PITA Tire Kicker Excuses

I have another car sellin' story.
Back in 1986 I bought a deceased family members car from the "heirs". It was an '81 Olds Gutlass. It had been run hot and cracked a head on the 305. I was so poor that I only pulled the bad head and swapped it out with another good head and reassembled it. After I got it in good running order I loaded it in the local classifieds.
Nothing happened ,then ran again and got one call. The guy said traffic was terrible as the city was having a parade that shut down the streets. He was unfamilar with the area and asked me to meet him at the Holiday Inn.
I drove the car up there and met him. He had me drive it around with him in the pass seat. He never took his glasses or gloves off,, alledging he was cold. I thought the behaivor a little odd.
Anyway he counted out the money and drove off.
Back then I was working as a small engine mechanic and money was tight and seasonal. I was glad to make a few bucks off my labor on the car. A short time passes (a week or so)and I drive home, as I turn the corner, there are 3 black cars in my driveway. I parked in front of the house and get out and am met by "them".
I'm met with 5 Suits (FBI) who explain a banks been robbed using my car. (my brain is screaming W T F,, It ain't my car!!!!)
We go in and sit down and they ask a sh!tload of questions. I answer them all. My wife comes home and walks in and starts to ask "whats up?". I told her to be quiet and sit down and listen. That's when she volunteered "Well, we still have some of the money".(Brain screaming Shut Up B!tch!!).
They took the Serial Numbers and called them in but later let me keep the cash,,whew!!
They explained that the car I fixed and sold was used in a bank robbery in HotSprings Ark!
That cetainly explained the gloves and the dude not touching or driving or anything. The Feds had the car and were going all through it and asking me to help identify objects inside,,which I did!(stuff I left in there). I also asked to get it back, but they declined.
As they were leaving after hearing and documenting our complete story, one Fed turns and asks me "You're gonna report the profit off the car on your Taxes aren't you?".
"Yeah,,sure Bud",,,,,,,,,.I was thinking "Ya'll come back now,,ya'hear?"
Damn that was scary,, never did hear what happened,, if they caught him or whatever. I'm sure the car was auctioned off down in HS.

 

That's exactly why I always ask for ID and get a signed, dated and time marked bill of sale from the buyer of any vehicle I sell. I don't want the buyer to do something after he leaves and I get blamed for it. I just sold a '49 Ford panel without a engine/transmission, no interior, I still did the same. Both the buyer and I get the same documents.

 

I have the best - "My Mom just died, and I should be getting my inheritance money any day now and I'll come back then".

 

I use this one a couple of times a week. BUYER: " Yeah man, thats a good price, I just gotta go home and ask my wife if I can buy it" ME: " Cool, I'll go home tonight and ask my wife if I can sell it, wanna meet me here tomorrow about the same time?"

A few years ago on the "bay" I sold a 57 Ford wagon I had nothing in but wanted it out of my pile. Listed as barely runs long enough to get on a trailer and a rough ass rusty rusty bitch! Tons of pics. Started it at $1 no reserve. It hits $1100 and a kid from Jersey calls for directions. I said "Man thats a long drive for a $1100 rust bucket" he replied "You Okies there in the Southwest (?!) don't know what rust is! I'm from Jersey where we have REAL rust problems" Cool shit man, heres directions. He shows up 2 days later with a tow dolly attached to a V6 5spd Chevy 1500. Looks at the car and says "When you said it was really really rusty you should have been more specific, I mean I seen it all in the pictures but never imagined it could be this bad." He went home empty after trying to negotiate a price 1600 miles from home.

 

Over the years I've had a boatload of troubles until I made my ads easy to understand. I list the item and then give the price as $1,000 "cash, firm, no trades". After that I never had another major problem. I stop them before they start and the tough tone of the ad must scare away the losers. Very few even try to haggle.

The stuff I sell is stated correctly and usually underpriced. I plan on selling a car next year and the final transaction will be at a local country lawyer who will make sure of the details.
When I sell a car, if the buyer looks even a little squishy, I won't let them drive it until we narrow things down. I drive and they ride--sorry. Obviously you can tell a responsible guy from a dreamer and that for sure weeds them out.
Just my two cents of what works for me.

