PC's 997S

You lost your leverage when you gave him the plate frame back...you should've used it to horse trade for the rear lid.

This guy isn't worth the energy you're expending on him...it's eating you up.

Exhale & move on.

CosmosC4S

My opinion - A deal is a deal. If that decklid belongs to me, I am getting it back. One way or another. Good Luck!

z3mcoupe

Tough one. With all the mental energy and stress it might be just better to move on, unless you wanted to become a bigger pain in the **** for this guy. That has its own risks too, as you don't know who you're dealing with.

I'd cut my bait and move on. :/

Saaboteur

If your bill of sale for the car included "whole agreement" wording, specifically excluding collateral, verbal agreements or otherwise (ie. if it's not written into the agreement, then it's not part of the agreement) then technically you are SOL, and the wing is excluded.

On the other hand, hopefully you've kept the emails and texts back and forth, as these will be your 'paper trail' documenting another agreement for him to give you the wing.

If you like scan the bill of sale and PM it to me (or post up a redacted copy here if you like) and I can see if the whole agreement wording is included.

However, generally speaking, small claims courts (at least here in Canada) will recognize verbal agreements. I'd say you have a decent shot at recovering your wing.

Finally, remember karma. If you never get the wing back, and let it be, perhaps this guy will go to Africa on vacation, and get eaten by a lion. Or get a nasty cold, maybe even herpes. Or something.

Comanche_699

Some great input - thank you.

I really liked the Judge Judy one. haha. She would spank him for sure.

The deck lid I'm not that bummed about - it's more the principle of the deal. It's of no use to him, and he knows I've been actively trying to get it from him since before buying the car.

When he called about his 11-99 plate frame, I really didn't want to give it back. It was on the car when I previewed it, it was definitely something I noticed right away, and it was on the car when I picked it up 3 days later. But, when he called, I felt it was 'the right thing to do.' - it seemed like an honest oversight on his part, and I had no reason to be a prig about it - but I was bummed to relinquish the frame.

That's really why I think his behavior around the deck lid is so stupid. I figured: based on everything that's happened so far, there's no way he's going to actually be there for the pick up on either day, so why not just call him ***, and at least I can rest easier knowing that at least now he knows he's an ***. (haha)

I agree with what others have said about wasting energy on people and events as petty as this - and as much as I agree with that, I also think that that's exactly why people like the seller get away with the crappy things they do to reasonable people so much.

I don't mind putting a little energy into getting what is rightfully mine - but in the end if it doesn't come together, I'm not going to be upset about it. I really only wanted to have it so that if I sold the car I could keep the techart wing for the next one.

I really liked some of the bit about the VIN number being on the factory decklid. I hadn't considered that. It certainly is an angle I would like to explore.

As for the bill of sale - it's literally just the 5x10 DMV form - in its most basic form.

http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg135.pdf

There's nothing attached or beyond that. He's got a hand written note on the back about waiting for the cashier's check to clear before sending the title - but that's it.

David - I'll ping you this week. I'm curious what your take is on it.

Thanks for some of the validation here - I really appreciate it.

Moritz

…how about submitting to the rotten sod the current Taliban price list for nose, ear, eye, tongue and other beloved accessories? It offers special pricing this month for boneless body parts ;-)) Cheer up!

trcox57

Some people are just a waste of perfectly good air. We all have met them...10lbs of crap in a 5lb bag...the older I get, the more I ignore them figuring 300 bucks or so is not worth much of my time...unless you consider this to be sport.. then that's different :-) Karma is a bitch sometimes.
BTW...Nice car!

Spinout

It seems to me that you almost (finally, after a lot of effort) had your hands on it, and then you went ahead and insulted the guy calling him an *** and a dolt before the final meeting. And now it's gone.

wardrive

After a year, I would say forget it and move on. I think when you want to complete a transaction you got to get it done right away. After a year, the motivation for the seller gets lost and as others has said once you went and insulted him (understood the frustration level you had), all has been lost.

