Anyone still "Hold" a car on someones word anymore??

I guess that I am really suprised, here in Wisconsin a mans word still means something...and some of these guys seem ok in person but are untrustworthy when all thats between you is a phone line....

 

My Dad used to tell me "Your word is the only thing of value you will ever have. And a handshake is as good as a written contract."

 

Money talks,,,people's word is worthless without a cash deposit. I had a boat for sale 3 weeks ago,,plenty of folks contacted me wanting it "Hold it for a week" but it was the student who got dad to come by with cash who got the smokin' deal at Shady T's Dealzarama

 

First to put cash in hand gets it. So many times have i lost out because people change their mind and never contact me again.

 

I do. A guy gave me his word a couple weeks ago on a car. Had TONS of other people try to buy it in the mean time but I held onto it for him. He picked it up yesterday when he got back from Compton.

 

ill hold anything for anyone for an aggreed amount of time

what chaps my ass is when someone else says they'll hood something for me and then sells it even AFTER i gave them a decent deposit lost a 69 charger that way

 

I had a deal worked out on a car with a guy. I agreed to hold the car till the weekend. He knew the price I wanted and that price was not negotiable. He came a long way with his trailer. When he started nitt picking the car and wanted to haggle over the price, I told him there were others interested in the car. In front of him I picked up the phone and called a local guy who also wanted the car for the same price. The first guy suddenly changed his tune and paid the full price for the car.

 

What a coincedance,only 3weeks ago,we have a Buy,Swap n Sell on the radio down here.Igot on and said how i have a ute[pickup] 4 sale for 1k,this guy rings,says he's on his way home from nite shift and he wont be up till 1o'clock,mind you it's 7in the morning,i get heaps more calls and tell them to ring after 2,anyway 6hours later he turns up,luvs it and says he's off to the ATM to get the $$$,have not seen the prick since,Ahuh,but i have his cell nmbr,in 8 weeks while heez getting his beauty sleep i'll ring his wife and tell her to tell him to keep away from My Wife[i'm single]fcuk him !

 

Been burned too many times to trust anyone. usually if i agree to hold it, i get the "i'll only give you x now" call. its all cash up front now.

 

I don't know why people alway say things are getting worse. In my mind they've stayed the same. The world has always been a mix of honest and dishonest, smart and stupid, and the ratios have always been the same.

 

There are still people whose word is good, and I am one of them. That said, I base my decision on how the conversation is going, especially if it's on the phone, and the verbal 'cues' of the potential buyer.

As a buyer myself, I appreciate the seller holding it until I can get there and have the opportunity to at least see it before deciding. But in those cases I am usually on my way pretty quick.

As for the OP's experience.....I have noticed that when the excuses start flowing..the deal is usually going to go south.......face that early and take the bird in hand.

Edit: this may piss a few people off.....but I was in retail automobiles for several decades. I soon learned the people I had to watch most carefully where those who didn't trust me. It seems that people who themselves are not especially trustworthy, trust others the least.

Ray

 

The closest I came was when I had my car at a local swap meet. Some guy asked me to take the For Sale sign off as he wanted to buy it. He would call me later. So I took the sign off and went home. Sure enough, he called and came over with his buddy.The car is question was a '65 Biscayne, restored with a drag pack option. (BBC and stick) We went for a ride and the buyer started waffling. So I put the car away and told him to car if he made up his mind. The next swap meet, another guy said he just sold his '63 427 Galaxie and wanted to buy my car. Sure enough, he called. He was waiting for the funds to clear from his sale.

Since the car was selling, I decided to take her for one last drive. A wire under the dash was rubbing on the braided oil pressure line, shorted and cut the line. I had to call the buyer and tell him the bad news. He still wanted to buy the car after it was fixed and wanted me to add a couple of other things, which he said he would pay for. Once the car was fixed and a new carpet installed, the guy backed out of the deal.

I was pissed because the buyer hadn't paid for the extras, so I boosted the price another $2K. Fortunately, I sold the car the following week, to my neighbor so I see it all the time. But, no worries, he redid my car and now has $130K in it.

Because of the two aforementioned buyers, I only take non-refundable deposits now so I don't waste my time.

I, myself, look at a car with cash in hand.

 

yeah, if your reasonable. like for a couple hours. If the guy calls and says he's coming there with cash to buy it. yes i will hold it

 

I used to rely on a man's word, but I've been burned too many times. People are out for themselves now and the hell with anybody else. If somebody says they'll be here to look at whatever on Friday at 1:00pm, the next guy standing there with the cash will own it at 1:01pm !

