As the owner is on here, I will keep from referring to his name.

So the price has been agreed on buying a second hand RRS, it's just a matter of waiting till I can get over to pick it up.
Just a couple of days to go, with regular emails of pictures and details, outlining the finer issues and any problems etc.
All good, its on, will be up in two days, bank had been notified and money ready.

So I gets an email today, "sorry the car has been sold" a buyer come round and offered more money than you., I almost felt guilty for going back on my word, he said, but I'm sure you could see my dilemma..!

Words fail me or should I expect this, as no contract was given?
I dunno, but if I sold something any other interest gets told its provisionally sold, but will keep details just in case, oh no not this guy, he played one against the other, and ended up asking 1500 more.

Maybe some have not been bought up with the trust and principles, I have, maybe I'm to trusting, oh well we live and learn..

well all depends.
not to offense you but maybe you sent too many questions and asking for details etc. which might cause the seller to be fed up and sell it to the first one offering cash money.

was it a 15.000 pounds or say 35.000 pounds transaction.
with amounts around the lower price I can imagine it happened.

so please share some more details with us! how many emails, phone calls, repeated questions,price

I realise you must be disapointed Paul, but i guess these things happen and can work the other way with the seller being let down by a prospective buyer. At the end of the day everyone wants the best deal they can get whether buying or selling. I made an enquiry about a vehicle for sale on here that i really liked the look of....i told the owner that i was in the process of selling my car and would get back to him once i had done so to make arrangements to view the car. I sold my car and had funds in place..... I pm'd the guy but after a week he hadn't opened my PM.........He was probably busy with work commitments or whatever....anyway in the meantime I found another car elsewhere and bought it....... i deleted my two unopened pm's i had sent the seller......I still feel a little guilty about not biding my time and waiting for the guy to read my PM's but at the end of the day we need to look after our own interests first. I know this member will have no problem selling his RRS and getting his price anyway...........but my point is these things happen in the buying/selling process...........business is bussiness i guess. You will find another RRS, and maybe even get a better deal in the process. Hope you find your dream car soon.  2010 RRS TDV6 3.0 Autobiography - Stornoway Grey
2006 RRS TDV6 2.7 HSE -Java Black
2008 BMW 3 Series 2.l
2006 BMW 5 series 2.l

Did you give him a deposit?

If not, then I don't really see the problem.

I've been let down by loads of people that were definitely buying mine, only to then go quiet.

Sorry to read this Paul

A similar thing happened to me recently with some alloys but not someone on here thankfully

It would be nice to think everyone on here is trustworthy and many are but sadly not always the case as some have found out

The problem is the more cases like yours are posted on here the lower the confidence in buying from each other and it will become no better than eBay but without any protection or complaint procedure

Unfortunately a verbal contract is not what it used to be - it's all about self interest now  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

^^ Agree - no deposit, no real commitment, you could just as easily left him hanging with no sale (not saying you would but that is the scenario). So many times people definitely wanted a rental then they disappear, first deposit is the first commitment.

The seller didn't know your moral level and £1500 is £1500

Hi Paul

I agree with you. If both parties agree a price and a date then as far as I can see the deal is done. Exactly like a handshake, it's done on trust. A deposit would maybe have helped cement the deal though but if the seller was happy not to ask for a deposit then I would have expected the deal to stick.

The good thing is that there are plenty to choose from and I'm sure another, better one is round the corner. 2006 Supercharged

The first one who puts the money in my hand gets it.

Been let down loads with buyers, even when they have left a deposit.

It's a tough call but buying and selling private is more risky hence some always buy from a dealer.

I'm with Paul if there was a definite deal then I'd have felt morally obligated to stick with it.

I suppose it depends on the content of the emails etc. Its hard to do a deal remotely as you need to 'see-the'white-of-their-eys'

If everything was agreed upfront then a deals a deal.

£1,500 is a reasonable chunk of cash so I can see the seller's dilemma and if he had any doubt that you might not follow through then I guess he'd take the 'bird in hand'.

Byuing and selling a car from both dealer and privately is a nightmare.

Private sales/purchases are always subject to more timewasters than genuine enquiries.

Delaer sales/purchases cut that out, but with a premium on the sale price and always a lower trade value. Unfortunately it is just the nature of the beast. I tend to stay away from private buys personally and to be honest i cannot be bothered with the hassle of selling a car privately either so i just accept going to the dealers.

If you have not given a deposit on the car then i do not see the issue to be honest. I know it is dissapointing but to be perfectly honest it is not as if there is a shortage of the cars for sale, you never know it may be a blessing in disguise.

Good luck finding another car.

I too agree with PH. A deal is a deal. There is no need to renege once a sale is agreed.

I have had this done to me and it's infuriating to say the least and says a lot about the seller IMHO. When I have thought about it, I've always concluded I was probably better off without that particular deal anyway, as Chris MC says.

Muddy - don't get me started on buying used RRS alloys..........  FF 4.4 V8 Soooo looking forward to this bad boy
Ex 2006 RRS SC - garbage
Ex 2016 135i M Sport - dream car
Ex 2003 RS6 Avant - piece of cr*p
Ex 2014 320d X Drive, M Sport Touring - ok I guess
Ex 2007 RRS TDV8 - bloody loved it
EX 2007 FL2 XS - not so bad

Hi Paul,

I totally understand.

Exactly the same thing recently happened to me with a dealer when buying my first RRS!!

Long story short but having seen the car a few times, two test drives, agreed a price, a shake of the hands etc... Dealer sends me PDF's of all documentation, money all ready to go... I receive a text to say 'family emergency, he's got to go to France and will email me or phone me on his return'

This about Nov 9th - so for me a waiting game, literally ticking off the days to get my hands on my RRS. I had everything in writing, even that he didn't need a deposit.

So, days pass by, I email asking when he's back, send texts... He responds to say Dec 8th and not to worry as the car is in dry storage (I had wondered if he's taken it to France!)

Another week passes and we enter w/c Dec 2nd - trying to firm the date for collection and ensure he's back on Dec 8th which is a Sunday - I finally get a reply to a phone call only for it to be answered and hung up.

Yes, alarm bells are ringing. I email more, then finally get a reply to say the car has been sold!! This reply from his 'brother'....

I can't tell you how mad, frustrated and angry I was...how on earth could this have happened and a local dealer treat a 'local' in this way.

Never ever again will I trust anyone to do with selling a car, especially used car dealers (nothing new there!)

BUT, the good news is that it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as just 7 days later I found and bought my first RRS - which is a much much better example, younger, better paperwork, immaculate inside and out...the list goes on!!

So be angry Paul, but move on and find a better one... You will too!

Simon

Sorry Bradders - I knew I would touch a nerve with that one

As far as Paul H situation goes trust works both ways - who here would hand over a deposit without viewing a car or knowing if the seller would vanish with the money - if he could sell after doing the deal how could he be trusted

At the very least the seller should have advised PH another party was interested and given him his chance and if he decided to walk away the other buyer would get the deal. IMHO that would be the right thing to do  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

If there is written offer and acceptance then there is a contract I believe. Email is "written" in this context. Failure by either party is breach of that contract. Not that one is likely to take legal action for it in this case of course.

I would have honoured the original deal if I were the seller but that's me. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Even a verbal agreement can be binding if certain circumstances have be met, like offer and acceptance...

So be careful of handshakes!!