I just listed my Dad's car on Ebay. He's owned the car for less than a year - and just decided that it's not quite his style (he'd like to get a 4.9L V8 installed in one of his Fieros in the near future).
BTW - I spent roughly 7-8 hours cleaning & detailing the car for these photos... and at the time the temps were in the upper 80s & lower 90s with high humidity. Amazing I didn't kill myself just waxing the thing!
OH...OH OH..........OHOHOHOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!! Please, let my Lottery numbers come up!!!(Errrr..thinks to one's self...you don't do the Lottery!!) That is beautiful!!! Sob !! Just off to the toilet to see what I ate for the last 48 hours
Nick
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11:38 AM
spud321x Member
Posts: 974 From: Jackson, Michigan Registered: Oct 2004
Wow! I can hardly believe the auction has been up for less than 24 hours and it's already bid up over $14k!!
I'm curious though... what makes this car (or auction) more appealing than the others? High Quality Photos (approx 2MB each at full quality... not even retouched in photoshop)? An honest description with details?
I get a kick out of writing up good quality auctions... I think a buyer deserves absolute honesty in detail when making a larger purchase via eBay (or any internet method). I did the same exact style & method to sell my '88 Honda Shadow on ebay a few months back - and I ended up ending the auction after only a few days - as someone contacted me and wanted to pick it up that weekend... coming from Missouri!
No, Johnny, NO!!! Not that end!!! I meant I was sick with misery, not being able to own a beauty like that!!! Hahaha!!! Bran...hmmm....wouldn't muesli be nicer?!! Nick
Originally posted by MinnGreenGT:Wow! I can hardly believe the auction has been up for less than 24 hours and it's already bid up over $14k!!
I'm curious though... what makes this car (or auction) more appealing than the others? High Quality Photos (approx 2MB each at full quality... not even retouched in photoshop)? An honest description with details?...
Kerrrching SOLD! I think it has a lot to do with the detailed description. Lots of good quality pics and pointing out the slight imperfections, gives the buyer confidence. Did any of the bidders come to see the ve-hicle?
No, no 1st person visitors. Got a phone call early on in the auction from a guy in the Milwaukee area... but he mentioned looking at a 2000 'vette the next day. Never heard back from him, so I assume he got that one instead.
Last night I was watching the auction end - and with about 8 minutes left on the auction, I get a phone call at home (I'm still not sure how he got my contact number *shrug*) from a guy in Vancouver Washington. He asked a couple of basic condition questions (stuff that was really already covered in the auction) - and then ended up bidding & winning in the last minute!
I was pretty sure that the car would sell for the $18k reserve, but with 10 minutes to go I lowered it to $17,801 just to be sure. And sure enough it went to exactly $18k! My Dad talked to the guy briefly last night... sounds like he has some money to spend (which matches his ebay record as of late... lots of $500 coins being bought). My Dad is working on making arrangements to possibly deliver the car himself (lots of relatives in the Portland & Salem area) - so we'll see how it goes!
Also nice to see - he already paid the $500 deposit last night!
The buyer (Edward Webster of Vancouver, WA - aka: "nedhweb" on ebay) - agreed to meet my Dad half way to take delivery on the car. They made plans to meet at the Billings Montana airport on Thursday night (Ed's flight was to arrive at 10pm). The buyer called my dad a few times prior to his departure asking stupid questions about the car that were clearly stated and shown on the auction... we already had a bit of an odd "feeling" about this guy.
So my Dad left on Wednesday afternoon, and upon early arrival in Billings stopped and had the car washed & dried (something most of us would do when selling a car). Then when the buyer arrived at 10pm they got in the car at the airport, and my Dad drove them back to the hotel. Almost immediately after backing out of the parking space, the buyer says accusingly "I just heard the clutch squeak!" My Dad just said... that's quite unlikely - the drivetrain is in totally normal condition. Also, being a mechanic - and having had the car inspected by a GM dealership recently, he assured the buyer that there was nothing wrong with the clutch or any other part of the drivetrain. Upon arrival at the hotel, the buyer & my Dad visually inspected the car - and the buyer went for a test drive. Upon returning, he started telling my Dad that the car was in crappy condition and that the previous owner had "beaten" it, and that he wouldn't even pay $16.5k for the car (to which my Dad wisely pointed out - the car isn't for sale for that price, and it isn't up for negotiation).
