Buyer "sudden death syndrome" strikes again.

[Lankytim]

The guy who had agreed to collect and pay for my Chevy Blazer has vanished from the face of the earth. Agreed a price, after viewing and poking around. He failed to show up yesterday- but did at least give an explanation and rescheduled for tonight. Collection time comes and goes, no show. I was banking on it going as I have no space to keep it anymore, because this guy had agreed to buy i'd told other interested parties that it had sold. The only option now may be to scrap it. 

 

I can only assume that he's dead, trampled to death by cows, run over by a steam roller or contracted a deadly illness that resulted in an inability to reply to messages, quickly followed by death. 

 

This seems to be a common occurrence. One guy a while back agreed to buy a Saab and arranged for me to collect him from the local train station, after texting to say he was on the train and went to pick him up and he never showed. Maybe he opened the wrong door thinking it was the toilet and tumbled out onto the tracks or was arrested by Interpol and extradited to Italy on embezzlement charges. Maybe he just died of natural causes and his body was found when the train reached Edinburgh or somewhere. 

 

Do many other 'shiters have any stories of being dicked about by buyers? It can't only be me!

[DodgeRover]

Is this the RHD blazer that you replaced a headgasket on?

[The_Equalizer]

Sounds a bit like when Father Ted calls Father Larry Duff.

[Tamworthbay]

Ten quid drill, messaged in ten minutes - please may I have this send payment details, can I collect Saturday etc. Then nothing until I put up a message on the main thread after it was due to be collected, and that’s on here, so no it’s not just you.

 

How much is the Chevy? And what sort of condition? I may know someone who may be interested.

[bramz7]

Yeah I had some utter fannycrease win the forum bike 205 TD on eBay, I had described all the issues in the advert to cover my own back of course. First warning sign was that he had thought it was some place called Hook up north....right.

 

Kept calling me to say he was definitely collecting, three times I think he called, first time was to waffle on like a braindead idiot about old cars he had owned, great.

 

He never collected it. I have no idea where he went, but to be honest, given how much of a crank he sounded down the phone, kind of glad he didn't.

[Lankytim]

Is this the RHD blazer that you replaced a headgasket on?

 

Correct!

[Angrydicky]

I remember this scruffy middle-aged bloke showing up to look at a Morris Minor my dad was selling. He arrived in an extremely ropey Maestro Clubman D with an odd coloured rear door. Had a drive, left a £50 deposit and said he'd be back to collect at the weekend. Never heard from him again.

[vulgalour]

They're a cryptid.  There's enough stories of these creatures circulating that we know they exist but, due to their very nature, proving their existence is impossible.

[Lankytim]

Ten quid drill, messaged in ten minutes - please may I have this send payment details, can I collect Saturday etc. Then nothing until I put up a message on the main thread after it was due to be collected, and that’s on here, so no it’s not just you.

 

How much is the Chevy? And what sort of condition? I may know someone who may be interested.

 

The guy bartered me down to 350 from 550, which is the minimum I'd take I think as that's about what I could get by selling a few bits and weighing it in.

 

Condition wise it's pretty good, the odd dent here and there. I bought it with a blown head gasket which has been done, unfortunately I forgot to add a smear of sealant on the rear edge of the inlet manifold so it's got an oil leak from there. I've got new inlet gaskets to do the job though. Both front shaft gaiters need replacing and the airbag light is on. That's all I think it needs for MOT. 

 

4wd system doesn't work, it's run by a vacuum and I think a pipes been left disconnected, the airbag light has also recently come on. The battery doesn't seem to want to charge either, despite the dash showing 14 volts output. Might be a duff battery.

 

Matching set of good tyres, the rears look nearly new. Very comfortable to drive (on private roads), sounds great and very powerful. Previous owner lost the V5 so one will need to be applied for. 

 

Nearly forgot, I've got a good used multi point LPG system ready to fit in the boot!

[The_Equalizer]

Forgot to say. Absolutely always take a deposit. Gets rid of most of the time wasters.

[RayMK]

Yeah I had some utter fannycrease win the forum bike 205 TD on eBay, I had described all the issues in the advert to cover my own back of course. First warning sign was that he had thought it was some place called Hook up north....right.

 

Kept calling me to say he was definitely collecting, three times I think he called, first time was to waffle on like a braindead idiot about old cars he had owned, great.

 

He never collected it. I have no idea where he went, but to be honest, given how much of a crank he sounded down the phone, kind of glad he didn't.

 

We had two enthusiastic sounding nutters of the same type as yours when we sold the Tipo.  Arrangements for pick-up were made, then each disappeared.  Sold to a friend just 500 metres away in the end.  We may even buy it back when he gets bored with the raw power of a 1.4ie.

