A question of ethics

[B92 8NW]

A while back I found a car that needed an automatic gearbox rebuild, the man selling it was a solicitor who knew very little about cars and was asking $800. I rang up a specialist over in Melbourne's west who quoted $1500 to do the job not including R&R. Naturally I had to supply details of the exact model/year, but I was happy with the price and more or less booked in. I was careful not to give too many details away. Needless to say in the time it took me to drive home and ring the solicitor back, the specialist bloke had looked it up and bought it.

This evening on my way home I drove past and saw the car in his showroom for $6,990:mad:.

He had my business - what a profiteering sod.

[slug_burner]

You best buy yourself a mobile phone then.

Hold on a minute aren't you a Y gen and already have a mobile phone and everything else with ring tones and tunes? Then again maybe the 1c texts didn't cover the voice call?

Mate you obviously gave a little too much away. Then again if we were to speak about ethics, should you have told the solicitor that his selling price was way too low and that you would go halves with him on the profit if he sold it to you??:confused:

[Sleepy]

You should have taken it for a test drive:twisted::twisted:

[lokka]

Quick or the dead my friend ;)

[B92 8NW]

You best buy yourself a mobile phone then.

Hold on a minute aren't you a Y gen and already have a mobile phone and everything else with ring tones and tunes? Then again maybe the 1c texts didn't cover the voice call?

Mate you obviously gave a little too much away. Then again if we were to speak about ethics, should you have told the solicitor that his selling price was way too low and that you would go halves with him on the profit if he sold it to you??:confused:

Who said I was out to make a profit myself? I had no interest whatsoever in making a profit. I was after an another car.

[Xavie]

You best buy yourself a mobile phone then.

Hold on a minute aren't you a Y gen and already have a mobile phone and everything else with ring tones and tunes? Then again maybe the 1c texts didn't cover the voice call?



umm....... weeeeiiird

[slug_burner]

Who said I was out to make a profit myself? I had no interest whatsoever in making a profit. I was after an another car.

Ok then, excuse my jumping to conclusions.:angel: I didn't say you had to sell it:cool:

Whose ethics do you think are in question? The solicitor for selling the car to another buyer? Or the specialist bloke?


prof⋅it   /ˈprɒfɪt/

–noun
1. Often, profits.
a. pecuniary gain resulting from the employment of capital in any transaction. Compare gross profit, net profit.
b. the ratio of such pecuniary gain to the amount of capital invested.
c. returns, proceeds, or revenue, as from property or investments.

2. the monetary surplus left to a producer or employer after deducting wages, rent, cost of raw materials, etc.: The company works on a small margin of profit.
3. advantage; benefit; gain.

–verb (used without object)
4. to gain an advantage or benefit: He profited greatly from his schooling.
5. to make a profit.
6. to take advantage: to profit from the weaknesses of others.
7. to be of service or benefit.
8. to make progress.

–verb (used with object) 9. to be of advantage or profit to: Nothing profits one so much as a sound education

When examining the definition closely I think there is room for profit without selling the vehicle on.

[p38arover]

The mechanic's actions are entirely unethical.

I'd report him to the MTA.

[V8Landy]

The mechanic's actions are entirely unethical.

I'd report him to the MTA.

X 2. Totally out of line in my opinion:mad:

[amtravic1]

X 2. Totally out of line in my opinion:mad:

Name the mechanic here so we know who not to trust in the case that we need some mechanical help.

Ian

Mod Edit - Sorry but naming and shaming is not allowed.

[WhiteD3]

The mechanic's actions are entirely unethical.

I'd report him to the MTA.

Agree entirely but I'm not sure he's done anything illegal. Perhaps if he's a registered MTAA car trader than this might apply MTAA (http://www.mtaa.com.au/PublicPolicies.asp)

If he's just selling the odd car on the side than I'm sure he'd see it as "first in best dressed". Unfortunately "Unethical" doesn't necessarily translate into "Illegal".

[Reads90]

mmm sorry but that is life and business. You had not left a depsoit you had not phoned him before the other bloke . . You snozze you lose

Sorry but having work in retail and sales for years , nothing is sold untill money changes hand. Promises don't pay bills

[defmec]

i would go around and confront the guy who bought the car and let him know not to walk down any dark alleys by him self:twisted:

[Disco_owner]

mmm sorry but that is life and business. You had not left a depsoit you had not phoned him before the other bloke . . You snozze you lose

Sorry but having work in retail and sales for years , nothing is sold untill money changes hand. Promises don't pay bills

I agree with this response , Joel "verbal agreement" doesn't mean much, and I assume that by you booking it in , that's what you meant . as said had you had left a Deposit with the "Solicitor" and asked for a written receipt for deposit left for purchase of goods then you may have a case.

