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Had a catch up with a mate yesterday (Wed) who said he's selling one of his road bikes blah blah. Tells me the price and I said I'd take it; travel down today (Thu), take it round the block and give him the readies.
Sorted ... or not, as the case may be. He texted me last night (Wed) to say it's on eBay and he's going to let it run because he wants more money. Out of order, says I.
Wouldn't give a monkeys if it was an easily available item. But it's a bike in the spec I want and in budget. I've been looking on and off for 18 months and not found what I wanted close enough and for the spec/money. Hence peed off.
Which of us is being the most unreasonable?
He is
Him.. he's being a spanner.
He is. Do you have the bike in your possession?!
Edit 2: ah ok, I thought you meant you'd already tried it and exchanged money. How much more is it? Split the difference? eBay will rape him for fees etc, plus postage inconvenience.
Good, that's what I wanted to hear.
He is. Do you have the bike in your possession
Nope. Only seen pics, hence re-arranging my work plan so as to head down that way and pick up today.
You've paid for it, surely it's your bike now regardless of where it is.
[edit]
Sorry mis read the OP. Tough shit he can do what he likes if you've not paid for it, although I would downgrade him from mate to acquaintance.
travel down today
= today, Thursday.
He told you it was yours and changed his mind, I'd be annoyed. That's not cool.
Is he on drugs ?
Ok, chronologically: spoke to him yesterday (Wed), agreed price and arranged to head down today (Thu) to pick up and hand over the cash.
Nope. Only seen pics, hence re-arranging my work plan so as to head down that way and pick up today.
As per edit 2 - that's different, your post read as you having already tried and paid for it. Makes him a bit of a greedy tit, but not as bad as if you'd paid for it.
muppetWrangler - Member
You've paid for it, surely it's your bike now regardless of where it is.
Simple as, you have both entered in to a contract. Thing as it's your "mate" that counts for very little.
Doesn't sound like much of a 'mate'...
Check out my revised OP - this should help with clarity of dates, i.e we agreed the deal yesterday (Wed) in preparation of me picking it up and paying for it today (Thu).
Suppose it depends whether he just WANTS more money or actually NEEDS it to pay debts, etc. Poor form either way having already made an agreement of course.
He's being a tool. What will happen if it doesn't reach the price you'd already agreed? Would he take it off eBay then "let" you have it. Wish him good luck with the sale and move on IMO. Not worth falling out over though.
Watch it on eBay - you may get it for less than you agreed!
He's put the starting price as the amount he agreed with me.
Its yours now, so you may make a profit on it!
In which case he's definitely being a tool. Hopefully he won't get any bids in which case you can then bid him down based on the fact that it was overpriced 🙂
Spam the ebay auction with silly high bids.
You agreed a price over the phone, he's now had a wee think & changed his mind & let you know before you expended any time effort or money into it, bit of a bummer but nothing more.
I would downgrade him from mate to acquaintance.
This. Can't be doing with mates like that.
He's put the starting price as the amount he agreed with me.
well that pretty much confirms that he rates you lower than anyone who bids on e-bay.
Just walk away - don't watch the ebay auction, spend you cash elsewhere.
and if he cant sell it on e-bay, then don't buy it or at most only pay half what you previously agreed
it's his to sell as he wants, shrug your shoulders and move on
Does he know as much about bikes as you?
Is it possible that he thinks you've undervalued it to screw him?
(Might he be reading this ?)
well that pretty much confirms that he rates you lower than anyone who bids on e-bay.
I wouldn't quite go that far.
Does he know as much about bikes as you?
Is it possible that he thinks you've undervalued it to screw him?
(Might he be reading this ?)
No.
No - he told me what he wanted and I straight away said I'd have it.
Not sure 😯
He's changed his mind. That's life.
You said it yourself, you have been looking for one with that spec for 18 months and not found it at the right price.
So the price was probably too low, and he has now realised this.
