Oh well.....

rrlund

Well-known Member
Guess I could have got ticked off today if I'd have been serious and pulled the trailer 70 miles,but I didn't. There's been an Oliver parts tractor on CL for two weeks or better. The guy kept bumping it to the top if the listings,even dropped the price by $150 last time. It's raining,so I figured I might as well call him and go look at it this morning.
I told him I'd be there in about an hour and a half. Had a heck of a time finding it from his directions,finally just pulled in to a driveway about where I figured it should be. A guy came out and I asked him if I had the right place. He said,"yea,my brother's not here". I asked if the tractor was there so I could look at it. He said "no,it went out of here about half an hour ago". I said "doggone it,I called and told him I was on my way". He said "yea,he said there were two guys coming and he wondered which one would be here first?".
If he'd just told me he had somebody else coming,I'd have told him I'd call back this afternoon and see if it was sold. Not a total waste,I needed to stop about half way between here and there to pick up some moldboards that I'd ordered and get some plow points,but I wouldn't have driven all that way if I'd have known somebody else was coming. The guy has a bunch of stuff listed,I guess I know better than call if he has anything else that catches my eye.
 
Well that stinks. No way would I tell two guys to come get the same item at the same time. Could get very interesting. First guy that calls gets priority with me, then we work down the list.

Had a buddy buy a tractor out from underneath another a guy one time. Dealer had a D-17 sitting on their lot and my buddy saw it on a Friday night so he went in first thin Saturday morning, asked for a test drive, which they let him do. When he got back he asked price and then said go write it up. Without telling my buddy up to that point, they had put the tractor on their website the day before just after it arrived and they had a guy from 1 1/2 hours away coming that morning to buy the tractor. The dealer called the other guy and informed him the tractor had just been sold and things got kind of interesting over the phone at that point. The other guy ended up just hanging up and the dealer wrote the bill of sale up rather quick and said get it out of here. The other guy never showed, but had he the police station was right next door to the dealership. Never did agree with the way the tractor was acquired, but since the dealership failed to mention someone else was on the way I guess one has to let it slide.
 
I hate when that happens ! Unless I'm the seller !

I don't want people to show up at the same time either, but these guys call (about a week prior) and want directions and I tell them to call before they come. Well wouldn't you know I listed a generator a few years back and one guy called and said he was on his way. Fine. Well while showing it to this guy at mom and dads house another guy showed up out of the blue at my house too. Worked out good for me as I told the guy if he wanted it to pay up otherwise this other guy was almost here. They get their money out fast then !
 
I sold a haybine two weeks ago to the second caller. I had a call about an hour or so after I posted it,the guy said he wanted to look at it the next day,but he'd call in the morning to confirm that he was coming. Somebody else called about an hour later and I told him the first caller wanted to come the next day,but he was going to call and let me know for sure. The second guy said he'd be right over and showed up with an envelope full of cash. About all the looking he did was just to make sure it was here,then he said he'd pay me and be back after it Saturday if I'd write him a receipt and if that was alright with me. He started peeling off hundred dollar bills.

I felt kind of bad about the first caller,so instead of taking the ad right down,I edited it to say that I'd sold it just incase he went back to look up the number. The guy never called back. I don't know if it was because of the edited ad or if he didn't have any intention of coming anyway. You really hate to hold on to something when somebody just says they'll call to let you know if they're coming.
 
I had a corn planter advertised one time and had it out by the road. It'd been out there for a few weeks when somebody a few hours north of here called on the ad. He said he'd be right down with his trailer. This was before CL,so it was a Farmers Advance print ad. Wouldn't you know,a local stopped to look at it and was here when the guy got here. I'd told the local guy that there was somebody on their way,so he was just standing around chewing the fat when the guy drove in. He sure had a sick look on his face when he got out of his truck,but when I told him I was holding it for him,it didn't take him long to get out his checkbook. lol
 
That sucks. As a seller I always get there phone number if they are coming to look at the item. In case something happens I'll call them. I will also tell them if someone else called or is coming out and make them aware of it. I try to treat them as I want to be treated.
 