Now, the original owner was my Mom's cousin from Texas - Dean. Dean is an engineer, and exceptionally detail oriented... he did all the factory services on time, and would never have dreamed of going over 3000 miles between oil changes. The only thing he really did with the car - was drive it! Hence the fact that it had just over 60k miles on it (being 6 years old, that's only 10k miles/year... certainly not unreasonable for a warm weather car). My Dad has only owned the car for a year - and has hardly ever driven it. I probably put nearly as many miles on it as he did... and I certainly never drove the car hard.
Then he claims that the car isn't as the auction described, and that it had "clearly been detailed" (yeah, 'cause I like to buy a dirty car myself) - so my Dad takes out a printed copy of the auction, including the smaller photos as shown in the auction... and asks him what doesn't match up!? He doesn't have anything to say, and basically leaves at that point after stating that he wants his $500 deposit back. *cusswords*
So this idiot flys part way across the country, and has my Dad drive the car part way across the country - only to back out of the sale once they've arrived!! And he thinks he's getting his $500 non-refundable deposit back?! On what grounds, fool? Hmmm... at the very least, travel expenses to get to & from MT are going to equal, if not exceed $500 (not including any devalue to the car for having nearly 2k more miles on it now!!!! I just simply couldn't believe it!
So Dad got home Friday night... and we sat down on Saturday morning to go over things. The only thing he said that was even remotely questionable in the description was the remaining tread on the tires, which Dad had offered a couple hundred dollars credit on if he felt strongly about it (even though the car now had nearly 900 more miles on it anyway). The buyer is just simply a bastard!
So I've sent messages to both eBay and PayPal - and this morning I filed against him on ebay for being a non-paying bidder (which bidding on car is considered a legally binding contact). I'd love to see his butt get suspended! At the very least, I'm going to make sure I keep the $500 deposit - and get my auction fees refunded (that takes roughly 7 days to be determined according to ebay). Too bad it's probably not worth it to go after him in small-claims court for the travel expenses themselves - as they weren't included in the cost. I'd love to just smear this POS buyer if given the opportunity.
[This message has been edited by MinnGreenGT (edited 10-17-2005).]
That sucks Rob. Has he had it listed locally too? if he can, it might not be a bad idea to hold on to it now till spring (im sure you know that though )
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07:28 PM
Patrick Member
Posts: 37674 From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Registered: Apr 99
My Dad talked to the guy briefly last night... sounds like he has some money to spend...
What a Bastard...
The only thing worse than a bastard without money is a bastard with money.
Sounds like buyers remorse. Most people probably wouldn’t get as far into a deal before backing out (if they were so inclined), but this guy can probably afford being an idiot. Too bad he has to jerk you and your Dad around in the process. I'm glad you at least got the $500 deposit. Next time make it a thousand dollars.
Hmmm... I'll have to look into that breach-of-contract stuff and see if my Dad is interested in pursuing it.
As for me, I've filed to get my listing fee back from ebay on the auction (that should be approved shortly) - and the 2nd chance offer was turned down by the next bidder, as they had already purchased another vehicle since the auction ended.
So, the car has just now been relisted (with a slightly revised description to account for the additional mileage, as well as my displeasure with deadbeat bidders).
Relisting Due to Deadbeat Buyer who backed out after we drove the car 800 miles to complete transaction!
If it was my car, I would not have mentioned that in the new listing. Potential bidders might feel the guy backed out because he discovered something wrong with the car when he saw it. Yes, the guy was probably a jerk, but people looking at your new listing don't know anything about him or you.
If it was my car, I would not have mentioned that in the new listing. Potential bidders might feel the guy backed out because he discovered something wrong with the car when he saw it. Yes, the guy was probably a jerk, but people looking at your new listing don't know anything about him or you.
Hmmm.... interesting suggestion. I just figured that it would be best to be honest about why the item was relisted (as if a relisting doesn't bring about some question anyway).
But you're right... I removed the part about traveling 800 miles - I guess if people ask, I'll be honest & let them know... but better not to advertise it! Thanks for the suggestion.
What was the second-highest bidder's amount? You might contact that person and offer to sell them the car. This isn't unusual when a buyer backs out.
Yes, ebay even has a system setup for "2nd Chance" offers... unfortunately the next person in line had already purchased another car by the time all this went down with the 'vette (I tried). I've considered going to the next one down the list from that, but with the time that's gone by - I think I'll have better luck just reselling it (although I may yet try).
