23 replies to this topic

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

I don't know if I've ever told any of you about Mark, but I'm guessing probably not. Mark is a kid to whom I used to be a Big Brother, albeit not through that specific agency. I first met him when he was ten and came to live at a residential home for "wayward" children where I worked. I ended up paired with him, and later took him on through a mentoring (i.e. "Big Brother") program when he was sent home. The kid's had a rough life. When he was eight his house burned down, killing his younger brother. The fire was the result of adult negligence, but the adult in question did not want to get in trouble, so the fire was pinned on Mark, who confessed after hours of police interrogation with neither his lawyer nor his mother present. Not that she'd have been much help, being a total scumbag herself. But that's a different story.

Yeah, anyway, eight years old, and took the rap for his kid brother's death. How's that for fucked up? He ended up spending the next seven years of his life in the custody of the state, identified as a "problem" child. He came to St. Ann's in October 1997, and from that point on, in one form or another, I have been his "father figure."

He's no angel. He's had a lot of tussles with the law, usually for petty drug charges, larceny, etc., but one for illegal firearms possession that landed him in the clink for eighteen months. Since he got out he's been clean, and working hard to do right. But it has been a struggle. His family are total scumbags, who charged him $600 a month to live in a shitty Winnebago behind their house, with no heat and no air conditioning. All they care about is money. Money, money, money. If you've seen the film Million Dollar Baby, you might remember the title characters redneck parents? That's what Mark's family is like. Vultures who pick at the bones of society, always living on the edge, always with Social Services involved in some way, kids always getting in trouble. You all know the type. They wouldn't lift a finger to help him if they weren't getting paid. But you better believe if he ever made anything of himself they'd leech off him, no problem. Fucking scumbags. I want to shoot them in the fucking heads. I really do.

Anyway.

So Mark finally got an apartment of his own, has a job, and is doing okay. I mean, I'll be honest, none of it is great: It's a tiny, grubby little apartment with no ventilation and that is absolutely not up to code; and it's an under-the-table, no-benefits, can't apply-for-a-loan-because-you-don't-technically-have-a-job job. But he made it work, sometimes with a little help from me.

Then his car broke down. This was a car he had bought just three months before with $1200 he had managed to scrounge together (and a big chunk from me), a 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue. Nice looking car. But it started to fall apart almost as soon as he bought it. He put hundreds of dollars that he really couldn't afford keeping that car on the road, until finally a couple weeks ago the head gasket gave out. That's a $1300 job, so simply not worth it for that car. So he was in a bind.

He had no cash, no car, and a job he couldn't keep if he couldn't get there. He asked his mother for a ride, which she will give willingly for a mere $20 a hit. It's 18 miles, round trip, from one town to the next. Even at $4 a gallon, she's making at least $16 profit every time she drives him. Never mind that he's her fucking son and he needs her help. She doesn't even work, she's out on disability. She's not fucking disabled. She's just lazy, money-grubbing white trash.

But I digress. Again.

So here we were, he has no money, he needs a car. What am I to do? I can't let this kid fail. He's probably the closest thing I'll ever have to a son. So I said I'd buy him a car, but no more than $3000. And that wasn't easy to stretch it that far. I had to rejigger some personal loans. But whatever, it'd be worth it for the right car, right?

And I found it. The perfect car for him. This car.

I ran a Carfax on it, it came back immaculate. I spoke to the owner by phone and email. He is a professor of chemistry and currently a (highly paid, no doubt) consultant at a big Biotech firm in Boston. I found him on LinkedIn. Anyway, he has detailed service records on a spreadsheet going back to 1999, when he bought it. It's the real deal. A good car, and a guy with enough money that he's asking a low price just to get it out of his driveway. And well cared for, to boot.

I told him, this gentleman, on Thursday afternoon that I was willing to come that very night to look at and almost certainly purchase the car. He said evenings didn't work for him, but that Saturday morning would be fine, and he promised he would not "sell the car out from under" me before then. We agreed on 9am, Saturday, August 11, 2012. Today, as it happens.

I told him I would have a certified check in hand, and that assuming the car was as described I intended to purchase it. I made sure to get the spelling of his name (it is unusual) correct.

