Buying used vehicles

[kerry]

I've been looking to replace my 71 Travco for about a yr. Since I'm
interested in very particular models and engines, I've been looking at a
distance. I've traveled to see quite a number of motorhomes and in many
cases crucial facts have been omitted in conversations with the sellers
before I traveled. For instance, in one case, three of the windows were
broken--not small cracks but huge cracks thru the whole window. In
another case, the vehicle had no front brakes. In a third instance, the
owner had neglected to mention problems with the electrical system and
when I got there no lights were working. Last night, right before I was
planning to travel to purchase another motorhome, the seller mentioned
that he had replaced the frig with a standard 110v household frig. Why
do people leave out this crucial information? Do they just hope you
will overlook the obvious then you see it? Are they just things they
consider unimportant?Is the market for selling motorhomes so bad that people are just trying desperately to sell them? Do we all do it unconsciously? It's quite frustrating from a buyer's point of view. Once a potential buyer encounters these kinds of omissions,the next thought is 'What else haven't I been told?' It's a counterproductive strategy.
Anyone know how to avoid wasting one's time in circumstances like this?

[Lebenz]

I read somewhere that deception is considered a survival trait that is common to all life forms with legs…

[kerry]

Originally Posted by Lebenz

I read somewhere that deception is considered a survival trait that is common to all life forms with legs…

At least some of the people, I considered to have good character. Yet, even so, important items weren't mentioned. I don't think they were being deliberately deceptive. They just left it out.
I think 126's idea of just letting people free associate about the vehicle does tend to bring things to the surface that wouldn't appear in response to direct questions.

[Lebenz]

But if it’s true that deception is normal, how could one ever not be deceptive? One’s good character would have no bearing on a fundamental tendency.

[OMEGAMAN]

My father and I were in a similar situation to yours. We went to pick up a 50 chevy in washington state this involved a car trailer and overnight stay only to find out the seller failed to mention that he had no title for the car. Without a title we would never get it into canada so we said the hell with it. But before we left my dad asked if we could take 1 last look at the car. A goat folowed us to the car and I found a pristine owners manual in the glove box so I fed the goat the cover from the owners manual. I figured it was the least I could do.

[Hatterasguy]

Most people lie like crazy when they sell cars. For example I recently helped a friend locate a pretty nice S320. I called the seller who was 3 1/2 hours away and proceded to ask a lot of questons some of them were:

Me "are there any dents, scratches ect" "I know this isn't a new car so I am not expecting perfection"

Seller "no the body is perfect"

In person: The car is loaded with door dings, $3k worth of cosmetic work needed to bring to "perfect" shape.

Me "what is its maintaince history?"
Seller "full history from big local dealer"

In person: maintaince book not stamped, no service history found.

Seller also hid a faulty MAF sensor.

The car is decent at the price my friend paid, but I am pod the seller lied. If the car was closer we would have walked.

I could go on and on, people lie like crazy when they sell old cars. I can think of only 3 MB sellers that I have delt with and were honest.

[Plantman]

Everyone's perception is different, and that has to be taken into consideration.

When I bought my SDL from a board member, from the pictures and decsription given to me, versus the actual condition, I was somewhat dissapointed in the car cosmetically.

I don't think I was lied to, I just realized he and I disagree as to what a "clean" interior and "perfect" are.

.02

[Hatterasguy]

No this guy lied to me on the service history and CE light. Another time I was lied to I was looking at a local 300SD for a member in NY. I called the owner and spoke a long time with me. He assured me the car was perfect with no rust ext.

When I looked at it I have never seen a more shot or rusted out 300SD. My $500 shot beater looked mint next to this car.


The guy was asking $1,500 for it but giving its cosmetic and mechanical condition it was a $200 parts car on its best day. However it was ready to be crushed their really wasn't anything left to save on it.

I would have been pissed if I drove 3 hours to look at a "rust free" car to find one that was about to break in half from rot.

[Botnst]

Whatever the item is, if it came recently from the Gulf Coast (especially New Orleans), be careful.

B

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Botnst

Whatever the item is, if it came recently from the Gulf Coast (especially New Orleans), be careful.

