Am I wrong here?

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Brad4406

Brad4406

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
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Location
Fairborn, OH
I found a used car trailer for sale this morning, but waited to call the guy until 8:00 so I wouldn't wake him and I figured that was a respectful time to call. I called the fella and told him I was headed to the ATM and then straight to his house, about 20 miles away. I changed clothes, got money out of the ATM, got back on the road, and then called him to let him know I was on the way still since I hate people that say they are coming to look at something I have for sale and then never show. He then tells me that someone else just got there and is over looking at it now and he'll call me back if the guy buys it. I hang up and then think to myself that my time and money is worth more than just driving on to an item thats probably going to sell since it was such a great deal. I call him back and tell him I'm pulled over and not driving any further till he tells me whether its still for sale or not. He then appologizes and tells me that it just sold.

My question is, would you do business this way? I've sold vehicles and items before but always told someone whether I had someone before them or not so they knew before they drove here that it might sell. I would never let someone go before someone else that said they were bringing cash and on their way just because someone could get here faster.

I know there is no honor amongst thieves, but should sales be the same way? Is money the only thing that matters any more and first come, first served no matter that I spoke to him first and told him I was on the way?
 
Sorry you missed out on a good deal. I don't feel the seller did anything wrong...you can't expect him to keep you informed while he has a cash-in-hand buyer in front of him.
 
I'm noticing similar things happening lately. "Money talks" has gotten a louder voice. It seems cell phones and internet have left the "deal on a handshake" in the past.
 
I commend you for waiting until 8:00-- being polite just lost you the trailer.
You cannot blame him for selling to a cash in hand buyer-- . Lesson learned. Lawrence
 
Brad4406 -
I've gotta disagree with the other replies. If you were 1st in line, then the seller should have told all others where they were in line. They can still look at the trailer and even make an offer, but any decision can wait until you had a chance to look at it and make an offer.
The seller is then free to select the best offer.
Just the way I do business.
 
That happens occasionally when I sell stuff on Craigslist. A couple guys will tell me that they are on the way. Half of them never show up, I don't wait for anyone. First guy who puts cash in my hand wins.

There will be other deals.
 
BrianT is right, a LOT of people never show up, on the other hand, if I have to travel any distance to look at something, I ask them to at least wait until I get there so my time isnt wasted. I guess it works both ways, but in the end, as a seller, the first one there with cash wins!
 
ocdart said:
Brad4406 -
I've gotta disagree with the other replies. If you were 1st in line, then the seller should have told all others where they were in line. They can still look at the trailer and even make an offer, but any decision can wait until you had a chance to look at it and make an offer.
The seller is then free to select the best offer.
Just the way I do business.
Click to expand...

How do you know he was first in line? I don't see that mentioned any where...

I have to agree...with the yahoos that craigslist and the likes breed, money talks. First on the scene, with the green.
 
Just like at the swapmeets, first come, first served, cash talks and BS walks. The first one to pull out the most money and hand it to me wins.

Just out of curiosity, how much was he asking for the trailer?
 
The first in line might work with the internet like we tend to do here, BUT, no chance does that work when using the want ads. Too many strokers
jerkoff.gif
out there that don't give a crap about your time. Just like the guy that had a guy hold a car for three days, to be picked up EVERYDAY of the 3, never showed. I showed up, when I said, 20 minutes after I left, and 3 days late, the first guy shows up pissed the car is gone.

I can't tell you the number of times I've waited around for someone to show up at a certain time... never to arrive. I tell everyone the same thing, first with an acceptable offer AND cash, gets the item.

If the guy knew there were others interested, he probably should have told you there were others coming. I ALWAYS ask if there are others that have called and if they were coming to look. I ask them if they can hold it until a certain time and get my butt over to look. If I'm 5 minutes late... TOO BAD.

Sucks you missed out.
 
ocdart said:
Brad4406 -
I've gotta disagree with the other replies. If you were 1st in line, then the seller should have told all others where they were in line. They can still look at the trailer and even make an offer, but any decision can wait until you had a chance to look at it and make an offer.
The seller is then free to select the best offer.
Just the way I do business.
Click to expand...

Congratulations OC.........I'll be glad to do business with you any day.

