Exotic Car Search? My Personal Experience

Sounds like a pissin' contest more than a car purchase/sale, huh?

 

WOW, what a shame. Purchasing a car should be a FUN experience. I would have loved to fly to Alabama, look at the car, spend some time with the parties involved, do a test drive - look the car over. Spend the night, wire the funds then drive the car home and pray I don't get thrown in jail along the way!!!

BTW-Official checks / Cashiers checks CANNOT be canceled. They are governed under UCC laws (Uniform Commercial Code). When ZEEK rewards got busted as a Ponzi scam, the first thing the regulators did was call the banks and remind them of the UCC laws and warned them to not cancel any of the checks issued. The regulators wanted to "stop the clock" gather all the funds, investigate, prosecute then re-distribute the remaining funds to the participants. The only way a certified check can be canceled is if it is lost or stolen.

However, there are a HUGE amount of counterfeit official checks.

 

So what did the broker do beside post a few pictures on his web site? The questions that the buyer was asking seemed pretty reasonable to me.

 

HAHA!

 

What a fun thread - and it ain't even about Ferraris.

 

Sucks it didn't work out; car looks cool.

Since you posted it though, I will say that it's inappropriate to ask for them to pick you up (especially in a super car) and to pay for your hotel overnight for a wire to clear. It's inappropriate to inspect a car at an airport. It's inappropriate to try to track down specifics on when the wire will be accepted at his bank. Generally, you send in the morning and it's there by the afternoon the same day at the latest. Any timing of wires beyond that is typically a crap shoot and can't be guaranteed or used for planning. Sounds like he was anticipating additional issues and decided to walk away.

I don't see anything wrong with the text messages. If his client won't give him info, then he won't do it - he is being transparent about it.

 

I must be missing it.

He told him he couldn't get interior shots and he understood if he wanted to pass.

Where does the seller impose time constraints? Seems like the buyer wanted to get in and out in a day and that is where the time constraints came from - not the seller.

 

Only a dopey millennial buys a car sight unseen. You deserve to get {short changed} when you do !!

 

I bought a Boxer sight unseen from a fellow Fchatter. The car was as described and it was from said broker. You are making a very uninformed statement with no real infomation to back it up, but that happens here all the time. At 56 years old I hear so many ridiculous statements made on the internet it is incredible.

If the person who was trying to buy the Lambo had just maybe taken the time to ask if anyone had any experience with the broker or even knew the seller or could possibly lookat the car for him, he may have saved himself some aggravation and may be driving the car he wanted. He could not due his duediligence in this forum, but he could only say something negative on this forum when he did not get his way. Sorry but the buyer is wrong for airing his issues after the deal did not work out. Just a little to sour grapes for me.

Negotiations are generally not fun. It's a business transaction and that is all. It is fun after it is done and both parties are in agreement. Some are easy and some are battles.

Good rule of thumb: ask for help before you start griping about something you may have avoided on a chat site.

 

You dopey boomer! (It was my car Dwhite purchased sight unseen. And it was I who purchased the 'replacement' Audi R8 and 328 GTS sight unseen, using a broker.)

This whole thing has gotten a little messy and decently out of context. All I can say is that my dealings with Brian or ANY broker, dealer, owner, PPIer are completely limited or enhanced by their access to information.

I couldn't speak to the R8s owner due to some idiot 'privacy' act, but got all else and went a bit on faith. For the 328, I spoke to the long term owner at length, got 'inside' info no broker would've even thought to ask, much less vouch for.

If a seller won't provide the info requested by the purchaser, the broker can't manufacturer it, nor make the seller 'do' anything. And vice versa.

Agreed again David. And since I too just turned 56 this month, it is obvious that wisdom comes with age! Enjoy the Boxer. And if anything turns up that's not as expected, it is definitely Brian's fault.

 

That was a good Boxer, being from Texas and all....

 

Ha! As was my 512TR that had spent a few trips to Norwoods in its past. Prior to purchasing it (in Salt Lake City) I called Norwoods from a receipt found in the files and they couldn't have been nicer nor more forthcoming. They actually remembered the car from 4 years prior.

Another example that the dealer didn't have 'all' the info, but gave me enough to do my own snooping.

(BTW Big Tex, just purchased the 'Retro Air' upgrade for my old Carrera, yet ANOTHER Texas product! And my daughter is at TCU in Fort Worth, making me an honorary citizen.)

 

I can see both sides...my take:

- Buyer did have a few unique requests re pick-up, payment method/timing and hotel cost. So, a bit "higher maint than ideal" would be many sellers/brokers take...

- Broker certainly let it get personal and didn't act professionally ("you are killing me") and being "short" with "I can't get the pics/info, so tough".). Many buyers would walk away in the face of such "attitude".

- Re buying a car long distance. For me, a PPI is great and cheap perspective into a used car and also solves the need for me to travel to see the car.