The Good News? The car was purchased using "Buy-It-Now" for $19k by a serviceman (Navy?) located in Scicly... he has already sent the $1k deposit via PayPal.
The Bad News? The Jerk/Deadbeat Bidder in WA State finally filed with PayPal to get a refund of "his" $500... So 1/2 of the deposit from the new buyer is "On Hold" until they review the dispute case... ugh. I guess even if he gets it granted, it'll be a break-even thing. I really hate this guy...
The Good News? The car was purchased using "Buy-It-Now" for $19k by a serviceman (Navy?) located in Scicly... he has already sent the $1k deposit via PayPal.
The Bad News? The Jerk/Deadbeat Bidder in WA State finally filed with PayPal to get a refund of "his" $500... So 1/2 of the deposit from the new buyer is "On Hold" until they review the dispute case... ugh. I guess even if he gets it granted, it'll be a break-even thing. I really hate this guy...
Hmm hopefully he doesn't send you an email in broken english that he'll be sending you a $23,000 check and for you to send him the remainder back, and arrange to have it shipped there
And that sucks about the deadbeat. I would have pointed out the auction is a LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT and shoved it right in his face. Nobody forced him to bid on a car he's never seen in person. I have no doubt the car is as you describe, but it sounds like he was trying every old trick in the book to get you to bring down the price as low as possible, like he was dealing with a dealership or something. That car at that price is a steal, IMHO.
Rob, write to crme@paypal.com and tell them your story. Don't just leave it at the whim or whoever PayPal decides to believe. I got this address not all that long ago when a crappy seller was screwing over me and over 1000 other people per month on eBay. I also have a relationship with the VP of Trust and Security at eBay. If you feel like you should write to him, hit me with a PM and I will give you his info.
As to the seller from Scicly - he's already sent the $1k deposit, and spoke with my Dad on the phone a number of times... he is sending a check from the Navy credit union, and understands that we will not release the car to anyone until that check has fully cleared our bank. Also, he is arranging a professional carrier (at a cost of $1100 from what we understand) to transport the car to upstate NY.
It sounds like he's really excited to get the car, and seems to be so-far-so-good (unlike the 1st buyer, who acted strangely from the 1st time he called on the phone). **fingers crossed**
quote
Originally posted by Songman:
Rob, write to crme@paypal.com and tell them your story. Don't just leave it at the whim or whoever PayPal decides to believe. I got this address not all that long ago when a crappy seller was screwing over me and over 1000 other people per month on eBay. I also have a relationship with the VP of Trust and Security at eBay. If you feel like you should write to him, hit me with a PM and I will give you his info.
Thanks Dale... I'll write up the story and shoot you a PM when I'm ready to send it - thanks for the help!
Some days it just seems like it never ends! I get to work this morning to find a message from paypal that starts like this:
quote
Dear Robert Bartlett,
It has come to our attention that you may be the recipient of potentially unauthorized funds. We have initiated an investigation into this event. In the meantime, we have placed a temporary hold on the funds in question until the investigation is complete. This temporary hold will show as a deduction in your available balance. In the meantime, you are free to continue transacting using your PayPal account.
On the same day, I also received a message from the buyer indicating that he had just sent the bank check out via Military post, and that we should be receiving it sometime this week! He also included both his personal email address, as well as his military address.
So I sent paypal back all the applicable info that they reqeusted, as well as sending the buyer a message questioning what was happening with the deposit money, and the paypal account? No response yet (that was only a few minutes ago really), but I'm hoping that he just didn't understand that he was to send the difference in value ($19k - $1k = $18k remaining) and that he is sending a check for the total amount that figured that the deposit would go back to him... ugh.
I don't know. If anything else goes wrong with this, I'm giving up on selling anything large on ebay - it's becoming not worth the hassle and headache!
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10:34 AM
Patrick Member
Posts: 37674 From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Registered: Apr 99
Grab your ankles. This is a scam. The trick here is, that they submit to you a fraudulent check. It clears your bank in two days, in accordance with the law. HOWEVER, that does NOT mean the check has cleared the ISSUING bank. It can take up to two weeks for that to happen. More for an overseas financial institute. And when the check comes back to your bank, they WILL drain your account and demand repayment of any lack in funds. And if you surrendered the car as well, you're totally hosed. I know you're hoping after all this that things will work out, but I think you're in for a major heartbreak here. You can take the check to the bank and have them verify the account with the issuing bank, if said bank even actually exists. But that still won't provide any assurances.