 

Ive bought a lot of cars between 15 to 23 yrs old, for years I'd buy and sell a couple of drivers a year and a few projects on top of that. The main thing was to have a cool driver that I could keep for a while and make a little on.
I rarely bought anything the first day I looked at it, going to look at a car was checking out the car some was feeling out the seller, was he straight up, full of shit, in need of cash. Most people will let this be known while talking for a couple of minutes. "Ive got a kid on the way", I got a DUI, etc was perfect for me, I'd wait it out and come back with an offer. If I wasnt real interested in the car but thought I could drive it or do OK on it I'd call back in a week or 2 see if it was still there, tell him Im sorry I wasted his time but I cant come up with the asking price but I do have $$, I dont want to insult him but thats all I have, make sure he had my #, if he called back we'd meet somewhere in between usually significantly less than advertised.
If I really liked the car I'd make a legit offer for what the car was worth to me. There were few cars that I couldnt walk away from and had to have that day. Just because you built a car thats perfect for you doesnt mean its perfect for the next guy. I missed some great cars but whatever I did buy I felt I got for a good price and always broke even or made some cash on for the next car.

 

I've been on both sides of this...the only time I'll use a "tirekicker" excuse is if the car isn't what it was supposed to be. Last Monday, for example, I drove 3.5 hours (each way) to look at a 95% rustfree 57 Belair hardtop. Guy sent 2 pics, said that's all he had, and promised me that the body was absolutely perfect. The guy had been building tri-fives for 30 years, and had never seen one better, was stored by the original owner for 28 years.
I get there and you could throw a cat thru the rocker panels, floors gone, etc...a total piece of shit. I really wanted to unload on the guy, but my wife and kids were with me so I let it ride...
Anymore, it seems that 9 out of 10 cars I look at are heavily misrepresented...so I guess I might come off as a tirekicker 9 out of 10 times too!!

 

Friend of mine offered a guy a hug in response to that question. Other friend was standing to one side trying not to laff out loud. Guy said he wasn't no damn queer. At that point there wasn't enough money in Texas to make the deal

 

lets not forget the people that ask WAY more than the vehicles worth. there's a$$holes both in buyers and sellers!

 

A few months ago I was selling an OT truck as I had bought a more reliable replacement the week before. Had a hell of a time selling it. Had it advertised exactly what it was, a beater truck, but got me around no problems. Had a few people come look at it and either low-balled me, or said it wasn't in the condition they thought. Now as a seller it sucks to be honest when you know you got something ugly to sell. But I was very honest in the ad and had very obvious pictures of problem areas, how it could have been misrepresented I'm not sure. (I think it all comes down to buyers dreamy expectations of crap, like your really going to get a perfect truck for $800). Finally, i had a kid really interested, but very flakey, said he was waiting to sell his current car for cash. Kept tryin to set up a time to meet, and he'd invariably fall through. I had all but dismissed the kid, when he calls up one day saying he's got the money and will meet after work. sure enough i meet him right after work, kid loves it, hands over 800 cash. In the end, I spose this was one of those universal oddities never to repeat itself, but sometimes the seemingly BS stories are the truth.

 

My most drastic sales story. Years ago I advertised in the ole' car bible, Hemmings Motor News, a 59 GMC Napco Suburban 4x4, a running original complete, typical for its age but a nice sound solid body, priced at $4500. Ok, a guy calls from Nova Scotia, I'm in Maryland. Sent him complete pictures of every detail, he decides he wants the truck. To make things easy I explain that I was going skiing in Vermont in about a month so I could bring the truck there and meet him. We set out about six of us for a ski trip with a Burb in tow, run into the worst snow storm up north, get a flat on the new car trailer, divert for a fix. By now the troupe is getting frustrated with the whole business/pleasure adventure and I'm the bad guy, even though I'm hauling all the ski junk in the 59. We get to Killington, Vermont about 11 hours later. The guy shows up with his buddy from a 17, yeah a 17 hour drive from Nova Scotia. They look the truck over and I leave them the keys while I take the angry mob to the ski slope. I return and there is my truck but no Scotians. I look around and go into the hotel lobby and ask the clerk if she had seen those guys? She replied, are you Greg? Yes mam and she hands me a note. "Thanks for you time, not interested". I was more frosted than the frickin snow on the ground. The ski gang wanted to hang me. Drug the truck home and here is the kicker! The same guy calls me a year later, said he bought a 57 and needed some glass. I should have told him to meet me in Vermont but two wrongs don't make a right, lesson learned , charge big money up front for trip and non-refundable deposit. I'm still learning about this world and its worms. Eventually the truck did sell but have not seen any of the ski gang, hmmm!

 

NEVER NEVER NEVER take cash in hand and go meet a stranger unarmed...
God Bless TEXAS....