The one that got away...

On 22 May 2004 02:21:09 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@aol.comnojunk (Braukuche) scribbled this interesting note:

Kinda' sucks when a simple sale turns into an auction!:~)

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

Reminds me of when I was in college. There was a small store on the corner next to our college and next door to the store was a house where one of the nicest old ladies I've met in a long time (family members excluded) lived. She was pretty aged, a widow, and was starting to get in ill health.

She had a car in the garage that she hadn't driven in years and in preparation for the day when she could no longer take care of a house by herself, decided to sell the car. She always appreciated the store owner watching out for her, so she brought the ad over to have him help her write it correctly. She indicated that she wanted at least $500 for the car. This was around 1979 or so.

The store owner went over to the house after he closed for the day to check out the car so he could write a fairly accurate ad. Turns out she had a 1955 Chevy 4-door sedan, black, six cylinder with a 3-speed on the tree. Not a well optioned car for its time, but it was in really excellent shape. The store owner carefully got it running again (I helped with some of this), got some new tires put on it, we shined up the paint and gave it a good wax job, cleaned out the interior really well, went over the chrome, gave it the whole works.

He ran the ad asking people to make an offer. First guy came by and dropped about $8,000 on it and drove off a happy man. The old woman was elated. I can imagine if the old woman went ahead and ran the ad without any other advice. Would've made for one of those "old car in a barn with 23 miles" stories that everyone always takes with a grain of salt.

Congrats to you and the store owner, that the 'lil ol lady was allowed to be the 'winner'!

Chris

Dan, if you had already handed the guy the deposit, I would have pitched a fit. That was wrong of both parties, the seller, and the sum-sucking waste of good breathing air that stymied your 21 window purchase by "bidding" more. If you guys had a deal, then you had a DEAL. Period. End of story.I saw something very close to that scenario played out at the Big 3 swap meet at the "Q" a few months ago. Fortunately, the seller of the item weas a man of integrity, and told the higher bidder "I already sold the part to this guy. If you want it that bad, you can deal with him; it's his now" Personally, I would have turned to the high bidder, and absolutely rubbed his face in it, and told him to "go forth and procreate"

Beleive me I did. But next to getting violent, there wasn't much I could do. I didn't have the bill of sale in hand, he was still filling it out, so my only recourse would have been a lawsuit which probably would have cost more than the car in the end.

--Dan E

I would rather that neither of those guy's went forth and procreated. Gone are the days when a gentlemans word was as good as a contract, what a shame. Douglas

No, a gentleman's word is still as good as a contract. There merely are quite notably less gentlemen around these days.

Airhowlingly yours, Erik, who tries to be one

So legally looking the seller sold _your_ speedster to someone for 1500 = DM, sent you 200 DM for it and left laughing with 1300 DM in his back pocket. 1300 DM doesn't sound a reasonable sales commission to me. More like 200 DM for him and 1300 DM for you.

Yes. But what was I to do? I had no written proof, and my only witness was my best friend and the seller's son-in-law. So I just filed it under experience, especially as I'd already cooled on the car anyway, pocketed the 60 DM or so that I got reimbursed above actual expenses, and came out with a lesson learned.

No, I didn't blame my friend, even though he'd started the deal -- you don't pick your family, and he was way more miserable about the outcome than I was myself. I was furious, but I felt good about that. I even took delight in being furious much longer and louder than would have been necessary. ;-)

Looking back, I'd probably have been pretty frustrated with the car anyway, if I had actually got to own it.

Airhowlingly yours, Erik.

I have over 30 years of sales and marketing of vehicles. Do not be discouraged by the ethics and actions of others. It is how you conduct yourself that matters at the end of the day.

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