Trusting/dealing with a seller who asks me to FED EX payment

[arboristjoe]

HI experienced Teardroppers,

I just saw an East Coast Teardrop , 2005 model, and I am leaning toward purchase.. The guy was very patient as I had a chart of measurements I wanted to take, I took tons of photos, I even got under the frame with a flashlight, and took the unit for a test drive..

He drove an hour to meet me , and I drove 2 hours, since we are 3 hours apart, so far everything seemed cool, cooperative, and trustworthy and honest.

We agreed that I would sleep on it , and also I was waiting word on insurance.. I am to call him tomorrow since he has another potential buyer coming a long distance on Friday, so he understandably wants to tell the man whether to make the long trip or not. He was also helpful in answering as many of my insurance lady's questions as he knew.

But then a sort of surprise.. He added in the thorough insurance question email that if I want to buy it, he needed some assurance, and he was afraid of losing other potential buyers if I do not commit by Fed'exing a check.. He is also concerned about student loans he has coming due.

So this is where a red flag went up for me, that is, when he asked me to fed ex a certified check.. For one, I know which city he says he lives on Craig's list, but I cannot be certain he lives there.. And how would I know he would not take my check and disappear ??

So I am of course not inclined to send the check, but I am trying to figure out how to tell him that though he seems trustworthy and honest, I am NOT comfortable sending a check to a long distance desitination without having the item I purchase delivered to me when I give the money.

And I really do not agree with his concern of losing buyers.. If these teardrops are as rare as it seems, I doubt that he will have any trouble selling it, would you agree ??

So in essence, I want to buy it, but I am NOT sending a check "" ahead of me" to a man I just met today .. If he was someone that I went to church with for months or year, okay, but not a new acquaintance ..

any suggestions on how I handle this ??

much obliged,

joe

[The Teardrop Nanny]

If you saw the teardrop and really want it, consider sending a deposit instead of the full price. If you back out, the seller keeps the deposit and is therefore going to receive some kind of compensation for holding it.
You could also date the check to coincide with the arrival date of your pick up. That way the seller has the check in hand, but has to hold on to it and can't cash it until you are there, but then they are trusting you won't cancel the check.

Joanie

[arboristjoe]

thanks Teardrop nannie,

that sounds reasonable and if he is not happy with that, then I will just have to keep looking

I guess I will get mostly West coasters answering tonight.. I think the smart East Coasters are in bed by now, except me

though I better not label myself as an East Coaster for the record.. I am just living here now , I am a green and yellow blooded Packer fan and farm boy native of Wisconsin..

cheers
joe

[asianflava]

I was in a similar situation a while back. I was considering buying a car on the East Coast, but I had to figure out the logistics of getting it out here. I did some research on the car and got a lot of good info from a forum like this. They knew the car and the guy who restored it even sent me some info.

In the end, he tried to push me because he had someone else interested. Seemd like he bumped the price up when he found another interested party too. I didn't want to get into a bidding war, there are other cars that I could buy. Bottom line; don't get too attached to a certain car/teardrop/etc. Others will come along it may not be "right now", but you'll find something. If you get that bad feeling then it won't be a bad thing to back out.

PS: yes I'm still looking for that car.

[Gage]

thanks Teardrop nannie,
that sounds reasonable and if he is not happy with that, then I will just have to keep looking
I guess I will get mostly West coasters answering tonight.. I think the smart East Coasters are in bed by now, except me
though I better not label myself as an East Coaster for the record.. I am just living here now , I am a green and yellow blooded Packer fan and farm boy native of Wisconsin..
cheers
joe

Boy it sure sounds like you're a kid just by the words you use. First off do like Joanie says. Also tell the seller the way you feel about it just like you told us. How about posting the link to that listing (just copy and paste the URL). That way some of us dumb people on the West Coast can take a look at it and give you our opinions on it.

[arboristjoe]

thanks Asianflava,

excellent points.. I am still trying to get a feel for the market on these teardrops, but it does seem that they are hard to come by..

Gage, I found the teardrop on Craig's list in middlebury vermont under teardrop camper.. only one showed up for the whole state

I am one of those overgrown kids that refuses to grow up, though I am not sure which words lead you to believe I am a kid ?? maybe the undergrad college students around me are rubbing off..

oke doke, this time I am going to hit the hay

[Gage]

I am one of those overgrown kids that refuses to grow up, though I am not sure which words lead you to believe I am a kid ?? maybe the undergrad college students around me are rubbing off.

Looks to be a good deal and the price is right. The ad also looks to be a trustworthy and honest ad. When you call him in the morn, just ask if he'll accept a $1000 as a deposit and that if you should back out it would be his to keep. You could also send it USPS 'next day delivery, sig required. If it was me and I was in the market (and if it was closer) I'd go for it. He won't have any problems selling it at the price he's asking. So he just may have another buyer in the wings.

Here's the link if anyone else wants to look at it. But don't be jumping in and trying to buy it until after Joe has made a decision.
http://burlington.craigslist.org/rvs/2642863973.html

[LWW]

That is a nice one. Trust is an unknown quality now a days. Sometimes to create it one must take the first step. I'd say do as Gage says and send a deposit then go pick it up. Its starting to get cold up there and you know what happens next, snow. Just my thoughts on the subject here on the east coast. Larryw

[arboristjoe]

Thanks Gage, I had a feeling it was a good deal price wise, but I have not been looking long enough to really know.. But it really looked solid, especially the frame, and I like the suspension arm instead of the leaf spring that most have..

thanks Larry also.

cheers
joe

[hoytedow]

Post-dating a check won't help you in Florida. They can be deposited immediately here.

[Woodbutcher]

Send a $500.00 payment through Paypal if you both use it. You may have some recourse if things go bad. But he gets his money right away. I understand his position if he has another buyer. At that price I believe he may.

Good Luck!

[arboristjoe]

HI Woodbutcher,

makes sense, but if he has another buyer, and teardrops are as hard to find as it seems, I really do not think the buyer would not be willing to wait a couple days, but who knows..

But the good news is that Sunday I am getting my teardrop.. And I used words that were a combination of my instincts and from advice on this forum, and the seller backed off on insisting on me sending a check.. We just set a time and I will deliver the cashier check in person, and he will give me the teardrop and a detailed Bill of Sale....

Even though we are not meeting at his house because of the distance between us, he is driving one hour, and I am driving two.. But the address he gave me checked out with my ""investigative work..

so thanks all for the advice and I found a friend to store it in his yard in a safe neighborhood in exchange for some arborist and yard work from me.

So now my brain is spinning with gadgets I want to add and I even have an idea on how to hang some clothes in my teardrop that won't be in my way for sleeping..

Happy Saturday all,
joe

[asianflava]

But the address he gave me checked out with my ""investigative work..

What, did you check Google street view and see the teardrop in the driveway?

Glad to hear that everything worked out.

[canned o minimum]

Oh... yer head will be SPINNIN with ideas on how to "personalize" yer new TD ! Jus remember that you will ALWAYS be thinkin bout ways to "modify" it as you start yer days and weeks of campin in it !

[arboristjoe]

that is a good idea Asian flava, I just not tried it at the business where he said it was parked, but I am not sure if Google street is actually live in real time ??

oh you know it canned o minimum.. I grew up on a farm, so I was always having to be resourceful to make things work... I just saw a pic I like of a little custom tentlike entryway to a teardrop , looked like sort of a changing room / mud room kind of deal.... I suppose one could put a port o podi out the other door

and you can bet mine will have some Packer colors, and some Polka dancing things too