Re: Buyer Beware

["D. St. James" <saintj@execpc.com>]

Under the described circumstances, the seller was a jackass, and it was his
responsibility to give the warning...."OK, I know you're very interested in my
car and driving a long distance to see it, but I have to warn you, others may
also be looking at it, and if they offer me an acceptable price, I'll sell it
without further notice." Otherwise, he had an obligation to tell the guy who
made the offer while you were in transit: "...far as I'm concerned, we've got a
deal, but there's this guy driving a long way who is also very interested, and
if he also wants the car it'll be between you and him...high bidder gets it, or
you guys will have to flip for it!"

Phil & Judy Rose wrote:

> Huw Powell wrote:
>
> >> What I believed was implicit in our "agreement"
> >
> >There is nothing implicit in an agreement - it is either explicit or
> >misunderstood.
>
> Lots of things in life are implicit, 'til greed, fear or sex become
> involved. Hmm, I guess that doesn't actually leave much else, does it?
>
> > Sorry about the deal gone sour, Phil, but let's face it,
> >there are a lot of different kinds of people out there and the necessity
> >of dealing with them (say, when they have something you want) makes it
> >advisable to cover all the bases when making arrangements.
>
> Well, clearly I let down my guard there. Hence I am embarassed, a bit
> wiser, but IMO no less justified in my anger. As to the admonition "cover
> all the bases": It can't be done. Some have said, "Well, you didn't
> give/send him a deposit." To which I reply: I agreed to show up in person
> sooner than any deposit could conceivably have been received. And, had I
> sent a deposit, there is every liklihood that this guy  would _still_ not
> have waited, claiming just as glibly that he had no guarantee my deposit
> was actually on its way, so he sold it to another guy who came by. Of
> course, then I might have been spared the time, money and effort of the
> drive out there. One of my miscalculations was to think that getting there
> with cash as quickly as possible was something that would better my chances
> of avoiding a, uh, "misunderstanding" as you generously describe it.
>
> Don't forget, This is the guy who had the gall to say to me (after 4
> long-distance calls and a visit from Chris on my behalf the previous
> night): "I had no way of knowing if you were _seriously_ interested in
> actually buying the car."
>
> >
> >I know you expected this to be a much friendlier situation; the trouble
> >is that the seller had no idea that you would turn up for sure, or buy
> >the car, and he wanted to sell it.  Someone bought it.
>
> He had my phone number to call, and the absence of any answer would at
> least have been circumstantial evidence that I was doing as promised. He
> also had no idea that I wouldn't show up *one hour* later and offer an even
> _higher_ price (than the buyer), right? After all, if I showed up after a 5
> hr drive, I'd be pretty darn motivated to buy, wouldn't I.
>
> Anyway, what you've stated is merely a rationalization for someone who
> acted out of greed and fear. I'm old enough to know that people usually to
> put themselves first, but when that is coupled with utter disregard and
> insensitivity toward others, it is repugnent.
>
> Taken to an extreme and truly serious level, the "I had no idea" cop-out
> has been used to justify  killing perfectly innocent, unarmed people (I
> think of the poor teenager in Louisiana, shot dead a few yrs ago as he
> attempted to ask directions. "I had no idea this guy standing in my
> driveway in a mask on Halloween wasn't going to break into my house to rape
> and pillage.") Don't we risk sinking to very low levels of behavior based
> on the rationalization that were are merely defending against _presumed_
> misbehavior on the part of others.  Yes I know, it's a dog-eat-dog world
> out there...and around and around it goes.
>
> >Rude?  Yes, but
> >this is America.  Rude and crude...
>
> This message is from Phil Payne, right? ;-) Oh, sorry, Huw Powell. Well
> Huw, yes it did happen in America, but I won't agree to passing this off as
> an "American thing". Probably not even a German thing, inasmuch as Mr.
> Sauberlich's (and his wife's) accent indicated they were not so long
> removed from the Vaterland.
>
> Anyway, I'm anxious to put this all behind me and get on with my "quest". I
> only posted the experience because I hoped others might learn from it, as
> I have.
>
> What's that Russian saying?   "Trust, but Verify!" (*)
>
>  Da!
>
> Phil Rose
> (*) The only memorable thing that Ronald Reagan ever said. Oh, I almost
> forgot the other one: "Win this one for the Gipper."