Sold....buyer wont pick up.....

[California#1]

Sold my car to a chap over a month ago. We agreed on price and conditions and he has paid for the car, however it's been a month now and he wont come pick it up. I don't want to be a bad seller, however wondering where my obligation ends here. I have sent him email after email and offered to drive the car an hour for him to retrieve....and still nothing. Again, I don't want to be a bad seller but sure need my garage space as I live in a snow climate part of Canada. I have offered him storage until Spring at his expense as I would not want this car to sit out in the snow for 6 months.........nothing. Any thoughts on what I might try next....and should I be charging him storage from a month ago?

[Rick Brooklyn]

How does that work, does he not pick up the phone when you call him?

[Rockfish]

Your buyer has asked me to pick up the car for him. Just send me your address and have a title that can be signed over to me. No need to thank me. I'm happy to help.

Seriously, if I were in your situation I would start keeping track of storage fees and ask the buyer for payment of those fees before turning over the car to him. It does seem odd that someone would pay for a car in full and not pick it up or arrange shipping. Is he having health issues or other extenuating circumstances? Good luck.

[spyerx]

Not sure how it works in Canada but he paid and you release liability by signing title and mailing In liability release. I'd bring it to him park it in front of his house throw keys and title in his mailbox and take pictures or have a witness to the act.

[California#1]

The buyer lives 3000 miles away.

[Matt Monson]

Start recording fees on the car and file a lien. He pays or can't take the car when he finally wants it. If he takes long enough to can take it back and sell it to someone else without giving a refund. At least that his it works if you are a business.

[billh1963]

There is no excuse for the buyer to not contact you.... Unless he has had a medical issue.

You should send a certified letter. I'm sure you have the address.

I've bought many cars cross country and have often had delays in getting a car picked up.

While I can appreciate your frustration, the buyer did pay you. The buyer has a lot more at risk than you do. I wouldn't be in a hurry to charge storage or follow the advice others have offered without knowing the facts.

[California#1]

If my tone seems frustrated, Im not. I just feel bad for the car to be honest. I mean it will be sitting in 5 feet of snow with a set of real 7X8 Fuchs in a few weeks. The buyer is not ill to the best of my knowledge and the car has no trouble going from Canada to the USA as it falls under the over 25 years old rule. No smog/daytime running lights. More baffled then anything.

[techweenie]

A friend of mine had that problem a few years back. Buyer in Europe left the car here for years. So long, in fact, storage fees eventually exceeded the selling price, and the car was put through a "lien sale" process to return title to the original owner. It was a mind-bogglingly stupid thing for the buyer to do - he was intimidated by shipping costs, but left the car until storage far exceeded shipping cost.

Hope this works out.

[G450X]

I assume we are talking about a decent amount of money for a decent car, it's not a $500.00 shell is it (well, I guess the Fuchs are worth 2 or 3 x that...)?

I hope the guy is not sick, I see that you e-mailed him, but have you spoken to him recently?

I have often wondered if I am in the middle of a deal (and my wife does not know what's going on) and I have a medical emergency what would happen? It seems like everyone is quick to start a strategy in their favor which is somewhat unsettling.

If someone paid, say $25k for a car and all correspondence stops, am I the only one that thinks this is odd behavior?

I understand that you want the vehicle space, but please be diligent to actually talk to him to find out what is going on. If he's an eccentric billionaire or something $25k might be a joke to him, but most normal working people value their coin dearly (I know I do). I guess I'd try to work out a storage fee strategy or something and feel him out if you get in touch with him.

How was the correspondence during the purchase phase? Were his communications clear and sentences coherent? Keep us informed, a bit of a mystery here!

[California#1]

No, the chap has not fallen ill and yes I have had on more then one occasion spoke with him directly, in fact the last correspondence was by phone a week ago. The terms were clear and documented via email (which I have since printed) and the deal was > then $5k but < then $10k. My last email to the buyer was the cost structure to either store the car or get it closer for him to pick up.