 

Same a while back when I had a chap respond to my eBay ad for my Reliant Rialto. He actually came, picked fault with all manner of things and drove away in a huff with no indication of further interest. I therefore sold it to someone else.  The huff person complained bitterly when he phoned back and found it had gone.

 

Folk are just strange.

[pilninggas]

^^ totally

 

 

unless the 'buyer' 'olds-out-my-'and with a deposit then they are kicking tyres as far as i am concerned.

[davehedgehog31]

I was selling an amplifier, absolutely as described. I wanted 50 bar for it.

 

Some gimp drove from Ayr (about 45 miles) to collect it, let him hear it, he said it was perfect. He asked if I'd take £45, I said no and he just left.

[Wack]

I had a guy on the phone text and email from France when I was selling a Maserati 4200 , it went on for weeks , but he wanted me to drive it to Dover which I wasn't prepared to do, especially without a deposit , I finally cracked and said right £500 deposit

 

Ah arm sereous abaht buhing youer Maserati look I ave sent yeu a video

 

I opened the link and there was a video of a guy spannering a drift car

 

It ees me so now you know ah arm sereus

 

Fuck off , sold it next day to someone in the uk

[lesapandre]

Forgot to say. Absolutely always take a deposit. Gets rid of most of the time wasters.

Aliens? Or one of those sink holes?

 

As has been said a deposit is the answer and additionally a  quick written agreement about final payment and collection. Otherwise its still for sale. 

 

Shops dont do otherwise why should you?

[PiperCub]

About 20 years back had one idiot who wanted to buy my Alfa Sprint, came out with the following excuses:

 

1. Someone had died. (Not had this excuse before so at the time, I believed it).

2. The stables he ran had been robbed.

3. Another person was in hospital. 

 

All in the space of under a week. If this was all true then this guy was so unlucky, if he had a pet duck, it would sink.

Alternatively, he could just have been a bullshitter who was stringing out the deal to get rid of other buyers and hustle me on the price.

 

Sadly, didn't work out like that for him, I sold it to the next guy who rang for full price - he showed up with cash too. 

 

Twat rang me over two weeks later and was unfeasibly pissed off and put out that I'd sold 'His car' to someone else. I gave him directions in two words. 

[DodgeRover]

The guy bartered me down to 350 from 550, which is the minimum I'd take I think as that's about what I could get by selling a few bits and weighing it in.

 

Condition wise it's pretty good, the odd dent here and there. I bought it with a blown head gasket which has been done, unfortunately I forgot to add a smear of sealant on the rear edge of the inlet manifold so it's got an oil leak from there. I've got new inlet gaskets to do the job though. Both front shaft gaiters need replacing and the airbag light is on. That's all I think it needs for MOT. 

 

4wd system doesn't work, it's run by a vacuum and I think a pipes been left disconnected, the airbag light has also recently come on. The battery doesn't seem to want to charge either, despite the dash showing 14 volts output. Might be a duff battery.

 

Matching set of good tyres, the rears look nearly new. Very comfortable to drive (on private roads), sounds great and very powerful. Previous owner lost the V5 so one will need to be applied for. 

 

Nearly forgot, I've got a good used multi point LPG system ready to fit in the boot!

 

Bloody hell thats cheap, where are you can you link to some pictures, this is smaller than the suburban isn't it?

[lesapandre]

I had a guy on the phone text and email from France when I was selling a Maserati 4200 , it went on for weeks , but he wanted me to drive it to Dover which I wasn't prepared to do, especially without a deposit , I finally cracked and said right £500 deposit

 

Ah arm sereous abaht buhing youer Maserati look I ave sent yeu a video

 

I opened the link and there was a video of a guy spannering a drift car

 

It ees me so now you know ah arm sereus

 

Fuck off , sold it next day to someone in the uk

Ah the old can you drive the car to somewhere/halfway/service area thing. We were selling a Panda - guy wanted us to drive it 100miles so they could 'meet up'. If they cant be bothered to come view so what.

[Cavcraft]

Yes.

Some little bastard from Preston had my daughter and I waiting in the pissing rain at the railway station when he said he was on the train and he wasn’t.

[Tamworthbay]

The guy bartered me down to 350 from 550, which is the minimum I'd take I think as that's about what I could get by selling a few bits and weighing it in.

 

Condition wise it's pretty good, the odd dent here and there. I bought it with a blown head gasket which has been done, unfortunately I forgot to add a smear of sealant on the rear edge of the inlet manifold so it's got an oil leak from there. I've got new inlet gaskets to do the job though. Both front shaft gaiters need replacing and the airbag light is on. That's all I think it needs for MOT. 

 

4wd system doesn't work, it's run by a vacuum and I think a pipes been left disconnected, the airbag light has also recently come on. The battery doesn't seem to want to charge either, despite the dash showing 14 volts output. Might be a duff battery.