Enjoy the car and move on.

BIG smoke

You had me on your side until the *** / dolt text. As I have never seen the "Princess Bride" perhaps it was lost in translation (2003). Another movie.
I too, would cut you off. But at the same time, he did post the item, and it was promised. So he did draw FIRST BLOOD (1982). So I can also understand you plight.
While you may have burned the text bridge. I don't think that you really need this original wing? Who know if you will ever sell this car? Perhaps the seller will never sell it? I have seen a few rear wings locally. 3-5oo and unsold. I'm sure you can pick another one up, if you needed one.
I have bought and sold lots of items on Craigslist and Kijijijiji. Some sellers are excellent, some are flaky. I bought a 997.2 exhaust off of Kijijijij. Took me 4 months to hook up with him. Stranger on the internet turned out to be my nieces ex-boyfriend. The world is small. Especially in our community. Write this one up to experience.
Or if it important to you, stop texting, and call the guy and apologize for the misunderstanding.

Like I said to my wife this morning.
" Sorry for that thing that I did, that made you mad. "

Tcc1999

A good example of writing something in the heat of the moment - and then walking away for a bit to calm down and assess. Not that I've always exercised that good judgement.

If it helps, think of how your car may be slightly weather faded and that the original deck lid, sitting in a garage for x years, might not match the paint color now (or may be scratched and damaged in some way).

Comanche_699

Ha. I like the other movie references.

I think it's important to grasp that it wasn't a heat of the moment thing for me. It had been building and building, and I think I realized that this guy was just going to string me on forever and ever. I definitely don't believe I was close to actually picking up the part.

Over the past 13 months, if I called or emailed, he wouldn't respond for at least a week. Sometimes more than a month. If I texted, the soonest he would reply was about 3 days, even if he initiated the text. But normally he wouldn't respond at all.

So this was a case of me looking at the situation, realizing he was never actually going to get me the part, and just string me along hoping it would sell in the meantime, and me saying, "@&!# it, and £#%& the rear deck, and $#*! This guy!"

He was/is an ***. Emailing back and forth from September 2013, October, November - etc all the way around the horn, and a whole year later, and now back into October, nearly November again and I've been polite and courteous and understanding the whole time - and this is a guy with an office right up my street? Haha

Anyway, he responded to THAT text in about 2 minutes, which was pretty telling. So, I feel pretty stable in my call out.

Now, for those who were "with me until I called the guy an *** (and a dolt," which I still stand behind) - if you were in the same boat, it's YOU buying YOUR beloved 997, and he's got an original part that was promised to you before and during the purchase, and now he's stringing YOU along for over a year, (mind you it's almost 3 weeks since you noticed the CL posting, and you wrote, texted, and called him immediately) - and the guy works within 5 minutes of you, but he's mysteriously never available - I ask: what would you do if you didn't call him an ***, and you said "I'll come Monday, what time works for you?"

And then he didn't respond, until let's say, December. (Which is how he do) honestly, what would you do or say?

I get that it may have gone differently if I didn't call him an *** - I really do. But I don't believe I would have actually got the deck lid either way. I value my time too, and this niggling little thing was eating up more than it needed to.

(Technically forum addictions do too, but I love the camaraderie and other's passion for cars!)

Again, I do appreciate your-alls insight. It's interesting to hear how others would react in similar situations.

9114Scab

Just move on.

paul29

What is the dolt's first name and last name initial. Maybe he is a rennlist member!

SpeedyD

I'm generally a level-headed, calm guy. In your situation, however, I would've been pissed and said the same thing you did -- but probably earlier on and only if I truly didn't expect to ever get the part... As others have said, likely no longer worth your time. If you enjoy conflict, however, it gives you an opportunity to play some head games. Make contingent offers to buy the thing off Craigslist, etc etc... I personally probably wouldn't bother with that but sometimes one good screw deserves another.