Stuffed up again, what happened to 'Gentlemen' in this world?

[Max-Felix]

So, after much searching for months and various views all set to shake hands on a Beach that fitted my spec near perfectly. A difficult 700 mile round trip arranged at the seller's earliest opportunity with much juggling on our part after a long phone call, various communications and firm gentleman's agreement to buy the vehicle, Insurance and even cruise retro fitting ready to go. Family told and all excited.

Then short text message out of the blue the evening before - so sorry Max, just agreed to sell to someone else.

OK, I know you will all say, you should have sent a deposit but in my lifetime and having bought/sold 35 odd vehicles privately a gentleman's agreement is that.

The very least I would expect is a call and opportunity to send a deposit before dumping on someone.

Sorry folks, rant over, had to get this off my chest as it's the second time this has happened with a Cali in the last three weeks.

 

[MattBW]

That is pretty disappointing more so if you have arranged insurance, hopefully just a quote?

 

[Velma's Dad]

Shame you didn't record the call. A 'gentleman's agreement' to buy something (aside from land/property) for an agreed offer also has another term... a contract. Whether written down or not.

I'm not suggesting we should start recording our calls, but it's sad that so many people out there either don't understand the law, or are happy to flout it.

 

[2into1]

That's bad news and very poor form. I would advise to get a deposit across the minute you believe you've agreed terms..... Whether you are buying unseen 'subject to it being as described' or following a period of reflection / haggling after a viewing. It legally forms a contract, and although you'd probably never try to enforce it, it does help stop any wobbles by the seller.

I bought one from autotrader a few years ago and actually kept the seller talking on the phone whilst I made the bank transfer, because I knew as soon as he put his phone down, he'd have offers over his asking price. (he did, but fortunately was a gentleman).

 

[Max-Felix]

Thanks chaps. Well, it was a private sale and any thoughts of law etc are not something I'd ever consider or manipulate - just a good old gentleman's agreement. And my pure gripe is the bad form of people acting like this.

I would not spend £30k+ or send any money without confirming all legalities of ownership and giving the vehicle the once over in person and making the final negotiation in person. Others seem happy to do this but if you've ever had your fingers burnt in a private transaction then you live and learn...

Hi Matt, no - I did not pay for insurance but preliminaries in place. This puts the latest pod on hold a while but I still have six weeks to find a Beach and something will turn up.

 

[Meoncoast]

Then short text message out of the blue the evening before - so sorry Max, just agreed to sell to someone else.

email and text messages - faceless and sadly a sign of the times.

 

[GrannyJen]

Sorry to here this Max, a big big waste of time after coming to an agreement. Sadly the attitude of the digital-based world today. In the days when to be told would be face to face or at worst by telephone it is now all too easy to chop, change, mess people around and step out of the way.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Horrible! I feel for you and your family. Gentlemen, Morals, Politeness, dare I add ladies? All increasingly rare commodities. Very sad.

 

[andyinluton]

Think Positive - at least it was before the 700 mile round trip. Not after.

 

[Max-Felix]

I'm always positive and believe in fate.

I'll find one, bought a Beach last year only four weeks before summer hols so fingers crossed.

Having said that if anyone spots a two seater Beach for sale but not in all the usual advertising places please let me know!

 

[Hotel California]

Not so nice the way you been threated , but maybe it was meant to be and you will find a better/cheaper one...?
In the end many sellers chose money above theire word ....sadly...

 

[sapto]

I'm always positive and believe in fate.

I'll find one, bought a Beach last year only four weeks before summer hols so fingers crossed.

Having said that if anyone spots a two seater Beach for sale but not in all the usual advertising places please let me know!

Sad to hear Max-Felix, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

 

[Yorkie]

The failure of a gentlemans agreement can go two ways. When me and the wife got together 40 years ago she owned a little yellow vw beettle. We were young and just starting out, the MD of a local company came to view it for his daughter and agreed to buy it telling me in a deep grown up voice "I will come back for it next week and as I am a gentleman so shouldn't need to provide a deposit " I agreed and never saw him again.
Moral of the story is; the deposit is important

 

[Stuart]

I'm always positive and believe in fate.

I'll find one, bought a Beach last year only four weeks before summer hols so fingers crossed.

Having said that if anyone spots a two seater Beach for sale but not in all the usual advertising places please let me know!

I take it you've looked on the VW used site? As I can see a blackberry T6 there

 

[Max-Felix]

Not in my budget I'm afraid!

 

[Wrinkly Ninja]

I'm always positive and believe in fate.

I'll find one, bought a Beach last year only four weeks before summer hols so fingers crossed.

Having said that if anyone spots a two seater Beach for sale but not in all the usual advertising places please let me know!

