Never sell a friend your car

[Joe 1320]

I've things to myself many times, I don't listen and therefore I never learn. I sold my 93 Z28 to a friend who had to let his business go, his vehicles go and his house....... he needed something so I let him pay a down payment and pay in monthly installments under the condition that:

"I don't care how good the car is, I don't want to hear about the speed or how fast it is...... or how great it looks or what modifications you want to do. I also don't care how bad it is...... if something breaks I don't want to hear it. I never sell friends a car, but I'll make an exception in this case as long as the payments are made and the first two sentences are adhered to. "

Of course, ever time I turn around I'm getting a phone call. Some things were getting fixed and the car is great. Some things were failing and every time that happened, I would get a diagnostic call. So much for the first two sentences. Then..... they pick up and move, with about a $1000 still owed. No contact, nada. Rumor has it that they are at the other end of the state so I'm on the hunt.

That folks, is why you never sell a friend your car. They will cease to become friends.

[Black97]

Yup, lots of times the nice guy finishes last.

[Al 96 Ram Air T/A]

Report the car as stolen. At the very least, the police will pay a visit. Once you know where he lives, perhaps he'll pay up. If not, you've got small claims court.

[MN6WS6]

Kinda like you don't lend friends money. My former best friend was kinda like your buddy, lost his job, lost his car, yadda yadda. I let him borrow $1600, then an additional $500. He used the inital loan to catch up on his wife's car and their apartment, so he felt she was responsible for half of that. Of the $1300 he owes me himself, I've seen $100. His wife (which quickly became his ex) paid me her $800 share even though I thought it was BS. She and I talk at least once a month. I haven't talked to him since 2003. He makes upwards of $50g's now but doesn't feel obligated to pay me my $1200. But somehow it's all my fault in his eyes because I let money come between friends.

[wolfdogs]

rule #2:

never let a friend drive your car..........either.

[Rhode Island Red]

Learned that lesson years ago. I sold a game console with many games to my brothers friend. Did the payment thing but he stopped paying. Was forced to take him to small claims court. Had the sherriff deliver the papers to his home in person, but miraculusly the guy moved and booked, the mother had no clue where he was (he moved out of state untill the heat was off - can you believe that ) .

In the end I got nothing, it was like trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip as the saying goes. Then I had a relative stealing $ from my grandmother (state is taking him to court - out of our hands).

Family is family, friends are friends, but business is ALWAYS business.

[DJ Taso]

Never mix business, money, religion & politics with friends. Of course we all know that..

[Steel2686]

I've been burned as well. Sounds like many of us here have had it happen.

I happened upon a guy who was desperate to sell a set of Callaway irons. They were used once at the range. For all intents and purposes, they were brand new. The set goes for $600 at the very least. He sold it to me for $200. I really needed a new set of clubs and fell in love with them.

Fast forward two months later and an old friend I'd known since childhood and went to the range with me regularly was entering a tournament. He asked if he could use the Callaways for the outing and he'd return them the following day. Being he was an old friend who always let me try his clubs in the past, I didn't hesitate to let him borrow them.

A week later, I still didn't hear from him and he didn't show up to our weekly range time. Another friend that was at the tourny called me and confirmed he sold the clubs to someone there for $400. When I finally tracked him down, he claimed they were stolen.

$200 cost me a friend and a valuable lesson.

[Joshu]

Well, while we are sharing:

1) I sold my sister's boyfriend my white v6 camaro for 2,500. I told him you have three months to pay it off. Well, three months go by with nothing. Then he gives me 500. It took an additional seven months of harassment to get all of my money. Not a pleasurable experience at all.

2) I sold my old computer to my buddy for like 450. It was still a state of the art machine since I build myself a new top of the line one every year. Well about three weeks the motherboard went out on it because of something his buddy did something to it (installing a new GFX card). He tried blaming me and wanted me to buy him a new one. We don't talk anymore....because of the computer and the fact he's a huge dbag.

Never mix friends with business, and keep family business to a minimum.

[Christopherrr]

Again Joe?!

Sorry to hear some punk ran out on you again...

[Joe 1320]

Again Joe?!

Sorry to hear some punk ran out on you again...

I tell you what it is.............. I have a soft heart and have a tendency to help out people in need. That means that I get screwed more often than the average. I am getting weary of it though.

[raroZ28]

Did that a long time ago. Sold a friend a car for 300 and even helped him rebuild the entire motor (Needed a timing chain, I said get some new bearings while we're in there).

Kept saying he was broke and couldn't pay me. After a few months, and we saw each other almost daily, I saw he bought a nice $200 head unit. I confronted him and told him if he didn't pay me I was going to repo the car. When he saw I wasn't kidding, he gave me the other $200 he owed me. Funny how they can come up with the money quickly when they want to, huh?

I'll never do it again. Lucky we're such good friends that could never come between us, but still, I would never do it again.

I wanted to sell my bike last summer. My friend wanted to give me "half now, half in 2 weeks." Told him I couldn't do it. Not even worth it.

[Al 96 Ram Air T/A]

Never mix business, money, religion & politics with friends. Of course we all know that..

And let's not forget the most important one of all, "Never sleep with your friend's wife...it usually leads to bad things"


Uhoh...the wife is coming...now I'm in for it (even if I am only joki ng)

[BrdWAtti2d]

Never, ever, ignore that little voice in your head! Well, unless it tells you to pick up a gun and head down to the mall.

[FroSSty]

Never, ever, ignore that little voice in your head! Well, unless it tells you to pick up a gun and head down to the mall.

What do you mean? I have mine with me when at the mall....