...If this seller knew the guy was on the way, was going to the ATM, was only 20 miles away, and actually kept in TOUCH during the trip of 20 miles (a stones throw really...), then this seller was a BOZO for selling to the other guy........He should've asked him to wait until you got there.

If the other guy wanted it that bad, he could have WAITED the extra 10 minutes or so while you finished gettin' there.
 
My dad was trying to sell a boat when I was 17, he worked out of town so I was in charge of selling it. A guy came and looked at it said he was going to buy it but had to go get the money. Being 17 I didnt know better, a guy showed up 10 minutes after the first guy with cash. I told him it was sold. The first guy never returned. We still have that boat and I am 34 now. So I tell everyone first with cash and its sold.
 
pastortom1 said:
.......I'll be glad to do business with you any day.
Click to expand...

Thanks, pastortom -
Looks like we're both 'old school'...and I bet your word is your bond and you believe a handshake is a good-enough contract. Too bad the world has gotten away from that.
I've gotta admit that I'm like that with people I know. Those I don't know I have to be more cautious with - times being what they are and what people have become.
 
i sell alot of round bales of hay to many different kind of people.

I used to fall into the ... i will be back in a week to pick up the hay with the cash ... Meanwhile i would have 50 other phone calls waiting for this first guy .. Guy #1 does not show up in a week and the other 50 people went somewhere else to get their hay for the year. Then i am sitting on hay in the spring when nobody wants it.

Now i tell them ... If you have cash in your hand ... i will hold on to it for you... If not .. then they guy with the cash gets it.
Thats seems to make people squirm out of deals or race to get the money.
 
I agree that's a bummer... If you called me and told me you were going to the cash machine and would be there in 20, I'd wait or tell you I had someone else on the way... Sorry that happened to you. Good job on being polite too.. I've had guys call me at midnight and like 5:30 in the morning..... (not cool)
 
ocdart said:
Thanks, pastortom -
Looks like we're both 'old school'...and I bet your word is your bond and you believe a handshake is a good-enough contract. Too bad the world has gotten away from that.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, old school is only cool when building cars! The world has gotten away from a lot of things that aren't necessarily for the better. Things have changed, people have changed. Too many flakes running around, ruining things for us sane people.

I recently held a car for 3 weeks for a member here that I didn't know except a few phone calls back and forth. I had several other people inquire about the car while I was waiting for him to come up with funding. Fortunately, it worked out great and the demon is in it's new home. But I would have been singing a different story if he wasn't able to come up with the money and I had missed several other potential buyers.

I agree that the OP should have been allowed to view the trailer and make an offer on it. Kinda like a mini auction. But then you open up a whole other can of worms with the first guy on the scene. What about him? He got there first, but the seller should sell it to the original poster?!?

Just like life, business can be complicated.
 
I don't blame the guy. He had a customer there with cash, so he sold the trailer. All he knew of you was a phone call. If he knew the other guy was coming to look at it then he should have told you, but it was his trailer, he can sell it to whom he wants. I've been told countless times someone is coming to look at a car, or I'll be back tomarrow, etc. and lost money because of it.

And dealing on a handshake only worked with Andy Griffith in Mayberry, and thats only because everyone knew everybody. You don't know anyone that calls you from a add on the internet, which makes that handshake hard to account for.
 
well i think the man was a **** head!! and I would have told hem so if you call me and tell me your on the way as far as I'm concerned your first in line and if you say youll be their in twenty min. i would have told the man he would have to wait at lest an hour or two. Handshakes mean alot to me. and thats how I feel!!!!!!!!!!
 
This is one of the rudest and inconsiderate things I see the younger generation do (under 40-45 crowd) Common courtesy just isn't as common as it use to be. I believe in karma and what goes around comes around.

First off, if you are selling something. Why in the he!! do you just give someone your address and say the first one here gets it? This isn't a swap meet, you placed an ad to sell something, they called you on it and if they are on their way, give them the chance to buy it first, you wouldn't want someone wasting your time and gas, so why do it to someone else. If you ask the right questions you will know if they are planning to come right away or not, so don't waist someones time and gas money playing games. Not to mention there are a lot of thieves out there that just want to know where you are so they can come by to snoop around and steel it or something else.

