For the last couple of weeks, I have posted a For Sale ad for one of my trucks with an ad in a weekly free newspaper that covers around 75 counties in three states. I've had some calls, one or two lookers, but no definite offers. I'm not really concerned as to whether or not I get the F150 sold, since I can always use a truck around here for something, but I thought since I had bought the F250 and was using it most of the time, I might as well see if I could get a few bucks out of the old one. I advertised it as it is, warts and all, and when asked I would tell the caller what was wrong with the truck. In the ad I referred to it as a "good farm or work truck", because it has been both for me. I don't feel that I was asking an outrageous amount for it, and told all callers that I would listen to any offer.

(RANT TO FOLLOW)

So, this past weekend, I got a call from a fellow who lives about 25 miles away. He asked the usual questions, and I answered them all. He then asked if he could come to my place to have a look, and even though I had things that I needed to attend to, I told him that I would be around. He promised to be "right over".

Well, after two hours, he did show up (claiming that he could'nt find the town I lived in). He was in his early 20's, I'd guess, and brought his wife and son along. After the introductions, my girlfriend invited the wife and son into the house, and the fellow and I talked about the truck. I offered to let him drive it, crawl under it, look under the hood... you name it. Once out in the shed where I had the truck, he took a cursory look at it and told me that he "would'nt be caught dead" in something like my truck, accused me of lying to him about the condition of the truck, and told me that he was sure that no one in their right mind would make me an offer anywhere close to my asking price.

Needless to say, I was a bit put off by his tone and his comments, but I remained calm and told him that I had not lied about the truck's condition, told him that while it was no show truck it ran quite well and did everything I asked of it. I also told him that I was sorry that he felt deceived, but that I felt I had been completely honest in my description, both in the ad and on the phone. He then informed me that he felt he should be entitled to some "gas money" from me because of his "wasted time and gas" in coming to look at this "piece of junk".

At this point my calm began to fail, and I informed him that he should get his family and remove himself from my property without delay. I went inside the house, where my girlfriend and the man's wife were having coffee and their son was watching cartoons. (My gf informed me later that the woman and her son were very polite.) He followed me in, yelled at his wife to get the boy because they were "gettin' the heck outta here soon as this turkey GIVES ME GAS MONEY!" The wife was a lot calmer than he was, and she took their son, thanked my girlfriend for the coffee, and herded her husband outside while he shouted obscenities at me, my girlfriend, my truck, and generally everyone else in the world, I think. I watched him spin gravel all over my driveway as he sped out, stopping at the edge of the driveway to lean out of the window and give me a one finger salute. At that point, my calm was completely gone, and I decided that enough was enough, so I walked to the end of the drive, expecting him to be long gone by the time I got there. I heard him shouting at me, heard his wife pleading with him to just leave, and his son crying at all the ruckus. My girlfriend ran after me, begging me to leave them alone, to call the law, to do anything but what I apparently had planned, and (to my credit, I think) I listened to her. Meanwhile, the guy had got back into his car, spun more gravel, and left. I waited for him to return, figuring he would feel that since I had not given him any money, he might think it fair to come back and help himself to some compensation. I did note the license number on his car, and I had the name he'd given me and a phone number on my caller ID, so I was'nt too worried about not knowing who was behind all this.

This all happened Friday, and I've calmed down again. But, I am appalled that, for one, a person could act this way over something like a potential used car deal, and, second, that they would do such a thing in front of their wife and child. If he had been by himself, I would have ignored my girlfriend's pleas and confronted him about his behavior, which bothers me very much about myself. I do not act in these ways, and am baffled that anyone would either. It's only an old truck, I mean. If it does not appeal to you, then say so, and don't buy it! But to expect compensation for "wasted time" and such, come on! That is WAY over the top in anyone's book!

There's my rant... thanks for letting me vent.


edited for language......if it trips the language filter please hit the edit button and try again

 

how sad for the child and wife. she must walk on eggshells all day long. If you ask me, that is verbal abuse to the wife and child. As a Foster parent, i would be required by law to report that to CPS. CPS is required to follow up on all complaints, no matter how trivial. I feel bad for the child. how old was the child? boy or girl?
Watch your back, house and truck! someone that volitile (sp) just might get to drinking and come back for some gas money.

