I just got stiffed on a Charger...

[vert]

I've been working on a deal for a 71 SE with 440 since Dec 19.  Talking with the seller, asking for VIN and fender numbers, engine and trans numbers, answering questions, asking questions, asking for pictures, etc. He sent me fender tag stuff and link to more pictures yesterday. 2 weeks 3 days to get the fender tag info, still no engine serial tho.   Told the guy I'd drive 8hrs to see/buy it for his price this weekend.  He told me this morning he had a guy driving 8 hrs to see it, leaving today, getting it tomorrow.  If he doesn't get it, then I still have a shot.  Why wouldn't he tell the guy I had dibs?  I feel I can't trust him now....  This is the car.

[Bandit72]

i've had this same thing happen multiple times.....some people are just like that i guess.....

[squeakfinder]

He could be trying to create a sense of urgency. To get you down there sooner so you don't find something else in the mean time. If I was selling it I wouldn't hold it for anyone unless they put down a deposit. It would be first come first serve.

[vert]

Urgency?  I've been trying to get #s for two weeks.  Now he's selling it out from under me after I told him I'd pay his askng price contingent on the #s.

[72chargerSE]

Vert,

Obviously he figured you are a smart guy, the #'s don't match, and some other dude is gonna pony up the $$$$ for a non numbers matching car.

I think you can find a better car

Good luck! You'll get one!

Mike

[TeeWJay426]

Vert,

Obviously he figured you are a smart guy, the #'s don't match, and some other dude is gonna pony up the $$$$ for a non numbers matching car.

Chances are it's exactly as Mike said... he knows that you'll find out it wasn't what you thought it was (or what he said it was) and would back out anyway....

[WheresMyCharger]

  too, less work for him or the other guy doesn't care about the #'s and just wants the car

[Paul G]

I cant tell you how many people will tell you they want your car. And then never show up. It has happened to me several times over the years. If I am selling something now, he who has cash in my hand first gets the item. I wont pass up a real buyer while waiting for a guy who told me he is coming to buy it, someday. Not that you would do that, but others would, and have done it to me. Early bird gets the worm. If you dint get the car so be it. Maybe it wasn't for you anyway. Fate??

[Charger1973]

I was talking to the same guy for a while.  He told me he had an extra hood and it was an air grabber.  Said I could buy it for $1000 but he never came up with any pictures of it.  He said that he planned to let it go with the car if I didnt buy it.  Something didnt seem right to me either so I kept looking.  You never know sometimes...

[DodgeChargerNeeded]

Well unless you told him you wanted to buy it 100% or sent him a deposit, First come first serve.

[71 Bee Man]

I've been working on a deal for a 71 SE with 440 since Dec 19.  Talking with the seller, asking for VIN and fender numbers, engine and trans numbers, answering questions, asking questions, asking for pictures, etc. He sent me fender tag stuff and link to more pictures yesterday. 2 weeks 3 days to get the fender tag info, still no engine serial tho.   Told the guy I'd drive 8hrs to see/buy it for his price this weekend.  He told me this morning he had a guy driving 8 hrs to see it, leaving today, getting it tomorrow.  If he doesn't get it, then I still have a shot.  Why wouldn't he tell the guy I had dibs?  I feel I can't trust him now....  This is the car.

There's another thing that really "irks" people - here in Australia at least.......it's what we call "The Number Crunchers".
They're the guys that ring and annoy the heck out of you - with no intention of buying - and are only interested in the numbers to see what's around.

I'm not saying that's you of course, just commenting on why some people are as they are when it comes to selling. It certainly seems probable that this isn't a numbers matching car.

I hope it works out well for you though - it looks a really nice car - in the picture at least.

Peter 
Sydney, Australia.

[Mean 318]

I would doubt he has anyone! Sounds like a dork! No worries! If its meant to be the MoPar gods will make sure it works out

[2Gunz]

Unfortunatly for you he wants to sell the car.

He can email pictures and tell storys to people he actually knows.

