Due to my wife’s medical bills and other financial needs, I put my TT up for sale on rvtrader recently. Sunday a man from Arkansas called about it. After getting info and dickering a bit, he said he and his wife were coming to look at it.
So that evening they showed up. They spent a good hour and a half looking over every inch of the trailer inside and out, lying on the bed, sitting on the sofa and even the toilet, you name it they checked it out. I even left them alone for a while so they could talk without me. And after hemming and hawing between them for all that time, the man finally said, “We’re just not as taken with it as we thought we’d be and we’re not going to buy it... sorry to keep you out here all this time.” (By now it was 10 pm).
So we get out of the TT, just making smalltalk and standing there a bit, and he says, “You know, if you’ll knock another $200 off, I guess we’ll take it.” I considered briefly and said ok, and we all shook hands on the deal!
Then I asked him what form of payment he had brought. There had been mention on the phone of him stopping by the bank for a cashier’s check or something, so I said if he brought a cashier’s check, no offense to him but because there have been problems with forged cashier’s checks nowadays (my wife’s sister lost a car by taking one of those) I wanted to be cautious. I said I’d trust him to take possession of the trailer if he’d trust me to mail him the title when the payment cleared my bank. And I commented that I’d get my signature on the title notarized (required in Okla.) before mailing it.
Well, suddenly he starts to argue with me about whether the title signature really has to be notarized; he claims he’s a policeman and he knows for a fact it doesn’t, “at least not in Arkansas.” And the next thing he says is, “I just don’t feel comfortable with this deal; we’re going home.” And off they went.
When I went in the house I realized I was totally wound up, tense, and anxious. The whole thing was nerve-wracking! It took a long time to calm down enough to go to sleep, and even the next morning the whole thing was bothering me. I kept trying to figure out if I’d insulted him or what.
But after thinking about it for a long time, I wonder if my wife’s hunch is right... she says they probably were con artists with a bogus cashier’s check! What do you think?
Mike & Sherry
2000 Mercury Mountaineer
2008 Toyota Highlander
2005 Rockwood 2304s
= Equal-i-zer hitch =
I think you did the right thing!!! His comfort level as a buyer shouldn't exceed your comfort level as the seller. I wasn't there and I smell a scam. You have to trust your instincts....
Now stop worrying about stopping someone who could possibly be scamming you neighbor!
Best of luck with the next buyer, I hope they will do business with you in a truly business like manner.
Cat
(Jim just reads the forum once in a while)
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some sort of battle.... Live simply, love wholly, give generously, care deeply, speak kindly.
Not sure I understand the cashier check thing. If the person was coming and knew there would be any possibility of dickering then they wouldn't have brought a cashier's check made out for the exact amount. Seems like he would have just brought cash so it would be easier to pay the exact amount AFTER dickering. Would he have expected you to refund any differences from the cashier's check? I know I wouldn't be willing to refund any overages from his check.
Sorry that it got you all wound up though. I think I would have asked him to leave the minute he questioned your apprehension in taking his check at face value!
-jc
78 Robin Hood 23' Class C
97 Geo Tracker Convertible 4x4
87 Jeep Comanche Chief 4x4
I try to always err on the conservative side. I believe they were trying to pull some sort of scam. After all you really don't know anything about them. Good call to pass. There will be legitimate deals come along. JMHO
I'm not sure where they would have stopped at a bank on Sunday to get a cashier's check (at least not around here). Actually, I don't see any mention by the buyer that he had a chashier's check -- it doesn't sound as if he ever had a chance to tell you for sure how he wanted to pay.
The issue of whether the title needs to be notarized is a red herring. Having it notarized when it doesn't need to be is never a problem. It sounds as if he just didn't want you to hold the title.
You might have lost a legitimate sale. We'll never know. What we do know is that he apparently wanted to take the trailer with him, you could not get to the bank that night with any form of payment, and he probably did not want you to hold the title. Also, if he gives you a check for a higher amount and wants change, things get really ugly.
My guess (and it's only that) is that you were probably right to follow your gut instinct, and that you probably saved yourself not only a lot of grief, but also your trailer.
I'm sorry to hear that circumstances force you to sell, but with you better luck with the next potential buyer.
Selling RV is a business.
Each business is having good and bad parts.
Enjoy good parts and don't let the bad ones bother you.
You did your part right and that's all that counts.
Pessimist sees dark tunnel, optimist sees a light at the end, realist sees lights of coming train.Engineer sees 3 idiots on the tracks.
I think they were looking for anypossible excuse to not buy your trailer.
A few weeks ago, I sold a '72 truck for a friend. The first prospect showed up. After 2 hours of looking ecvery square inch of it over, He decided to offer me 30% less than asking price. I said no. After a few more minutes of him continuing to look it over, I mentioned I was going back in the house and he could spend time looking it over further. He said good, just give me 5 more minutes. 30 minutes later, I went outside and said "this truck isn't for you", as he was "anguished trying to make up his 50 year old mind for an $1800 transaction. He told me thank you, and drove off. The 2nd prospect drove 100 miles to see it, didn't quibble about the price, and bought it. Sometimes you gotta know when to hold em, and when to fold em.
RobinHoodRV wrote: Not sure I understand the cashier check thing. If the person was coming and knew there would be any possibility of dickering then they wouldn't have brought a cashier's check made out for the exact amount. Seems like he would have just brought cash so it would be easier to pay the exact amount AFTER dickering. Would he have expected you to refund any differences from the cashier's check? I know I wouldn't be willing to refund any overages from his check.
Sorry that it got you all wound up though. I think I would have asked him to leave the minute he questioned your apprehension in taking his check at face value!
I'm not sure either... I don't think I would carry ten grand in cash around in my pocket, though. Maybe he had a cashier's check for nine thousand and the rest in cash? I don't know, probably never will.
I say you did right. I sold one of Goldwings on E BAY, I posted cashiers check or cash only. Well when the auction closed the guy and his wife drives up to get it. Well he brought only a personal check. I said no deal, unless my bank will cash it. So I drove him to my bank, talked to the manager, she checked him out and gave him the money. Stick to your gut feelings, they are hardly ever wrong. And sorry you have to sell. Good luck.
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