Our Latest Articles

			Submitted
Check the VIN for authenticity and tempering.	This number was found on an older car. The number appears to have been added after the body was painted and was stamped by hand.	Read more...	28 Jul 2016 - 2:56pm	Post to Twitter
The most common issues with dealer sold cars are.............	Disappointingly only 12% of dealer sold cars were found to be without any issues.	Read more...	28 Jul 2016 - 9:55am	Post to Twitter
Valuation Dispute - can you win against an Insurer?	This Tow Truck was written off due to a bend chassis. It was valued over ten thousand dollars less than it's replacement cost.	Read more...	27 Jul 2016 - 2:15pm	Post to Twitter
After-market warranties - are they worth it?	A technical analysis of after-market motor vehicle warranties Table of contents: 1. Expert's Qualifications and Experience 2.	Read more...	27 Jul 2016 - 10:02am	Post to Twitter
All about Air Bags, also known as Supplementary Restraint Systems (SRS)	(SRS) AIRBAGS An Airbag Control Unit (ACU) The design is conceptually simple; a central "Airbag control unit" (ACU) (a specific type of ECU)...	Read more...	25 Jul 2016 - 4:54pm	Post to Twitter
When to buy a used car?	I often get asked when is the best time to buy a used car? It really is quie simple.	Read more...	23 Jul 2016 - 12:11pm	Post to Twitter

What our clients say ...

Hi Erich,

Nope, it was fantastic. The estimation you make of market value actually helped me recoup your cost so that's a worthwhile inclusion in the service. Thanks for all your help, I'm finalising the transaction this week and picking up the car this weekend.

Cheers,

Sean

12 Oct 2011

Hi Erich Thank you very much for all your help and advice, it proved invaluable at the (NCAT) hearing today! I have attached a copy of the hearing fro your information. In the end I was offered and accepted remuneration to the total of approx. $3300. Thanks again!

Jack B

9 Mar 2016

Mr Kannen provided an Expert Report and acted as an expert witness in a very complex matter against a large vehicle manufacturer. Mr Kannen has strong expertise in relation to manufacturing defects and is very experienced in the legal process of enforcing consumer rights. Mr Kannen was professional, supportive and always available whenever I needed him. Mr Kannen was instrumental in obtaining a successful settlement.”

Garth Grundy

Tamarama

22 OCTOBER, 2019

Garth Grundy

29 Oct 2019

Hi Erich,

Great thank you! The report is very helpful for me considering I would not have been able to identify at least 3 of the issues listed from my own inspections. Interesting that it has been in an accident, been repaired and yet no service manual for a car that has only done 37,000 kms.

Kind regards,

Halah Issa

11 Mar 2008

Dear Erich

You supplied an Expert Report for our NCAT Hearing which took place yesterday, 14th March 2019 Your report was so professional and clear cut, and The Member took that into consideration when he decided the case was in our favour We would like to thank you very much and appreciate the work you did on the report We will happily recommend your services and will pass your details on when needed

Kind Regards

Anne and Sam Shomali

15 March, 2019

Anne Shomali

15 Mar 2019

My wife and I don’t know much about cars and we’ve been burnt in the past buying cars that have turned out to be lemons. This is why it is so reassuring to work with Erich from Car Solutions. Erich knows everything there is to know about cars, helps you find the best car for your budget and ensures it is in top condition. It gave us real peace of mind. We made our purchase from Melbourne and never even saw the car beforehand but we felt comfortable that Erich would look after our best interests. He negotiated a good price and also completed a full pre-purchase inspection.

Chris Boileau

5 May 2008

Dear Erich,

Thank you for the report that has just arrived . I am grateful for your services and am impressed with the level of attention to detail that was employed.

Yours sincerely,

John Kesterton

10 Dec 2008

Erich,

Thank you for this comprehensive and timely report. Kara purchased the car and is very happy with it. I will be purchasing another car within the next 12 months and I will be speaking with you before that purchase.

I will also be recommending you to all my friends and family.

Regards,

Len Foscholo

25 Sep 2009

When Barbara Bailey wanted to trade in and upgrade her family car, she was disappointed at the trade-in value offered by dealers she spoke to so she tried a car buying service. Mrs. Bailey called car consultant Erich Kannen at Car Solutions and has since bought three cars with his help. "He got us an extra $200 on the trade-in and he was willing to travel to do it. We live in Fivedock and he drove to Gosford to get a better deal." she says. "It made me feel empowered as a consumer - he has connections in the business and takes care of the running around and even advised us on insurance and tricks to watch out for when you're buying a car.

