The Vent Thread - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TylerH860 · #1 03-05-2013, 10:02 PM

Here begins the vent thread to write down out our frustrations to move on. Please respond only with words of encouragement rather than armchair quarterback style criticism.

For Example:

I have a 2005 Lexus RX330 on the lot with 96,000 miles. Fully inspected, newer Michelins, great shape, 1 owner, clean history. Have $11,500 into and am asking $12995. NADA retail is $17000. Guy walks around the car doing his best to point out the most minute imperfections in the black paint and interior, tells me in this condition its only worth $5000 and that's the most he would pay. Who the f*** did he think he is wasting my time with that moronic insult? I kept my cool and broomed him, but still have violent thoughts every time I think of him.

Another from this week...

I was really busy with work and only had time for a fast food lunch. The Taco Bell across the street at the dealership has a lane designated for the entrance and another designated for the exit. Because the exit lane is closer to the actual entrance of the drive thru, many people turn in the exit lane anyway. I pulled in the proper entrance, and was approaching the start of the drive thru when a fat woman in a Saturn Vue came flying into the exit. In a short game of chicken I did not touch my brakes, forcing her to make an emergency shop sending all the garbage in her car flying forward. She laid on the horn and flipped me off. I hopped out of the giant conversion van I was in and pointed at the sign and yelled exit only. She rolled down the window and started screaming, "you wanted to cause a wreck because I ****** went in the wrong entrance, do you have no brakes? "

I replied, " yes, and knew you did too. I didn't want to be cut in line. "

She retorted with something like, " oh wouldn't that have been the end of your ****** world, how pathetic."

This nasty cow was dropping f-bombs and had previously flipped me off even though her 10-12 year old son was in the car with her.

My response, "Well you could afford to miss a few meals anyway." I hopped back in the van, got my food, and never looked back.

That was probably too far, and hopping out of the van to have a confrontation was not wise, but at least in this instance I got the last word.

I'll close with the 100+ times someone has asked what my best deal or bottom dollar was without looking at the car, driving it, doing any research on pricing or even asking any basic questions about it over the phone. Just "Hi, is your x for sale? Yes? How much are you asking? What's your bottom dollar?"

I just told you the GD price! I'm not going to lift my skirt after a 10 second conversation and give it all up.

cmbdiesel · #2 03-05-2013, 10:47 PM

5K should have been acceptable.... as a deposit.... until he could return with the other 8k.....

I'm proud of you for getting out, getting all-up-in-her-$hit, and getting the hell outta there without getting in trouble.

Sometimes it is impossible to restrain yourself from engaging the DB's of the world....

Have you considered that possibly tire-kicking-chump-change could be married to whole-lotta-wrong-way-rosie??

Skid Row Joe · #3 03-06-2013, 02:07 PM

Tyler,
I've utilized CL quite successfully in the past in getting top dollar for a couple items - one of them an antique Honda MC. But not always.......

With that in mind, in offering my '99 MB for sale on CL - one persistent shopper used to surface when I ran the ad by offering that same "$5K" that you experienced on the Lexus, a vehicle worth clearly much more.

I wrote him back that at the amount of money he had to buy a year model like mine, that he could probably pick up two wrecks at a salvage yard, and try to piece together one car.

Same guy's email address surfaced on CL months later once again, so I then blocked that email address from further contact from CL.

In another CL instance, an enquiry came in stating that my car was "X" amount over what they could buy one for from others for sale.......my reply; "go buy one from them......"

FWIW, I use a different email address to answer CL ad enquiries that come in to my regular CL contact email address. Makes it easier to permanently dispense with their lame enquiries.

SirNik84 · #4 03-06-2013, 02:21 PM

The Taco Bell incident you describe reminds me of this.

Freeway Patrol (Animated Stories of the) - Episode 1 - YouTube

My friend is a CHP and tells me this whole series is pretty much his life.

JB3 · #5 03-06-2013, 02:54 PM

I like your style Tyler.

Parting shot was beauty in itself. There is not much of a response to that.

martureo · #6 03-06-2013, 02:55 PM

My route to work is 19 miles, mostly on back roads. On the way to work, during the first 15 miles or so there are only 4 places to pass in the opposing lane (not that some people really wait for the dotted line, but I do). It's pretty common for me to get stuck behind a horse trailer, a dually hauling God knows what, or some type of farm machinery.

I live around DC so this morning as you probably heard I woke up to some snow. 3 inches of heavy, slushy stuff when went to clean off the car. Schools are closed, the Feds have shut down and most people are staying home in anticipation of a whole lot more snow this evening. My company almost never shuts it's doors.

Roads are fine, little to no accumulation, just a little slush here and there. I get behind a prosthetic limb colored Nissan Altima about two miles into my journey. They're braking hard at every little thing that even looks like snow/slush and it's getting aggravating that no matter how much of a gap I leave, they always seem to close it. I'm eagerly anticipating and hoping that either they turn right on the major route going South or that the first passing lane will be empty of snow. Nope, they don't turn and there is traffic in the opposing lanes on the first three passing zones. Ugh....