Do you deserve the pictures and info sure, but apperently he doesnt need to

give that stuff out to sell the car.

[dkn1997]

Urgency?  I've been trying to get #s for two weeks.  Now he's selling it out from under me after I told him I'd pay his askng price contingent on the #s.

first of all, he has noone else.  "I have another guy coming to look at it" is like saying "I got the clap from a toilet seat"  It's just something you say. 

but...in all fairness,  without a deposit, you are a tire kicker in his mind.  I am not calling you a tire kicker, so lets not start that, but to this guy, you may be one.  maybe he has had 50 guys asking for the info you want and is losing patience.  it happens

If he does sell it, he's not selling it out from under you unless he has some of your cash in his hand.  no deal is a deal in my book unless there is cash being transferred.  If he does not want to furnish the numbers you seek, it's best to just move on to another car.  If you are so hot for it, be willing to waste a trip and head up there with cash and hope you get there in time, if it's not what you want, turn around.  you will be out gas money, but it's the only safe way to do it, barring hiring a professional appraiser in his area to look at it in your absense.

[bull]

A deposit would have helped, if it were possible.

The same thing happened to me on a '69 I tried to buy a while back only this one was only about 30 minutes away from me. I went to look at it and tried to get the guy to take a deposit until I could get the rest of the money but he apparently had other plans and refused. Later that night he called me and told me that someone just showed up out of the blue with the cash and bought it. Yea, right. He probably called someone who already wanted it and told them I was going to buy it so the guy freaked out and liquidated his savings account.

I wouldn't worry about this one. I would chalk it up as a learning experience and assume it just wasn't meant to be.

[4cruzin]

Sucks!  Sorry it didn't work out for ya.   

[Doright]

I was talking to my guy almost every day for two weeks before I could go look at my new project charger 800 mile drive!!!
He said it was matching numbers car he sent a few picks we struck a deal basically with out seeing it and no deposit required he would hold as long as I was there when I said I would be there and If the car wasn't as he said matching number car I was in no requirement to buy the car. I kept in contact every other day or so just to say I wasn't backing out and would be there as agreed so He wouldn't change his mind on our agreement, at no point did I figure it was worth badgering him for all the numbers Because I was going to check them myself any way before paying.
The day came to go and I went to see if the car was as he said it was, Well the junk pile is in front of my shop Now!!!!

[moparnutty]

I found a 69 Charger 500 for sale in a add, so I called and talked to the guy and he told me that I was the first to call about the car, so I had first chance. It sounded good so I told him I would put down a deposit, but he said no if the car was not what I wanted, all I would be out was the cost of my trip.He did give me the vin, but no pictures. When I got there the phone was ringing off the wall with guys wanting to buy it,but he sold it to me for the price we talked about on the phone. I made the trip from Arkansas to LA and got the car.

[Charger_Fan]

Vert,

Obviously he figured you are a smart guy, the #'s don't match, and some other dude is gonna pony up the $$$$ for a non numbers matching car.

Chances are it's exactly as Mike said... he knows that you'll find out it wasn't what you thought it was (or what he said it was) and would back out anyway....

I bet you guys are right.

[no318]

MONEY TALKS.  IF the guy said he would hold it for you, he SHOULD have.  I am not a dealer, but I have sold cars before and had lots of people SAY they will take it and NEVER get around to it. 

[Lord Warlock]

Don't feel i'm coming down on you, just some observations here. 

When someone is selling a car, and i've sold enough of them over the years; there is no such thing as "dibs" on people calling for information, even if they say they'll pay the asking price.  Damn right you'll pay the asking price because the seller isn't usually going to sell it at a "discount" to you just because you think its worth less.  When I sell a used car, I ask a reasonable price for it, not top dollar, and if you want to dicker go to a dealer that has some headroom in the price.  If you really want "dibs" I want a fairly substantial deposit such as $250.00 and all the deposit does is hold the car for you for a day or two, time enough for you to get the balance out of a bank account, it doesn't guarrantee the car for you for 3 months while you try to get a loan to pay for it.  The deposit rule applies as soon as you say you'll take it, the term is agreed upon between the buyer and seller.  One other thing, the deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE, you are paying for time and to keep me from selling it to the next caller.  The deposit is subtracted from the balance due upon transfer of the balance, and where I sign the title.  Another thing, signing a title requires me to go to a notary to do it legal

