Bare with me. I am having a hell of a time dealing with jerks. IM just wondering if its me or is everybody else having more and more problems completing deals/swaps? IM not just meaning the HAMB. I have had a guy tell me over and over yes I want xyz part and plan on meeting them and they drop off silent, and this was after planning where we were meeting etc. Another guy I talked to on the phone a few times and it was not a long drawn out deal. It was only a few days and I will see you this day at this time. Nothing.......no excuses, wont answer the phone and wont reply by email. Why cant people man up and just give you a call or an email and let you know what happened? I had my whole family work their weekend around my time and I get screwed over without a call. Until the money is in your hand its all bullshit.
Most people, for the most part are cowards, and inconsiderate. They will inevitably disappoint you so be prepared. When they actually sack up and follow through, it's a nice suprise though...huh? Cheers Hodge
I had a guy bugging me to sell him one of my cars. Sent him dozens of picks and he really worked me over on price. I fully disclosed any defects regarding the condition of the car. Finally, we agreed on a price and I was to deliver. Hauled it over eight hours away. Got to his place and he tried to renegotiate the deal! I threated to hurt him and got a couple of hundred bucks out of his pocket. Didn't even unhook the straps. I got down the road about two miles and my phone rang. He said turn around, he would take the car. So I did. Got about halfway back and he calls again. "I will need to drive the car before I pay for it" I was pissed, made a U-turn and headed for home. He begged me to come back, but screw him. Ended up selling the car to a friend for $700 more about three months later. I will NEVER deliver a car unless it is paid for in full before it is loaded.
Trust me your not the only one, the quality of alot of people has just gone to sh*t lately. Ive lost count how many times someone has responded to an ad ive had, get my address, swear they're on their way, and hours go by, and nothing! No call, e-mail, NOTHING! So I always block my number call them back @ at about 3 A.M. the next morning so I can wake them up to a loud annoying screach, unfortunately thats about all I can do, if I could do more I would. I dont know why people BS, poor upbringing? Who knows? But I dont see it getting any better. Ive had worse experiences though....
The stress is under your control. Have stronger internal rules about what you will do as a seller and quit chasing em, strangers are too flaky as a whole even without money involved. Then don't sell stuff when your life is too crazy or you're not setup to easily display an item. PS- Wanna know a secret of selling? When you completely bend to the buyer on the schedule you've already taken luster off your item in addition to creating stress. Take a stronger stance on the scheduling, & when the buyer arrives you've not given away the upper hand. There's always exceptions, but human nature is fairly predictable. good luck
I've got two deals that are suspect right now since it's been way too long and I still haven't received the parts. Both of which I have already paid the money. Both are Hambers. I'm pissed at the way these punks are handling business these days. r
I stopped giving out my address long ago. Now I meet people at a gas station down the road and have them follow me to where the car is or I just bring the part to the gas station. I tell them that Ive been screwed too many times to just give out my address. The people who really want to buy stuff are not put off by it.
The good thing about the net is the number of potential customers that you can reach...the bad thing is the number of jerks that you reach goes up in the same proportion. In a flea market you see thousands of customers and a few jerks. On the net you see millions of customers and many jerks. Some of the guys you perceive as jerks could be good people that just get embarrassed when "shit happens" and they don't follow through. They'd just rather crawl in a hole than try to explain what happened to change their minds. I try not to get excited about a deal until the money changes hands. There are some customers that just want to be pen pals with you. I'm polite and courteous up to a point and I refuse to do anything for a stranger until the cash is in my pocket. Most people are cool but we are forced to treat people as potential jerks until proven otherwise.
I had a 51 Merc roof at the last swapmeet I was vending.Fucker kept bugging me and coming back saying he really needed the roof for his car to fix a bad chop. Last time he came back he said he had to go find torches of all things to cut the roof up on the spot. I called bullshit and told him I had my cordless Dewalt in the truck and if he wanted it so bad I,d cut it up for him....after he paid for it. Jerkoff then walked away with his tail between his legs. Assholes are everywhere.....
Most of the replies revolve around 'flaky' buyers but how about flaky SELLERS? Reach an agreement with a guy on some parts and try to find out how to get payment to him (I'm in the MidWest, he's on the Coast). A weeks worth of emails and PM's later: "Since I didn't hear from you, I sold them to someone local. Sorry." Huh? Couldn't figure out how to check his email or PMs? I dunno, I figure he was just not a man of his word. Is OK .. didn't NEED the parts anyhow.