 

Was this guy drunk or something? Too bad you couldn't have dotted his "I's", he's probably the type who'll take it out on someone else (the poor wife an' child.)

 

I've never heard of such a deal, to ask for gas money? I have seen some bad rides, and simply say it isn't quite what I'm looking for, and split, but to behave like that is unacceptable. What an idiot!!!

 

That is very unbecoming of anybody.

I always remember this saying which keeps me within boundaries:

"The toes you step on today, may be attached to the foot that kicks you in the butt tomorrow."

 

I never ask anyone for "gas money" for driving out to look at something they were selling. It's my choice to go, my loss if I don't like it. Anyone who thinks the seller should pay them for coming out is nuts. Do they send car dealers a bill for expenses and time every time they go browsing?

Sounds like the boy has a serious problem above the neckline. Needs some education in manners and anger management.

 

We must be part of the "uninformed public"?

 

I guess I would have kept my cool with the guy up until he started using profanity on my property, and in front of my family. There is absolutely no excuse for that kind of display of disrespect for someone. I'm sorry you and your family had to witness such an event. I might have been tempted to break out some armament, and (calmly) "ask" him to leave.

My parents used to tell me, at times, "better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you're stupid, than to open it and remove all doubt." This character should probably take that advice to heart.

Never mind the price you put on the truck, the guy was looking at a USED truck--what was he expecting? Not to mention, if he was that hard up for gas money, he probably couldn't have afforded to buy the truck off you, so no great loss there for you. I hope you sell it soon.

Jason

 

My apologies for tripping the language filter... it was a direct quote from the guy. I realize I should not have repeated it, and I'm truly sorry if I offended anyone.

The child was a boy, who I would guess to be about four years old. He was very well behaved, and the wife was very polite as well. I'm guessing that pattern is well ingrained into them. I did consider calling the authorities, but his hostility was directed only at me, and not his family, so I felt that there was nothing they could do about it.

As to whether the guy had been drinking, I really can't say. I did'nt smell alcohol on him, but then again I never got terribly close to him, either. The family did not seem to need money, as the wife and son were clean and well-dressed, and they were driving a somewhat nice car... not new, but not a 'beater' by any means, either.

As to watching my back, house, and trucks; trust me, I am. I also have the guy's name and license number, and have spoken to a friend of mine who is a reserve deputy sheriff. There's nothing to be done unless some damage occurs, of course, but if that does happen, I have a suspect's information to hand over to law enforcement.

Thanks for the replies, and the support.

 

