I just got back from Carlisle this weekend, and while I was there, a friend of mine's son-in-law knows that I'm into the GS Buicks and shows me what he had bought.(I also know his son-in-law). I kind of figured he had bought a car or something,but he told me that it was some auto parts that he had just put on the parts table at their vending spot. I looked on the table and spot a pair of GS hoodscoops with the fiberglass trim still attached to them. He then says (before I picked them up to look at them)and brags to me that he had paid $40 for them(they were marked $50)I told him I was interested buying them from him and that I would pay him the $50 that was marked on the scoops. He says "No way,I have to make money on these and you need these for your car and I know how much money you put into your car-I'll sell them to you for $100". After he said this, I got extremely angry and fired back at him that he was a dummy for telling me how much he paid for these parts,and that it is no deal-he is a gouger :af:.I know people have to make money,but this is ridiculous. Needless to say,I did not buy these parts. Don't you just get ticked off by people like this?
$60 mark up seems a bit much. Since he knows you,he should have passed that super deal your way,maybe make ten bucks. Why were they still marked $50? He should have removed the $50 tag before he set them out for sale.Can only imagine what he would charge a 'stranger'. Carl,if you really need a set I have a set of grills but not the fiberglass trim.
Gouger, h*ll, he's an A$$! :spank: Be sure to let your friend know...tactfully, of course. What a butt... :af:
Carl, It's a very tough situation. The thing I don't like is the attitude he displayed. If they were still a good deal at $100, and he hadn't told you what he paid - would you have bought them? If you need them and couldn't find them elsewhere for anything near that price, aren't they still a good deal regardless of what he paid? What if he wrote $100 and said he got a deal and only paid $75. Then told you that he needed to make $25 and would sell them to you for $100. If $100 was a good deal anyhow, and you were ignorant to the truth, would you have been happy with your purchase even though you were mislead as to his profit? Like I said, his attitude and verbally telling you why he wants to charge you that amount is uncalled for. But was he gouging? I just picked up a BBB fan shroud from a 72 Centurian for $20. It's in incredible shape. If you really needed it, and I had it priced at $150 (which I think is a good deal, but I'm not sure to be honest - saw an original 70 GS one at $455 on ebay) would you be any more gouged if I told you how much I was making off of the sale to you? Sure, it's poor taste, gives the hobby a black eye, and you'd want to question dealing with a person like that. But at the same time, it's going to sell to someone if it's a good deal. If you can't find what you need for a better price, should you buy it? From another perspective, say I put my shroud up for sale down the road and am at $150 firm. Someone researches on this board to see if it's a good price. They find out that it is and also that I only paid $20 for it. Should they have a right to tell me that they'll only pay $100 and that they know I only paid $20 and don't think I should be making that kind of profit on it - that I'm gouging based on my expected profit? There are lots of ways to examine any transaction. I agree, these people do tick me off. They're very much responsible for people like Scott Miller deciding to no longer cut deals to members of this board - he didn't like seeing his deals end up on ebay a week later. It's very unfortunate. Oh yeah, my shroud isn't for sale - it's going on my car soon.
If he was going to sell them for $50 (as marked), but raised the price for <i>you</i> b/c he knows you spend a lot of money on your car, then I consider that gouging - regardless of what they are worth. On the other hand, if the $50 tag was from the person he bought them from, that is another story. Though it seems he was a bit tactless in how he spoke to you. Also, I'd not buy something for $10 less than listed, and put it on a vending table with the old price tag if I intended on asking for more.
What makes me mad is the fact that he made the mistake by telling me how much he paid and then turns around and tries to sell me these parts at quite a considerable profit. He is by no means a car guy-he's just taking after his father-in-law who happens to be a real car guy.(insert:He's a wannabee). I'm just wondering if someone had come up to the parts table and spotted those and then said that they wanted to buy them-he would look like a total idiot and another person would end up hating him instead. Just to answer your question-yes, I would have bought them for $100 if I hadn't known what he paid for them.It's because of his BIG MOUTH that got him into trouble,which lead to me not buying them.