[This message has been edited by Taijiguy (edited 10-31-2005).]
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03:23 PM
PFF
System Bot
RandomTask Member
Posts: 4540 From: Alexandria, VA Registered: Apr 2005
Grab your ankles. This is a scam. The trick here is, that they submit to you a fraudulent check. It clears your bank in two days, in accordance with the law. HOWEVER, that does NOT mean the check has cleared the ISSUING bank. It can take up to two weeks for that to happen. More for an overseas financial institute. And when the check comes back to your bank, they WILL drain your account and demand repayment of any lack in funds. And if you surrendered the car as well, you're totally hosed. I know you're hoping after all this that things will work out, but I think you're in for a major heartbreak here. You can take the check to the bank and have them verify the account with the issuing bank, if said bank even actually exists. But that still won't provide any assurances.
Unless its a Cashiers Check, then the funds HAVE to have been payed for.
A Quick Update and some mostly good news... Apparently PayPal has to verify fund transfers of that size, and the buyer had input the wrong telephone number and was unable to be contacted for verification - hence PayPal freezing the funds. He is currently working on resolving it (although it could be up to 5 days for it to clear up again). Note: he sent this info prior to my messages this morning, but sent it to my Dad with whom he's been corresponding with as well... and Dad didn't contact me until just now!
As far as it being a scam... I don't think we're looking at that (but I certainly keep that in mind everytime something goes awry) at least not in the textbook form that we normally see.
It was made crystal clear that the final payment must be made using a back-guaranteed cashier's (pre-paid) check. And even then, the car won't be released for transport until the funds are certified & cleared by both banks.
I'll keep everyone posted - and thanks for hearing me out in my times of frustration!
Unless its a Cashiers Check, then the funds HAVE to have been payed for.
The checks are FAKE. Usually drawn on non-existent accounts, or even non-existent banks. You don't know until your bank gets the check back saying it's no good. Then you get slammed with paying it ALL back. I've been down this road, I know how this scam works.
The checks are FAKE. Usually drawn on non-existent accounts, or even non-existent banks. You don't know until your bank gets the check back saying it's no good. Then you get slammed with paying it ALL back. I've been down this road, I know how this scam works.
Although seeing as how the check is being issued by the Navy (as in US Armed Forces) Federal Credit Union - it should be quite simple to contact them directly and verify that the check & the buyer are legitimate... And as mentioned - the car will not be released until the check had completely cleared the bank.
[This message has been edited by MinnGreenGT (edited 10-31-2005).]
I'm not saying it's impossible to establish if the check is authentic or not. The key is to be INFORMEd, which is all I was attempting to do. MOST people mistake the check clearing their bank with the check "clearing", which is what these scams rely on. Most buyers aren't going to sit around for a month waiting for their check to clear. In which case they demand the vehicle or the refund, and you're stuck trying to figure out what to do. I'm not wishing you bad luck, just offering the benefit of my expeience.
The new buyer re-sent his paypal deposit (this time with his account having been verified) - that money is now residing safely in my bank account... and has been for awhile.
We also received the certified bank check that same weekend (Navy Federal Credit Union - as stated). We contacted both his bank and ours - both confirmed the check as being valid. The check has been cleared through our bank - and the funds released immediately.
The new buyer has contacted his transport company, and provided us with instructions on prepping the car for transport (car should only have 1/8-1/4 tank of gas, needs 4" ground clearance, etc). I believe he has scheduled the car for pick up sometime this weekend, or the first part of next week.
Then today I arrived to find a message from PayPal regarding the deposit from the original deadbeat buyer... they agreed that the vehicle was described as-is and was not misrepresented!
quote
from PayPal Dispute Resolution Departement:
Based on PayPal's definition of significantly not-as-described, this claim does not qualify for a refund for the following reason:
We found the seller to have accurately represented the item(s) in question.
Please review the User Agreement for more information. This case is considered closed.
Woo Hoo! I have some restored faith in PayPal & Ebay again...
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10:12 AM
avengador1 Member
Posts: 35468 From: Orlando, Florida Registered: Oct 2001
TMI! TMI! 
