ON THE SCALE 1-10

LAST MONDAY MORNING I WAS ASKED TO ACCOMPANY A VERY EXCITED CUSTOMER OF MINE TO GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA TO VIEW A VINTAGE VEHICLE, A 1934 HUDSON. MY CLIENT HAD SEEN THE CAR ON EBAY AND HAD SPOKEN WITH THE OWNER SEVERAL TIMES. BASED ON THESE CONVERSATIONS AND THE ONLINE PICTURE ALBUM HE FELT THAT HE HAD FOUND THE CAR HE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR.

THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE HAD TOLD MY CLIENT THAT ON A SCALE FROM 1-10 THE CAR WAS A 9 AND WELL WORTH THE MINIMUM BID PRICE OF $30,000. WHEN WE ARRIVED HOWEVER, WE FOUND A VEHICLE THAT WAS IN POOR REPAIR. NOT ONE PROFESSIONAL PERSON, LESS THE UPHOLSTERER HAD EVER TOUCHED THE VEHICLE. IN FACT, I SUSPECT THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN RESTORED IN SOMEBODIES BACK YARD. THE OWNER HAD PURPOSELY MISLEAD US BY HIS OWN COMMENTS, AND USE THE INTERNET PICTURES.

THE OWNER HAD STATED THAT THE CAR WAS IN PRISTINE CONDITION AND THAT EVERYTHING WORKED AND RAN WELL. THE PICTURES HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM A DISTANCE TO WHERE YOU COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE FLAWS IN THE BODY WORK NOR IN THE PAINT, AND THERE WERE MANY. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS THE OWNER DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT RESTORATION AND THEREFORE WAS JUST IGNORANT OF THE ACTUAL CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE, BUT AFTER SPENDING AN HOUR OR SO WITH HIM IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE OWNER KNEW THE VEHICLE INSIDE AND OUT.

AFTER AN HOUR OR SO MY CUSTOMER WAS PRESSED BY THE OWNER TO MAKE AN OFFER, WHICH HE DID. THE $10,000 OFFER WAS MORE THAN I FELT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS WORTH, BUT MY CLIENT WAS INTERESTED AND FIGURED THAT FOR ABOUT $25-30 THOUSAND HE COULD RESTORE THE CAR TO AN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION. WHEN THE OFFER WAS MADE THE OWNER BECAME QUITE ANGRY AND ADMONISHED US FOR WASTING HIS TIME. HE LITERALLY SLAMMED THE GARAGE DOOR AND SAID "WE'RE DONE, YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME."

ON A SCALE FROM 1-10 I WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE CAR A 4, THAT'S A FAR CRY FROM A 9. ON THE WAY HOME WE THOUGHT OF ALL OF THE THINGS WE COULD OF AND PROBALBLY SHOULD OF SAID TO THE OWNER, BUT IN THE END WE DECIDED THAT THE $1500 AND TWO DAYS SPENT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN BUYING A PIG IN A POKE. WE LEARNED A GOOD LESSON, ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING ONLINE.

IF YOU FIND YOUR DREAM CAR AND NEED A CONSULTATION PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL. A FEW DOLLARS SPENT IN RESEARCH CAN SAVE YOU THOUSANDS.