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Old 12-20-2018, 04:08 AM   #21
JWA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BenJJ View Post
He was actually amazed at how quickly people responded and the quality of the insight. Might even have convinced him to join the forum once he gets home with the van!
We're a good bunch here---maybe I'm assuming too much thinking I'm one of y'all?

I believe most of who've BTDT making vehicular mistakes want to help others avoid similar or perhaps think a bit outside the box which is always useful.

Remind your friend he's obligated to join up now---he owes us with photos and multi-paragraph descriptions of his odyssey from acquisition, first driving impressions and first time out using his new SMB!

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Old 12-23-2018, 11:16 AM   #22
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I have a buddy trying to buy a van out of state. Looks like a great rig for a reasonable price. He has spoken on the phone with the seller, asked for specific pictures of different parts of the van and received them the next day, so it definitely is real and not a scam.

On the last phone call with the seller they agreed to a price just slightly below asking, and my buddy let him know he can fly out in 2 weeks, after the holidays, to pick up the van. The seller then asks him for a $5k deposit up front.

Naturally my buddy buying the van is a little apprehensive and I can't blame him. I don't have any experience with this so was hoping some of the more experienced buyers here could let me know if this is common practice or not, and if the deposit amount is reasonable.

Thanks in advance.
Personal experience! Get that van inspected by an RV dealer for RV stuff and get it inspected by the chassis dealer (Ford, Chevy, etc) BEFORE you fly out. Get the tire and battery manufacturing dates. We tried to do that, but got caught in a shipping issue and couldn’t complete the inspections. We had agreed to pay for them. Turns out owner and chassis dealer “knew” each other. We got screwed. Don’t be stampeded by great deal. We paid $50K and then $20K more to get it fixed. Tires are only good for 6 years from date if manufacturing no matter how great they look! We rolled a Sportsmobile with “almost” 6 year old tires following a 65 mph catastrophic blowout on tires that “looked” new. Looked great in the photos. Offer to pay for inspections or share if deal falls through. If you put $5K down, make sure that it will be used to fix any needed repairs BEFORE you arrive. You don’t want to be stuck out there for weeks awaiting parts/repairs. YOU pick the inspectors!
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Old 12-23-2018, 11:19 AM   #23
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Get compression check included in chassis/engine inspection.
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Old 12-23-2018, 11:50 AM   #24
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By your own description the seller has what " Looks like a great rig for a reasonable price"! Your words.

Therefore my question:

IF your friend the interested buyer is not able and more importantly not willing to go look at a Sportsmobile himself in person when they become available then WHY is he looking for a Sportsmobile outside your local area????

Ya I know Sportsmobile's are hard to find that "Looks like a great rig for a reasonable price". Exactly why your friend needs to be flexible and expect to TRAVEL immediately if he expects to get a "Great Rig for a Reasonable Price" outside his local area.

"I" think the seller is smart to ask for a big deposit UPFRONT for the van and "I" would make that deposit none refundable. NONE of this negotiate a price upfront on the phone without looking at it and then have the buyer want to re-negotiate the price when the buyer gets there! That's BS!

A deposit is paid to the seller when both parties AGREE to what actions that the buyer and seller will perform generally in a specific time frame with regard to the sale. The seller wants the biggest deposit they can get and hope like Hell the seller does not perform by buying the item and forfeiting the deposit. The buyer wants the smallest deposit possible so they can walk away for any reason whatsoever and forfeit little or no money in doing so for changing their mind on a whim.

With the current market for a Sportsmobile that "Looks like a great rig for a reasonable price" I'd tell your friend to change his plans go see the seller immediately!
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Old 12-23-2018, 12:37 PM   #25
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Try finding a neutral person to hold the deposit in case things go sideways. For instance the gal at SMB west that sells used vans on their web site offered to be a middle man when I was negotiating my van from out of state.
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Old 12-23-2018, 03:32 PM   #26
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No way would I send out $5k.
When I bought my SMB in California I agreed to fly out and Look at it that was it. The pictures didn’t show all the nit picky details that can queer a deal very quickly.
That said I negotiated a price $8k below asking price.
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Old 12-24-2018, 05:37 AM   #27
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I’ve bought two SMBs over the years where we got a one-way airline ticket to see the van and then drove it home. We always made it clear that there were no guarantees we would buy the van as we needed to check it out first. But, the fact that we invested in a one-way ticket was a pretty strong indication we were serious. Neither required a deposit.
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Old 12-24-2018, 06:11 AM   #28
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I’ve bought two SMBs over the years where we got a one-way airline ticket to see the van and then drove it home. We always made it clear that there were no guarantees we would buy the van as we needed to check it out first. But, the fact that we invested in a one-way ticket was a pretty strong indication we were serious. Neither required a deposit.
I've done exactly this many times, I have occasionally put small deposits $250 down via paypal as well, if that and a copy of your airline ticket isn't enough then walk away...there's always another "oh my god that's the one" out there..
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Old 12-25-2018, 03:02 PM   #29
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I just bought my 2013 E350 the same way but I spoke with sportsmobile directly and they gave me all the info on mine, original owner etc so I knew the seller was real
I flew out, drove the unit etc then wire transferred the funds
Easiest deal ever......
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