CIR
Supporting Vendor
- Joined
- May 28, 2018
- Threads
- 9
- Messages
- 38
- Location
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- Website
- www.canaryislandrover.com
Lesson Number 1:
No shady business.
Recently, I was hunting down a Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ100 for a client. After seeing several examples a pristine example popped up. Garage kept in near perfect condition with only 181,000KMS ! What's not to like?
So I traveled to a distant island to meet with the seller and test the vehicle with the permission of my client. The car was everything as advertised, maybe the nicest one on the islands.
We took it to Toyota for a presale inspection and it passed with flying colors. Even the mechanics were drooling. I was convinced this was a buy. And then it came time to talk business.
The seller was insistent on a cash payment. This is always a no-no when dealing in international commerce. I cannot say the reason for this stipulation but it was non-negotiable.
I communicated everything about the vehicle to my client and the need for cash in hand. I also advised against pursuing this vehicle if we could not purchase it with every euro accounted for above the table on paper and in the form of a bank transfer. Needless to say we passed.
Nobody wins in this scenario. Taxes are paid in full for a good reason. Payments are made with wire transfers for full accountability. If the seller is hiding something in the form of payment then what else could be hiding under the hood?
The following week, through hard work and urgency I located a one owner, garaged HDJ100 for my client. 50,000 more KMS than this example but in equal condition with a responsible seller. Today we sign the papers for purchase.
My commitment to my clients is to filter for good vehicles and good sellers. Transparency, quality, and integrity are the foundation for my business. Everyone wins when things are done right.
No shady business.
Recently, I was hunting down a Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ100 for a client. After seeing several examples a pristine example popped up. Garage kept in near perfect condition with only 181,000KMS ! What's not to like?
So I traveled to a distant island to meet with the seller and test the vehicle with the permission of my client. The car was everything as advertised, maybe the nicest one on the islands.
We took it to Toyota for a presale inspection and it passed with flying colors. Even the mechanics were drooling. I was convinced this was a buy. And then it came time to talk business.
The seller was insistent on a cash payment. This is always a no-no when dealing in international commerce. I cannot say the reason for this stipulation but it was non-negotiable.
I communicated everything about the vehicle to my client and the need for cash in hand. I also advised against pursuing this vehicle if we could not purchase it with every euro accounted for above the table on paper and in the form of a bank transfer. Needless to say we passed.
Nobody wins in this scenario. Taxes are paid in full for a good reason. Payments are made with wire transfers for full accountability. If the seller is hiding something in the form of payment then what else could be hiding under the hood?
The following week, through hard work and urgency I located a one owner, garaged HDJ100 for my client. 50,000 more KMS than this example but in equal condition with a responsible seller. Today we sign the papers for purchase.
My commitment to my clients is to filter for good vehicles and good sellers. Transparency, quality, and integrity are the foundation for my business. Everyone wins when things are done right.