I woke up at 6am, showered, raced to Lowell (about an hour away, in the wrong direction relative to where the car was located), picked up Mark, and was on the road by 8am. I sent the seller a text telling him we were on our way. At 8:30 we pulled into Belmont, the town where the car was located. We were only about 10 minutes away, and so, not wanting to be too early (it being a Saturday morning and this man having a family), we stopped for a beverage. As I returned to the car, my phone rang, and it was this man telling me that he was very sorry, but that he had just sold the car to someone who couldn't wait to see it later.

WTF?!?

I know a guaranteed sale is better than one that is not 100% assured. But I was very clear in my intent to buy the car if it checked out, as I assumed it would. Indeed, I was coming with a cashier's check in hand made out to him with the expectation of buying it, and he knew it. To my mind, that constituted a moral obligation, if not a legal one, to allow me right of first refusal. In other words, he should have said to these other people, "Look, I'd love to sell you the car, but I've got someone coming at 9am who I promised the opportunity to buy it first. If that doesn't work out I'd be happy to give you a call." Likely the potential buyer would have been willing to wait an hour. If he didn't hear back by ten he could assume it was sold.

But that's the thing: OF COURSE IT SOLD. It was a great car at a great price. That's what really pisses me off. He sold it right out from under me, after saying he would not, because supposedly he had an offer on the table. But there was never any danger that this car was not going to sell. Even if he had been forced to turn away the buyers this morning (if they really existed -- but more on that later), and then for whatever reason I had walked away too, this car would still have sold before the day was out. It was too good a deal to pass up, and too many people love these little Honda/Acuras and are always on the lookout for them.

But I wonder if he really sold it at all. In his original ad he mentioned something like giving up a part of the family, which was a weird thing to put in a Craigslist ad for a car, I thought. Then when I talked to him he kind of wistfully talked about having had this car longer than his wife or kids. So I think maybe he just decided he wasn't ready to part with it. Who knows? Maybe his wife was the one pushing him to get rid of it or something like that.

The other possibility is that he did sell it, but not to some early morning impulse shoppers, but to a friend or relative. I bet someone in his office was looking for a car for his teenage daughter, and he said, "Oh, I've got just the one." That would make more sense than the random buyer who simply couldn't wait.

Or maybe he's just an asshole. he seemed like a good guy in talking to him, but I guess that's what good assholes do.

Anyway, so we were back to square one. We needed a car, ASAP. With nothing to lose, we wandered into a small used car dealership in my hometown. I drive past it every day, in fact. The only thing he had in our price range was a 1999 Ford Explorer with (get this) 197,000 miles on it. It turns out the engine and tranny had been rebuilt (the engine not a full strip-down, just the valve covers, gaskets, etc.), and a bunch of recent maintenance done to it. It also was wearing four brand new Nexen tires (I've never heard of that brand but it was said in a tone that suggested I was meant to be impressed; regardless they were four new tires, beyond that I didn't really give a shit). I ran a Carfax on it (that has turned out to be an invaluable tool -- you wouldn't believe how badly some people lie about cars for sale), and it came back clean. Last owner had it for six years and 85,000 miles and took good care of it. Then I Google searched the dealer and his other businesses (a couple of nearby repair shops). Nothing bad came up. Just a couple of reviews, all pretty good. Not raving good but pretty good. But no complaints. That's a big thing. I think people are more likely to post if they are angry about something. If you find a dealership or a mechanic or whatever with nothing but good reviews, read them. Check if they sound like they're all written in the same voice. A lot of them are. Some of these scumbag businessmen just log in and post positive reviews themselves. But the negative ones are more telling, and more honest. I couldn't find any negative reviews on this guy's businesses except one by a guy who was apparently angry that the repair shop wouldn't let him slide on safety violations while in yearly inspection. That doesn't really sound that negative. So that was somewhat reassuring, at least.

The price was 3 large, which is about $200-400 less than the Kelley Blue Book and NADA values, even counting for the high miles. It has a thirty day warranty, and Massachusetts has a very strict lemon law. So we went ahead and bought it. Yeah, we probably could have found something better, but we were out of time. I hate being put in that kind of situation, where you're not prepared and you feel like a choice has to be made RIGHT NOW. But there you go. I bought it for him, and gave him the money to transfer his plates and insurance. the dealer wants it back next week so he can do a few maintenance items, like clean out the intake manifold and change the oil and filter, because the truck's been sitting for while. Then I am taking it to my mechanic, a man with an impeccable reputation (see my thread on him, elsewhere), who will go over it from stem to stern and tell me what he thinks. If he says it looks safe and dependable, and he thinks she's got 30,000-50,000 miles of good life left in her, then we're good. If there's something minor, I will bring it to the attention of the seller, who has promised to fix any problems in that first 30 days (indeed, is obliged to do so by the Great and General Court of this Commonwealth of Massachusetts), and either he can fix it or my guy can do it as his expense. If there is something major, like the transmission is full of sawdust and about to fall apart, then we return it.