Mrs Bailey, The Daily Telegraph

6 Feb 2001

Hello Erich,

I took your advice about making an exceptionally low offer and I ended up b uying the Golf for an absolute bargain you saved me THOUSANDS of dollars! I have already been raving about you to friends and family and if I ever go to buy another car I will be coming straight to you. Thank you for being so great with someone who could not be more ignorant about cars.

All the best!

Suzie

8 Oct 2011

Erich went up and beyond in his independent assessment of my car. Initially, it was not the outcome I had hoped for (fault of the car). But Erich continued to supply expertise and advice and guided me towards pursuing the best outcome for me and by car. I couldn't be happier with the result due to this service. Will 100% use this again for advice/assessments/car expertise.

Tessa Spponer

26 Jul 2020

Dear Erich,

Just wanted to let you know that we have paid a deposit on the car and the deal is done. I am very happy with the deal and happy that we will have a car waiting for us when we get back to Australia.

Thank you so much for your help, it really was great peace of mind knowing that someone who knows what they are looking at is helping you. We'll be very happy to recommend your service to all our friends overseas, I think they will find it extremely useful and good value for money. My husband is a diplomat and so we have to buy and sell cars every few years. I know that we will call you next time we come back from a posting and need to buy a car again.

Can I make a suggestion? You should try and advertise in Australian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates. Maybe even other nationalities coming to Australia who are not familiar with car purchase arrangements. I think you would get some good business from a lot of people who don't have the time or expertise to make confident buying decisions.

Anyway, best of luck for the future, as I said I know we'll be in touch again when we next need to buy remotely!

Kelly

18 Aug 2009

Hi Erich,

Thanks again for the inspection. Yes we did end up buying the BMW. We are p leased! We loved the prompt inspection and report to ensure we did not lose out on the opportunity to purchase the car. In this instance since we were buying a BMW.

Your personal opinion about the car provided us the comfort since we hadn't seen the vehicle ourselves considering the level of investment we were about to make. Your ability to go beyond the car itself and question its origin and history also provided another level of comfort to us that your inspection could be relied upon. Finally the fact that I could ring you afterwards was also appreciated.

Thanks again. Rgds

Shabreel

10 Oct 2011

Hi Erich, Thank you again for all your help and advice. Erich, Thank you for your professional and expert report of which we used in our claim with NCAT against a local car sales business. Your expert advice helped us come to an out of hearing resolve and saved our company approximately $10,000.00 in costs. Kind Regards Sharon N 29 March 2019 Kind regards, Sharon Nolan Finance & Administration Manager Illawarra Tyrepower

Tyre Power

30 Mar 2019

Erich,

Many thanks for your report it is easy to understand & logical. I will recommend you to friends who may require this service. I am guessing that the drivers seat belt had been changed as it was badly frayed.

Many thanks

Andrew

12 Jul 2010

Dear Erich,

Thank you for your prompt service and clear detailed report for us, this taken a lot of stress off us - knowing that the car is not a lemon. We will recommend you to any one from our area looking at buying a used car. Knowing somebody with your experience has taken the guess work and stress away. Good to know the car is OK.

Once again thanks.

Regards,

John Crisp

4 Dec 2007

Thanks a lot for the report you may have saved me a lot of trouble as I was not informed about the crash repair side of things and the one of the indicators did not work. very happy will use you guys again.

Michael Kondaridis

16 Jul 2008

Hi Erich,

Thank you very much for the report. I found it very useful and your inspection was very thorough. I have decided not to purchase the car due to the invalid log book! I thought this was very dodgy! I will continue looking for a car (with a full service history!) and will contact you again when I find something else!

Thanks again,

Joanna Wood-Hill

13 Mar 2008

Wenshu Zhang

4 Sep 2020

Hi Erich,

We want to take this opportunity to appreciate your excellent service in this matter.

We further advise that the hearing day for this matter has been listed In the Local Court.

As you may be aware, if this case goes to the final hearing, we need you to appear in the court as an expert witness and give your evidence.

We will keep you informed if we need your attendance.

Many thanks.

