Here's the deal. You try to do someone a favor and you get screwed over. I generally feel like people here on Prime are cut from a different cloth, but maybe as the price of the car falls and different owners come in... the character of the ownership changes.
Brian is a college student. He doesn't readily have funds available to do things to his car when he wants. I completely understand that. I had a CBR 900 in college and was in the same situation... so I took pity on Brian and helped him out when I could.
And anytime I sold him any of these parts, they were always at a fairly discounted price. I don't think he ever paid for anything what he would've paid on prime. I was just giving him the "college kid" discount because it's what a few guys did with me and my motorcycle and it really helped me out.
On to the wheels. I had my old set of TSW Thruxston wheels up for sale when I bought my HRE's. He'd been telling me for months that he wanted my wheels if I ever sold them. I told him $800 for wheels & tires (18/19's), and the tires had 85% on them. He drove down from Lima, OH and picked the wheels up. He was going to go to a car show or something and wanted the wheels on his car for the show. He said he'd give me $300 when he picked them up and pay me the rest later. He showed up with $185. I let him go.
(ok, maybe stupid, but like I said, he'd been truthful to this point and I always let my guard down a little more with Prime guys).
A week later I get a call telling me the wheels were out of balance or bent or whatever because his car was shaking badly from like 55 to 65mph. Then it would smooth out. So he wanted to bring the wheels back... and he wanted his $185 back. First off... I thought it was a little ridiculous to ask for the $185 back since he's had the wheels since may or june, and he's driven on my tires ALL SUMMER. Back to Maine and back a few times where he's from. I even asked him at the time, "well can I get them back right now, I'm assuming since they shake so badly you don't have them on the car do you?"
Yes, he was still driving around with them on the car. Apparently it didn't shake badly enough to not look cool and go back to the stock wheels.
This whole time I'm telling him there is nothing wrong with the wheels, my car had always driven great with them.
Then he calls me later telling me " I found out why they were shaking, I didn't have hub centric rings on them". Ok this guy is a "mechanic". Or at least that's what he's going to school for. And it took him all summer to realize he didn't have hub centric rings??? Then he's said "I'm kinda pissed that I bought wheels and everything didn't come with them".
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You showed up with $185 and I let you walk away with my wheels, and you're bit@%ing about a $10 set of rings you could buy on Ebay to fix the problem? Do you want me to come put them on the car for you too? And then on top of everything, he hasn't paid me anything more for them.
He's ducking all my calls, texts, myspace messages, Prime PM's and emails.
You can see the last time somebody logged on to MySpace or Prime, so I know he's seeing the messages, he's just not reading my messages. They way they won't show up as "read" when I look in my sent folder. He's so broke, but on his myspace he tries to look like some baller that's out drinking and partying all the time. So basically I have $185 and my wheels are gone. I guess now that he fixed them for 10 bucks he want's to keep them. Now he's ducking me. He lives like 2.5 hours away. I'm thinking about paying him a visit.
Wheels originally on my car.
Apparently they're cool enough to pose with, but not to pay for or return.
He's broke and can't pay me for the seats but since then he's bought this crap.
What's my next option guys? Small Claims Court?
Brian is a college student. He doesn't readily have funds available to do things to his car when he wants. I completely understand that. I had a CBR 900 in college and was in the same situation... so I took pity on Brian and helped him out when I could.
- He needed a transmission, I sold him my 5-speed when I got my 6-speed and let him pay me later. He did.
- He broke his drivers side door handle and couldn't get out of the car without reaching out the window, I sold him mine when I got the SOS door handles. I let him pay me later. He did.
- He needed new rotors and pads, I sold him mine when I got my BBK. I let him pay me later. He did.
- He has NO fender liners in his car. I told him I'd give him mine when I put new ones on my car when it gets disassembled and repainted.
And anytime I sold him any of these parts, they were always at a fairly discounted price. I don't think he ever paid for anything what he would've paid on prime. I was just giving him the "college kid" discount because it's what a few guys did with me and my motorcycle and it really helped me out.
On to the wheels. I had my old set of TSW Thruxston wheels up for sale when I bought my HRE's. He'd been telling me for months that he wanted my wheels if I ever sold them. I told him $800 for wheels & tires (18/19's), and the tires had 85% on them. He drove down from Lima, OH and picked the wheels up. He was going to go to a car show or something and wanted the wheels on his car for the show. He said he'd give me $300 when he picked them up and pay me the rest later. He showed up with $185. I let him go.
(ok, maybe stupid, but like I said, he'd been truthful to this point and I always let my guard down a little more with Prime guys).
A week later I get a call telling me the wheels were out of balance or bent or whatever because his car was shaking badly from like 55 to 65mph. Then it would smooth out. So he wanted to bring the wheels back... and he wanted his $185 back. First off... I thought it was a little ridiculous to ask for the $185 back since he's had the wheels since may or june, and he's driven on my tires ALL SUMMER. Back to Maine and back a few times where he's from. I even asked him at the time, "well can I get them back right now, I'm assuming since they shake so badly you don't have them on the car do you?"
Yes, he was still driving around with them on the car. Apparently it didn't shake badly enough to not look cool and go back to the stock wheels.
This whole time I'm telling him there is nothing wrong with the wheels, my car had always driven great with them.
Then he calls me later telling me " I found out why they were shaking, I didn't have hub centric rings on them". Ok this guy is a "mechanic". Or at least that's what he's going to school for. And it took him all summer to realize he didn't have hub centric rings??? Then he's said "I'm kinda pissed that I bought wheels and everything didn't come with them".
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You showed up with $185 and I let you walk away with my wheels, and you're bit@%ing about a $10 set of rings you could buy on Ebay to fix the problem? Do you want me to come put them on the car for you too? And then on top of everything, he hasn't paid me anything more for them.
He's ducking all my calls, texts, myspace messages, Prime PM's and emails.
You can see the last time somebody logged on to MySpace or Prime, so I know he's seeing the messages, he's just not reading my messages. They way they won't show up as "read" when I look in my sent folder. He's so broke, but on his myspace he tries to look like some baller that's out drinking and partying all the time. So basically I have $185 and my wheels are gone. I guess now that he fixed them for 10 bucks he want's to keep them. Now he's ducking me. He lives like 2.5 hours away. I'm thinking about paying him a visit.
Wheels originally on my car.
Apparently they're cool enough to pose with, but not to pay for or return.
He's broke and can't pay me for the seats but since then he's bought this crap.
What's my next option guys? Small Claims Court?
