Monday, March 10, 2008

Here’s the deal . . .

The buyer of my van lives in New Orleans.

Today he’s taking a train to Houston, getting on a bus to Victoria, and pulling into town at 1:30 Tuesday morning. He’ll be staying for what’s left of the night in the local Motel 6.

Tonight after work I’ll drive my old commute-to-work car over to the Motel 6 and leave it there overnight. Then in the morning I’ll drive to the motel in the van, collect my cash, sign over the title, and head to work. My buyer can then hit the road for New Orleans in his new (to him) Dodge van!

Sounds like a perfect plan, right?

But the cynic in me wonders . . . What if:

  • The guy shows up with only part of the agreed upon total price? And then he says, “Please? Just keep the title until I send you the rest. I had some extra expenses getting here.” Etc., etc.


  • The guy offers me a personal check for some or all of the auction price?


  • The guy wants to test drive it out on the road, then pulls over and orders me out (with a gun, a knife, a ball bat, or something), and drives off to Mexico?

  • I know. I’m being paranoid.

    But I just wonder why his cell phone area code AND his eBay member profile zip code both originate in Buffalo, NY. That does make me curious.

    Tune in tomorrow for what I’m sure will be a boring, routine conclusion to this mystery.

    3 comments:

    kenju said...

    I am not naturally a suspicious person, but your fears are probably well-grounded. Can you take someone with you for the actual exchange?

    Nankin said...

    I'd be supicious, too. Take someone with you, if possible. Preferably, a very large male friend.

    Unknown said...

    Not to add to your paranoia, but that actually happened to us!

    Number 1, that is.

    We still have the title, and the old truck is out there somewhere. We never got the rest. Luckily, it wasn't that much money.

    Personally, number 3 would be the one my mind would conjure up, as well.