What is WRONG with people today?!?!
I've been TRYING to purchase a used Volvo S60 R to replace my old 2-door Dodge coupe.
The first one I found was roughed up, but the price was fair. Still, I decided to keep looking for a better one.
I found a site called "Swedespeed.com" - a chat forum much like this one for Volvo's. (The folks aren't nearly as knowledgeable or mature, but I've come to expect that from sites other than CC.C!)
The first classified ad I found was up in the Chicago area. Guy had a bunch of go-fast mods on the car and was asking a bit much for the mileage, but I was considering it. Then I found another topic on the same board where this guy had created a new account just to report a problem with his car and try to get information on how to fix it so that it WOULDN'T get linked to the car he was trying to sell. He slipped and responded to his own topic with his "main" account and some folks commented on it. When I found it, I was less than pleased.
Then I found one on Ebay. Price was good, but the details and pictures were vague. Plus it showed a salvage title on the carfax. But I talked to the guy, seemed to know the car pretty well. So I managed to get him to take it to a local Volvo dealership and I paid to have it inspected. The service writer - very nice guy - called me and gave me a list of problems, including mis-matched paint, poorly repaired damage, water (only) in the engine cooling system, worn suspension components, and inoperable electronic systems. It would have cost me $4,000 just to pass the PA Salvage Inspection. "Thanks but no thanks."
Then I found another one on Swedespeed. Price was higher than what I wanted to pay, but the car looked clean, lots of photos, and low miles. So I offered the seller $13,000 - $1,000 less than he was asking. He tried asking for more, but I said it was the best I could do (which is true.) We stalled a bit, and then a few days later he offers me $12,600. *shrug* Okay... I call my bank, I get the check issued, I'm about to buy an airline ticket to Charlotte NC to pick up the car, when he emails me that the shop he's had it at just told him the AWD isn't working. He then says that he'll fix it, but will have to sell the car for $14,500 - or I can still have it as-is for the $12,600.
I just wrote him back saying that my offer was for a WORKING car, not a broken one, and that if he wants to sell the car as-is, $10,500 is my best price. I also told him that I won't pay for the car until it has been inspected by a certified Volvo mechanic, as the only way the AWD stops working in these cars is if you tear the splines off the output shaft of the transfer case, which can only be done by beating the sh!t out of the car.
In 2008 I spent less than a month shopping for Vipers. I dealt with some anal folks - people who thought they were made of solid gold. Some thought they were worth MORE than they paid for them... But generally I dealt with honest people who admitted the problems their cars had. Eventually I found a good deal from a reasonable seller and with the exception of some maintenance issues on the car, I've been pretty happy with my purchase.
I don't know WHAT has gotten into people today, but it is SO HARD to find an HONEST seller these days. I can't BELIEVE the BS that I keep finding on the internet. Not to mention the scam email I've received by people (or likely software) that scans sites and send bogus emails to people based on classified ads... That Swedespeed forum is TERRIBLE for that kind of stuff.
My cats don't scam me for an extra meal, or try to haggle me on "petting time". I've never seen birds try to swindle people for a piece of bread... But humans - man. Sometimes I think we're the worse species on the planet...
/rant.
