Deal or No Deal

[landarts]

Just have to rant a little here. Was on Facebook Marketplace last night and made arrangements to go see a possible deal on a truck at 3:30pm today. Guy said no problem I will see you there you are the first to make an appointment to see the truck. Looked at my phone at around 2:30pm today to check the address and FB market place says truck is now sold. Some people just have no sense of integrity. This happened a few years ago on a deal on a 72 Blazer. I told the owner I was on my way to bank to get the cash, he said fine I will see you in 30 minutes. When I arrived less than 20 minutes later someone else was there loading it onto trailer. Rant rant rant...…...

[matthew.mcmullin]

That's a hard one. Cash talks to most people. On the bright side there is probably another deal to be found.

[cornerstone]

Can't stand a person who's word is useless. I'm feelin' your pain. Are you sure they didn't mark it sold for YOU? If so, he is probably ticked off at you also, for not showing up!
Brian

[special-K]

You're right, integrity is getting hard to find in dealings. These people didn't take your word on coming because they knew you couldn't take their word. You expected them to hold it the time discussed because that's what you would do. We expect others to do as we would.

[landarts]

The truck sold about two hours after I talked to him according to the time the "sold" was posted. At least that is what it says on messenger. I would guess he got another message after talking to me and just went with that.

[heavy71chevy]

I just went thru same thing with a 94 z28.face to face with cash always wins

[webfoot]

I wonder what % of "i'm coming to look at the truck" actually show up. Selling a vehicle is a big deal, I certainly am not going to turn away a guy putting money in my hand because someone else is "on their way to look".

[landarts]

If the guy would have said first come first serve. I would of dropped what I was doing and headed over. Instead we agreed on a time to meet so he could let me into the storage area where the truck was. Again was just wishing he would of kept to his word on this one.

[kenr74]

Been there. I drove two hours to buy a motorcycle. Get there and the guy wouldn't answer the door. His wife came out as I was driving away to tell me they sold it night night before.


On the selling side though I can't tell you how many times I have been burned. You wouldn't believe how many times people break down or get lost on the way to my house to buy something.

A couple years ago I started telling people that I am happy to make an appointment but the first person with cash buys it. I just tell them to call ahead to confirm it is still for sale. The serious buyers seem to find their way to my house pretty quickly that way. Even if they only have a small deposit I consider it sold at that point but not before somebody puts money in my hand.

[Orange67]

I have had this happen on three "deals" in the last two weeks. I get it if somebody is waving cash in your face, but at least have the integrity to let the original or first person know and give them the chance first. I really thought the lack of integrity and honesty was a Utah thing. What ever happened to the handshake? What ever happened to being a person of your word??

[Montierth]

To me money always talks. There are too many flakes. I have been on both sides. I have a few deals on other stuff I am selling right now. One item I think I have had 4 people give me a time and date of when they were coming and none showed. I've had times when I want to buy something that I was scheduled to come and buy and the item got sold before I got there. I just move on to the next deal. I had one deal where a guy was going to come the next day to buy an item from me but he never game me a time. Another guy in the meantime showed with cash and was a sure deal. Sorry for your missed deal -it is a bummer when you really were going to show with cash and it gets sold before you are able to show up. I think it's how things work online nowadays.

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

I have had this happen to me also. But the last time someone tried this with me the seller was HONEST and honored my appointment to see the motorcycle!! Here is what happened:
This was a Dregslist ad for a very nice Harley Davidson, and I made the appointment to see the motorcycle (cash in hand) over the phone for the next morning, and I was caller number one. I had to drive two hours the next morning to see it, and before I got there, another person with no appointment showed up at the seller's house with cash in hand, and offered him MORE money to sell it to him instead of me. The seller told him, "NO!" and that I was driving to there now. He gave him right of first refusal though, but it did no good, because I bought it!!!

[Montierth]

BTW - Don't get me wrong, if you have a face to face handshake and an agreement with an arranged plan such as - going to the bank to get the money and picking up a trailer to get it home - then yeah that's pretty bad and scummy.

[OARNGESI]

Personally selling something if I get a phone call it doesn’t mean much. Now if you were on your way but 99percent of the time someone calls and says I’ll be there tomorrow and never shows. In the future call when you ready to go

[71blksuper4x4]

I see this constantly on online dealings. People chime in and say I will take it. After a deal appears to be reached, private messages aren’t seen by the public and have higher offers than what the original poster requested. Not our fault you didn’t do the research on a value for an item. You should honor your requested amount.

[jabborabbo]

Originally Posted by kenr74

....