When I place and ad for something I have for sale, I always ask when do you want to come look at it and how long will you be before I give my address and if I already have someone on their way, I will tell the other person to hang tight and I will call them back to let them know if I sold it or not. I don't see the purpose in wasting their time and gas and I don't want someone just showing up at my house unexpected, and I sure as he!! don't want someone I don't know coming by whenever they want to snoop around.

I would never sell something if I have someone on their way, I would at least give them adequate time to show up before I sell it to someone else. If they don't show up within a reasonable time and they don't call to let me know they are running late, then it's up for grabs.

I sell a lot of stuff on craigslist and I rarely have no shows because I don't just give out my address. I have found if you are polite and considerate as a seller, the potential buyers are usually polite as well, I have had a few people that don't show up but almost all of them have called to let me know they can't make it.

My way of thinking may be in the minority, but I sleep better at night.
 
Interesting and different comments across this wide spectrum of members. I've been on both ends of this situation as i believe many of us have been and i'm sure there are varying circumstances in all of our transactions. Now for my observations of posted comments. I'm bad to error on the right/correct side of a decision so with that said, i always try and give the person i'm dealing with the benefit of the doubt. In this matter i really need to have more info prior to grabbing the noose. Obviously there were more than one interested in the trailer. Did the guy that had the trailer make it known to our member that there were others coming as well? Which caller was our boy? Was it ever declared "I have the money and i WILL buy your trailer"? 20 miles or 20 minutes is not a long time to wait for a sale. He could have ask your sincereity but it sounds as though you had already informed him of that. The key here for me is this. Were you indeed the FIRST to call this man and tell him you were headed his way? We may never know but if you were, a 20 mile wait aint that long. I would have told the other guy, if he wasn't FIRST, to look over the trailer while i had another cup of coffee and in a matter of minutes we will know the outcome of the FIRST called, and oh buy the way, do you have your cash? The SECOND guy would have left knowing you were an honest person even though he missed the sale if the FIRST guy did show. If the FIRST guy didn't show then he still had the sale if the SECOND guy was truly interested. Myself i would have hung around if i were SECOND to take the chance on the deal if i really wanted it. Now we get back to an old saying "A bird in the hand, is worth two in the bush"
Small Block
 
Blownfish said:
This is one of the rudest and inconsiderate things I see the younger generation do (under 40-45 crowd) Common courtesy just isn't as common as it use to be. I believe in karma and what goes around comes around.

My way of thinking may be in the minority, but I sleep better at night.
Click to expand...

why is it always the younger generations fault? it's always the younger crowds fault when people are rude or uncourteous. Do you know how old the guy that sold the trailer is? He may be 20, he may be 70.
 
BrianT said:
That happens occasionally when I sell stuff on Craigslist. A couple guys will tell me that they are on the way. Half of them never show up, I don't wait for anyone. First guy who puts cash in my hand wins.

There will be other deals.
Click to expand...
I totally agree. There are too many well wishers out there. You can't rely on a total stranger.
 
I would of held it for you a reasonable time,, not all day but an hour or so for a 20 mile trip. I have been on both sides. I called a guy one time about an item a good two hours away, told him I was coming, he said he would hold it. When I got there it was sold. There was a highway accident on the way and I was 15 min. later than I said, I shoulda told him three hours I guess. I was disappointed but he held his word as far as I was concerned. On the other hand I sold a car. A local woman wanted it on Sunday and wanted to give me a $100 to hold it till Thursday when she would be back with her husband and the money. I told her no need for a deposit, if she wanted it I would hold it till Thursday, no problem. Thursday came and went without a sound from them. A couple folks inquired and I told them it was sold. Two weeks passed so I put the for sale sign back in the window. A guy stopped with cash and I sold the car to him. Two days later I get a call from the original womans husband telling me I'm an *** for not calling them before I sold it. I kindly replied that he obviously had my phone number and could have called me if he still wanted the car and hung up. I felt I waited more than a fair time for them to contact me. If something is "first cash gets it" I have no problem with that as long as it is advertised that way or communicated that way to prospective buyers when they call.
 
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