Meeting at gas station to buy a vehicle.. strange experience

mikeduf said:
No both of them were top name brand and work perfectly and very good condition. I figured someone could use them on a budget. Craigslist is notorious for bean counters and haglers. I sold a mountain bike to this guy with a listing price of $40 and he kept trying to haggle me down! I finally said why don't I just give it to you for free he gave me a Blank Stare. At least this time I met the person at a Starbucks.
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No good deed goes unpunished. I have a friend that sells used cars. He also sells stuff on the side like household items that he's getting rid of. It's not worth a few dollars to me offset the potential drama.
 
Leo99 said:
when you're a stranger
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Would be even more strange if I knew the guy. Oh I have to stop at the gas station first? Okay Johnny, are you feeling okay? Johnny, why are you at the end of your driveway sitting in your truck?
 
You did the right thing. Who knows what he was up to. He may even have been legit but trying to get you to invest your time in the process, that way your more likely to close the deal at a price or terms more favorable to them, even if it was still legit.

Everyone watches too much pawn stars and thinks there some sort of dealmaker now
 
SC Maintenance said:
You did the right thing. Who knows what he was up to. He may even have been legit but trying to get you to invest your time in the process, that way your more likely to close the deal at a price or terms more favorable to them, even if it was still legit.

Everyone watches too much pawn stars and thinks there some sort of dealmaker now
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I was also alone too, should really have a buddy with you with you buy cars. They can stay with the car while you go to the bank. One time I went to bank it looked like they were messing with the vehicle when I got back and I was only gone 15-20 minutes tops.
 
I flew into Florida one night back in early 2000s to purchase a Chevelle I had seen on Ebay. We made a deal over the phone and by passed Ebay. I stayed in a hotel that night next to airport and the guy drove to pick me up the next morning. (kind of stupid on my part I thought as it was going down) Here I was with a certified check for thousands of dollars and no proof of what it was for. Also I am out here with a stranger being driven to his place in the country to a little town I know nothing about and never even heard of. We got to his farm house
where no houses were near. Once we got out it was just me and him and his buddy who was there waiting on us with the car. It was the car as advertised and we completed the deal and I was to drive the car 8-9 hours home that evening. He had a shed in the back and wanted to show and offer me all sorts of automobile items. I was very leery walking into this shed with two strangers. They also offered me to take a nap at the house before my drive back which I politely turned down. I was walking on needles and pins while not allowing either of them to get behind me. LoL I can laugh about this now but I had all sorts of things running thru my head like : two guys lure buyers into the country and bump them off and keep the money etc.... Well. I made it out of there with the car no problems.... Felt like a horror movie script I was living through at the time.
 
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mikeduf said:
No both of them were top name brand and work perfectly and very good condition. I figured someone could use them on a budget. Craigslist is notorious for bean counters and haglers. I sold a mountain bike to this guy with a listing price of $40 and he kept trying to haggle me down! I finally said why don't I just give it to you for free he gave me a Blank Stare. At least this time I met the person at a Starbucks.
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I dont have time for hagglers at time of sale. Haggling before meeting is okay. $5-10 less at sale is ok.

Im always very clear on condition of items and state cash only, firm on price.

Ive had to tell a few people over the years that the sale is off because they wouldnt stop trying to haggle after negotiations.
 
SammyChevelleTypeS3 said:
I flew into Florida one night back in early 2000s to purchase a Chevelle I had seen on Ebay. We made a deal over the phone and bypassed Ebay. I stayed in a hotel that night next to airport and the guy drove to pick me up the next morning. (kind of stupid on my part I thought as it was going down) Here I was with a certified check for thousands of dollars and no proof of what it was for. Also I am out here with a stranger being driven to his place in the country to a little town I know nothing about and never even heard of. We got to his farm house
where no houses were near. Once we got out it was just me and him and his buddy who was there waiting on us with the car. It was the car as advertised and we completed the deal and I was to drive the car 8-9 hours home that evening. He had a shed in the back and wanted to show and offer me all sorts of automobile items. I was very leery walking into this shed with two strangers. They also offered me to take a nap at the house before my drive back which I politely turned down. I was walking on needles and pins while not allowing either of them to get behind me. LoL I can laugh about this now but I had all sorts of things running thru my head like : two guys lure buyers into the country and bump them off and keep the money etc.... Well. I made it out of there with the car no problems.... Felt like a horror movie script I was living though at the time.
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Well, that's kind of how country people are. My neighbor comes over anytime I get 2wd truck stuck which has been atleast 4 times now. One time I was pulling my truck and trailer out of the grass that was too wet and he came over and steered the truck for me while I pulled with the tractor. I think the truck has a dragging front caliper because I pulled it three different times thinking it was far enough out and had to unhook the strap each time to get the tractor out of the way. After the 3rd time I had no more room to pull without taking the neighbors fence out. Another time I turned too sharp and the boat went partially in the ditch and I couldn't get enough traction to pull it. He came over again, but I already asked the other neighbor for help, because we'll that was a sticky situation lol luckily it was clear of the road so nobody could run into my lower unit
 