One passing zone left to go, it's an uphill stretch in the woods (no shoulder), only about 1/5 of mile long, with a blind crest on the far end. The speed limit is 35 mph and I can't see a bit of slush on the road.

No oncoming traffic.

I left a gap and then I gunned it (I'm in my wife's 1995 E300)

I make it to 45 mph behind the guy and move on over.

He picks his speed up. Grrrrr....

My front bumper is next to his rear wheel. OMG there's lights coming toward me!

Crrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaap......

I release the pedal, dab of brake and coast back behind him.

He slams on the brakes... Honking while gripping the steering wheel hoping it will help the car stop. I just barely missed rear ending him.

Turns out he freaked out about going through a very insignificant puddle that's in an indention in the road surface.

I end up at a light 2 miles away next to him. He rolls down the window and screams "what's all the honking for!?!?!"

What!? Are you freaking kidding me?

I kept my window up and drove on. Right after that the sight of a WRX driving too fast and ending up in the median on the highway lifted my spirits.

MBeige · #7 03-06-2013, 03:34 PM

Some old man ran into my 190E, low impact to both driver side doors (scrapes/dents but B pillar is good). Now I'm dealing with his insurance. They are considering totaling my car, which obviously I'll fight for to keep the title clean.

He just turned 81 this Saturday too.

P.C. · #8 03-06-2013, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBeige

Some old man ran into my 190E, low impact to both driver side doors (scrapes/dents but B pillar is good). Now I'm dealing with his insurance. They are considering totaling my car, which obviously I'll fight for to keep the title clean.

He just turned 81 this Saturday too.

Probably too late to buy him a gift. Trot down to the Hallmark store and buy him one of those happy belated birthday cards. Let me know if you need help drafting a few kind words.

Pooka · #9 03-06-2013, 04:56 PM

I don't know if you have a web-site or not, but if you don't you should. A guy I once knew in Kansas put up a site that answered almost every question anyone could have and he also put up about 25 photos per car. This takes some time, but so does dealing with tire-kickers over the phone.

His lookie-loo rate dropped off to almost nothing after he set up the site and posted a sign outside saying to check out any car check out his site. If it is on the site is is for sale, if not its' not.

As a part of the sale paperwork he makes a big deal of taking down the ad for the car. The new owner can see that his 'new' car is removed from the site; it is all a part of the selling process. Sort of a 'I know you just bought the car but I am still involved with you' sort of thing. This might help build repeat business or it might not, but the ad for the car has to be taken down anyway so why not do it with the buyer there?

You could also post on the site your asking price and the NADA price and let folks know the price is firm. If the car does not sell then let folks know you will adjust the price and they will know it when it appears on the site.

Can't Know · #10 03-06-2013, 05:20 PM

Yesterday I head to lunch. Since I typically walk to work, it was a rarity to be driving around anyway. Place I wanted to go was out of what I really wanted, so I decided to go to Subway, at least that would be healthy (veggie, no cheese, wheat bread, etc.). As I come up on a major intersection (seven lanes wide including a turn lane) I see a guy jaywalking across the oncoming lanes. There is a big median, so I figured he was heading there to wait; besides, there was no way he was going to be to my side before I was well through the intersection. Then, as I got to the intersection, a complete DOUCHE starts jaywalking quickly across the *other* side (towards guy #1). He's really lucky I have ABS, though part of me was sorry I didn't help him complete his suicide wish. To his credit, once he saw me he started sprinting, so he cleared the lane and I was able to proceed without coming to a complete halt in the middle of the intersection. Side benefit: I got a cardiac stress test without having to visit the doctor...

To top it off, the subway parking lot was completely full, also no street parking within a half-mile, so I ended up heading back to work without lunch.

Hatterasguy · #11 03-06-2013, 05:25 PM

Subaru owners who try to set world rally championship times in any kind of snow.

Although when they crash its hilarious.

TheDon · #12 03-06-2013, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBeige

Some old man ran into my 190E, low impact to both driver side doors (scrapes/dents but B pillar is good). Now I'm dealing with his insurance. They are considering totaling my car, which obviously I'll fight for to keep the title clean.

He just turned 81 this Saturday too.

That really sucks. They better by total it and then send it off to the classic center for a full restoration

TylerH860 · #13 03-06-2013, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pooka

You could also post on the site your asking price and the NADA price and let folks know the price is firm. If the car does not sell then let folks know you will adjust the price...

I do that with every one of my ads... Price is firm. If I know its a lowballer delight car I even put "Price is firm. Please no low ballers or tire kickers." It still happens.

daw_two · #14 03-06-2013, 08:05 PM

Tyler.

Do you have a car on your lot that is for sale for UNDER $5K? If so, the next time someone offers you $5K on a nice car, just change the vehicle. Walk them over to the car that you will sell them for $5K and ask if they want to test drive it.

cmbdiesel · #15 03-06-2013, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daw_two

Tyler.

Do you have a car on your lot that is for sale for UNDER $5K? If so, the next time someone offers you $5K on a nice car, just change the vehicle. Walk them over to the car that you will sell them for $5K and ask if they want to test drive it.

Maybe a Camry or a Sentra....

Or this one around back....