When I sold my old truck I think that I may have dealt with this guy's brother or maybe his sister...
I put the truck in the paper with a description of all the features as best I can in three lines. The truck ran great but had a big dent in one of the panels so I described it as best I could to anyone when they called. This guy is the first to call about it (he speaks bad english by the way, apparently from jamaica) so I give him directions to come look at it (mapquest directiosn no less right off the computer), should be about a 15 minute drive. He says he wants to come look at it around 10:30AM on a wednesday, I have to be at work so he says that he can come later in the afternoon if I can be around at 3:30PM, so I take an hour and a half off from work to be there. I wait from 3:30 to 6PM before I call him to see if he is going to come look at it. He says he found another one he wants so I'm a little annoyed he couldn't have at least called me to say I'm not coming. He calls back that Saturday at 7:30AM, I' still asleep so I'm a little out of it, this guy is out in the parking lot and wants me to come down and show it to him. I go down there and the first thing he does is tell me that I'm a "#$^#% liar b/c that truck ain't blue", I tell him that there is no need to curse that I stated in the ad it was green. Next he says this truck is a piece of crap (well actually it started with an s and ended with a t) and there is a dent in it. I politely tell him I told him that over the phone. He says I'm a @$#$^$# liar again and he does not want the truck. I go inside and he leaves. He calls back a few hours later and is here again with his wife and she wants to see it. Against my better judgement I go down to show it to them. She wants to hear all about the truck (she is one of these nasty, dominant, skanky jerry springer type wives) so I go through the specs with her (it was a 95 Sierra) and then she says I'm a liar b/c I said it had a 350 in it in the add and that "chevy didn't offer no @#%&*# 350 in this truck only a 5.8". So I have to explain to her that it was actually the 5.7 and that that 5.7L=350 cubic inches. I tell them that I just listed it and that I'm asking X dollars. She says well that is a big dent and we'll want to fix that so I'll give you X dollars minus $3000. I tell her that the Dent will cost $1000 to fix (show her an estimate) and that I have already figured that into the price. She says "you dumb #@$%*#, you don't know crap (again not the work she used)". At this point I say that my price is firm since I just listed it and that was that their final offer. She then tell me that "you're a racist piece of @#$% b/c you won't sell this to my husband b/c he is black (she was white by the way)". I'm floored at this point and tell them that I have their offer but I won't sell if for a penny less than my price and that I'm through dealing with them. They drive off and I go inside, I look out the window few minutes later and they are back and walking around the truck looking at it. They call again and say that they will give me $100 more than their last offer. I tell them that is not acceptable and to stop calling me if they won't meet my price. The next day I get a 5 minute voice mail full of obscenties about how I'm a racist and a liar and that they wasted all this gas to come look at it, and all these minutes on their cell phone talking to me (from my logs the conversations totalled 8 minutes 37 seconds) and that I need to take that off the price of the truck. This guy calls back two days later and asks when he can take the truck. I tell him that I wasn't aware you were buying it, he says "my wife said you and her got a deal for $1000 dollars". I polietly tell this guy that I never said that and that I already sold it (so they will leave me alone). He curses me out and hangs up on me. His wife calls me two hours later and curses me out and says I'm a liar and that I made a deal with her. Finally I told this woman that it was sold and that she shouldn't call me again. She curses me out again and says we know where you live and if we see that truck there we will slash your tires. So finally I call the police and give them the names and cell phone number of these people. Never had any trouble after that. What the heck is wrong with people these days?

 

It's called STOOPID...
In this case you did the right thin calling the police...
and I wish you would in the first case too...
my luck the same idiot will come to my house and I don't have the resolve you do to hold back

The "special" groups think they are special !
And unfortunately those of us that are regular have no such protections....

 

I guess I've been lucky, I haven't had any of that problem, but I was disappointed when I donated my runing god little bit of rust E150 conversion van for a benefit auction and it only got !150, and some used car guy told me it was only worth that much. It had a good running 351W, C6, and wasn't that bad, I had towed my car trailer with it from South Dakota to here in Mo, so I knew it was good to run, just needed some tires. I told him I could part it for several times that amount,and his response was that it wouldn't be worth all the work, I'd just break even. Maybe at the $50 an hour rate he would charge, but most of us can work cheaper, niot to mention, I Don't Mind!!!! Some people....

 

FATMAN !!!!

