Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 09:49:54 -0500
Reply-To: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Subject: Re: Something about a squirrel and a nut or advice for doing a
third party purchase
In-Reply-To: <989ea5a20705132054u117c1b59nf5f97d28fa4fd9e2@mail.gmail.co m>
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Depending on how greedy you are, there are a couple of avenues to
take even though parts of this smell pretty fishy.
1. See if he's cool with putting that $20k in an escrow account. If
you're trying to buy a westy on ebay, I think ebay has escrow services.
2. A private seller might play your game if you threw him 10% of
your profit as that way the seller would get more than he or she was
asking in the first place.
3. If the guy is rich, why do you assume he'll begrudge you finding
him the van of his dreams and you make a killing on it?
4.Above all, be up front with him. In you expense report after the
sale, you could charge a healthy per hour fee for the time invested
in the search and acquisition. If you are mechanically inclined, you
could spend money on replacement parts needed and charge labor for
installing them I guess.
I think I'd also do some research into the buyers reputation, as you
could get scammed just as easily as he could.
I guess you could offer possession(not signing it over to him) of the
title of your van as collateral until the deal is done if he gives
you the money up front? The era of a "gentlemen's handshake" is long
gone I'm afraid.
Bottom line is I'd be a little uncomfortable screwing over a new
Vanagon owner even if I was never going to see him again. I think it
has to do with something Jesus said once about doing unto others........
Having horse-traded many canoes and kayaks over the years, my
guilt-free method for dealing with the seller was to find out what
the least amount of money that was acceptable to him or her and then
go from there. If I made a substantial profit and didn't put much
time into it, I just gave the seller more than the minimum. Not sure
how that would transfer into a buyer scenario though.
DM&FS
At 10:54 PM 5/13/2007, TJ Hemrick wrote:
> OK, unbelievably, some old guy walks up to my van and after speaking a few
>moments, he wants me to get him one. Now he's rich, and I stand to make
>some good cash off this deal if I can swing it. I have to find him the van
>of his choice, get him to outlay the cash, and take my cut off the top. At
>first I was like, "I don't need to ask the list. I'll just have him cut a
>check, I'll cash it, get the van and keep the difference". Then it occurred
>to me, the old guy ain't going to just give me a check for over 10k and let
>me walk away with a promise to return with the van and the title (Even
>though I am). So how do I get pops to fork up the price I set, get the van,
>pay the dealer/owner without tipping him that he's paying me a substantial
>finders fee, inspection fee, travel time and gas money (so that he doesn't
>call the old guy, under cut me and keep the (wretched) excess for him). Any
>thoughts on how to swing the deal? One more time from the top: Pops wants
>a van. I find the van. The goal is to get Pops to pay the extra for my
>services, pay for the van and deliver, and I make some much needed and fat
>wad of ben franklins all while the seller and buyer are happy and
>unknowing. Oh, vanagon content. The old guy wants me to find him a Vanagon
>Westphalia and his price range is: No more than 20K. Now you know... And
>the squirrel comment probably makes sense to most of you now.
>
>Thanks,
>TJ
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