- Re payment. A bank check (cashiers check) can be "instantly" credited with a little extra work by the receiving bank...all they have to do is call the issuing bank to confirm.

If there are any takeaways here, I think the broker could (if he cares and is being honest with himself) learn that he could be a bit more professional when things aren't going how he would like. Sure, he can choose to tell a buyer "tough, you can't buy it" and it sure feels good on the ego...but it ain't smart business even if you can afford to pass on that buyer (this thread and un-needed negative publicity are exhibit A).

For the buyer, sorry, the reality is that sometimes a car is in demand or the seller or broker are unwilling to jump through any extra hoops. If that is that case, you have to compromise. I know you think you did (late in the game), but that is where lesson A comes in for the broker.

 

There are a few available on the interwebs (from cars.com)

Data suggests that a good buy would be a car with under 10K miles for less than $170K
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It is a little late coming, but here is little follow up from the new owner of the 6 speed manual Lp640.

The new owner was nice enough to write about his experience.

Link: http://www.**********.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=73309 (edited out lambo power, so I posted his comment below at the very bottom)

Taking the approach to bashing an individual/company on the internet where it is on "permanent record" due to a conflicting way of doing business (even when NO money been exchanged) shows a lot about an individuals character.

Over 10 years of brokering clean transactions with exotics and it just takes one. Not sure where the "bad reflection" lies in this case. Perhaps my intuition and experience allowed me the insight to "step away" from this transaction for justified reasons. The fact that this "post" was not only put on Lambo Power in addition to F-Chat leads me to believe I avoided doing business with vengeful person who didn't get his way. A lawyer on top of that.....BTW..I have quite a few clients who are lawyers that I enjoy working with.
Thanks to all my clients who stepped in to mention their good experience!
Brian Albertson....Exotic Car Search


NEW OWNER COMMENT: I just picked up my new to me LP 640. Brian was great to work with. He was very honest and open about every aspect. He was constantly in contact and available during and after the transaction. All business dealings were completely transparent.
He helped with all aspects of the transaction including inspection and shipping and logistics. He ended up passing on his broker discounts to me and saved me some money in the process.

This is the second Lambo I've bought unseen and this car is beautiful. Let me tell you, the lp640 is way ahead of the regular murcie as far as fit and finish.

The car I purchased has a manual transmission and that's exactly what I wanted.

I had the calipers painted VI and it looks great. I have a few more mods in store that I'll post as they go.

Here are a couple of pics. I was too busy driving and didn't take many.

Thanks again Brian for the extremely smooth transaction. I love this car!

 

I bought a car with a cashiers check and we sat in front of the banker and waited for it to clear - same issuing and cashing bank. I sold a car with a wire. In the future I will only use a wire. It is so much more seamless. Buyer, you decide that you are committed to buy the car. Now you pay as expediently as possible. Paper checks are not expedient unless you use the same bank as the one that issued it. Branch managers can communicate with each other about the veracity of the check and funds. Easy. It make take time. That's on you since this is how you choose to do the transaction.

Seller, you need to make sure that the car is absolutely ready to transfer when the money is sent. Papers in hand, records, everything signed and sealed to be turned over upon confirmation of the funds transfer. This is how I would handle a high dollar purchase/sale. Clean and neat. Everyone properly motivated and committed with no hidden agenda.

 

I went to high school with Shane, he was two years ahead of me at John Carroll.

He made it big in the train business. Small world seeing his name here...

 

Puurfect picture. Great read on Thanksgiving Day! I'm grateful that I haven't bought anything other than a Volvo this year, so far. No worries there

 

By the way... I watched the famous Tom Meade do business buying/selling "very expensive cars" for years. It was a ballet of the back and forth negotiation ending hopefully with the money set in a trust account and everyone satisfied in the end. Tom told me of the "Daisy Chains" of generally three to five hands in on the deal, which Tom siad was pretty standard on the million dollar plus cars he dealt in. Tom sold over 1500 vintage Ferrari aluminum bodies and was amazing to watch in action each day (other than his amazing design sense on the Thomassima IIII). All deals were on that speaker phone of his, so I heard some amazing prices and stories. All in a days work for Mr. Meade or I should say Mr. Ferrari. I don't think his friend Enzo would complain about any of that.

 

Was that AC from Vintage Air? Great folks there and Rick Love was very helpful in getting a project of ours just right. Was it custom or off the shelf? Go Texas! (MSD is there too

 

Did you do that graph yourself or is there a option on cars.com? That seems like a very good market tool

 

Try Steve Ahlgrim. I believe he is now at Motorcar Gallery in Florida and The Sports Car Market magazine. He's honest, know cars and has been in the business for decades.

 

I second this

 

It was Retro-Aire. They do AC upgrades for Etype jags, mgb's, 911s, and 308 Ferraris. Other threads suggest the 308 kit may mot be fully developed, but the 911 kit works well