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a recent potential deal that fell through over nothing...

#21
joebar said:
I knew right away that something was off with the guy; especially when he was putting all these safeguards in place. too many hoops for something so simple. I understand you gotta be careful, but he insulted me before there was a reason to do so and assumed I was a crook.
its a risk for both parties not just him. I could get a dud or robbed or whatever.
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Sounds like a deal that just wasn't meant to be. But I gotta admit, if a seller requested that we meet at my bank and get fresh money there vs the money I had in hand, I'd end the discussion right there. I value my cash and life more than a potential good deal.
As far as safe neutral places, I've used the local police station parking lot a couple of times. It solves a couple of issues - virtually eliminates the likelihood of hot or stolen goods, weeds out the drug junkie/mugging/murder scum, and also tells the seller you've got nothing to hide and mean no ill will. And if anything bad should go down, it will all be caught on security cameras and you're only seconds away from help.
 
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#24
GBassNorth said:
Sounds like a deal that just wasn't meant to be. But I gotta admit, if a seller requested that we meet at my bank and get fresh money there vs the money I had in hand, I'd end the discussion right there. I value my cash and life more than a potential good deal.
As far as safe neutral places, I've used the local police station parking lot a couple of times. It solves a couple of issues - virtually eliminates the likelihood of hot or stolen goods, weeds out the drug junkie/mugging/murder scum, and also tells the seller you've got nothing to hide and mean no ill will. And if anything bad should go down, it will all be caught on security cameras and you're only seconds away from help.
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I gotta say, when I read your idea for meeting in a police station parking lot my first thought was "screw that!", but you got my cogs turning enough that 10 minutes later I had to return and re-read your post. That's actually a pretty good idea!
 
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#25
Ellery said:
I gotta say, when I read your idea for meeting in a police station parking lot my first thought was "screw that!", but you got my cogs turning enough that 10 minutes later I had to return and re-read your post. That's actually a pretty good idea!
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I will also admit that I've had a couple of craigslist deals where the seller agreed to meet me there and never showed up. I can only assume the seller had something to hide. Maybe a hot item or something not even related to the sale, like a criminal history or prior warrants for arrest or outstanding traffic tickets or something much more sinister. In any case I felt better knowing that I wasn't doing business with a person like that.
 
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#26
joebar said:
this one bugs me.

-I find a bass that is about five hours away; the guy has it advertised on a site (not CL). I contact him and we talk on the phone. twice. I was prepared to make the drive; he says his son will be bringing it down to where I live in about ten days' time-even better.

he says it was bought new, played once, and put in the case. essentially new. full documentation. the price was more than right.

i'm really excited and figure I cant go wrong on this one.

I get a call on Monday night from the son (right on schedule), I could sense hesitation in his voice right away. we planned to meet the following day; I said "I have the cash in my cupboard". he goes on to say he wanted us to go to my bank and pull out fresh money. this will be a bit out of both of our way but he said fine and I (irritated) said ok as well. I reassured him that I was a straight up and honest guy to ease his mind.
I realized that it sounded like we were doing the deal in a neutral place (think parking lot); I told him I needed to try it out first; he said he never even thought about that. after some talk, he agreed to meet at his house (I offered my house) right after work the next day.
five minutes later he texts me back and says the transaction is delayed for a month until his dad can come down and deal with it. I already waited 10 days.
I told them both to pound sand.

for the life of me, I don't know why they were so paranoid-I mean...they are selling and I want to buy-real simple. doesn't get easier. I agreed to whatever their terms were. the fact that they brought the bass down here shows the willingness to sell. makes no sense.

it pisses me off that this one slipped away but I refuse to allow people to string you along while you kiss their butt just to get something. I refuse to give people that much power over me.

you would think that a local face to face deal would be easier, but IME-dealing on TB is far superior to this kind of crap. I think part of the reason buying/selling on here is better is that you cant flake out of an agreement once the funds are exchanged-a deal is generally a deal.
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I bought a bicycle travel case for my wife to take her bike on a trip. Price was fair, and it was along my route home. They guy selling it would NOT let me meet him in front of his apartment. HAD to meet him in a neutral place. Taco Bell it was! So we get to talking a bit and in 5 minutes I may not know where he lives, but I know enough about him I could easily find him anyway. People are weird. Especially on CL.

I have sold stuff out of my house on CL, been to other peoples houses. Met curbside, in Taco Bell, random parking lots between the two of us, wherever. It's all just part of "the game".

If I were buying or selling something truly expensive (I rate that over say $1500), I might want to meet at a bank or similar...
 
#27
image.jpeg
joebar said:
this one bugs me.

-I find a bass that is about five hours away; the guy has it advertised on a site (not CL). I contact him and we talk on the phone. twice. I was prepared to make the drive; he says his son will be bringing it down to where I live in about ten days' time-even better.

he says it was bought new, played once, and put in the case. essentially new. full documentation. the price was more than right.

i'm really excited and figure I cant go wrong on this one.

I get a call on Monday night from the son (right on schedule), I could sense hesitation in his voice right away. we planned to meet the following day; I said "I have the cash in my cupboard". he goes on to say he wanted us to go to my bank and pull out fresh money. this will be a bit out of both of our way but he said fine and I (irritated) said ok as well. I reassured him that I was a straight up and honest guy to ease his mind.
I realized that it sounded like we were doing the deal in a neutral place (think parking lot); I told him I needed to try it out first; he said he never even thought about that. after some talk, he agreed to meet at his house (I offered my house) right after work the next day.
five minutes later he texts me back and says the transaction is delayed for a month until his dad can come down and deal with it. I already waited 10 days.
I told them both to pound sand.

for the life of me, I don't know why they were so paranoid-I mean...they are selling and I want to buy-real simple. doesn't get easier. I agreed to whatever their terms were. the fact that they brought the bass down here shows the willingness to sell. makes no sense.

it pisses me off that this one slipped away but I refuse to allow people to string you along while you kiss their butt just to get something. I refuse to give people that much power over me.

you would think that a local face to face deal would be easier, but IME-dealing on TB is far superior to this kind of crap. I think part of the reason buying/selling on here is better is that you cant flake out of an agreement once the funds are exchanged-a deal is generally a deal.
Click to expand...




