Author Topic: How Good is Your Word??  (Read 5819 times)

Offline moparmaniac59

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How Good is Your Word??
« on: February 17, 2008 - 08:55:53 PM »
I guess I am just an old fuddy duddy old fashioned fart. It seems nobody is good for their word anymore these days!! :clueless: I am doin a little venting here. >:( I am old school and a man's word was his word. Deals used to be done on a handshake only. I still value my word and I'm good for it as I think most of the folks here are. I am not so sure about this younger generation. It used to be a man's word was as good as money in the bank & if he didn't back up his word, well then his reputation was DIRT!! I recently saw a set of 915 closed chamber heads on the Racing-Junk web site. They were a really nice set and fair rice. I contacted the guy and he gave me more details. I then let him know I wanted them and even tried to arrange payment. He told me he would get back with me as the heads were currently in the machine shop. Long story short, he sold them to someone else. I was peeved!! :swear: :swear:. Not too long ago I saw a nice '68 Dodge truck. Redone and customized very nicely. The owner & I worked in the same place but did not know each other. I checked out the truck and we agreed on a price. I gave him a $500 dollar deposit and he wrote out a receipt and bill of sale. I told him I would be back the next day with the balance. I came back that evening and he handed me the $500 bucks back. He sold the truck to someone else. I found out later that he was offered more money. Again I was HOT!! :swear: :stomp:. I threatened to take him to court (and the wood shed), but it just wasn't worth the headache (but the woodshed would have been nice)!! This week, someone I know tried to jump the gun on me and buy a car part out from under me (they knew I wanted the parts & that I had contacted the seller), but the seller knew what was going on and held the parts for me. Finally someone with some character!! :2thumbs: Anybody else experience this crap?? Do you still value your word?? What wrong with people today!! I feel better now I've vented!! :pullinghair:

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Offline RUSTY Cuda

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2008 - 09:17:21 PM »
There's a few of us still out there, seems the majority don't give a hoot, did I say hoot, ahh well most will look you in the eye & spew out lies & never blink. Tried to teach my kids you have to have some kind of moral base, without it the rest doesn't mean squat. Glad you at least found one other guy out there, he'd fit in here well, Nothing but good deals on CC so far!  :2thumbs: Rich.

Offline 70RTdroptop

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2008 - 09:25:08 PM »
Yeah, I had the same BS happen to me on the purchase of a 1970 Challenger back in like '82. Price was agreed on, money down on the car, go to pick up the car, I get the old song and dance about how someone offered more money for it, and would I match the price? I had everything  regarding the sale in writing, and he still had the nerve to pull that sh*t!! Yes, indeed, I was pretty hacked off about that. That was down and dirty behavior. That guy sure wasn't raised right. I'm with you, moparmaniac - as far as I'm concerned, a spit and a handshake seals the deal, and you don't go back on it.
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Offline jeryst

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2008 - 09:30:41 PM »
It's because they don't teach the "Golden Rule" anymore. When was the last time you heard about it? I think I heard it mentioned on some old Andy Griffith reruns.

As far as someone selling something after you put down a deposit and get a receipt, you can take them to court because that's a legal binding contract. They'll just keep doing it until someone teaches them a lesson.

Alaskan_TA

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2008 - 09:37:06 PM »
Long story, but I found out that my word is worth at least $73,000.00

I kept my word, but it still hurts to think about it.

Offline Grancoupe

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2008 - 09:38:00 PM »
Funny you should mention it. I had a similar thing happen with a pool table. A 9' Gandy with real Italian slate. Called the owner and she scheduled tp see the table after I saw it on Craig's list. This was a Monday. She schedules for Wed as best for her. didn't want to seem too pushy but i obliged. I get an E-mail that she sold it on Tuesday! An e-mail. Didn't even have the decency to call me. I sent her an e-mail that i didn't think that was right and so on. @ weeks later my wife sees an e-mail that the table was back up and if I was interested in it. My wife relies yes and convinces me to work with her again. I give her credit that she was thinking with her head and I ended up with the table. Well worth it considering the price I got it for. But I don't get some people. The only reason she didn't sell it the first time was the guy she was selling it to was trying to scam her. Pay her half now and a check for the other half game...

