Opinions please!

[James England]

What do people think of this? Yesterday, I contacted someone about buying their XS1100. It would have been a good restoration project (as long as my XJR 'wife' didn't notice). We agreed a fair price and the seller said "we have a deal" (all done by email). Then, once I'd got into gear to have the bike collected by a bike delivery man I use and asked what payment method he wanted, the 'seller' said that perhaps he'd been a bit hasty because his auction had lots of watchers. So, he'd decided to leave it on the auction but would "offer it to me again" if the auction didn't do very well (and which presumably he'd cancel at the last minute, therefore disappointing the bidders and abusing the ethics of the auction). I was pretty disgusted and said not to bother contacting me. What would others have done? Am I being old-fashioned? Is a deal a deal? Or do people think its acceptable to back out after agreeing a deal?

[TomB]

I think you're being old fashioned, it seems to happen more and more these days. I 'spose he had the decency to email back and tell you he'd got cold feet on the deal so you didn't waste money on a collection van/man.

He played his hand telling you he'd see how the bidding went and decide whether to let you have it, if I was you I'd have let the bidding play out and if the bidding was less than your agreed deal I'd have dropped my offer, after all it was the way he wanted to play it.


I'm of the same opinion as you, a deal is a deal, but then I'm old fashioned too.

[madmax-im]

obviously not a man of his word...people these days don't say what they mean or mean what they say...I would have told him to stick it where the sun don't shine...

[James England]

obviously not a man of his word...people these days don't say what they mean or mean what they say...I would have told him to stick it where the sun don't shine...

Yes. I kind of did that, politely.

[DGXSER]

Well James, welcome to the post Gordon Geco world. "Greed is good" and it is run amuck IMHO. Real men are few and far between. The kind of folks who put honor and personal reputation above monetary value. Where a hand shake is more binding than any written paper.

I am of the opinion you should force the man to live up to his written agreement. You have an email accepting the offer, that is a written contract. Then again, your laws on that side of the pond may differ.

But yes, I to would have informed such an unscrupulous person that I no longer wanted to be involved in any dealings with them. After all, if he will back out of an agreement for money, what lies has he told you to get the sale? What is really under the covers of that bike that he figures you will not see until it locks up on your ride home? Better to not do business with that sort IMO.

[IanDMacDonald]

+1 Took the words right out of my mouth Don. Well said!

[ViperRon]

James a man like this needs a lesson. I actually had a simular situation several years ago over a compressor I was buying for my father. I said sure call me after the auction I may even be able to spring for a few extra bucks cause I really want it. I then strung him as far along as far as possible and offered less than I did before. After 3 days he called and said ok. I then told him I never had any intention of buying from him because of the way he did in the begining.

I've seen people like this have people drive 100's of miles in rented trucks to pick up stuff and find they sold it to someone while the other person was in route.

I feel you are a man of morals James and this goes against your belief but ethics are so often ignored these days that unless a man is taught a lesson that cost him real money he learns nothing.

[fredintoon]

- - - Yesterday, I contacted someone about buying their XS1100. - - -

Hi James,
the guy's word can't be trusted so you are well out of the deal.
Who knows what undisclosed condition or ownership problems there could be?

[andreashweiss]

comment on bike deal

It did not cost you any money to find out that the person you were dealing with is a person not to be trusted. Walk away and look for another deal. Life has a way of getting even with those that choose greed over integrity. Be the man you know you are and let the karma take care of buddy...

[Schming]

Life's too short to let this "New Fashioned Jerk" rent space in your head.

James, IMHO, by ending the transaction in a polite, "Old Fashioned", manner you've kept your dignity and honor. Good on you

Live and let live.

[TomB]

Dignity and honour? hmmm

Dunno if you have the saying "biting your nose off to spite your face"

James may have lost a bike he wanted to keep dignity and honour.

I'm on the fence on this one.

[Schming]

Dignity and honour? hmmm

Dunno if you have the saying "biting your nose off to spite your face"

James may have lost a bike he wanted to keep dignity and honour.

I'm on the fence on this one.

Biting his nose off wouldn't have yielded, James, the bike either.

[DGXSER]

Dignity and honour? hmmm

Dunno if you have the saying "biting your nose off to spite your face"

James may have lost a bike he wanted to keep dignity and honour.

I'm on the fence on this one.

And that, Tom, is exactly the response that leads to the continuation of these types of tactics. One person chooses greed over ethics, the next person says well lets not loose out on a good deal over a little thing like ethics, and s on, and so on.

Yes, I know it is a bit pie in the sky thinking to suggest the world will ever be Andy Griffith and Leave it to Beaver again. But, for me at least, I hope to infect the world with decency one person at a time, by simply living it. And for me, that means losing out on a "deal" in the name of virtue and ethics from time to time. But my eternal life means more to me than this one.

[TomB]

Don't get me wrong, I'm as old fashioned as James and understand his stance, I was simply raising the question that he may have lost the bike for the sake of playing along with the seller. I would have played the sellers game, you can still tell him where to shove it at the end of play.

Clearly James wasn't that bothered about buying the bike which allowed him to walk away, using a cool head not his heart is good.

[xs11lover]

The prom

Kind of sounds like "I'll go to the prom with you if nobody else asks" lol So the only fitting reply would have been "if you put out".....I'd have offered him less $ for being a jerk.