I'm always positive and believe in fate.

I'll find one, bought a Beach last year only four weeks before summer hols so fingers crossed.

Having said that if anyone spots a two seater Beach for sale but not in all the usual advertising places please let me know!

Hi Max. some people can be pretty thoughtless.

Have you looked on pistonheads...link below. There are about 6 or 7 Beach for sale at varying costs. Hope this helps.

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/volkswagen/california

 

[Max-Felix]

Cheers Ninja, that is one place I had not looked, TBH time is not mellowing my anger about this as the more I realise it was the perfect spec for me and another one like this is hardly around the corner. Candy white, two seater in Takato, awning, bike rack, parking heater/remote, tow bar, MFSW, sensors, privacy, folding mirrors, auto lights/wiper, 25k miles, FSH, no roof corrosion etc.

If someone on here joins and is the one who did the dirty on it then it stay away from me!



VIN

WV2ZZZ7HZDH029526

Registration Number

WV13UMR

Colour Description

Candy White

Vehicle Status

Active 14/03/2013

California Beach SWB TDI 140 PS 6 Speed Manual

 

[2into1]

Not necessarily the new buyer's fault.... They could be implicated, but couldn't they be unaware of the unscrupulous dealings of the vendor?

 

[larrylamb]

The failure of a gentlemans agreement can go two ways. When me and the wife got together 40 years ago she owned a little yellow vw beettle. We were young and just starting out, the MD of a local company came to view it for his daughter and agreed to buy it telling me in a deep grown up voice "I will come back for it next week and as I am a gentleman so shouldn't need to provide a deposit " I agreed and never saw him again.
Moral of the story is; the deposit is important

Couldn't agree more. Selling our house 10 years ago for £400k we had 2 buyers in the first week. We chose the local "gentleman" who pleaded with us to go with him as his wife had always dreamed of a cottage like ours, need less to say when push came to shove they were gone and unfortunately so was the other interested party. A handshake on the deal and all the bulls*t came to nothing.

 

[Max-Felix]

Not necessarily the new buyer's fault.... They could be implicated, but couldn't they be unaware of the unscrupulous dealings of the vendor?

Hmmmm, maybe - but with a big empty space on the drive where I had every reason to believe our near perfect spec and affordable Cali would now be sitting I am feeling none too charitable towards them. They gazumped me good and proper.

I am mellowing, maybe, or not...

 

[kave]

So you are angry because you didn't pay deposit? And you are angry with the buyer who probably did pay deposit and got it? Money on the table and you get it is what I say, nothing as gentlemans agreement today even though one can hope.

 

[Max-Felix]

So you are angry because you didn't pay deposit? And you are angry with the buyer who probably did pay deposit and got it? Money on the table and you get it is what I say, nothing as gentlemans agreement today even though one can hope.

Sorry Kave, maybe I have mis-read your comments in a more critical/aggressive tone than they were perhaps intended or maybe it's a Swedish thing and you don't recognise the procedure but yes we certainly do still have gentleman's agreements in business here in the UK, both personal or commercial. Pure honesty, trust and courtesy in business, nothing more. And as I posted, regardless of any 'agreement', after much time/hassle involving various parties to schedule and arrange a viewing involving work/kids/insurance etc the least anyone (ie the seller) should have done is put the gazumper on hold and go back to the 'buyer' who has already agreed to buy and was on his way 12 hours later.

 

[kave]

Max: I agree with you and I think you are totally right, however, I have sold many things where the first buyer never returned making me turn down second buyer who was going to buy etc. Now I try to understand who the buyer is and I usually turn down really strange people. I hope you will find a better one instead and you maybe learned something in the process.
In Sweden, when you buy a house, even though deposit is payed the deal is not finalized until the day of the handover. Buyer can back out any day until final payments by the bank etc but it will cost him the deposit.

 

[Max-Felix]

Yes, I have been there many times before - I've sold endless vehicles, boats, campers, bikes - indeed a similar thing happened when we sold our Beach last year - someone agreed to buy and was coming, a call came in and I went back to the first person out of courtesy and ended up losing both! But c'est la vie, another buyer was soon found.

Not sure what I've learnt but I'm still not going to leave a deposit over the phone and I still won't s**t on buyers.

Anyway, I'm going to say no more on this now as topics like this with people whinging (ie me) are a PITA and I've said my bit, probably more than I should have.

 

[2into1]

indeed a similar thing happened when we sold our Beach last year - someone agreed to buy and was coming, a call came in and I went back to the first person out of courtesy

and I still won't s**t on buyers.

Unless I've read that incorrectly, it sounds like you did very similar thing?
Why would 'going back to the first person' be fair once they had agreed to buy (which implies you'd agreed to sell)?