Afterward I kind of regretted it a little, and Mark did too. But what's done is done. It's not a bad looking little truck. In decent shape, body-wise. Good paint. Drives nice and smooth, engine purrs well. It sounds like it has been properly tuned and cared for, had plenty of new parts under the hood as described. It has a couple of minor glitches that the dealer has promise to repair gratis, under warranty, when we bring it in next week. There's something futzy with the power locks, for example. But if those are addressed as promised it will be without flaws, functionally. They are also going to replace the Center armrest, which has a wear hole in it. But that's about it, and for three bills you've got to expect some imperfections. Like in that Acura the CD player didn't work. Seriously, that was it. And that was because his kid stuck something into it, or something like that. *sigh*

Yeah, so not necessarily the vehicle we wanted, but a vehicle. If it checks out, then fine. If Mark can get a couple of trouble-free years out of it, that would be a Godsend. I'll take care of the routine maintenance, oil changes, etc. And if it needs a few hundred dollars a year in repairs or maintenance, that's fine. I can eat that. That comes with the territory at this price range. I just hope it works out. For once I'd like to feel like I did right by this kid. I wish I could afford to buy him a better car, but it is what it is. Life, eh?

I bet that Acura is going to run for another 50,000 miles without needed a thing but oil changes, brake pads, and tires.

That fucking asshole.

[Thrash]

That's a shame about his parents being total dicks, and also the fucking Craigslist people, it's hard to trust people on there.

Also, if you need any help with the 99 Explorer, I have a 99 Mazda B3000 pickup, which is basically the same motor and suspension, so if you have any problems let me know and there might be a chance I have already fixed it.

Check the sway bar links on it, I bet they're shot. Not a crucial fix, but makes for a smoother ride. Easy fix. $10.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

I'll have to ask Mark, because he has the paperwork, but I think he might have said those were replaced. The underside looked nice and solid, and the ride and handling were what I would expect for a vehicle of that type.

But I do appreciate the help, Thrash. We've literally turned into middle aged Dad types, haven't we?

SOMEONE TELL ME I'M STILL COOL!

[Thrash]

Is it the 2.5, 3, or 4 liter motor?

edit: yea and middle-aged dads except we don't have kids. I think I know what we're missing.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

I'm not sure which engine. It's this one, though. It's a small V-6, so probably the 3.0. The 2.5 was a four-cylinder, right?

UPDATE: It's a 4.0 liter V-6.

Comes up as $3,775 in "excellent" condition on Kelley Blue Book. With the minor stuff wrong I'd call this one "very good" condition, potentially "excellent" once fixed. So I guess we didn't get scalped.

[King Biscuit]

Wow Jor.
A Gentleman, Scholar AND Humanitarian.

Major kudos.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

And for all that, I will die alone, unloved and unmourned. Ah well, as the French say, Tirer le diable par la queue.

[The Dark Empire]

I have a friend who saved a boy from the meth house and told this kid as long as he didn't do drugs he would have a safe home. The kid is now a grown man and has a family.

[Thrash]

ok, so you have the 4.0, no problem. My manual covers all of them. I have the 3 litre.

Best part is it's a non-interference engine, so if the timing belt goes you don't have catastrophic damage.

These engines are pretty much indestructible with proper maintenance.

Another common problem is the oil pressure switch, so if all of a sudden the the oil pressure gauge goes bezerk, it's best to not worry. It's another easy fix.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

I sent him an email this afternoon. The guy with the Acura, I mean:

Dr. XXXX,

I don't normally do this sort of thing, but I just wanted to let you
know how very disappointed I am about what happened today. You knew I
was coming at 9:00 am with a cashier's check in hand, ready to
purchase the Acura if everything checked out, as I expected it would.
Indeed, I had wanted to come Thursday evening, but it was not
convenient for you and you assured me that you would not "sell the car
out from under" me before I had a chance to see it, which is in fact
exactly what happened. I understand you had an offer on the table,
and a guaranteed sale is always preferable to one that is not a sure
thing, no matter how likely it seems. But it seems to me that the
honorable thing was to at least tell this buyer that you had promised
someone else first refusal. I have spent a great deal of time and
energy to find a decent, reliable used car for my nephew that was in
our price range. Because we had agreed on seeing, and in almost all
certainty buying, the Acura Saturday morning I passed on an excellent
car on Friday. Now I am back to square one.