I called about a boat trailer on Craigslist and the guy said he would meet me in the church parking lot down the street from his house. When I got there he was nowhere in sight so I called him but while I was on the phone the pastor walked out and asked if he could help. When I told him I was there to meet someone about a trailer he said if its so and so tell him he has to stop doing business in out parking lot. The guy heard him and gave me his address and said to just come over. Turned out he was not a private seller but had a whole yard full of used boat trailers. He was trying to skirt the dealer laws by pretending to be a private seller.
 
samven said:
I called about a boat trailer on Craigslist and the guy said he would meet me in the church parking lot down the street from his house. When I got there he was nowhere in sight so I called him but while I was on the phone the pastor walked out and asked if he could help. When I told him I was there to meet someone about a trailer he said if its so and so tell him he has to stop doing business in out parking lot. The guy heard him and gave me his address and said to just come over. Turned out he was not a private seller but had a whole yard full of used boat trailers. He was trying to skirt the dealer laws by pretending to be a private seller.
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Yeah seems to be very common. You can't find anyone that's the actual owner of something and it's very obvious because they don't know anything about it when you ask typical questions about it.
 
Done a lot of transactions on FB. Plenty of sketchy people out there, I don't blame you for being cautious.

FWIW I drove 2000 miles round trip for a car from FB, turned out to be a total flop. BS story and pictures didn't show some serious cosmetic damage.

Before that I went from MA to VA and bought a great car that I drove for 7 years trouble free (other than owner modification induced)
 
The motor guy said:
So i go to look at a truck and drive about an hour away to meet the seller. He wants to meet at a gas station. All is well at this point its in a public place out in the open. Now here's where it gets weird. I show up, dont see the truck I want to buy, wait about 10 minutes, thinking he's still on his way. I finally ask how far away is he. He responds and wants me to come to his house down the street. I said we agreed to meet at the gas station. Either come to the gas station or i'm out of here. Knowing he doens't know what I drive, I went ahead and decided to see where the house was anyways. I still don't see the truck and see a guy sitting in a pickup truck at the end of his driveway waiting for me. (Still not the one I want to buy) I still don't see the truck I want to buy and this guys house must be on 10 acres because the driveway is like 1000ft long. My two thoughts on this were he wanted to rob me or he flips vehicles and doesn't want to be obligated to stay at home and have someone show up hours later when he wasn't there. (hence the reason for meeting at the gas station first) I just drove past the seller sitting in the truck (not even the one I wanted) waiting for me and I went back home. No way I was driving all the way up that driveway without seeing what's at the end from the road. Either that or he sells so many he had me confused thinking that was the truck i wanted idk, but my gut feeling said get out of there immediately hour drive or not.
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Bottom line
He lied from the get go.
Done
 
I am always highly skeptical of dealing with strangers. Unfortunately thats kind of how how life is. Take precautions, be vigilent, take someone with you if possible. Listen to your instinct, if it feels wrong, get out quickly. Otherwise, don't let paranoia set in. I know people scared of their own shadow, that not a great way to live either. Sometimes buisness needs to get done.
 
gfh77665 said:
I am always highly skeptical of dealing with strangers. Unfortunately thats kind of how how life is. Take precautions, be vigilent, take someone with you if possible. Listen to your instinct, if it feels wrong, get out quickly. Otherwise, don't let paranoia set in. I know people scared of their own shadow, that not a great way to live either. Sometimes buisness needs to get done.
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Oh, I agree but there were too many red flags here
 
If I drove an hour, I think I would have at least pulled over and called the guy. 'I'm right here staring at you. Where's the vehicle and what now?'
 
Legitimate sellers should be very willing to meet at the original place and have the vehicle there to show. This guy sounds really shaky and you did the right thing by driving away.
 
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