 

Matching set of good tyres, the rears look nearly new. Very comfortable to drive (on private roads), sounds great and very powerful. Previous owner lost the V5 so one will need to be applied for. 

 

Nearly forgot, I've got a good used multi point LPG system ready to fit in the boot!

Any chance you send me a link to the ad and I will,pass it onto my mate for you.

[Matty]

Funny that selling old vehicles seems to attract more not rights than any other stuff you might be getting rid of

[lesapandre]

The flip side to this is if you turn up as a sensible buyer sometimes you get an incredible bargin if you politely negotiate have cash and can take a car immediately- I have met sellers who are totally &€£$÷×#¥ off by messers. I bought my AX from a really nice lady who had been really messed about. It was only £225 in the first place and off I went for £200 with everybody happy. 

[Aston Martin]

And this is why people get ripped off buy we buy any shit.

 

Less bollocks to deal with.

[Eddie Honda]

Forgot to say. Absolutely always take a deposit.

[VicReeves]

NOOOO! Not that kind of deposit. A MONETARY deposit!

[/VicReeves]

[D Spares & Tyres]

It happens on here too. A prolific shiter left a £100 deposit on a car then ignored all texts and emails. Spineless twat, if there is a problem then just say. It's not like communicating these days is hard.

[drewd]

I have had it once when trying to sell a Polo. It was on Gumtree, was a cosmetically poor example, but I'd done a fair amount of work to the suspension so although it looked rough it drove as well as a 1.2 3 cylinder Polo could. It had an almost full MOT too.

 

The buyer haggled a bit because he'd had to travel to view it, which annoyed me but I just needed the car gone so I dropped the price. He was adamant he wanted it, called me over the next few days telling me he'd sorted insurance and would definitely collect it on Friday. Then never turned up. When I called him he said he was busy but would call me back. I never heard from him again, which is good as he probably wouldn't appreciate what I would have said to him for wasting my Friday night.

 

I sold it to my brother in the end, much less hassle. I think it's still on the road, although it's changed hands a few times since I owned it.

[Lankytim]

Here it is- it's quite smaller than a Suburban, more Cherokee size, perhaps a bit larger.

 

 

 

Finally decided I’m never going to finish this off. 4.3 V6 auto. Good overall condition apart from the odd dent and scrape. Bought it with a failed headgasket, repaired that and it’s running well except the manifold is leaking oil at the back where I forgot to seal it properly, so the inlet needs to come off again. It’s drive able as it is though, I have new inlet gaskets ready to do this job. 80,000 miles, no MOT, last one expired earlier this year. for MOT it needs a pair of front drive shaft gaiters, the airbag light turning off and maybe a couple of other little things. Great tyres. There’s a complete used multipoint LPG system in the boot ready to fit. The 4x4 service light is on but I think this is down to a leaking vac hose somewhere. The V5 has been misplaced and needs to be applied for. Comes with some spares. Easy project and priced to sell.

[Amishtat]

Mate of mine was selling a Carlight caravan on ebay a few years ago, some guy from Halifax got in touch to say he liked it but would we be able to meet him half way as it was a bit far for him (Essex/Suffolk border). He got arsey when the reply came back in the negative. Eventually sold to a charming man who flew from Japan, rented a Hilux and towed it straight to Southampton docks, loading it onto a ship then flying back all in the space of about 36 hours. We were convinced it was a hoax until he actually turned up with the readies and just enough English to do the deal

[Tamworthbay]

Here it is- it's quite smaller than a Suburban, more Cherokee size, perhaps a bit larger.

 

 

 

Finally decided I’m never going to finish this off. 4.3 V6 auto. Good overall condition apart from the odd dent and scrape. Bought it with a failed headgasket, repaired that and it’s running well except the manifold is leaking oil at the back where I forgot to seal it properly, so the inlet needs to come off again. It’s drive able as it is though, I have new inlet gaskets ready to do this job. 80,000 miles, no MOT, last one expired earlier this year. for MOT it needs a pair of front drive shaft gaiters, the airbag light turning off and maybe a couple of other little things. Great tyres. There’s a complete used multipoint LPG system in the boot ready to fit. The 4x4 service light is on but I think this is down to a leaking vac hose somewhere. The V5 has been misplaced and needs to be applied for. Comes with some spares. Easy project and priced to sell.

I have copied the pics to him and will let you know if he is interested.

[Junkman]

Not sure which ones I find more annoying, the ones that don't make contact at all, or the ones that make contact, delay the collection several times with excuses a five year old could come up with better ones and then stop making contact.

To be fair, though, nowadays one can be grateful to encounter someone that doesn't bore the living shit out of one within ten seconds, so its at least that what the timewasters have going for them.