#@!# I got screwed

I found a sweet parts bike on craigs list a few weeks ago. 82 650 Seca in great condition other than the wiring harness was all messed up, he thought the starter was gone and he didn't have a title. Called him up and we agreed on $300. I told him I was going on vacation for a few days and would call to arrange a pickup when I got back on Tuesday. I called Tuesday night and left a message. I called wednesday and left a message. Arranged for a trailer to pick it up over the week end and called him ever fricken day that week and ever heard back. I called him yesterday and he said he didn't hear from me and some guy cam by with $300 cash and his sold it to him WTF!!!!!! I want my bike. It would have made for a perfect parts bike.

My bike is in decent condition but I can't continue working on it because we are down a car and I need my bike for commuting. I can work on it over the weekend but I have to make sure I have it up and running by Monday. AHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!!!!! I'm sooooo pissed right now.

 

I don't know quite how to tell you this but I think we got the BUYER'S story posted recently...

 

Got a link? The only recent buyers stories for Secas are nowhere close to me.

 

Man, I feel your pain, but I've been a seller stung before on a deal like this - my motto: first guy with cash gets it, no exceptions - still though that does kind of suck

 

I understand it from the seller's side but I told him when I was going to be back in town I told him when I was going to call and I did. He told me that he hadn't heard from me. I suspecting he didn't want to wait around for me to come get it and I can understand that on some level but I'm still pissed.

 

Thatks the beauty and the irony of Craigslist. When I sell on Craigslist I won't hold an item either except I give ther courtesy of reasonable travel time. If ther potential buyer lives 30 minutes away I will hold the item for 45 minutes. If another person(s) calls within the 45 minutes I tell 'em I have a prospective buyer on their way to look at the item and the time will expire at xx o'clock but they are welcome to come over at anytime to look.

This has worked well for me. It gives the first guy a chance, doesn't make me wait a ridiculous amount of time and the best part is when the 2nd guy arrives before the 1st guy.

Cuts WAY back on the negotiation time ant the 2 times it happened I got full asking price.

I also think it's fair to all parties.

 

hmm man this seems familiar there was another post on here where a guy found one and the supposed buyer was out of town but didn't leave a deposit sdo he went to go try and buy it. If you left no money down on the bike and he doesn't know you from adam who's to say you are ever coming back. If you really want something you leave a deposit if someone comes by and says yes I want I will be back in a few days and doesn't leave anything whoever shows me the Green takes it. It does suck but in this day and time there are alot of people that you can't take there word.

 

My motto too. Still I'd have told him that I wouldn't hold it and it goes to the first guy that put $$ in my palm.

 

If it makes you feel any better think about this. IF it's the same bike we kept urging the dude to take cash in hand and go buy the thing (sorry). He was very honorable and waited for the owner to call him before he went to buy it.

With Craigslist, unlike ebay, there is no contractual agreement to go through with the purchase with the downside risk of negative feedback for not following through.

Ebay, follow the terms of the sellers agreement. Craigslist, grab a fistful of dollars and go get your prize. Right now!

 

You are all making really good points and I should have just gotten my butt into town and gotten a deposit down on the bike. I was probably a little quick to toss out this rant.

rob_lit79 - if you read this before you check your messages look for a PM from me. We might be able to make this situation advantageous to the both of us. No hard feelings and good luck with the maxim.

 

I got your PM. Now you have a PM.

 

A friend of a good friend of mine did that with a 96 Firebird he was selling, 2nd guy came from 30 minutes away, 1st guy rented a car hauler and came from 2+ hours away. They both got there within minutes of each other. The two buyers started a bidding war in the front yard that ended with buyer 2 'bidding' $1500 over the asking price, Buyer 1 got ticked off and left, and when buyer 2 started counting out the cash, the seller said, "ahh that guy was only going to give me $x, you can have it for that" - $x being If I remember $250 less than asking price!

One of the sleaziest deals I've ever seen go down!

 

I guess you found the culprit.
It's a small world, that you both post here, and looked at the same ride.
Hope it works out for both of you.

 

Wow. Just wow.........

That situation sounds like it may have been the seed and the roots of the screenplay that eventually became the movie "Idiocracy".......

 

Sleazy? Heck yeah! If you're going to blow off guy #1 then take the bid price from dude #2! Then take the extra and go buy an XJ and put the balance on account with Chacal!!!!!!

 

Ow, I feel you...Happened to me not too long ago. I found an 82 maxim 650 on craigslist for $200 that had been in a barn for 7 years, in my town even. Talked to the owner about payment options cause I only had $150 at the time and he said he would take that.
Only problem was the owner was out of town and arranged for me to come by 2 days later. When i showed up with the trailer I was informed that he had sold it that morning. I could have committed murder right there especially when I saw the bike in the driveway. I actually looked pretty good. I am still sick about it a month later

 

I did find the culprit and I think it will work out for both of us. I'm just glad the person who got the bike knows what it is. I don't think the PO did.

 

now a days its CASH TALKS anything else walks.