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Latest Example
Here is the latest example of some of my dealings, or issues with dealings.
About a month and a half ago I found a bus of interest online, at a dealer. I called and left a message and the dealer (owner) finally called me back. We discussed the bus and I listened to his sales pitch. He did mention it was a consigned bus, but that they (dealer) had done alot of work to the bus and knew it very well. I asked for records and was told they would be emailed to me and there was alot…ok, no problem. I waited, waited, waited….nothing over a couple weeks. I wrote back, called back and never got any replies, then I saw the bus was not on the dealer site anymore so figured it sold…no big deal and I move on.
A couple weeks ago I find the same bus on a different site with a reduced price. I figure the consignment ends and the owner lists it, so I send the owner an email. He write s back and says no it is still consigned. I explain to him about my ordeal and that I had been interested but could not get the dealer to talk to me and the bus was no longer listed…..he was floored, as he should have been. He assured me I would be getting a phone call the next day and was very upset over the ordeal.
Next morning early I get a call and asked exactly what documents I needed…lol I reminded of our past phone call and that I was interested in the maintenance records he said were available. (at this point it is more a point for me). He said no problem he had to get them from Prevost and it might take a day or two, not an issue.
Now let’ move on, practically every morning I get an email or text saying he is still waiting on records, then he says that he can’t do any business during the afternoon due to health issues. Ok, no worries.Last Friday gets here and I get another text basically asking me to be patient as the records had not arrived yet. (I have way past the time I believed there were actually any records) but it’s OK becasue I have moved on and already found the bus I want.
Last night I get a text from the dealer that says hey, I am writing a contract on this bus at noon on Monday. If you really want it you need to buy it before noon on monday and that he already had my offer and it was $5K above the other offer so I had first chance….HUH, I never made an offer of any kind. The ONLY price mentioned was the list price and the REAL owner told me what his bottom dollar would be. I never offered anything nor did I allude that I wanted to buy it. Remember all I am waiting on are the service and maintenance records. My reply was that I thought it was a bit unfair to continually ask me to be patient for the records and now on Saturday night I am given basically four hours to buy it…..The dealer went on to say that I shouldn’t worry about the records becasue this was NOT a bus that I would drive across the country and then be “pissed” becasue it was misrepresented, and that I just had to trust him……..OK so that tells me he is a reader of this board and knows the issues I have bumped into…..
We went back and forth a bit while he was trying to explain he was being fair by offering it to me first and I explained my sense of fair and ethical business practices of which did NOT encompass a dealer for 1.5 weeks telling a potential customer to be patient as the dealer was getting all requested documents and then being told to trust him and BTW, you have four hours to buy it. My final words were I want nothign to do with that bus or his dealership…..
Maybe I over reacted, maybe this is the way people do business, but it is NOT the way I do business, nor is it the way I was raised.
Anyway, just another fun event in the search. I honestly have it down to two buses that my wife and I really like and we are working feverishly to make one of them ours. Both I trust being 100% of what is told about them and it really comes down to the ability to make the deal.
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2 Replies
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Who’s the dealer Brett, we need to know those things.
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I didn’t want to put names on the forum, however seeing that YOU asked……
Doug at Excalibur,
you can find the bus on two or three different sites, all a different price. Was gonna post the link, but can’t get that to work.
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