It's due to a couple reasons in my thinking: 1) I think there is alot more pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking buyers that are good intentioned but with the bad ecomony cannot follow through with deals. I've had about 3 times more buyers flake out on me in the last few months. 2) On parts deals UPS or shipping can be a deal breaker. Recently, I had sold a physically large item to the west coast. I went to THREE UPS offices and they tried charging me 'dimensional weight'. I had to refund the dudes money because UPS was just stupid.
This happens to me alot... People are interested until they find out that I live in The Bronx. Then I never hear back. But if I meet somone five miles up the road in Westchester County they always call back/ show up.
Had it happen to myself just like most other's. I attribute it to lack of common sense and respect. I just can't see any other reason's for not following through.
Im seeing this a lot too. Im mothballing my construction business for a while to revamp my bids and contracts. im getting baited and switched way to often.
I called this guy back the day before he was due here just to make sure he was coming. He seemed kinda rattled. Oh yeah I will be there Sat. I said well keep me up to date with a time. He sent me a time by email, then he changed it to the next day and he would call me early. No call.......dissapeared.... wont answer emails...wont answer phone. One of my deals was a HAMBer but the guys fairly new and I think hes a kid.
Im having great luck...both buying and selling I feel I price my stuff accordinally...always willing to deal...and it sells If the price is right I buy.... if its over priced I explain why, state the going rate and try to negotiate...some get it... some think their stuff is gold and dont know the going price its the sellers trying to play middle man or woman I cant stand simple (knock on wood)
Just went through this with my 37 Ford slantback. Guy calls, wants to drive it. Comes from out of state, brings his "expert" and they both like the car but he wants to think about it. Calls back next day with an offer, which matched what I had in mind. He's coming over the next day, and I close up shop for a day to handle the transaction. Next day i'm waiting around, finally he calls and says he's not buying it. After a few seconds of silence I told him, 'Look you wanted the car, I took off work to do this, now get over here and get the car, and bring a cashiers check.' and he did. Where are peoples ethics, and what happened to your word being your bond? Many times i've wished I would not have made a deal, but went through with it anyway because a deal is a deal.
I agree with Mike 3137. Made a deal with a guy at a show in Ohio to do even trade. Told the guy I would borrow a trailer & meet him half way, and discussed title transfer. Called to set up day for swap he said he was busy would call me back that night, if he didn't I was to call him the next day. I've called 3 times and left messages. That was 2 months ago.... no return call.. I can understand if someone changes their mind but at least call and say so.... I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot they would feel the same...
And we wonder why people scrap all these old cars. IM going to scrap some perfectly good non HAMB friendly sheetmetal because of being jerked around.
I almost never sell anything. I'm so tired of assholes that I'd rather just hold onto my parts rather than sell a $500 item for $100 just to get rid of it, and then listen to some jackass try to whittle me down to $75. I guess I don't have the salesman gene in me.
About five years ago a wheeler dealer caught wind I was selling some of my stuff. Knew him by reputation from years back but showed him my stuff anyways. He really wanted my sedan delivery which was the one I really didn't want to sell. He offered me a price on a 38 Dodge, 48 Hudson, 62 Biscayne, 57 four door hardtop, and a 51 Chevy one ton. "I'll be back before freezeup" was the line I got. The NEXT October he caught wind I was going to haul the 62 to a swap meet, and phoned and said "I thought we had a deal". I thought he was coming a year ago. No $$ changed hands but he still tried to commit to the deal. I gave him a week. I sold the Dodge to Jonnyrockets here on HAMB, the Hudson went to JD, the Biscayne is sold, as is the 57. The one ton with 17,000 miles on it is still in the barn, not really for sale.
same here. i hear you all on this one. ive had problems with sellers and buyers not following thru with deals, times, money. its definetly an issue. one that many of us have the misfortune of being on the short end and left hanging. but its an issue that i dont see being solved unless all the flakes and jerks and punks , wantabes die off. i would say that 95% of all hotrodders are good, honest, hard working people (true hotrodders) we do it because its what we have always done and love, the kind of people that would stop for a stranded hot rodding brother or any person for that matter in the pouring rain stuck in a muddy ditch on the side of some back road and give a hand and help. the other 5% are just really lame for lack of cleaner terms.
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