Date:         Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:06:49 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Exciting things happening at Van-Again!
In-Reply-To:  <13c.1ba85b99.305a4d75@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

> Please George prove me wrong, find me a top condition, 
> modified or otherwise, low mileage syncro camper for $6000 
> and I will pay you a $1000 finders fee when I buy it

I'll get in line for that one too, George! :-) 

> As far as the dealer trying to low-ball the guy, that is why God 
> created used car dealers in the first place, so, as I said before, 
> what's the beef?  It is common knowledge that any time you try
>  to sell a car to a dealer, he's going to beat you to death.

I agree with George here.  What do you know - the used car dealer is acting
like a used car dealer!  Yes, they made up an excuse to lowball Chris
("nobody wants modified vehicles"), so they could buy his van cheap and sell
it high. And not just Chris. I've seen posts elsewhere from others who had
the same experience - the year, model, etc. is "not what people are looking
for" when they're buying, but suddenly more desirable if they have one to
sell. But why is this a shocker?  Used car dealers are not known for being
very straightforward or upfront about what your vehicle is really worth on
the retail market. Of course if they bought cars for what they were really
worth, and sold them for what they would really worth, they'd break even. So
they all play games  - some less ethical than others - in order to buy below
market value and sell above it.

> There was no "standing bid" for a $6000 syncro westy! 

Here's where things get much more murky, IMO. According to their email to
Chris, "We contacted our list of buyers and we currently have a buyer at
6,000.00. The money is on file with us at this time."  This goes far beyond
just finding an excuse to make a lowball offer, which all used car dealers
do. This clearly implied that they were not acting as a used car dealer at
all - they weren't offering to buy the van themselves for general resale,
but rather to broker the transaction for a specific individual who had made
a $6000 offer and even given them the money already.  In fact their website
also implies this, offering Westy owners free market appraisals and "free
listings to our database of customers."  Nowhere on their site do they
actually offer to buy your Westy - just to "help buyers and sellers find
eachother."  If this is the case, and they really are finding $6000 Syncro
Westies for lucky buyers, count me in!  (Okay, I'll buy one from them and
one from George. :-)  On the other hand, if they are actually a used car
dealer that buys Westies, then why not just say so, instead of going to such
extrordinary lengths to imply something else?

I don't know anyone at Poptop Heaven, so my comments are only relavent to
what I have read.  But I do know and respect Ken Wilford. I can't imagine
that he would allow himself to be a participant in any ethically
questionable business practices with any party. His reputation on the list
has always been excellent, and deservedly so. 

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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