Date:         Wed, 15 May 1996 11:32:00 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@gi.com>
Subject:      RE: The Agony and The Ecstasy R


>>dlx 65 Microbus.  Polished porsche rims, chrome safaris and bumpers,
>>new 1776, needs interior work Ph. XXX-XXX-XXXX (to protect the guilty)
>       <snip>
>I couldn't get my deposit back out of the guy (I held the bus for you man I
>could've sold it ten times over .... YEAH right! ) and I'm $150 down for 
the
>(now return) airfare......
>
>OK, I'm willing to write this one off as a learning experience.  But what 
do
>you do?

Well, you may or may not be interested in "shoulda's". I don't have many.
But starting from here...

1.) Don't blank out the phone number.  Why protect the guilty, for crying
out loud?

2.) Sue him in small claims court for misrepresentation. "Factory original"
has a pretty precise meaning, which IMHO he exceeded bigtime. You might
get your deposit and airfare out of him... if you want to go thru all
that hassle. The court date will be much later, you'll have to go back,
etc., etc. Personally I wouldn't bother, but that's just me.

3.) Have you flown home yet, or are you writing from the site, a la Hoover?
If you're still there, go to a copy shop that lets you rent time on a
Mac or PC, whip up a little brochure accurately describing what was promised
vs. what you found; run off a hundred copies, and plaster them all over his
block/street/road/whatever. Let *him* try to sue *you* for 
misrepresentation--
he'll have to prove that what you say isn't true. Make sure the brochure is
true and accurate, and he won't have a leg to stand on.

If you have time, make 300 copies. He'll rip down the first set. That night,
put 'em up again. Next morning, they may go bye-bye again. After he goes
to work, put 'em up again. Free speech, y'know-- worst they can get you
for, is littering. And if he drops them on the ground after ripping them
down, YOU can get HIM for littering. He might find it more worthwhile
to give you back your deposit, especially if you mention "factory original"
and lawsuits.

And the hits just keep on comin'...

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 Steve Maher         smaher@gi.com           '80 V6anagon w/Chevy 2800
                                             '66 Mustang Coupevertible

            Check out the cars at http://www.wp.com/IrishMafia

              *** There are plenty of jobs around!
                     Hell, I have three of them! ***
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