| Author | Message | ||
     Preybird1 |
What would you guys do???? I promised my old wrecked car to a guy he drove up 2 hours and was at a family thing and was close enough to come by and see the car and he said he would take the body for $550.00 Now i hate to be an Indian giver but i got double that offer today by a guy and he is coming by Friday to see it i told him $1500.00 and he can have it all, But not the wheels, just the stock wheels. Now the first guy says his grandpa has a 440 motor to put in a car but is looking for the body only? HHhmm The second guy says he has 15 of these same cars and uses them for demolition derby (because my old car is KING in demo derby) so i think the top dollar guy here! I need the money to fix my bike or i would never sell my car! I already feel bad thinking of it he gave me $100.00 down Last time i put a bike up for sale and this guy said he was coming to see it from very far away........So i get another phone call and im talking to this guy and i think its the guy i already talked to....Well it wasn't and i sold the bike at 11 am and this guy comes up says hey Russ i talked to you about the bike....I had to tell him i sold it  Not a fun experience! | ||
| Madduck |
When you are selling something of over $50 in value to people over the phone, let everyone know that the first person with cash that wants it is likely to take it away. Learned that from several old time bike shop owners. Cash in hand rules. I've lost stuff, gotten stuff and never complained. Face to face with cash should win out over anything but family and sometimes family loses too. Tough world out there and you can only be taken advantage of if you allow it. Be up front with everyone and set a fair price, all anyone can ask. | ||
| Andyss1w |
i would like to think i would stick to my word. these days it doesn't mean much, but it means something to me. try and put yourself in the shoes of the others involved. who knows, you sell it cheap, and you may make up the difference hitting the lotto or something! it is amazing how things work out when you do the right thing. the best thing about all of this is you have time to think about it. i always make best decisions after some thought. some of my worse have been "knee jerk reactions" you know? | ||
| Rpm4x4 |
You know what the right thing to do is.  Your word should mean something. You could however try to work a deal with the first guy. Give the first guy $100 to forget about it. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
If I was the first guy,I would be dissapointed....but a $100.00 for my troubles would erase that. | ||
| Bill0351 |
It sucks, but you gave your word to the first guy. The only way to get out of it with any honor is to call him and explain that you got an offer of $1,500 for it. Tell him you could really use the extra money, but since you promised the car to him, it's his for the original asking price. If it were me, I would probably let you off the hook to take the higher offer. I would be a little pissed off, but I would leave thinking I had just dealt with an honorable guy. I got stung with my first Buell purchase. I had come to an agreement with the guy over the phone and I had talked with him several times about a good time to show up with a truck to drive it home. I was within a few hours of leaving and the douche called me and said he was offered a few hundred dollars more than what we agreed on and the deal was off. | ||
| Endoman33 |
keep your word to the first guy, you already made a deal with him. | ||
| Schwiiing |
I found my Buell on the net test drove it and wanted to make an offer. The owner of the shop wasn't in, so I had to wait. Called him the next day, and told him I wanted to put a deposit on the bike to hold it until I could come back down and make the final negotiations with him in person. He gave me his word that he wouldn't sell it to anyone else until after our appointment. Came to the day, and (in the meantime) he'd had two offers to buy the bike sight unseen for list price. He had both their numbers, but was holding until he spoke with me. He wouldn't accept any of my lower offers as he had two on the line that would pay full price. Then he offered me $100 to walk away and let him get full price w/ one of the other two. I wound up giving him list minus his $100 dollar offer and still smile to this day. Explain to the first guy what's happening and offer him 100 bucks for his trouble. If he'd rather stick w/ the original deal, honor it. That kind of karma comes back to you one day. | ||
| Jramsey |
You never did answered my question in your "I just sold to hot rod up my X1" thread. I really admire Wardan123 for his reply in that one. | ||
| Fung |
do you know if the 2nd guy will really show up. I sold a snowmobile on craigs and had about 5 people say oh i will take it , i'll pick it up. Just saying... | ||
| Blake |
There is no question. Keep your word, period. Honor and integrity beat money every time. | ||
| Greenlantern |
There is no question. Keep your word, period. Honor and integrity beat money every time. +1 There will always be more money. But your word should not be a negotiable commodity. The right thing often seems the hardest thing thing to do. That is until after you have done it.  | ||
| Xl1200r |
I already feel bad There's your answer. Madduck is right - I typically always sell stuff with the "first one with cash takes it" mantra. But you already made a deal with this first guy. You should have just told the second it was sold, because it was, and you woudln't be kicking yourself over it. I've had to sell cars, guitars, motorcycle parts, amplifiers, guns, etc. throgh some sort of want ad, and it just gets to be way too much trouble to try and juggle people, especially when you've got 3 or 4 people interested in something. I try to be as flexible as possible, but the first one to put money in my hand gets it. | ||
| Court |
There is no question. Keep your word, period. Honor and integrity beat money every time. I could not agree more. | ||
| Mnbueller |
I would present this delema to the 1st guy, maybe he would be willing to pay a little more for it...Plus I really hate when guys take good restorable vehicles and turn them into demo cars, thats just not right. | ||
| Bills3t |