I had the same happen on a rebuilt JD carb. Guy in Cananda was "interested" but was going to talk to his buddy just over border here about me just shipping it to him to avoid the shipping hassle. Over a day and one half went by (never did come right out and say it's sold and that he was buying it) a guy from IA called and said he would send out the check that day. Sold it and e-mailed the canada guy and told him. Also offered to re-build the one he had for $ 100 less than the other one was priced. (he claimed no one around him locally would rebuild it for him) (guy in IA bought tractor w/o carb and needed one to get it started). Never heard back from Canada so don't know if he,s that jizzed off or if he was just a tire kicker in the first place. My decision stemmed from the fact he never did actually speak for the carb. Said nothing about paying me and then working out the shipment issue. Other buyer was very emphatic that he wanted it and was willing to pay now and he didn't have one to rebuild like canada did.I really think he just decided to try rebuild himself and didn't care to e-mail me back.Sometimes one just has to go with their gut feeling on these things. Plain courtesy , though, to at least call / e-mail if something sold tho.
 

When I list something it's for sale. Someone calls and says they are coming for it on a certain day I consider it sold unless they call back and cancel. If there a no show it's on the market. I could care less is 2 or more guys show up at the same time. I've had guys I've told I got someone on the way to look right now. If they said look, not I'll take it I'll tell them to come look to. Both show up at the same time we may have an auction :lol: . Not really but I bet one says I'll take it real quick.

Rick
 
I found it hard to hold things for guys who say they are going to come look at it, sold a Case tractor through CL, had twenty calls in one day 4 or 5 said they were coming to look at it, only one actually showed up. Then buying stuff, I laugh at myself some, bought 2 items that I told the fellers over the phone that I am going to buy it give me your address and I will send check if that works for you. Then go pick it up a week or two later, worked great, did that after I got beat on a tractor just like you did!
 
I had the same issue on a classic car several years ago. I talked to the lady on the phone and she said I was first in line. Fine, I will be there before 5:00 this evening. She said fine, they would be there. When we got there, another man was looking at it. I asked if he had called before me with a definite time he would be there. Nope, he called AFTER me. I asked if she was good on her word, or forgot to let her yes mean yes, her no mean no. she said the two of us could work it out. The other gentleman overheard the entire conversation so he said he would step aside because I had called first. After he left, we gave the car a real picky inspection, writing down every spec of rust, every scratch, nit picking it to pieces. Then I asked if she would take less or did we waste our time driving up. I think by now, she could tell I was not in a good mood, but still respectful and polite. Without me giving any counter offer, she dropped the price right at 30 percent. We paid, got the title and bill of sale with a copy of our inspection notes to both parties signed as a written contract. Then we drove it away before she could change her mind.

Her husband had gone to an Indiana Pacers game and told her she could make the deal for what ever she wanted to sell it for. Before she dropped her price, she also called her husband and told us he agreed.
 
Guys like you are why I always say first person that hands me the cash gets it period.I've held stuff a couple times for people that say they're coming to buy and then
use that as a tactic to try to get the price lowered when they think they've weeded out the competition.If I'd of been the seller in your case I'd of asked you if you wanted it for the advertised price if not I'd of started dealing with the other guy.Lost count of the times people say they are coming and then never show.
Couple years ago I called on a tractor and the seller said like I do the first person that handed him the cash was going to be the new owner,when I got there, there was a fellow driving the tractor around and I asked the seller if it was sold.The seller said nope no one has given me any money,I handed him his asking price in cash.The tractor driver was a little upset,like I told him he should have read the ad closely.Come to find out the guy had been there for awhile trying to get the seller to come down on his price which was way cheap to start with.
 
