As we get used to our new grey Toyota Avensis, yesterday we said farewell to Rachel’s old red Avensis. As part of the process we advertised it on eBay and Autotrader and I now feel like I could be a car dealer! Not that I ever will, so please don’t get worried, excited, horrified or think I’ve totally lost my marbles. Quite an amusing dialogue with the buyer…..
Rachel had accepted an offer from a local man called Freddie on Monday, a few days ago. While below the asking price, it was probably a fair price. He had been to see the car, had a test drive and had a mechanic friend check it over. Trouble is, he didn’t have the money other than a deposit.
After a bit of faffing around, it was agreed I would see him yesterday to complete the deal and here’s how it went:
“Hi, you must be Doug, I’ve come for the car”
“Pleased to meet you (shook hands etc). Well here’s the car, you can look it over again if you want or else we can go inside and complete the paperwork”
We went inside and I invited his girlfriend to come in as well. She declined, saying it was okay and she would be fine waiting outside. She was huge and probably wanted to have a crafty fag outside, so I suggested she could sit in the car but she was fine as she was. Once inside Freddie and I sat down.
“So the balance is £210, you have the cash?”
“Ah yes, hmmm, your Misses said you are the man to talk to about the price. Thing is, it’s going to need new wheel bearings and we need to reduce the price”
Not a penny less!
“No we don’t. I need £210 from you, not a penny less, just as we agreed with you on Monday”
“Oh, well I’ll just have to see how much cash I have”
Freddie counted the cash out and was £50 short.
“You sure you won’t reduce the price for me Doug, my friend?”
“Not a penny less” I said, looking him straight in the eye while I told myself he’s not my friend.
“You sure about that?”
“Yep, not a penny less. You want your deposit back or something?”
He went to speak to his girlfriend outside and came back with some more cash. But only £40 and explained they had to spend money on the taxi to bring them over to our house, as if that would make any difference for me.
Thing is, I knew we had other buyers waiting and were prepared to pay a little more. I would happily sell it to someone else and yet I was happy to stick to the agreement Rachel had made (we’re old fashioned like that…. once we agree something or give our word on something, we don’t go and change it later on).
So we were £10 short and he was pleading with me to let him off. He even said “I know, not a penny less…… I’ll have to drive to a cashpoint machine for some more money”.
I wouldn’t let him drive off to a cashpoint machine in the car. I knew I’d never see him again, so I said I’d go with them. His girlfriend squeezed herself into the rear seats, just as well the car is quite big. We drove to a cashpoint machine, he parked in a private parking spot (what a cheek!) and we walked around to the cashpoint machine together – I wasn’t letting him out of my sight. A £10 note came out, I took it off him and thanked him. We shook hands and I walked home.
On the receipt I gave him, I thought I would be prudent and note the time of the transaction – just in case we get a speeding or parking fine through the post.
Now it just seems funny only having two cars for the two of us!
Related: buying a 12 year old car