The issue is - what constitutes failing a PPI?

The seller should know the buyer is serious because he is willing to invest four or five hundred bucks on an inspection. Mclovin already described what could happen here.

...and if another serious buyer comes along and can get the car through a PPI first or even wants to check it out in person and buy it without a PPI?

A deposit is a good thing for the buyer as well.

This person is trying to kick it Real estate style. Okay, if you want make it contingent on inspection- he must comply with your reasonable request on fixing to your satisfaction or reducing the price- I would only do this IF there's a neutral party holding the deposit in escrow essentially, and complying with the terms of the contract-this would have to be a very trustworthy person/ business. Oh yeah, this sounds like a lot of trouble to go through. The seller is in control to make PPI appointment at his convenience, and with whoever he approves- meaning I wouldn't allow someone to pay some flunky-ass shop to look it over or lift it wrong etc.. Sounds to me like he wants to take your grand. There's probably a significant problem that is motivating this request.

That pretty much sums it up. You move forward AFTER agreeing on a price,based on your interpretation of the car,and the sellers description.If the car does not live up to the sellers description,you are within your rights to re negotiate,or walk. Technically,even if it does,you can still kill the deal,but risk losing your deposit.

Either way,dont blow the deal based on these semantics....you have been looking for 7 years,just pull the darn trigger and get your car!!!!

You guys are on the ‘right’ track.

Yes, you should pay for and supervise the PPI.
Yes, you should give the seller a non-refundable ‘deposit’ to take the car off the market for a specific period.
Yes, $1K is probably too much. $250 is more appropriate for this price-range 911.
Yes, you can agree on a price, “subject to acceptable PPI and personal inspection”.
Yes, the deposit should apply toward the purchase price.

It is 100% your decision what constitutes an ‘acceptable’ PPI and inspection result. You don’t need any excuse to walk away from the deal and forfeit your deposit.

Here is a good thread on the subject:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/148416-buying-process.html

A good contract has everyone happy.

Best,
Grady

Well you either risk that or you risk your thousand bucks.

I would hope any decent seller would proceed with the PPI having agreed to it already regardless of anyone else who comes along later. As I said, the seller knows he has a serious buyer on the hook already. He'd have to be a bit of a tool to back out half way through a PPI.

There is going to be something wrong with this car that Pleco doesn't like. He will want to negotiate the price. Why should the seller do this when he has a grand already?

I see both sides of it, all I can say is I wouldn't do it, and I wouldn't expect it if I was selling either. Each to his own.

Westcoast is right though, pull the trigger - spring is here. I'm aware of a guy up here who looked for so long he never got to own one. Get it sorted.

All I would offer to do as a buyer is pay for a PPI on a car I was seriously interested in buying. Even if this car is pristine it is still worth less than a new Honda. Would you put up with this crap to buy a Honda?

+1. This is pretty ridiculous, it's just a car for crying out loud. I didn't have to jump through a hundred flaming hoops to pick up my example, you shouldn't have to either. Be patient....a nice example will pop up at some point, and the PO will be a nice honest guy that only wants to sell you his car for a fair price.

Thank all of you gentleman very much! I appreciate your advice greatly. I'm at work now, but will respond later on this afternoon.

Regards,

Kurt

Sorry to totally disagree with just about everyone here. A $1,000 is a fair and reasonable thing to ask. The PPI should not only validate that the car is not a total POS, but that it matches the seller’s description. You are making an offer (assuming this is long distance) based on pictures and his written and verbal description of the car. If a mutually agreed to shop says otherwise, then the car has failed PPI.

Also, if this is a good car that you want, you don’t want it sold out from under you. You need to put a contact into play ASAP. I always overnight a check as soon as the deal is cut. That way there is no question that you are buying the car.

Finally, if the seller is on this board and he does a search on Kurt’s 890’ish posts, it would be reasonable to think that he may not go through with the deal. Cash helps bind the buyer and seller.

I paypal my guy when I bought my truck. 500bucks to hold it for a week.

In my case the owner took the car to the shop of my choice a few days after I looked at it, I paid for and supervised the PPI, we agreed on price, and I paid the man in cash. No fuss, no muss. If you're serious about it, and the car looks good and runs well, have it taken to the shop of your choice and get it done. If the guy wants a little something to reserve it for you that's fine, but it shouldn't be more than a couple of hundred. That's reasonable in relation to the cost of a proper PPI. 1000 is unreasonable, and opens you up to losing a large chunk of cash if the person decides to walk with it.

Until you put some skin in the game, why should he be obligated to take it off the market?
Same as a real estate transaction. Define the terms via contract- including the time frame and ppi results. You don't perform, you lose deposit. He doesn't perform, you get a refund.
Paypal will probably work as an intermediary.

I agree with Hal Michael that if the seller is on this forum, he has seen the indecision on the part of the prospective buyer and has formed a game plan to have the buyer either "s**t or get off the pot ".JMO...YMMV

That is an angle I hadn't considered.

Still, a mutually-acceptable negotiation should be step 1. I paid $200 as a deposit to take the car off the market so that I could make plans for flights and lodging. I thought that was fair.

I paid a deposit, good faith $1000 refundable. Contingent upon final visual inspection after PPI. Paid by PayPal verbal agreement. Naive but I still trust people.

Hope it works out for you, excited for you.

I think that "refundable" is the key word.

A non-refundable $1k is too much to take a chance that it's a complete bait-and-switch job. I've purchased cars on faith before, but these cars *aren't* Hondas, and treating the purchase as though it was a Honda is a mistake. Unless you won't miss the $1000. Then it's NBD.

will??

you mean SHOULD

he is asking for a cash deposit - good luck on getting it back if he is not 100% scrupulous

McLovin's comment above is worth re-reading -- the key thing is that major defect or whatever is an undefined term in a contract

OTOH, if you want the car, then you need to reach an accord on allaying reasonable fears or fears of hassle that a seller might have...

I'd offer to pay for the PPI, Seller gets PPI if you do not buy; no deposit or a clearly refundable deposit using a check (he holds it; does not deposit) if you do not buy for "any" reason

Seller would get a free PPI if you back out

bolded for emphasis

this sounds about right to me

The truth is that Porsche buyers can be the biggest PITAs. As a lot, the pickiest bunch of tire kickers on the planet. Maybe its the wannabes. Maybe its the paranoia of those who don't DIY. Maybe its the amount of money spent on something used. Whatever, I don't blame the seller. I don't blame the buyer for being reluctant to hand over $ to someone he doesn't know. I once looked at Maserati that was not exactly what the seller represented on the phone. Car wouldn't even start, had very minor body damage and hydraulic problems beyond description. I figured the damage was probably not worst case scenario but offered a price between worst case scenario and what most likely causes would make the car a fair value. He told me "No way!" I told him that I understood, and wished him good luck over the weekend. My gamble was that he would get the Porsche type respondents from his ad and he'd be frustrated by Monday......He was and we came up with a figure 2k over my offer and 4k below his asking price and we were both happy. So, thank you PITA buyers. V8 rumbled like it should when I found the loose connection on the fuel pump, but haven't fixed the hydraulics yet.......Danged Citroen nitrogen spheres. DIY helps not only during ownership, but in the purchasing process as well. I enjoy the process of buying these cars because I've met so many nice people. I don't look at a car unless I'm ready to buy it with liquid funds. I don't knock the car, if there are faults, I pair it with a compliment. No ultimatums, but soft probable predictions predictions or alternatives in the negotiation process. Private party buying is real life and taking over someone's baby is actually an intimate relationship of a special kind. So put some personal time in it and the satisfaction can be great.

Dan