Alfa purchase sight unseen

[alfacybersite <acs@domain.elided>]

I have little to add except I do like the 'slight' guarantee to both
seller and buyer of vehicles on eBay.

Should the seller's description / photos turn out to be deceptive or
down right untrue, the buyer can back out and explain why on eBay.
Should the buyer bail out without a reasonable explanation, the seller
can put a major negative comment on his / her comments from buyers /
sellers.

One step better is the scenario set up by a lawyer from New York who'd
just bought a '69 Round-Tail on eBay and wanted it checked out in LA.

After emailing me his situation, I ended up charging him $150 to drive
the approximately 30 miles each way to crawl around, under, and over the
car, all the while taking copious notes and a few photos of what I felt
were possible problem areas.

The seller was a really nice guy and had tons of receipts of work done.
Unfortunately I couldn't read a word of it and neither could the owner.
This somewhat raised a red flag for me, but it did appear the areas
which had been worked on were at least working properly.

I also drove the car for a mile or two.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I emailed the 'potential' owner a detailed
list of both good things and possible problems with the car. Later
followed up with scanned photos to owner.

Owner apparently wasn't too concerned with my 'concerns' and sent a bank
draft to the seller, in an odd amount, to cover the deposit.

I was re-contacted by the buyer after he had a firm commitment from a
transportation company. He wanted to send me the remaining amount for
the car with the understanding I would overnight express it to the
seller once I heard the car was on the transporter.

I received both the seller's bank draft and a check for $40 to cover my
time and cost of overnighting the bank draft.

The seller contacted me and wanted to know if I had the bank draft and
what the amount was. He verified it was the correct total. When the
transporter came and picked up the car I was then contacted by the buyer
to send the bank draftwhich I did so the seller would have it the next
day.

Now this is all pretty boring stuff unless you're considering either
buying or selling a car to someone a great distance away.

The obvious question becomes: Who let's go first, the buyer with the
check or  the seller with the pink slip / actual car on transporter.

I'd also been shown the pink slip and believe a copy was also faxed to
the buyer.

Yeah, I know seems likemeet this person on the corner of 1st and
Broadway. The code word is white dove. Then go 6 blocks...

Actually it worked pretty darn well. Both the buyer and seller trusted
my judgment since I made it clear I was merely the middle guy and even
though the buyer was paying me, I was determined to be as neutral as
possible.

Had one or both been deceptive stinkers, I would have bailed out.

Not a fool-proof system, but considerably better than buying 'sight
unseen'.

Now had the fuel cut-off switch been in the up / off position and the
car was being sold as a non runner would I have notified either the
buyer or seller? Of course not, I'd have bought the car myself.

Just kidding. Really.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA
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