He's probably started a thread on another forum saying how this bloke who he thought was a good mate tried to low ball him 🙂
He's put the starting price as the amount he agreed with me.
I'd file him in the 'pillock' category and buy a bike elsewhere when one comes up. What are you after, perhaps we can find something, you can make him feel silly when he comes to you asking if you want to buy it again!
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Had a catch up with a mate yesterday
There's your mistake. You may think he's a mate, he obviously doesn't regard you as one.
Create a new eBay account under a new email address.
Place HUGE bid to ensure you "win".
Then disappear and don't reply to eBay messages requesting payment.
Mate learns the hard way that eBay selling can be a ballache, you offer him a sensible cash offer as before. Job done.
🙂
good mate tried to low ball him
I didn't low ball him though. He told me what he wanted.
Link to the auction, im sure we could, *ahem*, help out? 😉
That isn't what mates do to each other. Time to reassess what constitutes a mate.
[devils advocate]
A [i]good[/i] mate would have said
"I'd snap your hand off at that price, but to be honest you would probably get more selling it on eBay, the spec is not that common, and hard to find at that price ! "
[/devils advocate]
Offer and acceptance.
"i'd like £X for it" "ok , i'll give you £X for it."
Its a deal. "My word is my bond" and all that.
If he was expecting you to turn up with the cash today and you didn't, he would be pretty hacked off with you.
But you can't enforce it/him, i'd walk away. theres no shortage of bikes out there. And who needs people who welch on a deal?
Some of the comments seem a bit harsh
I assume you know it will sell for more, otherwise what's the problem.. Your mate was going to do you a deal, he got cold feet and he changed his mind. (do some of you really drop your mates because they change their minds sometimes?)
He is your mate, so you completely understand and say 'No worries mate I understand I'm still happy to buy at that price so I will stick a bid in on ebay and if I win maybe we can sort the fees so you don't get stung'
It just sounds like your gutted because you knew it was a great deal so now your trashing your 'mate' on here. Always dissapointing to miss a good deal but if he is your mate then cut him some slack.
Ah Beaten to it by nealglover.
Bit of a crap thing for a mate to do but for me it depends a bit on how much he offered it to you for vs how much it's actually worth (although that's obviously hard to determine). If he'd well under-valued it though and realised his mistake then can't really hold it against him, although I'd still probably have offered it to you first at the increased price if I were in his shoes - he does realise there's fees to pay with eBay doesn't he?...
I wouldn't get so worked up over this. It's annoying, but on the other hand is that it seems your mate has decided he needs as much money as he can for it (times are hard you know) and he doesn't want to make lots of money out of a mate.
If you really want the bike then agree a higher price. If he doesn't get the price he wants and you really want it then you can swollow your pride and buy it after the auction. Or as I would probably do, tell him no he shouldn't have treated you like this and walk away from any deal.
It's bad form of him and annoying but in the grand scheme of things it's not that bad. Mates can do far worse to each other and friendship is a strong bond. And there are loads of bikes - just see it wasn't to be and you'll get a better bike in the future. It's not like he's slept with your wife or anything is it!
kill him with kindness...
'ahh sorry to hear that you're struggling financially.. I would never have made an offer if I'd known, you should have said sooner, it's nothing to be embarrassed about.. do you need me to lend you some cash..?'
maybe let him know your feelings and try to negotiate a deal that suits everybody..?
He is your mate, so you completely understand and say 'No worries mate I understand I'm still happy to buy at that price so I will stick a bid in on ebay and if I win maybe we can sort the fees so you don't get stung'
Really? I'd want him to get shafted for the fees, serves him right! Otherwise you pay for the bike, then pay additionally for the fees, sod that!
there's some real charmless no marks on this thread..! 😆
I would always rather see a bike go to a friend rather than to eBay. Because you know it's going to a good home, you can always borrow it back if you regret selling it, and some people on eBay can be impossible when selling used goods. And it's not just about the money.