Recent GL Sale Looksee

[wallew]

I've been going to automotive auctions for a LOOONG time.

I've won several vehicles that I never purchased. Generally at closed bid auctions. They would call me up and say, "You now have the high bid. Do you wish to pick up your vehicle?" With a nicely worded negative response, they would go to the NEXT person on the list. Until it was sold.

GL operates the same way. Just because somebody bids more than you doesn't mean they will pay for it. Worse is that on some items you need a form stating usage, or that you won't ship it over seas, etc... Some people think they are kidding. I had a long conversation with one of the GL people and she told me it happens all the time.

It's a business. I wish I could go back to some of those auctioned off vehicles I passed on and pick them up for the prices they USED to sell for.

One thing is constant - things change. Generally they get more expensive. Then they become collector items and go through the roof. If I'd have known I had a 'classic collector' 1964 1/2 Mustang, I'd have held on to it. At the time it was just a nine year old car that needed lots of work and NO ONE would work on it but me.

 

[Low-Tech-Redneck]

You'd be surprised how many times a person will "buy" even a non auction car and then fail to come up with the money for it

The 77' Firebird I have was "bought" twice before I asked the guy about it, both times, the buyer never showed up or had to back out because of some other reason

vehicles seem to bring out the impulse buyer in people, and I wouldn't be surprised if 15% or more of the people who buy an MV get buyer's remorse and back out or lose interrest in it prior to pickup

 

[Dieselsmoke]

I don't think so guys. With GL you have to either use a credit card, or if you use cashier check or money order or what not then 25% of your max bid must be accompanied by the bid. Nobody in their right mind is going to bid and either lose the full amound if they pay by credit card or lose the 25%. Either way at the time of bid no matter what payment method you use a valid credit card must be entered and they wil charge it for the full amount.

 

[wallew]

Dieselsmoke,
While I do understand what you are saying, if they tried to take the 25% out of the credit card I gave them, they would be unsuccessful UNLESS I transfered money into it.

I NEVER give ANYONE a credit card with LARGE AMOUNTS of money available UNLESS I am sure of the 'deal'.

Yeah, I would be 'banned' from buying anything from GL, but that's not that big a loss. Especially if you give creedence to the 'bumping the price' up theory.

In this day and age, YOU HAVE to protect yourself at every turn. Cause no one else will.

 

[ida34]

I got my Deuce from GL without inspecting it first. The description said it ran and was driven in. After I won the auction I wanted to evaluate towing it home or driving it home. I called and they did not want to let me look at it at the main office in AZ. I asked why I could not look at the truck I had won. They responded that they have to many people bid then look at after the fact. Too many people then refused to complete the deal. The did give me the number to the local guy and he said to something to show I was the high bidder and I could look it over all I want. The DRMO guy initially said I could not drive my truck back to the Duece but when I mentioned that I was checking fluids to pick up he figured out that I had already won the auction and let me go. I got lucky and was able to drive it home. I told all the GL people that I took my word seriously and by bidding I gave my word to complete the auction. I told them that if I found a hunk of junk then it was my fault for not taking the time to preview the item. If they had something fishy going on with the truck then I would not feel bad as they would have then broken their word. When I commit to buy I go through with it. My sense of responsibility dictates this. The way GL home office handled this made me concerned over their reliability but my experience was a good one with nothing going on that would keep me from bidding again. I wonder if the trucks showing up for auction again are due to bidders not completing the transaction.

My two cents worth.
Chuck

 

[h1crwchf]

Prices....

[quote="clinto"]Maybe this is fodder for a new topic (and if anyone thinks so, feel free to plaigiarize my links and words) but we talk about rising prices, ebay and it's effects, etc.

Let's see some recent trucks that sold on ebay (sold, not unsold).

And forewarning: More than one of these trucks were being sold, or bought by Steel Soldiers members, so be nice when replying

Here is a really nice looking M35A2 winch truck that met it's reserve and sold for $5K. The buyer left positive feedback for the seller, so everyone must have been happy:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80765&item=4578169160

Here is another very nice truck that met it's reserve and sold for $5,100.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...=4595184079&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

Those two trucks are/were mine. Both excellent trucks, neither were inflated. I seriously regret selling the non-winch truck, it was like a brand new truck, real tight and what a joy to drive. Got a solid 62 mph on a flat road. I bought three trucks for "friends/relatives" and all three reneged on payment after I got them home. I had to dump those as soon as possible in order to pay the bills!
Got a call tonight from the guy that bought the second Deuce, he loves it and wants me to find him another in the same condition. Trouble is you can't find a truck in that condition for under $5000 anymore. (Depending on where you live.) I can't believe those trucks at Ft Gillem went for that kind of money.
I too have seen trucks show up for auction repeatedly. I have seen one desert cammie Duece show up twice in OH. The Deuce in Kittery ME has been auctioned off three times (this is the third), the last time it went for almost $3K and it is in pieces!! Why would anyone pay that $$ for a truck? Only thing I can think of is to part it out....
GL is either bidding up the price or people are paying the 25% fee to bail out of the commitment.
When I lived in Florida a few years back (1998-2000) I got several trucks for under $2K each.
Anyway, I think GL is pushing prices up artificially (and maybe illegally) but EBay is a different story. I think Ebay is the "free market" to a certain extent, supply and demand sets the price. I don't really care for GL or Ebay but you tend to get what you pay for on Ebay. Where as GL, well you get what you get. If it wasn't for Ebay I would be bankrupt and homeless right now. I love "friends and relatives"...

2 C.
Dave