When I sold that haybine to the second caller,he did ask if I'd take any less. I told him no,I'd take a chance that the other guy would call back in the morning. I guess he thought he had to try,but he was still pretty quick counting out the cash. All of it.
 
Not so far as I know. As far as I can remember,I've only bought one thing off there. I bought my quad. Turns out the guy was the cousin of the chiropractor here in town. Can't imagine he'd have told me that if he was selling stolen goods.
 
Oh man - can't STAND when sellers do stuff like that.

When I bought my truck - we went out, drove an hour to get there, made the deal, worked some magic to get it up on our trailer (it wasn't running) - right as another guy with a tow truck pulls in. He was there to buy the truck too.

The seller just shrugged his shoulders and said "hey, this guy got here first with the cash".

Apparently he told us both to come get it. I got there first.

Had we not just spent so much effort getting it on the trailer I would have let the other guy leave, and then just dumped the truck and grabbed my money back.

I was almost as mad as the guy who got screwed.
 
I bought a 15yr old MF, had it about 9 months. I was on my way back from the other farm and wife calls and says Sheriff dept. at house to see me. Turns out a bank had UCC filing against it. I lost the cash money plus the tractor. Still got a bad taste in mouth. The bank loan was to a guy ahead of the guy I bought it from, what a mess!
 
I forgot. I did buy two registered bulls just before I bought the quad,but the name on the sign out front,the name I wrote on the check and the name on the registration papers all matched,so I think that was on the level.
 
A friend tells guys it's not sold til it's paid for. He'll have someone come in every couple days for a couple weeks to look at something, but doesn't say he wants it til it's been sold. Well, you was looking at it for 3 weeks why didn't you pay for it?
If someone calls wanting something he'll ask them what time they will be there. Tells them of I don't see or hear from you by then it's still for sale. Usually they are there or call ahead, now and then,he has someone show up mad a few hours late and someone else is loading it out.
 
I got a bill of sale from the seller but that didn't make any difference. My big mistake was not checking with Secertary of State on the UCC. I also put about 1500 in it beside the pruchase price.
 
Back in the 80's when everything was crashing,the jockeys around here wouldn't buy anything until they checked for liens at the courthouse.
I remember one of the biggest bought a potato harvester a few miles from here at an auction though. That one had been released by the creditor,but then he found out he couldn't move it because it was involved in a lawsuit. A kid who'd been riding it got hurt and was suing.
 
Our county prosecutor told me I might as well surender the tractor to them, but I think that was a big mistake. My bill of sale had complete serial # and the banks UCC had only the numbers not the proceeding letters. The Sheriff dept. of the sellers county didn't want to get involved because of prior run ins with the crooks. Live and learn, I guess.
 
I bought a newer chopper last year, and sold my 892 NH. I put it on CL, and got a call from a guy down in the Shenandoah a couple of days later. He said he'd be up a couple of days later with a trailer and cash. Chopper and both heads. A friend of mine came over the next day and wanted to buy it, but I told him that this other guy was coming up for it the next day, and it was an 8 hour run for him. But, if he didn't show, I'd give him a call. I had to disappoint him the next evening. The guy showed up, and the chopper went to Virginia.....
 
One morning I sat down at the computer about 7.30am with a cup of coffee and went to CL just to look around. When I clicked on F&G the very first add was for a D17 with 38" wheels $1200 OBO so I clicked on it, Looked strait and at 7.40 am I called the guy and asked about it. I got directions and told him I was on my way and I would be there about 9:30 because it was an hour and a half drive to get there. Jumped in the truck hooked the trailer up and away I went. I got there and there were 3 guys standing their kicking the tractor tires. I told the owner who I was and he told me these guy called after I had and told the other guys that he was waiting for me to get there and look at it first to buy it. I looked at the tractor with him telling me everything he knew about it. All I said was It's sold! Them other 3 guys were mad I bought it but I was the first to call and the guy did right by me waiting for me to get there. I paid him loaded it up and headed home and was back by noon. Some days you get lucky. Bandit
 
Last year I was looking at trucks and found one about an hour or so away I wanted to look at. Called the guy, set up a time to come out the next afternoon. Guy called me back and said he would not be there after all and could I come the next day? I said sure. Next day I called him to confirm it and he said, oh, I sold it. Man, it took everything I had not to tell him off.
It would not have taken any effort for him to either call me first, as I had already told him I would buy it if everything looked good, or tell the second guy to wait until I had a chance to see it first. I understand money talks but if he had not cancelled our appointment, I would have already been there and probably bought it.
Probably worked out for the best anyway but still...
 