I have owned the car for the last 8 years and it has never seen rain and only washed twice, so it more then bothers me to think it may be left sitting in the snow for 5 months, hence the guilt I'm experiencing right now to move it out of my garage. I drive a diesel......so it likes the garage. Quite odd.

I will offer the buyer one last opportunity to retrieve his car, or by advise given by my lawyer, move it into storage and keep the location to myself until my cost to do so has been reimbursed. I have no real other choice. Thanks for the thoughts folks.

[puddy]

Strange situation, perhaps you can try to find someone you trust locally to him, that could pay him a visit to see what's wrong? There's gotta be a good explanation, not many people buy a Porsche then let it sit for over a month. If it were me I'd be so excited about it, it would be all I could think about leading up to the purchase and acquisition.

[billh1963]

Originally Posted by G450X

I have often wondered if I am in the middle of a deal (and my wife does not know what's going on) and I have a medical emergency what would happen?

It seems like everyone is quick to start a strategy in their favor which is somewhat unsettling.

!

As a divorced guy with both my sons out of the house, I often worry about your first statement. I buy and sell a lot of cars and parts at times when I change around my small collection. To mitigate that worry, I keep a running list of cars and parts value, current deals, etc. in my safe (the kids know the combination). That way if something happens they can manage things.

I fully agree with post two. These posts may help you determine who you wouldn't want to do business with in the future. Those would probably be the same people (if the roles were reversed) posting on here about a seller being unreasonable and trying to rip them off

[NYNick]

Have you considered sending the money back and re-listing the car?

[bpu699]

Hire a lawyer for $400 or so...

Draft a letter stating that he has 30 days to pick up the car...

Serve him with that letter ($50)...

After that... you have options...

You are in control. Its not often where the seller mentions that they BOTH have the car, and have been paid for it...

[mreid]

Who has the title?

[bobbyp]

Maybe the buyer is a flipper and the deal he had went sour and is looking for another buyer to ship the car directly to?

[ohenryinatlanta]

no need to be a dick... plenty of those.

you got paid and cash is in the bank.....

is the buyer in the USA ?

i sold my 993 C2S to a buyer in switzerland. took him almost 2 mths to pickup.

[bobbyp]

Originally Posted by ohenryinatlanta

no need to be a dick... plenty of those.

you got paid and cash is in the bank.....

is the buyer in the USA ?

i sold my 993 C2S to a buyer in switzerland. took him almost 2 mths to pickup.

Why would anybody think this guy is being a dick?
He sold it with an agreement to remove the car, not to store the car. Seller is in Canada, slightly different weather concerns than you have in Atlanta.

Letting the buyer know by certified mail that it is going to be kept at a commercial storage facility and the car won't be released without the storage fees paid seems to be the right way to get the buyer (or flipper as per my previous post) moving.
Seller obviously needs the garage space for his own vehicles for the upcoming winter season.

[wayner]

Hopefully it works out.
Maybe he is just stuck on arrangements or in a pickle of some sort.


I had a similar situation with a clunker I sold years ago.

Cops told me to leave it parked on public property in front of my house and then report it as abandoned.

The cops had it towed and I had my parking spot back. (I didn't want to be the bad guy so they said let us be the bad guy)
Never heard from the buyer again. If I had, the police report protected my butt.



Here is something that might motivate him.

BTW, you don't need to collect on this but registering gives you options should you ever get stuck with it and want to do something about it. IN the meantime you might be liable for any damage to it while it is in your possession.

---------
Advise him that you will be charging and make out bills
(See a lawyer and the storage and liens act).

If one day the amount exceeds the value of the car, claim it and end the nonsense.
Local towing companies here charge up to $300.00 per day to store because they are not in the storage business.

Summarizing the law to claim a car:
You have to show the 3 registered letters or newspaper adds that you did make an effort to contact owner, then create an affidavit and have it notarized (The license bureau people can often notorize it for you).

Here is a sample of the licence bureau affidavit as well (for Ontario).