Sydney, 8 November, 2019

Name Withheld

8 Nov 2019

Gday Erich,

We bought the car and are very happy with it and the service you provided, will definitely recommend you.

Kind regards Frank Makin and Shay Frank 3.4.10

Frank Makin, Shay Frank

3 Apr 2010

Hi Erich,

All went well for us mate we settled on a 50% refund of motor replacement costs.

Thankyou for your help it went well in our favor thanks to your report.

Thank you,

Kirby D

Director, D Building Group Pty Ltd

DBG LOGO.jpg

Kirby Dawson

29 Jun 2020

Hi Erich,

Thanks for the report and follow up. I have proceeded with the purchase and am happy to fix problems as price is right. The car would sell for $8000+ in Queensland. The service and report you offer is exceptional and I have been very pleased with this service. As other inspectors don't even offer a report.

Your inspection and information has given me peace of mind for what Im buying, repairs needed and potential problems. I will say on top of an excellent service your valuation of cars value in the report is a section not seen north of the border. Many thanks for your help and to Hank for the inspection. A commendation to your business and your conduct as a professional.

Yours thankfully,

Nigel

20 Nov 2011

I have arranged to see both cars this evening! Will hopefully have a car tomorrow!! Many thanks for all your help! I will pass on your details - My house mate is in the process of looking for a car, once she has found one she will give you a shout!

Regards,

Jennifer Howlett

17 Apr 2008

Hi Erich,

I received your report. Thanks for your speedy service. I am currently negotiating based on your appraisals. I have not supplied him any copies of this report and won’t, even if he asks for it. I have however mentioned the estimate of non specific repairs needed/expected and the possibility it may of had front end repair work carried out at some stage.......I hope this is ok.

Thanks once again for you speedy and professional service. I will be sure to keep you in mind for any of my friends or family contemplating a purchase from the Sydney Area.

Kelvin

24 Jul 2009

Civil and Administrative Tribunal

New South Wales

Date of Decision 21 December, 2018

The Principal Member, Mr R C Titterton issued his determination and among other things, wrote as follows:

Point 54: "On the other hand Mr Kannen impressed me as a careful and persuasive expert.

Point 55: "He (Mr Kannen) says that the opinion of (the other expert - name withheld) the lack of servicing is unlikely to have contributed in any significant way to the issues by the applicant should be rejected"......

Point 55: "In relation to the knocking sound , in October or November 2014, Mr Kannen says, that better care and skill should have been used"................

Point 57: "Mr Kannen says it would be unreasonable to assume the overall services provided were substantially unfit"..........

A full transcript is available on request.

NCAT Determination

16 Jan 2019

Dear Erich,

Many thanks for your detailed report. You saved me $19,000.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Kevin Firth

2 Jul 2009

Dear Erich,

Thank you so much for the prompt service and the exceptional report. Both my partner and I were convinced that this car was in good condition! We are so please we consulted an expert and we will be recommending you to our friends and acquaintances!

I would like to discuss the option of employing you to source a vehicle for me, please. My financial limit is around $15K to $16K, (it would be a great stretch to invest more, but in the right circumstances, I would reconsider). I am looking for a’08 corolla, auto with less than 30,000km (genuine!)

Many thanks for yesterday’s service and I look forward to hearing from you in regards to finding a suitable car.

Best regards,

Karen

21 Jun 2010

"Consumers who are looking for a new or used car ring Erich and tell him exactly what they're after - make, model, year, price etc. Erich does all the leg work - he searches the state for the best deal for his client, takes the car to the customer for a test drive, arranges mechanical inspections and does all the paperwork. In many cases the only time a customer needs to go to a dealer is to pick up the car. They never need to speak to a dealer. But the best part of this service is the savings that can be achieved by using Erich. Erich's experience in the industry and the contacts he's made over the last thirty years puts him in an ideal position to negotiate the best deal for customers."

Extract from 'Today Tonight' Channel 7

5 Feb 2001

Eric,

Thank you so much. I will recommend you to friends/family in the future. All the best.

Cheers,

Sherri Haworth

30 Oct 2007

Check the VIN for authenticity and tempering.

The most common issues with dealer sold cars are.............

Valuation Dispute - can you win against an Insurer?

After-market warranties - are they worth it?

All about Air Bags, also known as Supplementary Restraint Systems (SRS)

When to buy a used car?

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