This is what I was afraid of..... | GTAMotorcycle.com

This is what I was afraid of.....

Morrissey

Well-known member
So last month I had my 2001 Suzuki Bandit 600 up for sale, it had 65k on it. A guy came and looked at it, started raving about how clean it was and how good the condition of the bike was. I told him the service history of the bike and that as far as I knew it only needed a passenger foot peg (was missing) to certify but that I am not a mechanic. The bike rode great as far as I could tell and I had had the bike inspected last summer when I was getting the clutch replaced and nothing came back as being needed. The buyer was in his 30's and aside from being a little spazzy seemed alright. We settled on a price and I even agreed to write the bill up for less than what we agreed on so he could save a few bucks on the taxes. We made arrangements for him to pick up the bike a week later as he didn't have his license yet and he couldn't get all of the cash together until then.

A week later he shows up and I have everything ready for him including all of the spare parts and service manuals and he gives me a story about how he couldn't get all of the money together and that he was $300 short, would I take it and a promise that he would return with the rest the following week? I didn't feel right about it but just wanted the bike gone so I rolled the dice, agreed and hoped for the best. A few weeks went by and still no $300. I got a story about how he dropped the bike in the driveway and hurt his back picking it up so he missed a few days of work. Finally after a month his wife sends me an e-transfer for $100. That was just this week.

Now today I get an angry text message from him that it is going to cost $1,400 in parts and labour to get the bike certified and that I have apparently "screwed him". He says he doesn't have it so now he won't have a bike to ride. As far as I can tell he has never had enough money to start riding because at every turn he was complaining about having to scrape together the $$ for this and that. As good a shape as the bike is in, it is a 17yr old bike and at no point did he ask about me getting the bike certified before he bought it. Again, I'm no mechanic but as far as I could tell it didn't need anything. I'm wondering if there was any damage caused by him dropping the bike that is included in that price he got quoted.

So needless to say I'm not getting the rest of the $200 he owes me and I'll just write it off as a life experience, but I'm feeling angry. I was as honest and forth coming about the bike as I could be. I got the feeling from day 1 that he was dragging his heels to pay me in the hopes that I would give up on the $300 and now he's trying to say I screwed him? I really didn't want to deal with selling my bike privately for just this reason.

Happy Friday, I guess.
 
Make you wonder what mechanic is trying to hose him for $1400..
At least it IS gone...

What did you replace it with
 
If he actually did drop it...

1. Agreed on price
2. He tried pulling some bs to screw you
3. Drops bike and can't ride
4. You get to witness Karma in action?

Happy Friday!
 
I'd reply with a phone call that I expected my 2 hundy and remind him he made a grown up decision and a deal. I wouldn't expect the money but he should be reminded that he is a d-bag of grand proportions.

He had the bike for several weeks and could have done anything to it to make it unfit for certification. It is most likely a d-bag smokescreen so he feels justified in not owning up to his end of the bargain. He's a poor excuse for a man and it cost you $200 to find out.
 
If you really just wanted it gone, you 'took' two hundred less. Leave it at that.

you met a flaky pastry, did what any nice guy might and got hooked. If the bill says 'as is,where is' , dont answer his texts, mail or take a call, just move on with life. Life is too short.
 
I know there is nothing he can do to come back on me, I check off the box that said the vehicle wasn't certified in the sellers package. It's just annoying. Life lesson I guess.

As for your question MacDoc, I picked up a 2005 ST1300 back in September and LOVE it! When it comes time to sell this one many years from now it's going to be worthless because I'm going to mile it out big time!
 
that is the problem with selling private and why you need to be very vocal and honest about everything so that nothing can be held against you. I had an old 2002 Honda Accord I was trying to sell 5 years ago as I was buying a new car. It was a cheap car was asking $2500 which was high but done on purpose to go down in price. Guys offers me a low price, think it was $1800, I said OK as I just wanted the car gone. Told him I would not safety it but would bring it to a shop for him to get an estimate. He was ok with the estimate from the shop. On the day we were supposed to complete the deal he tells me he thinks it should be cheaper because of this and that. He has cash in hand but he had already done this a few times and I had enough and just said no. Ended up trading it in at the Subaru dealer where I was buying a new outback and they gave me $2500 for it, part of that was just to get me as a customer and make the deal happen as it was not worth that. Even if I had gotten less the hassle of not dealing with people trying to pinch every penny would be worth it.
 
...I even agreed to write the bill up for less than what we agreed on so he could save a few bucks on the taxes...

...Now today I get an angry text message from him that it is going to cost $1,400 in parts and labour to get the bike certified and that I have apparently "screwed him". He says he doesn't have it so now he won't have a bike to ride...


Reply to his text that he still owes you $200. Send a follow-up text that you feel sorry for him and if there is not too much damage, you will buy the bike back. When he brings the bike back, if there's only minor damage from the drop, give him the amount written on the bill of sale.
 
Had so many Craigslst/Kijiji guys agree on a price over e-mail and then show up with $xxx less.

Always sent them away, "Sorry you had to make the trip for nothing". One guy was such an *** I didn't sell it to him at the agreed price anyway because there was a line of people waiting. So he ended screwing himself.

He even e-mailed me back under a different e-mail address asking if it was still available. Same cell phone number.
 
Had so many Craigslst/Kijiji guys agree on a price over e-mail and then show up with $xxx less.

Always sent them away, "Sorry you had to make the trip for nothing". One guy was such an *** I didn't sell it to him at the agreed price anyway because there was a line of people waiting. So he ended screwing himself.

He even e-mailed me back under a different e-mail address asking if it was still available. Same cell phone number.

”there’s a bank round the corner....I’ll wait”.
 
I always get 2 signed Bills of Sale with the price specifics so I don't get screwed by something I don't foresee because I'm assuming it could be legally binding if their bank draft/money order/cash are counterfeit.

Don't know if that's a good strategy but it will hopefully keep honest people honest and make scammers think twice about it. However even if the document were legally binding, I wouldn't be taking someone to court for $200 but if a few K were on the line...
 
Sold a bike this year and after a few weeks the buyer emails me saying that the bike kept losing power and then quit completely and left him stranded. Sounded like he was fishing for me to tell him it had an issue.

The bike never had an issue and after a couple of emails back and forth about fuel (which he claimed at first it had lots) it turns out he ran out but did not know about trying to start it on reserve. Never heard anything from him after that.
 
Funny how so many of them "find" the missing $$$ in the car, their other pocket or in their "other wallet"...

It's an old trick. Show up a few dollars short because the kid needed braces etc. Since the owner has delisted the bike and said it's gone the owner has to accept a little less or re-advertise.

Accept their excuse, no hard feelings. The deal is off but keep the deposit.
 
Until the item is out of my hands with cash in it's place, the ad is still up. Unfortunately OP "sold" for $200 less than agreed. Life lesson. I never give anyone an item unless the full price is paid. If you agree on a price and show up with less, I turn around and walk away.
 
I wouldn't necessarily believe the story he's telling you. He may just be BS'ing you so you don't bug him about the $200.
 
Just for fun, drive past his place and see if the bike is plated and being ridden. He must be somewhat local.

In the meantime, email his wife who paid you the $100 with an update showing $300-$100 paid = $200 still owing. He could be lying to her about how much he paid and how much is still owing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Personally I would not trust a Kijiji buyer as far as I could throw them to pay me more money later. That is bold!
 
Whole thing sounds odd me. He can't pay you what he owes you but he apparently has money for sales tax, registration, insurance etc..... to get the bike on the road. Sure. Write it off as a life lesson and just move on, as they say "in God we trust, but everyone else pays cash".
 

Back
Top Bottom