 

That's the way it was 50 years ago when I started buying and selling stuff. A handshake was as good as a cash deposit. I wish it still was. There are still exceptions of course but not many. Get a cash deposit or you probably won't see the guy again.

 

Exactly,and not only that,meet them somewhere,the pricks like to know where you live and then it goes awol,bastards!

 

I got burned once. Only way I hold it is if the guy is on his way and I have his number I can call him back.
If he says I will be there at 4:00 and he calls and says Im a few minutes behind sure but if he doesnt call and I call him... no answer. No Im selling it.
I went through this with a jackass that wouldnt answer his phone and after a few days sent me an email sorry couldnt make it. I jumped through hoops on my end to make it possible for him to come get it and him a no show and No call.

 

I'm holding one for a guy right now. He keeps telling me that he's sending some money. It's not looking good.

 

Trust no one. You'll never be disappointed.

 

Once it's bought and paid for, they should hold it for as long as you need. Depending on the situation. At least that's always how it's been for me.Bought things I've found online or elsewhere and sometimes it's took several weeks before I was able to come and get it. If it was something I absolutely had to have I put the cash out there to snag it before anyone else did.

 

Never!

 

I have requested that others hold cars for me as well. I am usually ready to go look at it with a trailer in tow before I make the call. I give them the time I should be there and it usually goes well. IF I don't have all the cash I have a good amount to give a deposit.

I have learned one thing is selling them though. I ALWAYS do is when the buyer asks "will you take X amount of dollars for it,?" I ask is that an offer as in you will buy it or are you just wanting to know. That line really seperates the posers and the really interested buyers. It kinkda cuts the b.s. quickly.


I was on the other end of the topic last week though. I had my RPU here in the classifieds and the buyer and I haggled and I had given my bottom price and the buyer wanted to think on it, I said okay. He called about 36 hours later and wanted it. Initially I wasn't going to sell it to him because I had put in a lot of time earlier that day setting up the auction ad and really wanted to go that way with it.

After conversation with the buyer, I felt selling it to him was the right thing to do and so I did. I had told him to let me know on it and he said he was going to be busy the next day with his 40th year anniversary.

All in all there are lots of time wasters on both sides of the counter. Karma is a bitch, be upfront as a buyer and a seller, and generally things will be just fine.

 

Well if it's a good friend that I KNOW will come back with the cash in hand , then maybe .
If it's someone coming from an ad that I had posted someplace , then NEVER PERIOD ! Cash in hand or go get some now if you want it !

Retro Jim

 

If someone wants something I have for sale I will make arrangements to show it at a convenient time but will not guarantee to hold it. If they ask me to do so, I will tell them politely that I can't guarantee that, if someone else comes and wants to buy it, I won't sell it. This seems to get the serious ones even more interested.

I also will not hold something without a substantial, non refundable cash deposit, and then only for a limited time. I will ask how long they will be, and write that time limit on the receipt. If they do not keep their word, they forfeit the deal and their deposit. There is a little leeway here, if they phone and say something came up and they need a couple of extra days ok. But if they don't call, and I get a chance to sell the item to someone else, and it is well past the time they set, it's gone.

 

With all these tough minded responses.......it must be a MAJOR seller's market out there!

Ray

 

Another one of these. First one to the finish line wins. Cash and carry. Without a deposit, don't hold shit. Damn, when are people going to learn? When people stop holding stuff, that's when.

 

I have, and at times have gotten burned. Hell, i've had cars "sold" to HAMBer's who backed out, or i had to contact to find out they changed thier minds.
Seriously speaking, IF i'm selling a car it means i need the cash so it's tough to hold something of real value when the bill's keep coming.
I can't say i won't again, but the reason's have to be VERY good, and it would have to be someone close to me that i trust otherwise it's cash in hand or on to the next guy unfortunately.

Tony

 

I dont think it has anything to do with who's market it is..My grandpa Earl told me this... If a mans word is no good chances are not much else is good about him either ...You should treat others as you would expect to be treated,,,,I dont think its asking to much..do you?

 

Thats the way I do it, to me hand money and a time frame seal the deal or wish in one hand and shit in another and see which one you get first.

 

Excepting friends/family (which I wouldn't usually sell to anyway)... If their word says "In God wet trust" and it's backed by the appropriate number of Ben Franklins who shall remain in my custody in perpetuity, I will for a short time. If they ask me to on the phone I just tell them I'll hold it for the 1st person to show up. That has made them think that I have another interested party and I don't discourage that.

There was a time I would but that time has passed now. Strick 1st come 1st served policy unless you pay me to make it worth my while. If it's a big ticket item, it's on a case by case basis.

If I make you a cash offer, you can be assured that I will have actual cash in hand. That's almost enough to just tell them don't bother coming back.