Everyone looks at life differently. Example : "IF" Mike were selling his fan shroud for $150 and he told me he only paid $20 for it i would have bought it anyways knowing how rare it is. Buddy of mine or Not. It all comes down to Supply and Demand. :Smarty: Carl if you feel you did the right thing that is all that matters. :beer Just my 2 cents.
jess. i pass alot of deals right onto you guys and don't even know many of you except that your buick lovers like me. sometimes all i ask you guys is for a bit of gas money or take off money. to me if i want to make money on the stuff (big money) i'll ebay the stuff and the things that don't go on this site or other buick sites. i also have to say you guys help me so it seems what comes around must go around on this site. Greg :Comp:
The guy was a Pr&ck, I say you punch him in the mouth for being stupid and walk away. But that's just me! :spank:
I would have told him they were Chinese re-pops and are worth around $40.00. Then I would wait for him to beg me to buy them. Bummer. ou:
does it matter what he paid really??? The grocery store jack up pricer high then that if they told you what they really paid. [does 200% market up on a can of corn bother you?] Fair market value is fair. Don't matter if he found them. Not like he was asking $500 on ebay. Which he might just get. Though from his attitude he must not like you very much. Think back about anything you might have done to upset him [even small] cause I bet if he liked you allot you would of gotten them for free. I give people I like stuff all the time. People I don't care for gotta pay up or screw em. I know what you mean but it had to press the [I know what you paid] card unless it is a close friend. Gotta be good friends to play that card.
Not a lot of tact. Gee, I wonder how much he would have charged his dad? Hopefully you'll find nicer ones for cheaper. Then you can tell him that he got screwed for $40. Then offer him $35 for his low quality spares.
I went to Carlisle a few years back with a "friend". He is into MGs and I was into Jags. He and I came across a Jag tire gage which were pricey at the time. It is marked with the Jag wing. Anyway, I dicker with the seller and start to walk away so I could come back later and see if he would come lower. My "friend" buys the part out from under me, not that he needed it or wanted it. He thought he could make some money on it.... So Carl, its everywhere. Some people are jerks and some are not! - Bill
Greed Carl, I agree with you.......Greed!!!!!pure and simple. I have a "friend" that operates that way. He pulled that over a set of exhaust manifolds with me for my 71 monte carlo i used to have. I Just don't understand that degree of greed myself.....however, its people that have a true passion for these cars that suffer the most for it. J.
Parts gougers: "I need to make money... hmmm I can't EARN it at all because I'm an amoral useless twonk, maybe I can scam someone!" ...then again most lawyers say the same thing...
while i have no problem with someone buying a part with the intent to make a profit, it does sound like this guy was a bit greedy. no problem paying what something is worth, but if the guy has to rub your nose in it so to speak, let him keep the part. i also bought a super rare GS part at carlisle this weekend with the intent to offer it to a board member for a fraction of what i could get on ebay, basically at my cost. he helps me, so i will help him. sooooo, who bought the nos 67 lark grille center ornament @ carlisle ? i snoozed on it, and when i went back, of course it was gone. i know better. henry
Same Thing Happen to Me Once! Several years ago I had a 66 Nova L79 car I was restoring. I was at a swap meet in Bowling Green and was about to leave when a friend came by and said come go with him to look at a L79 air cleaner. He knew I was looking for one. Well, we walk over to this kids truck and sure enough he had one. My friend bought it for $175. As we were wallking back to his swap meet spot , he kept asking me how much profit I was going to give him. I never said too much as it was a hard deal to set his profit. Before we get back to his spot he sells it to a guy for $350. and then turns to me and ask if I would give him more. I said no thanks. This was the same guy I sold parts to a 61 Corvette 4 speed to get him out of a bind, for less than half market value. You live and learn who your friends are. Jim N.
you know the old saying" with friends like that who needs enemies" I have only been into Buicks for a short time and have been treated very nicely by everyone on the board and appreciate all their help. special thanks to Dan (mash4551) and Gary Paine(greatscat) and Chris(CJP69)for all their help!!!!!!!! I have been in the Car hobby for a long time and we all need to stick together. Just because some one spends alot of money on a car doesn't entitle someone to rip them off,as specially the way that jerk attempted to do. If some one gets a deal on a part they should pass it on to their frinds.as specially if they bought it with the intention of selling it to said friend!
Carl, What fiberglass pieces do you need exactly? On the 70 GS hood, there are the pot metal chrome and black grills, the plastic/fiberglass pieces that the grills fit into (painted body color), and then the fiberglass plates on the bottom that the air cleaner foam attaches to. What exactly is it you need?
The friend's Son-in Law is a boob...Since he was your acquaintance besides he was a king sized boob as well. Of course, since he is related to your friend, there's not much you can do without losing your friend as well. I would just laugh him off and tell him that's too bad he couldn't make any money off you since you had just paid twice as much for a set last week.