B

There is an Alabama auction company specializing in liquidating Katrina damaged RV's & boats. I believe it is USA Auctions, LLC (if not I can find out if anyone is interested). A friend of mine just bought a slightly damaged $100K RV for a song. He is very knowledgeable about RVs like Kerry appears to be and only will have to replace the generator, which was damaged by flooding. For an educated buyer, Katrina can be a gold mine for someone who wants to keep the vehicle for their own use. If I was a dealer, OTOH, I would be careful in buying Katrina damaged goods and then re-selling them b/c of the salvage title issue.

[BobK]

I have a lot of fun with ads when I sell a car.
Once when selling an '82 full sized Blazer with a bad automatic transmission, I had the ad read: "'82 K5 Blazer, 6.2 diesel, 700R4, rusty, trany bad, bring your own tow truck!"
and when selling my first MB, "'76 Mb 240D-Rust bucket"
It actually can be fun telling the truth...and ya can sleep better. Besides, I usually realize what the car is really worth and price it that way. I just got an '85 190E 2.3 for my son this weekend. $200 and worth every penny.
Still, the urge to buff things up in our minds can be strong.

[Hatterasguy]

Good point. If you are a very educated buyer their may be some deals. Boats for example I would be very comfortable buying a damaged boat; because I would be able to look over it and would know exactly what is needed and how much it would cost.


Not with cars though, I don't know MB's as well as boats and couldn't make that call.

[kerry]

Originally Posted by John Doe

There is an Alabama auction company specializing in liquidating Katrina damaged RV's & boats. I believe it is USA Auctions, LLC (if not I can find out if anyone is interested). A friend of mine just bought a slightly damaged $100K RV for a song. He is very knowledgeable about RVs like Kerry appears to be and only will have to replace the generator, which was damaged by flooding. For an educated buyer, Katrina can be a gold mine for someone who wants to keep the vehicle for their own use. If I was a dealer, OTOH, I would be careful in buying Katrina damaged goods and then re-selling them b/c of the salvage title issue.

I've seen some really good deals on huricane damaged sailboats that I would jump on was I interested in upgrading sailboats. I think it is US Auctions that specializes in this. They tend to be very straightforward in their descriptions. I guess they know they're not going to fool anyone.

There's currently an RV on RVTrader that I inquired about with the dealer who took it on trade. I met someone on the net who happened to know the previous owner. He mentioned that the previous owner had replaced the very nice carpet with cheap sheet vinyl flooring. Sure enough, when the pictures arrived from the dealer, all the interior pictures were taken at such an angle that the floor was not visible. (except in one very small corner where I saw the vinyl).

[Botnst]

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Good point. If you are a very educated buyer their may be some deals. Boats for example I would be very comfortable buying a damaged boat; because I would be able to look over it and would know exactly what is needed and how much it would cost.


Not with cars though, I don't know MB's as well as boats and couldn't make that call.

Git ye down to the Coast, m'boy. From the air I have seen literally thousands of boats, varying from ocean-going tugs to a couple of kayaks beached up in the marsh. There was a 25-30 ft sailboat beached on the railroad tracks north of the Lake Charles casinos that the owner abandoned. He got his insurance and didn't give a damn where the boat was (story I heard. Yeah, I know.... But the sailboat just sat there for several months). Thousands of abandoned boats. And think of the outboard motors that could be salvaged, heck with the hulls!

B

[Hatterasguy]

Nah you don't want any of the engines that have been under water. The old 2 strokes could be dunked if you started them right away afterwards. However imagin if a Yamaha HPDI or and Envinrude Ficht was dunked! Those things have as many electronics as an S500.

I would love to get my hands on a 25ft Shamrock center console, the hull would have to be sound but everything else can be shot. Re wire the thing, customize the fishing gear, paint the boat. Shave things that are not needed. Add modern hardware pop up cleats, pop up LED lights, new hard top, Raymarine electronics package. Drop in a Merc 6.2 with a dripless packing box, ect ect. I could probably build a nice mini custom fishing boat for $50k or so.

In second thought scratch that idea it will only cost me a lot of money, the last thing I need to run across is a needy boat.

With my luck I would find a Hat 41 that the owner walked away from.