OK guys, what would you think of this, Back in about 1981 there was a combine advertised in the local paper, called and went to look at it. Would not start as bad battery and had sat for a couple of years in a barn this was about a 15 year old machine and priced if I remember correctly at around $800. Wrote him a check and made out that as soon as I could talk to neighbor that I knew would haul it for me would be back with him to figure out when we could load it. When I got back a couple of days later said he was not going to let me have it, neighbor wanted it. OK I asked for my check back, would not give it to me said he no longer had it. Turned it over to attorney and bank, he ended up paying me a hundered or two, forget for sure to get out of deal and bank stopped payment on that check. Don't know what he ever did with my check. Must have just tore it up. If he would have just returned the check would have left it go but not returning my check was his big mistake. Sure different with next combine I tried to buy. Previous fall oil line brobe and owner got newer bigger machine to finnish. Later he repaired the oil line and thought everything was in good shape. paid him and started driving it home and got about a mile when rod went out the pan., Dad was following me and we went back and said what happened, it was setting in a very dangerous spot on road. He took his tractor and towed it back home and I said what do we do now and he just pulled my check out of his pocket and said it was going to scrap, thought the engine was good but must have run with out oil too long when line broke. And was sorry for the problems. Finally bought a machine 35 mile in other direction and driving it home with about 15 mile to go stopped dead. pulled it home and checking it to find out the problem the wire just busted off at the coil, fixed it and used it for years.
 
I know this is about the same but a little different. At car shows and flea markets etc. If you see an item that sets your spider senses a tingle, PICK it up or touch it or something. Ask price and ask if that is the best price and go for it or not. DON"T take your hand off till you are done. That is the 9/10 of ownership deal. I have ------ a few people off who were goofing around with the seller but I have my big paw on the item and I get the prize.
 
I bought a nearly new set of truck tires from a guy that I casually knew. Had them on the truck about a week, and a deputy stopped me - said my tires were stolen from a local coal mine shop. I told him I'd get them off of the truck tomorrow, and whoever thought they owned them could pick them up at the house, but as the night wore on, I decided that I was going to press the issue. The next evening, the deputy and some guy I'd never seen before showed up at the house to get the tires. They went from all smiles to mad when I told them to show me a receipt with proper ID numbers before I handed them over. They didn't have a receipt, and I said there was no hurry - produce one in a week and the tires are yours. I kept the truck locked in the shop for a week, and I never saw those two again. Ran those tires til they were plumb worn out. I think the deputy and his buddy were a pair of shysters.
 
I don't know peachhead. I think the key words here are--told him I would buy it "if everything looked good". What was he supposed to do? Turn down a sure bet money in the hand deal only to have you
show up and tell him this is wrong and that needs fixing and then offer him $200 less. I can see your story both ways.
 
when I have something for sale and someone calls and say they want it I tell them send me a deposit or the full amount and I will hold it until they can pick it up. no deposit means no sale cash talks BS walks.
 
If I leave any $$$ with the seller and don't get the item I always get a receipt signed by the seller,also I like to have someone go with me to witness things.Him getting the check really doesn't do anything to keep him from backing out of the deal as he'd just claim he didn't get it.
 
In the past I've held items with no deposit for guys that said they wanted to buy it, only to have them take weeks to show up with the money, or wanted to dicker on the price after I'd turned away other buyers. Now I sell to the first person with the right cash or a reasonable deposit to hold it for a fixed length of time.

