GloriousExcess
03-05-2012, 11:13 PM
Kinda bummed and hoping some internet venting will be cathartic.
Drove from just north of Jax down to Tampa today to purchase a hardtop. The guy ended up raising the price on me (I suspect when he discovered I drove 4 hours to pick it up) and I ended up leaving empty handed. I don't have any weird expectations from people, I'm not myopic enough to believe that people are good and kind and apply the golden rule. I'm just bummed because I was really looking forward to getting a hardtop before I start the build on the car.
Long story: Called Saturday morning on a craigslist ad. You Tampa guys know what it was probably, a red and black 97 automatic with 18" rims and what looked to be a rattle can spray job on the top. Asked if he would separate the top from the car, he said he had gotten other calls about it, that he would and what was my offer. I asked about the condition and was told that other than the spray job it was in super-excellent condition. It's been 2 months or so that I've been looking for a top and I felt like if I offered the guy a super fair price that I could walk away nice top to be repainted , get on with the build and all that jazz. I offered 1k cash. He said he had a previous offer for 1100. Bummer. "Well man, that's a great price, good luck with the sale", and that was that.
Sunday morning he called back to say the other buyer was giving him the run around waiting for his tax return and that he'd take my offer. Sweet. I had the day off today and I arranged to be in Tampa by the afternoon with the cash. Bam, done and done, made it into Tampa before traffic got bad, drove to the dudes house, top was as described. A decent spray can paint job and a top with good glass, seals and headliner. We put it on the car and pull out the money. "Hey, it's 1k but you should count it to be sure."
"Nah man, it's supposed to be 1100."
Well wtf.. I told him thanks but no thanks and drove home. I guess I've been spoiled, avid/hardcore Miata ownership is a small enough community and people are usually on the up and up, I wasn't anticipating any extortion. Now that I've wrote it out I feel a little silly about it but you live you learn.
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto/2881896162.html was the ad so if anyone wants a flat black hardtop with defroster and headliner, the dude will take $1100 if you get him to agree to $1000.
TLDR; drove 4 hours to tampa, dude was like "that'll be $100 more". Fuck that guy, but FML too. Drove back home.
Drove from just north of Jax down to Tampa today to purchase a hardtop. The guy ended up raising the price on me (I suspect when he discovered I drove 4 hours to pick it up) and I ended up leaving empty handed. I don't have any weird expectations from people, I'm not myopic enough to believe that people are good and kind and apply the golden rule. I'm just bummed because I was really looking forward to getting a hardtop before I start the build on the car.
Long story: Called Saturday morning on a craigslist ad. You Tampa guys know what it was probably, a red and black 97 automatic with 18" rims and what looked to be a rattle can spray job on the top. Asked if he would separate the top from the car, he said he had gotten other calls about it, that he would and what was my offer. I asked about the condition and was told that other than the spray job it was in super-excellent condition. It's been 2 months or so that I've been looking for a top and I felt like if I offered the guy a super fair price that I could walk away nice top to be repainted , get on with the build and all that jazz. I offered 1k cash. He said he had a previous offer for 1100. Bummer. "Well man, that's a great price, good luck with the sale", and that was that.
Sunday morning he called back to say the other buyer was giving him the run around waiting for his tax return and that he'd take my offer. Sweet. I had the day off today and I arranged to be in Tampa by the afternoon with the cash. Bam, done and done, made it into Tampa before traffic got bad, drove to the dudes house, top was as described. A decent spray can paint job and a top with good glass, seals and headliner. We put it on the car and pull out the money. "Hey, it's 1k but you should count it to be sure."
"Nah man, it's supposed to be 1100."
Well wtf.. I told him thanks but no thanks and drove home. I guess I've been spoiled, avid/hardcore Miata ownership is a small enough community and people are usually on the up and up, I wasn't anticipating any extortion. Now that I've wrote it out I feel a little silly about it but you live you learn.
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto/2881896162.html was the ad so if anyone wants a flat black hardtop with defroster and headliner, the dude will take $1100 if you get him to agree to $1000.
TLDR; drove 4 hours to tampa, dude was like "that'll be $100 more". Fuck that guy, but FML too. Drove back home.