Here's a solution
 
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#28
Five years ago I'd have agreed. And I've done a fair bit of life online (hookups, let's talk risk .... ).

Then, I answered a benign ad for an archtop. There was a crack in it, ad was honest, guitar looked very pretty. I said I'd need to see the crack more closely, but if I liked it I offered a potential MIC Tele swap and we agreed to meet at my house. I did not like the looks of the crack -- thought it was the 'beginning of the end' for the guitar, and told him no deal, sorry.

He got super pissed off (this, btw, while my in laws were visiting and mother in law standing 20 feet away) and wound up yelling and slamming my door on the way out. I used to work punk tours, so I'm not about to wet myself, but it did make me 100% certain I wouldn't be meeting folks at my house any more. Too much gear out and about, and too many nut jobs out there.

As far as the police parking lot, there are a lot of folks I'd happily by a guitar from who might find that uncomfortable. Guitar Center works, or Starbucks.

And you have no idea if the son was just having a bad day arguing with his wife, etc.
 
#31
I keep my Canadian currency fresh by sealing it in a ziplock bag and putting it in my freezer with the date clearly marked on the bag, I never put more then 1000 dollars per bag and always put the new bags at the back of the pile to ensure proper rotation, the upper tray in the freezer easely holds 45 to 50 of these bags leaving plenty of room in the rest of the freezer for the gallon jugs of maple syrup and the salmon... fresh money ??? really ?? I live from paycheck to paycheck so my money is always fresh, never more than 2 weeks old, after 2 divorces I'm so broke I cant even pay attention ! if anybody told me they wanted fresh money I would certainly burst out laughing for sure, the only time money is fresh is when it rolls off the printing press, they recently tested the cash in one of the local banks here and the results were astounding, the level of drugs and bacteria was so high it was recomended the the bank employee's working in the vault handling large amounts of money should wear gloves and breathing protection !

When the guy mentioned going to a bank for fresh money I would have laughed and hung up the phone. :laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
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#33
Ellery said:
I gotta say, when I read your idea for meeting in a police station parking lot my first thought was "screw that!", but you got my cogs turning enough that 10 minutes later I had to return and re-read your post. That's actually a pretty good idea!
Click to expand...

I like that idea, too (having worked in a police station). Nothing says hinky more than doing a cash transaction in a random parking lot with things that are big and come in a black case!!! Would definitiely appear less hinky in a PD parking lot.

I've done most of my "stranger deals" in the lobby of my office building where there's security, building access control, etc and semblance of "authority" for what it's worth. Think it makes the seller/buyer a bit more confident that I'm not a shyster. There's been a time or two where I've brought a small amp in so a guitar could be tested. In this day and age, an iPhone, iRig and guitar sim app is all you'd need to test a guitar.
 
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#34
Ross W. Lovell said:
View attachment 902095




Here's a solution
Click to expand...

Was thinking the same thing before I saw your post. Could even make a business out of it - like one of those franchise post office owners or a 7/11? Charge a few bucks for 15 minutes for space and an electrical outlet - almost pure profit! In this growing "exchange economy", something like this just makes sense.

You could have an Uber like app where business owners can register thier space and where buyers or sellers could reserve the space.
 
#36
The OP said it was a better than good price; maybe the seller realized he'd priced the instrument too low and was backing out, either to re-list it higher or because he had gotten a better offer. Or maybe he and his son are sad little paranoid rodents.

One time I went to a seller's home to look at an old Guild Starfire. Not only was the seller a pathetic, slovenly and obnoxious loser, but the run-down urban house was infested with........kittens. I pointed out that the headstock had been broken off and re-glued in an unprofessional manner; for some reason he'd forgotten to mention it before I brought it up.

I hasten to point out that the twenty or so kittens, and probably the seller himself, were not even slightly housebroken.

Knowing he would only take cash, and knowing I would never return, I cheerfully told him I would go to the bank and be right back with his money. Ha! As if I'd let myself be trapped in a house full of stinky kittens. He's probably still looking wistfully out the dirty cracked windows, covered with kitten droppings, waiting to see my new '82 Dodge Charger pull into his dirt driveway.

Tom
 
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#39
viper4000 said:
It would be cool if those safe places had power too.

OP - I would have held firm on my "old dirty cupboard money". Money is money. He didn't want it badly enough. I would have cancelled on that alone. I don't have time for childish stuff like this.
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Honestly, our has a waiting room. pretty sure if I told him what i was doing and asked, they would okay it.

people who would have a problem with this, I'd propbably be suspect of them.
 
#40
My CL deals were local ones I went to someones house, the next one I had the person coming out to our show and I played the bass for the first set and hand him the money after that. The 3rd one the son was shipping out and wanted to sell, this one was 3 blocks from my house. I brought my mini battery powered amp, screwdriver and a set of allen wretches to check the truss rod still worked,
but didn't need it neck straight action was great plugged it in electronics were good paid and left. all were done with email
accept the last one, one call and we met outside his condo
 

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