your word , what is it worth to you? best to leave it as one of the lessons in life we all learn . considered it a cheap ,no one was hurt. deal is a deal, next time cash in hand wins , when all the parties involved know the rules upfront no hard feelings. would of been easier if the guy who made the higher offer had said if the other deal falls through give me a call. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Where I come from a Man is only as good as his word. | ||
| Court |
>>>I would present this delema to the 1st guy, maybe he would be willing to pay a little more for it... Why? He's ALREADY bought it. At least in **MY** world, the construction business, when this happened: Buyer: "How much do you want?" Seller: "$500" Buyer: "Okay, I'll pay it" The deal is done . . . we've got offer, acceptance and consideration. Done deal. | ||
| Slaughter |
I think you KNEW the right answer before you posted the original question. What is RIGHT might not always be that which is easiest. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Sometimes the price of your word is maximum profit. Another way to look at it is how much would you pay to for your honor? I'd bet it's more than $1,000. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Someone offered the guy I bought my bike from $500 more than I could afford, but he said first come first serve, plus I drove 2 hours each way to put a deposit on it. Honor your word, even if it costs you. I've lost out on ebay in shipping because I screwed up, but never asked my customer to pay more. Had a shipping quote on my forks come up like $40 less than it actually costs, but it was my mistake and took the loss. Karma to, one of the few hippie things that makes sense  (Message edited by b00stzx3 on April 23, 2009) | ||
| Dwardo |
One time I went to see a Triumph Bonneville (pre-Hinkley) that was 200 miles away and arranged to buy it. I then bought a set of mufflers for it. Next week I went up there with a truck to collect it and found the guy had sold it out from under me. I was P*ssed! You should suck it up and sell it to the first guy. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
I already feel bad thinking of it he gave me $100.00 down . Sounds like a bad deal, It was a done deal when the deposit was accepted If I read this correctly you accepted the deposit from the first person that came by. | ||
| Shupe |
Money will come and go, but you will never forget or feel good about breaking your word. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
cash will depreciate , it will get spent as soon as you get it, when it comes down to it, your word is all you have. Shiate comes to shove , its your word, your rep, you know what you gotta do. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Last fall when my '93 Rodeo had major engine problems and I had to sell it as-"was" I got an offer over the phone for my asking price of $450 and the guy told me he would be there Thursday to pick the truck up. Wednesday a local guy showed up offering $450 but I told him I had already agreed to take that price from a different party. The local guy got pissed but forked over $500 (my original asking price) and hauled the Rodeo away. The first guy with an offer of $450 never showed up on Thursday.. I agree with those who have said that the first buyer who brings cash in a face to face meeting is the one who goes home with the item. If you've already accepted a down payment then that's a different story. That portion of the total price was given in confidence that you will hold the item being sold for that specific person. I empathize with you wanting the $1500 over $550 especially considering all the go-fast X1 parts that the extra $950 would pay for, but years from now you won't miss the money. However if you're contemplating this enough to ask about it here, then I can almost guarantee you that going back on your word will stick with you for a while.. | ||
| Easy_rider |
Ten years from now an extra $1000 won't seem like much and remembering you backed out will still bother you. In the meantime you probably won't enjoy your repaired bike as much knowing how it was funded. Then again, it's pretty easy for me to be philosophical when it's not $1K out of my pocket!! Here's to hoping you do the right thing. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
Here is what I would do. I would talk to the first guy and be open and up front. Explain exactly what has happened, how that extra grand would help out your situation and ask to be let out of the deal. But be sure to tell him that you will honor your word to him and sell at $550 but that extra 1k would really help you out. And I really like the idea of offering a $100 to be let out of the deal, its a business deal and folks pay to be let out of "contracts" all the time. You gotta stick to your word, but it never hurts to ask. For some people $1,000 isnt a whole bunch of money but for plenty of others others its more than 2 weeks pay. | ||
| Buellinator |
A deal's a deal, dude. Put yourself in Buyer #1's shoes. How would you feel? Karmic payback's a bitch. The only way I could possibly justify to myself canceling such a deal would be if I genuinely thought that I had been taken advantage of and in this case it doesn't sound like it. | ||
| Madduck |
When someone gives you a deposit to hold an item till he can pick it up, that deposit buys him a limited amount of time. I've held parts for many people over the years that never came back. Always be upfront on exactly what his deposit is buying and stick with it. There are far more honest people than deadbeats out there but telling em apart is impossible for me. Maybe it comes from dealing with racers/ex racers, deposits don't hold forever and don't take offense when the guy wants his deposit back cuzz he found a better deal. It is just a business deal, they go bad for lots of reasons. I typically arrange a sale, send pictures and pay for shipping. If they don't feel the piece I sent them is worth the asking, they send it back. If it is what I sold then I expect payment. There are lots of good ways of getting payment collected, use them. | ||
| Preybird1 |
Ok guys i talked to the first guy and told him what was going on and that i had a better offer and surprisingly he was a little upset but he took it well, But the best part was that the 2nd guy i sold the car to has just what the first guy needs a car body and no engine or tranny. How weird is it that the first guy needs what the second guy has and the second guy needs what the first guy wants, so i hooked them up with each others info and all is good now! I thank you all badwebbers for your time and input here! | ||
| Slaughter |
Ahhh... karmic balance! Group hug now? |