And to wait until I was already on my way? I sent you a text message
when we left -- you might at least have said something then. If you
had told me someone wanted to see the car I might even have been
willing to offer to buy it sight unseen over the phone.

I realize none of this is of any concern to you, and that there is
nothing that can be done about it at this point. But I am saddened
and disappointed that you turned out not to be the man of character I
believed you to be.

God bless,

Jon Stafford

I didn't really expect him to respond, but to his credit he did:

Dear Jon:

Your message was very painful to read -- not because you were being hurtful, but because you were accurate.

Because of my work schedule, it had been very challenging to schedule times for people to see the car. The other party had a tight schedule this weekend and asked to come early, so in the heat of the moment and in my zeal to maximize the car's exposure, I agreed to see him at 8a before you. While it is a gross generalization to say I'm not a man of character, it's a reasonable conclusion within the limited context you and I share. My insensitivity to others' expectations is a flaw upon which I have tried to improve over my adult life, with mixed results. I apologize for the fact that you and your nephew paid a price for my error in judgement. I have clearly wronged you and sincerely hope you can forgive me. Really.

For what it's worth (which isn't much), I have had many messages and calls from "very interested" parties, from whom I never heard again. I was just in your similar situation when trying to find a place to rent a few months back. I guess I subconsciously thought that's just how things are done, but clearly, we ought to do the right thing rather than imitate how things are done around us.

Perhaps of more consolation (or perhaps not) is notion that things happen and don't happen for a reason. Hopefully, you will soon find a better vehicle than the one I was offering. It's still not a justification for my actions, though.

In any case, I truly am sorry it came down to this and will probably remember this episode long after you've forgotten it. You've taught me a lesson, to be sure.

Yours,
XXXX

At least he's sorry. I'm still stuck with a high mileage Explorer instead of a well cared-for, low mileage Acura. Oh well.

[Thrash]

Don't worry, we'll keep the Explorer running. Any problems you have, I most likely have had also.

[rotty]

You are a good man Jorost. The world needs more peeps with big hearts like yourself.
Cheers to ya fella

[Dan2680]

I would be willing to bet you would get another 50,000 miles out of it, before its too costly to maintain. Just make sure he drives it well (not hard on it, accelerate smoothly) and it should treat him well for a good 3-5 years. If that was a small 4 cylinder, I would ask why you bought it though, lol.

Regardless, most people would not of done that Jorost. Haha, you should just adopt him lol

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Well he's an adult now. Heh. Prolly the age of a lot of you guys.

[Redezra]

Dawwww Jorost you're so adorably awesome :3


Just wanna give you a biiiiig hug ^-^

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

By the way, it turns out the power locks are completely fucked up on that Explorer. You can't lock the passenger side at all, and you can't unlock the driver side. Sounds like a wiring problem, which means it probably won't be easy to pin down. But the dealer has committed to repairing anything wrong, and wants it back this week. He will get it.

[Haflinger]

Good to see Fix Or Repair Daily still living up to its acronym.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Also "Found On Road Dead." But no, Ford trucks are generally pretty solid. My mother uses them to pull 8,000-pound horse trailers around and they seem to hold up.

That doesn't mean THIS one is solid, though. Electrical problems? That doesn't fill me with confidence. Those things are really hard to pin down, and once you start screwing with the wiring things can get fouled up fast.

But whatever. If my mechanic tells me it's not up to snuff it's going back.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Yeah, so it's already starting. The car dealer wants the car back this week to do an oil change, inspection sticker, and address any issues that Mark finds. He said to make a list. So far there's the issue with the power locks, an ABS light has come on, the AC doesn't work (presumably needs a charge), and the tachometer works only intermittently. This is after two days. I'm not feeling good about this at all.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Remember this? Here's the rest of the story:

The car went to my mechanic today. Bottom line: It's a hack job. It doesn't even have a working emergency brake. The bottom is almost completely rotted through. It should never have passed safety inspection, so the sticker that guy put on it is bogus. My guy is making a list, I already talked to my lawyer.

I guess it's a good thing I have the week off.