I musta dealt with this arseholes brother and his wifes sister man.....same SAME scenerio man...blk guy white girl....Guy comes to look at the Mustang im selling.....1st off you guys who build your own cars know...you get mighty pi$$y about people trashtalking your rides.....now this guy calls me up and asks to see the car.....rule#1 never show the car in question at your home.....so i say sure man cmon out to the Winn-Dixie store at 301 & Fowler ave hes like "what? you live at the Winn-Dixie?" i say "no man i just dont show vehicles at my place of residence guy" he then agrees to come look at it.....now this was a 92 LX 4 cyl swap to a 351W .060 over all roller funk machine ya know what im sayin?? it was completely built by me except the boring.....it had a GLOSSY black paint job on it....nice interior, Clarion head unit, Clarion cd changer, 2-12" Kicker subs and a Kicker KX600 amp, Autometer Monster Tach W/ shift light, pillar pod gauges for oil press, fuel press, and water temp. new Weld wheels with new BFG tires, Cowl induction hood, Saleen Wing out back, new Flowmasters all off-road exhaust, etc etc... it was freakin nice.....so i wait.....and WAIT...and WAIT!! finally after about 1.5 hours this guy shows up...he claimed that his (jabba the hut) G/F was hungry (gee guy did she eat them outta business?) well i told him "it'da been nice if you'dda called me to let me know you were takin a pit stop so i didnt have to wait in the heat" he said "hey man if you wanna sell this thing you'd have waited is what i figured" i told him "well man i dont HAVE to sell it, im sellin it cause i got 3 now and i aint got room for 5 vehicles at my house 9 counting the bikes" he says "well what else u got man?" im like "for sale nothing just this" so hes like lookin in the car and stuff...he spots the subs and immediately tells Jabba (his G/F) to run get a good CD....i ask why? he said "imma test this system out man" i said "well you can listen to it but not too loud man" he cranks this thing up almost all the way and i reach in and shut it off FAST!! he gets all bent out of shape...i tell him "i cant afford for you to smoke my system if you aint buyin it man ya know?" he says he wants to drive it and i say no prob...i ask to hold the $$ he asks why?? i say "if you go out there and wrap this joint around a tree im rollin out with my boy here and its yours" (my buddy was there to take me home if he bought it on sight) he says "naah man i aint givin you s__t for it man you lemme roll it for free or no sale" so im like "nice to meet ya man jump out i gotta run" hes like "what...u gonna be like that about it?? this a peice of s__t anyway man" im like "well man if this is a POS then tell me what the F--k is that bulls--t you rolled up in??...exactly bro i aint got time to argue with ya im out" hes like "oh man not so fast i wanna ride this car man...lemme drive it" ...meantime he is sitting in the car...keys in the IGN!! i look over to Matt, he is sitting in his F-250 4x4 he makes something glimmer in the sun and winks at me (it was his .357 Deagle) the guy in the car says to me "cmon man lemme drive it...i aint gonna crash it" i tell him "listen man i got way too much money in this car to have an "oops" happen while you are driving it that ends up totalling my car" So he jumps out as i step back not knowing what to expect he throws...i mean THROWS the wad of cash at me and says "here motherf---er heres your f--kin money its all there ($8500.00)" at that point i say "you know what bro i seriously dont like your attitude...heres your money back i am not selling this car to you" he gets all kinds of bent about it..."what...you said you aint sellin it to me?? bi-ch you already got your money this sh--s mine now" to which i respond to with "heres how its gonna work guy you get in your car with your money and find another car owner to pi-s off i had my fill of the bullsh-t for the month" and i get in and start the car....he gets angry and throws his pepsi and yells "f--k you white boy thats bulls--t" well thats it now there is hot pepsi all over my cars interior....he hit ME with the fu--in bottle now its personal....i put it in neutral and jumped out as he squared off his big a-s G/F gets out of the car and screams "stop it you better not hit my boo" or some sh-t like that my boy Matt is already out of the truck with Deagle in hand that got his attn before i could even hit him Matt puts the barrel of the pistol through the guys car window and says as calmly as you can imagine "there motherf-cker...now we're even...lets go bro"
the guys G/F was screaming about finding me and killin us "we got hook ups bit-h we'll find you and kill yo as-" she screamed as we rolled out....i know the rules #1 never meet at your house #2 never use your home # use a cell phone as a contact.. and#3 never let a person test drive it without FULL payment up front and a signature on the liability waiver. i sold the car...to a nice guy who was very kool and paid the deposit to drive it with no probelms....he still has the car as this was only about 3 years ago and he still stops by every now and then to show me what hes done to her....he knows where i live because i WANTED him to cause we hang out now ya know??

 

Sometimes you wonder if it isn't just worth the hit to trade it in... When that woman called me a racist I was looking around like "what the heck, am I on Punk or something?"
You know its bad when it comes in handy to be armed at you negotiations. I feel for both you guys with those stories and I'll never show anything at my home again.

 

All of you guys, thanks for the info about not selling at home, seriously. I never even gave it any thought. Those circumstances are bizzare. Now, if you just lived out in the country, before they came over, you dig a nice deep hole............