Offline ChallengerHK

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2008 - 09:38:16 PM »
About 20 years ago I had called a Mopar vendor to get a fender for my car. He was going to Carlisle, and at the time I lived in Northern Virginia, so he told me he'd bring it to Carlisle to save me the freight. He gave me his space number. I went, went to the space, and it was a different vendor, who didn't know anything about my fender. I called the guy when I got home ... and he claimed that he'd never heard of me. It was the same guy, same voice, etc. I've never figured that one out.

Around the same time period I bought a load of body parts from Imperial Motors in South Carolina, a guy named Dave Eller. That one thing that saved me in this instance was that I had a written quote to deliver "Rust free, dent free parts". What I got was crap. One fender has a glob of unsmoothed putty about the size of my fist. The quarter for for a 70-1 instead of a 72-4. I called Eller, furious, and he told me that the parts he sent me were perfect. He refunded the money for the parts, but I had to sue him for the freight, which was conderable. I won the case, but it wasn't until about 5 years later that he finally paid up; I think he was refinancing his business, and they found out that he had an outstanding judgement against him.

I have been ripped off in so many ways and by so many people where it comes to my car, that's the primary reason that I like it here. Almost all of the time, I know that I'm getting good info here.


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Offline Moparal

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2008 - 10:38:25 PM »
 :(  I owe someone named Dave on cc.c 20 bucks.  I wasnt able to send money over the weekend and it is presidents day tomorrow and the mail doesnt run.  I am feeling bad about this post now. I dont want to be considered a bad guy :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Offline hooD

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2008 - 10:50:32 PM »
There must be alot of honest people in Michigan because I have never had that problem whether I was selling or buying.  I feel blessed  :angelwings: after reading all the other replies. 
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Offline HemiOrange70

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2008 - 11:08:35 PM »
Bought a 68 camaro convert for 500. Went to pick it up and was handed the cash back. Someone else with a few more $$$ bought it. Oh well, i now have a Chally

Offline jeryst

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2008 - 11:38:54 PM »
I always go out of my way to keep my word, but there are just so many BS artists out there that want you to "hold" something for them until they can get around to looking at it, and then they never show up.

Offline Carlwalski

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2008 - 11:54:43 PM »



As good as they come. I don't care what it is, even the worst dare or stack of cash, if I have made a promise it must be kept. Period. I only make a promise I can keep. If I can't or am unsure how the future will unfold then I want put my promise on it. Example: "Will my order arrive in the next 3 days?" I can't promise something like that, things happen. In any other case my handshake or promise is as good as a letter from God as reference.


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Offline 71340RT

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2008 - 12:06:11 AM »
I must be old school because if I tell someone I'm going to sell them something I don't sell it to someone else for more money or what ever reason. I have lost out more than once when buying cars and tried not to get to worked up about it just figured I might of been better off if the guy sold the car out from under me he probibly lied about other things too.


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Offline Carlwalski

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2008 - 12:14:20 AM »


Jeff brought something to mind for myself. I recently sold my Australian Ford. I got an offer and accepted it and the buyer said that they had to get a mortgage and organise the cash together, if that was fine they take it then, I said "done". It took them 2-3 days to do this and in the mean time I got an offer for $2K more which I had to decline. It was hard because I had to basically give that car away as it was and I never had any hard offers, that guy was too late, kind of crap thing to happen but I had already given my word and wouldn't back out.
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Offline moparmaniac59

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Re: How Good is Your Word??
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2008 - 06:22:44 AM »
Carlwalski (NZ), you're the man!!  :bananasmi That's what I am talking about. Don't make a promise if ya can't keep it!! You definitely showed your character by keeping your word on that sale even though you could have made 2K more!! I wish there were more people like that here. Al, don't feel bad!! Everybody here knows you are a stand-up kinda guy!!! :2thumbs:


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