If that makes someone mad, that's their choice to be mad. Some guys will get mad when someone bids against them at an auction.
 
I say once you have a soft commitment like that - you HAVE to at least give that person first right of refusal.

Deciding to buy a truck or a tractor is a big decision, and when the buyer makes a commitment like that - they're most likely passing up other opportunities as well.

If you get another eager buyer, At LEAST call the first buyer and explain the situation - at a minimum tell them that you've got a guy with cash that wants it right now, but if you can be here in the next hour or so it'll be your choice.
 
(quoted from post at 23:21:19 04/20/15) Did you ever buy anything on CL the seller didn't actualy own?

Not on CL but many years ago we got notice from friend that a girl that was a herd manager for a large alpaca herd in NW Ohio had to sell the ones she owned, as the folks she worked for had sold the farm and were moving the herd to Colorado. She had two suri alpacas that my wife wanted for the fiber. They were both males, not expensive, pet quality for the most part, but one was pretty nice. We thought we might use him for outside breeding, no intent to start are own alpaca herd (we have llamas). We paid her and took them home. We got the registration papers for the one, but she said the previous owner had the papers for the nice one, she said she had just bought him and he hadn't sent them. When I called him he said he'd be glad to send them so we could transfer ownership, but she still owed him money on it, about what we paid her for it. I eventually paid him what she owed as I could not find her and haven't since and didn't want the rightful owner coming to get the alpaca, turned out we knew them through the llama business. But we are the registered owners of the alpaca now.

Lesson learned, make sure of the ownership before laying down the money.
 
My wife was with me. Too many years ago to remember all details. If he would have just give me back the check even if tore up then he would have been in the clear, He said to the attorney that he destroyed it but could provide no prof that he had and would not try to cash it at a later date.
 
I learned the hard way, I thought the 15yr. old tractor would have been paid for. My lawyer, Sheriff dept. our prosecutor was no help at all. The bank sure happy though as they got a lot better tractor back than they loaned the money on.
 
Sorry, Jeff. That does not always work. I was at a flea market, and I saw an engine that I wanted. The guy was asking a bit more than I wanted to pay, so I took walk around for a while and came back. When I returned, there was another guy trying to talk his price down while holding the engine. I could plainly see that if I wanted it, I would have to pay the asking price so I just took out the money, handed it to him, and told him that I was taking it for the asking price. I took it right out of the other guy's hands and walked off with it. Left them both with bewildered looks on their faces!

Another time, another vendor had a chain saw that he was selling for a friend (he said). A guy was there holding the saw, and arguing with him about it over a couple of dollars. Since he was only asking $30 for a decent saw, I handed him the $30 and took the saw right out of the other guy's hand. Sometimes it does not pay to be too cheap.
 
No...you just about said the same thing almost to a "T". The name of the game is poop or get off the pot. I have walked away about 15 feet and changed my mind. Turn around and there is another guy walking towards me with the item!!!! There are other times you look at something and the guy TELLS you the price and I was so startled it took my breath away for about two seconds. He had McCULLOCH 650 chain saw that was compete. In VERY nice shape and the pull cord was broken. All I had done was to kneel down and just look at it. He said "eight bucks". As I said I almost fell over. I reached down , picket it up, and said,OK. Last week I missed out on a cute little tractor down the road cause I thought "I'll check it out tomorrow".
 
Couple years ago I put an 'older' Honda motorcycle on CraigsL. Didn't research the
value, so I listed it underpriced. A guy called from 65 miles away and asked me a few
questions, then said Ok I have the cash and am on my way. Before he arrived a couple
other guys called and were a couple miles away, One said He would pay me $200. more then
the listed price. I said, Well call me tomorrow, If the first caller does not show up,
you can have it. You see, I told him it would be here! well he came and loaded it up. gave me $50
extra. live & learn.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top