Lynn Larsen
Lynn Larsen
\"The Scarlet S\" or \"Getting it in writing isn\'t good enough\"
Well, I thought the laser surgery to remove the large scarlet "S" from my forehead would do the trick in keeping vendors from recognizing me as the "Sucker" they seem to think I am. Truth is that I am one of those silly people that, because I am honest, expect everyone else to be, as well. At least, I go under that assumption until they prove otherwise. But this time I even had it in writing (in an email anyway), but even this proved to be as worthless as the light emitted from the phosphors that formed the letters in the email on my computer screen.
I was in the market for the hardware to mount my toll flaps in the side windows of my car. I had a set of hinges and stays sourced from New Zealand, but upon discovering that my credit union charged $45 for an international wire transfer of funds, I decided to see if I could get them here in the States. I was told by the owner of, what I had always consider to be, the premiere GT40 constructor/vendor in the US that I could purchase the hardware for both side windows for $350. Since this was very near the price of the parts from NZ, I said OK. I contacted the GM of said GT40 vendor to place the order. About 4 weeks later, I was told they would be shipping and that I was being given a special deal of $300 since I had called once a week, had my name and phone number taken, only to not hear a thing until I called the next week. Great I thought! Rather than have them shipped COD, since they couldn't do a credit card transaction, I told them to hold onto them since I was going to be in the Boston area the next week and I would fly in early and drive to their shop and pick them up in person. This gave me a great opportunity to look around this operation that I and many others have thought so highly of all these years. Upon arrival, the owner handed me a sandwich size baggie with 8 oz. of aluminium parts in it and an invoice for $600! I had forgotten to get a check from my wife that morning, but had planned to get cash from an ATM to pay for the parts. The problem was, I can only get $500 a day from a given location, so I couldn't pay for them if I had wanted to. I declined to purchase the parts and when I showed him his email, I was told that he was sorry and there had been a mixup in the price somehow. He told me that he would see what could be worked out.
So, I had taken a half day off work, rented a car, driven nearly 3 hours out of my way and had nothing to show for it even though I had what I thought was a deal in writing. Nothing was worked out, but I was happy to hear (he says with tongue firmly planted in cheek) that the GM wasn't upset about my not buying the parts since they could be used in a car that would be shipping soon. This doesn't come close to Chuck's story about trying to buy one of the cars built by this vendor, but for sale by the present owner and not the builder. But the moral of the story is the same, unless you have a written contract --that should probably be signed and notarized-- don't consider anything a done deal until you have paid the agreed price and received/inspected the goods in your hand no matter who you are dealing with --even the owner.
Caveat Emptor,
Lynn
Well, I thought the laser surgery to remove the large scarlet "S" from my forehead would do the trick in keeping vendors from recognizing me as the "Sucker" they seem to think I am. Truth is that I am one of those silly people that, because I am honest, expect everyone else to be, as well. At least, I go under that assumption until they prove otherwise. But this time I even had it in writing (in an email anyway), but even this proved to be as worthless as the light emitted from the phosphors that formed the letters in the email on my computer screen.
I was in the market for the hardware to mount my toll flaps in the side windows of my car. I had a set of hinges and stays sourced from New Zealand, but upon discovering that my credit union charged $45 for an international wire transfer of funds, I decided to see if I could get them here in the States. I was told by the owner of, what I had always consider to be, the premiere GT40 constructor/vendor in the US that I could purchase the hardware for both side windows for $350. Since this was very near the price of the parts from NZ, I said OK. I contacted the GM of said GT40 vendor to place the order. About 4 weeks later, I was told they would be shipping and that I was being given a special deal of $300 since I had called once a week, had my name and phone number taken, only to not hear a thing until I called the next week. Great I thought! Rather than have them shipped COD, since they couldn't do a credit card transaction, I told them to hold onto them since I was going to be in the Boston area the next week and I would fly in early and drive to their shop and pick them up in person. This gave me a great opportunity to look around this operation that I and many others have thought so highly of all these years. Upon arrival, the owner handed me a sandwich size baggie with 8 oz. of aluminium parts in it and an invoice for $600! I had forgotten to get a check from my wife that morning, but had planned to get cash from an ATM to pay for the parts. The problem was, I can only get $500 a day from a given location, so I couldn't pay for them if I had wanted to. I declined to purchase the parts and when I showed him his email, I was told that he was sorry and there had been a mixup in the price somehow. He told me that he would see what could be worked out.
So, I had taken a half day off work, rented a car, driven nearly 3 hours out of my way and had nothing to show for it even though I had what I thought was a deal in writing. Nothing was worked out, but I was happy to hear (he says with tongue firmly planted in cheek) that the GM wasn't upset about my not buying the parts since they could be used in a car that would be shipping soon. This doesn't come close to Chuck's story about trying to buy one of the cars built by this vendor, but for sale by the present owner and not the builder. But the moral of the story is the same, unless you have a written contract --that should probably be signed and notarized-- don't consider anything a done deal until you have paid the agreed price and received/inspected the goods in your hand no matter who you are dealing with --even the owner.
Caveat Emptor,
Lynn