Regarding asking the seller to rummage around and get parts numbers off the car for you, if you want to drop by and spend a few hours crawling under the car to dig out the numbers, fine, but you'll also need to compensate me for the time i endure your presence at my house, since i have to stand around and watch you do it, and waste my time doing so.  But I the seller am not going to dig out the transmission number, or even the block number of the car, I'll have the Vin code readily available and Fender tag info, but expecting anything else is dreaming.  HOWEVER, if you are paying 25,000 to 35,000.00 it may justify me doing a few of these validation steps for you.  But if you are paying me 5k to 10k for a used car, you get to visually inspect the car, you can do a carfax on a newer car if you want, and you can verify the options on the car.  I'm not letting you take the car for a test drive by yourself though, I will drive you out in it, swap positions and let you drive it back.  When I sell a car, I am totally honest about the car, ask me whats wrong with it, and I'll tell you.  Are there things I'm not disclosing? not on purpose but there are always some worn parts i may not be aware of, but if it pulls to one side in certain situations, i'll tell you. If parts are not original, i'll tell you if you ask.  On collector type cars, like our chargers, it is likely I know just as much about the cars as you do, if not more...so don't try to impress me by asking 100s of technical questions, also walking around the car pointing out every nick and scratch or ding isn't going to make me discount the price any...no matter what you think its worth.  Having owned the car for 28 years i'm intimate with every flaw already.  I also know very well what the car is worth.   

At one time when the car was at its lowest depreciation point, you could dicker the price and point out flaws to get a better deal, but once the cars started to get rare, those rules really don't apply unless someone is asking top dollar for the cars (such as barrett jackson auction prices)

If i know you are travelling long distance to see the car, professional courtesy demands that I at least give you a chance to see the car before selling it to someone else, but there isn't anything legally keeping me from doing so unless a deposit is given.  I wouldn't expect someone to drive 300 miles to get the car unless they've gotten pictures, vin to verify with etc, so they've seen enough to realize a deposit is worth securing it before they take the trip.  Most sellers may even consider refunding it if you do show up, view the car and decide not to buy it based on rust/dents or a condition factor that wasn't represented beforehand.  We are expecting someone that takes the effort to drive over with a car hauler to have the cash in hand at the time.  If you are planning on driving the car home, i'll tell you up front if the car is roadworthy or not. 

Once the car rolls off the property, and the title is signed over, the car is yours.  Once it leaves the sanctuary of my property where it has survived for a decade or more safely, I don't know if the car is abused on your virgin trip.  Don't expect a refund if you break something on the return trip.  I've repeatedly heard gripes on car forums from buyers that get a used car and something goes wrong on the ride home they want their money back and grouse if the seller refuses. 

[Charger1973]

I agree with what everyone is saying, that the seller doesnt have an obligation to hold the car for you...  I have the same thing with people wanting to buy cars I have for sale.  There was a guy supposed to show up to buy my Toronado last night who never showed up.  It is very frustrating as a seller to make sure you are home for someone who says they will be over at a certain time and they dont show.  Its a waste of my time.  I would sell any of m y cars to the first person who had the cash. 

This guy could be full of it too though, I didnt trust him.  He wasnt ever able to come up with any pictures of his supposed air grabber hood either.  It could be legit but I wasnt willing to risk it. 

[hemihead]

You have it exactly on the nose Lord Warlock.I hear alot of people ( not only here ) complain about a deal they made and because they know less about cars than they think they know ,a week or month after they made" a steal" of a deal they start whining about it to everyone and anyone.

[Silver R/T]

good luck getting it

[evil1]

   It sucks when a deal falls threw, especially one you spent allot time trying to make.
It's a beautiful car tho,.... any more pics?