as long as it swings down ok and is functional.
Also, I don't really know if it's good value, as the car valuing websites I can find, don't seem to cover vans? Is there anywhere, or are vans just too hard to value?
Also, is it worth trying to knock a car dealer down? And where is sensible for this, without insulting them? £3,000? £3,200? £3,500? Also, does anyone know why there's VAT on some vans, but not others? It doesn't seem to be related to the age of a particular van.
Unfortunately I don't have time to go see it, and would be buying "blind".
What do you guys think, too much of a risk? Is it likely to go quick if I hesitate?
Sorry for all the questions!
Thanks for any help!
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