Re: Buyer beware

["Fred Munro" <munrof@isys.ca>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Buc <abuc@ibm.net>
To: Quattro List <quattro@coimbra.ans.net>
Date: Wednesday, April 08, 1998 9:12 PM
Subject: Buyer beware


<snip>
>The author went to a swap meet for old car buffs and agreed to buy
something
>that someone else was selling. I forget what it was, but it was heavy and
>bulky enough that the buyer had to walk across the field and drive his car
>back to collect it. He went to get his car right away, w/no dilly-dallying,
>and when he got back, the seller had gotten a better price from someone
else
>and sold it out from under him.
>
<snip>

    Your story and Phil's unhappy experience brings to mind my (positive)
experience with buying the '91 200q. After the '86 5ktq was totalled, my
wife and I took 2 weeks holidays and travelled all over Ontario looking for
a replacement quattro. Nary a suitable candidate to be found, although I
found several dealers who were buying every q they could find and shipping
them to Portugal where they doubled their money; they weren't interested in
selling their precious q's at mere Canadian prices.
    The holidays were over, the search was unsuccessful, and on my way north
I stopped for gas and picked up the latest Auto Trader. There in its pages
was a '91 200q at a used car lot in downtown Toronto. It was 8 PM Friday
night. Called the dealer; the car was available but he closed at 9 PM. Hmm,
if we hurry, we might just make it before closing. Told the dealer I was
coming, raced to TO, got stuck in traffic, arrived at 9:30 PM. The lights
were still on and the dealer was waiting! Ignored the dozens of BMW's & MB's
on the lot, test drove the q, gave him $100 deposit to hold it until morning
for a daylight inspection. Went back Saturday morning, drove it again, and
made a deal conditional on a few repairs (new fuel pump, rear discs, seat
heater switch,etc.) and  a satisfactory inspection by the local Audi
dealership. I told him I would be back in one week to pick up the car.
    Went back the next Friday to pick up the car and, yes, it was waiting
for me, repaired and shined up. The dealer said there were 12 other people
who showed up the previous Saturday who wanted the car, including one
gentleman who drove up from London and would not accept that it was sold; he
kept upping his price until it was several $,000 over what I had offered.
    My experience was positive. The dealer stayed open late even though he
did not know for sure I was coming and he stuck to our deal even though he
could have made more money by backing out. In my many used car purchases
I've found the majority of people are decent, honest folk.

Fred Munro
'91 200q  248k km