Yes, I would have kept my word and sold the car for my stated price. I can always make more money.

I imagine the folks that deal this way on the parts BBS here justify their actions similarly. If it makes you a few more bucks...why worry about honor? Sure did make the OP about "keeping your word" seem a bit laughable though. At least salved his conscience with a few attaboys from folks who seem to similarly believe the end justifies the means.

Pretty ridiculous to compare the sale of your high value 911 to some BBS parts where a few dollars are usually at play. Separate issues entirely, and, yes, I agree, slimy tactics are slimy tactics if sellers are claiming items are sold or "out of stock" if they under-priced an item. The OP, however, made an honest mistake but was savvy enough to correct it. The dishonorable ones are those who buy a $30k car from a granny who doesn't know any better for $3k. Happens all the time.

It not my place to judge, but you were mad enough at people violating the word to start this thread. Yhe car was listed at a lower price right? How is raising the price not going back on your word?

That's for sure!

For the record, I was in a very similar situation on this board. I put almost never used magnesium BBS motorsports wheels for sale here for 800$. Within an hour I had a dozen PMs. I had seen so many bbs wheels around that I didn't realize I had the much more desirable versions.

It troubled me a bit. A few people told me to ask $2000-2500, but in the end I decided to stick by my original price. It hurt a bit but I decided my integrity would cost more than 1700$


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-used-parts-sale-wanted/565525-15-x-wide-bbs.html

It wasn't about the price, it was about having first crack at it.

Sorry but that seems like an awful selective interpretation of where your word matters. Your car, your rules though

I find it very odd that so many find it necessary to advertise their "integrity", "honor", "good deeds", "masculinity", "positive examples to my Son", etc on a public forum. What drives this? It reminds me of the Vietnam vets who advertise their service and sacrifice at every opportunity. Or, people who talk about how much mulah they have in the bank or how much their 401K is worth. Very odd.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick", is one of my favorite sayings.

Might be just me, though :)

Because there was no agreement to sell at that price. Buyer #1 only committed to come and look at the car. Buyers nearly always want to pay less than the asking price, so the listed price seldom is the sale price. In this case the price went the other way, and there was no deliberate attempt to bait and switch on price. If there had been, the seller would be at fault.

I'm a man of my word too and have no problem with your approach....

I don't think you'd agreed to sell it either. After I purchased my 911, I wanted to get rid of a mint Lexus SC400...put it for sale and had a buyer chomping at the bit ...then I simply changed my mind and didn't want to sell it afterall. He thought I was getting several grand more so countered...naw, my girlfriend at the time got a sweetheart deal though :)

This is what OP wrote in the first post.
It is clear that he is bragging about how keeping his "word" is more important than money.

However, is now clear that he was only keeping his word when he thought the car was priced fairly, and he had nothing to lose by selling to person A vs. person B.

But, the 7:30 buyer was expecting to arrive and inspect a $28k car, and the seller pulled a bait and switch and changed the price on him, once he figured out there was money on the line.

I agree that the seller can do whatever the heck he wants with his car, including changing the price to $40k. I am not taking issue with him changing the price, I am taking an issue with him bragging on the internet that money doesn't matter.

Sure, seller "kept his word", technically, but, to go on the internet and brag about your integrity being more important than money is disingenuous. He was only keeping his word as long as it meant not costing him a dime.

Agreed. If you advertise to sell goods at a stated price, then you are obliged to do so...at least if you value your integrity.

They used to call this "bait and switch."

Almost every time I sell or buy something here, someone contacts me and tries to get me to break my deal and sell to them or buy their item cheaper...or they sell to someone else after I gave purchased the item but before they shipped. Everything becomes an auction because folks can't keep their word for a few more dollars. No thanks.

There are two camps here, Camp A says the listed price is a starting point, it can go up or down, let's negotiate. They think you kept your word.

Camp B sees a listed price as 'He might take less, but for sure if I bring his asking price in cash he will sell me the car'. They think otherwise.

Camp B thinks you should have posted the price as 'accepting offers above $28,000'.

Is suspect that was not your intention when you posted the ad, the car was available for $28k at that time. Had the first buyer driven over with the $28k in hand, you would have sold him the car. But the interwebs told you the car was worth more.

Only you know the truth.

There was too much money at stake to stick to his principles? Or did I misunderstand?

If it is an auction and your intent is to sell to the highest bidder, you should advertise as such.

I found a set of Turbo calipers on CL advertised for $400 for the set. Seller couldn't see me that night so we agreed at 9AM next morning. While I was driving to the bank he calls me and tells me someone else is willing to pay $500 for them. So I say I'll pay the $500. Then he says, how about $600. I say that doesn't really sound right but I'll do $600. He reverses himself and says $500 is fine. Go over to his house, rich guy in his 60s, give him the money, get the calipers. Sold for $2000. Someone must have told him because he didn't return my calls for the gauges he also had.

Imagine you were shopping for a pedestrian commuter car that had no emotional context. Lets say your budget was a very rigid 10k. Next you go on craigslist and see a nice 30k mile 3 year old accord for 10k.

Holy crap, you think to yourself, most similar cars are 13k: I can actually afford this one Im gonna make an appointment asap.


What do you think of the seller if you drive over there and he says sorry the price is 13k now. Personally I think that the seller is of low integrity and I would be pretty pissed if I drove any significant distance.

All of this stuff would normally fall under "none of my business" but seems Hypocritical in the context of this tread.

Patrick is spot on.

I'm happy for the seller who was able to glean some advice from the brain trust on proper value of his Targa, before it was too late.

A win-win.

And no loss of integrity, despite some here with twisted panty syndrome....:D

I have had a couple of people on C/L reply and say 'I've been offered X, what will you pay?'.

I always reply with 'It's C/L, not eBay'.

Set your price OR make it clear that you are 'accepting offers'.

Yes....many with situational ethics here. Sad to see what our society has become. There was a time when this sort of behavior would have been almost universally denounced.