A couple years ago I started telling people that I am happy to make an appointment but the first person with cash buys it. I just tell them to call ahead to confirm it is still for sale. The serious buyers seem to find their way to my house pretty quickly that way. Even if they only have a small deposit I consider it sold at that point but not before somebody puts money in my hand.

That’s a good way to separate the diddlers from the serious buyers. There are a lot of folk that see an ad, call and make an appointment, and then think about whether or not they really want the item. They use a backwards process that causes grief to the seller.

[custom10nut]

Been there, have had it happen quite a few times. I once drove 3 1/2 hours to be stood up by a guy “selling” a Jeep. I texted him numerous times enrout, and even spoke to him when I was 15 miles away. When I arrive at the link up place, no Jeep. I texted him to say we’re there, but no response. We wait there for close to an hour sending texts an even two call attempts, straight to voicemail.
We got to our Condo, and got onto Marketplace. Guess what, the post was removed. Hmmm. My wife posted about this incident, and right away five people posted about how shady he and his girlfriend were. Two weeks later the sameJeep is posted for $2000 more. Right away I “called him out” and he deleted it again. Now every week, I look for his name, so I can warn others. I hope he never sells another item again.

[jocko]

While this has happened to me, and it is indeed very annoying, I guess I’ll provide a different perspective here. I’m not sure that a seller saying “you’re the first one to make an appointment” equates to an agreement to hold it for you in my mind. It would have been nice if he had given you a courtesy call so you didn’t waste a trip - but unless you specifically ask that it be held and receive a confirmation from the seller that he will, I’m not sure you can call his integrity into question for selling to someone who showed up with cash before you got there. I never have an expectation that someone will hold a vehicle for me if all I’ve done is tell them I’m coming to look at it. If I’ve told them I will be there to pick it up and pay - that’s a different story. Even then it’s a roll of the dice because a seller never knows when a looky lou or a committed buyer will just flake out and not show up. Even with all that in mind - I agree, it can be maddening at times. Sorry it didn’t work out for you on this one.

[cypressbog]

Happened to me last week. Guy advertised his grandpa's 1987 Monte Carlo SS Aero Coupe. I made an offer based only on pictures and he agreed. I needed to get a trailer the next day and drive 250 miles. I got there and he said, sorry, I sold it last night. Would've been nice for a text message! Then 2 days later he messaged me saying the car is back up for sale. I told him to go pound sand!

[67_C-30]

I’ve been on both sides of this deal. I got to where I either say the first with cash in hand gets it OR I’ll take a non-refundable deposit through PayPal to hold it. I’ve had so many people tell me they are “in the truck, on the way” and never show up. I’ve also had somebody sell things out from under me to.

I do agree that it was crappy for him to tell you that he’d hold it and then not. Did you talk to him again just to be sure he wasn’t marking it sold for you?
It would help if Craigslist/Marketplace had a “Sale Pending” button to let potential buyers know what’s going on.

[Abomb]

Cash in hand wins every time...25 years ago, a friend of a friend wanted to buy my 1970 nova, it was a running driving 6 cylinder power glide car, 2 door, wrecked fender, lots of rust....getting the picture? I told him a price,he agreed, and 8 months later, I sold it to someone else for $100 more... Somehow I made an enemy for life...even though we struck a deal, shook hands, he never could come up with a whopping $250, ducked me for 8 months, and got really mad when I sold it to someone else. I’ve never forgotten that...unless you are coming from hours away, and call me right before you leave, the first buyer with cash buys my item. While I agree with you on the blazer deal, you informed the seller you were on your way with cash, it should have been yours, a “coming to look at it” doesn’t hold anything. Sorry you didn’t didn’t get to “possibly” make a deal, but if I put something up for sale, my end goal is cash in my hand and an empty space in my driveway. I’m sure it sounds harsh, but as a seller who has been burned many a time, that’s just the way it is...

[truckster]

Two years ago a local guy was parting out a truck. I took two doors and agreed to come back for both fenders and an inner fender (I had to go get more cash). By the time I got back he had sold them to someone else, but at least he said he was really sorry. Like that makes up for the lack of integrity.

[68bowtie]

If most buyers ALSO had integrity it would be bad form for a seller to take the “cash talks” approach. I tend to stick to a respectful process but I’ll tell you I’ve personally been screwed so many times by flaky buyers that I don’t pass judgment on anyone for their preferred methods. I have a Traverse listed now that I have sold TWICE and both buyers flaked. Even had a deposit that I returned when they couldn’t come up with the cash. But I lose because all the other buyers I told it was sold are long gone now. There’s always more to the story so be slow to judge!