[dullbird]

Your not allowed to do that, If you need to know the name of the mechanic it needs to be done over PM not on the public forum.....if it gets put up it will be removed :)

[F4Phantom]

Last yr I sold a suby and a guy (A) phoned to pick it up on the W/end. He didnt give a deposit. The next day I had another guy (B) in my yard with the CASH ready to buy. I said no as I had made a gentleman's agreement (with guy A). So then the next day the original buyer (A) sms'd me to cancel the deal. I ended up selling it to the cash guy (B) but a third less money. NEVER AGAIN. So my new policy is, the guy with the money gets the car regardless of other arrangements.

[B92 8NW]

mmm sorry but that is life and business. You had not left a depsoit you had not phoned him before the other bloke . . You snozze you lose

Sorry but having work in retail and sales for years , nothing is sold untill money changes hand. Promises don't pay bills

I agree with what you're saying but it wasn't a case of me not phoning him before the other bloke. I'd phoned first thing in the morning and gone out with my own mechanic to Brighton to inspect it.

It was the fact that the transmission builder, who had been unaware of the vehicle for sale until I saw him, called the guy and begged/smooth talked himself into a sale.

Did HE leave deposit? No.

[BigJon]

If you still want the car, offer him $2300. That is, the $800 purchase price plus the $1500 repair.

Considering he will have done the overhaul at next to no cost there would still be a good profit for him and you would be paying what you were prepared to pay anyway.

You have the knowledge of the original purchase price as incentive for him to negotiate fairly.

Either that, or just walk away a little wiser to the ways of the world.

[DiscoStew]

mmm sorry but that is life and business. You had not left a depsoit you had not phoned him before the other bloke. You snozze you lose

Sorry but having work in retail and sales for years , nothing is sold untill money changes hand. Promises don't pay bills

He's not complaining about the solicitor, he's complaining about the engineer who white-anted him.

The engineer is a total _______ but not unethical, unless he is committed to a code-of-conduct or had an agreement with you. Perhaps immoral because he took advantage of someone who came to him in good faith but morality is relative to a belief system and they ain't no rule that says he must have the same belief system as you.

One of those life-lessons that really suck, mainly because everyone else will be wiser than you with hindsight and be quick to tell you how you could have avoided the situation. I am sure you have already worked that out on your own. I would have made the same mistake in my twenties because I couldn't see the more devious side of people. I have since joined the dark side:twisted:

[B92 8NW]

Either that, or just walk away a little wiser to the ways of the world.



One of those life-lessons that really suck, mainly because everyone else will be wiser than you with hindsight and be quick to tell you how you could have avoided the situation. I am sure you have already worked that out on your own. I would have made the same mistake in my twenties because I couldn't see the more devious side of people. I have since joined the dark side:twisted:


That's the one:D! Moved on, the past is in the past.

[abaddonxi]

Reckon I would have done exactly the same, and have been just as surprised.

Particularly if I'd taken a mechanic with me.

Simon

[p38arover]

Agree entirely but I'm not sure he's done anything illegal. Perhaps if he's a registered MTAA car trader than this might apply MTAA (http://www.mtaa.com.au/PublicPolicies.asp)

If he's just selling the odd car on the side than I'm sure he'd see it as "first in best dressed". Unfortunately "Unethical" doesn't necessarily translate into "Illegal".

Sorry, I meant MTAA.

[DiscoTDI]

That is very unethical in any form of business as long as he didn't actually see the add for the vehicle as well, quick and the dead doesn't cut it here and that person will now lose a hell of a lot of business because you will now bad mouth him everywhere he goes and everyone you do it too will pass on the same message. The reason it is unethical is not because he bought the car, it is the way he went about it and in bigger circles people do jail time for the exact way he did that transaction. It is called insider trading.


Also you have now learnt to keep your cards a bit closer to your chest in future, trust no one when there is a cheap car involved;)


Because this is an ethical forum we cannot name him even though we want too.

[up2nogood]

Next time just ask for a quote and let him assume you own the car.
To be white anted like that, you must have let the cat out of the bag.

Chalk this one up to bad luck and learn from the experience.

[hook]

Name the mechanic here so we know who not to trust in the case that we need some mechanical help.

Ian

Mod Edit - Sorry but naming and shaming is not allowed.



I'll take a PM
or just PM everyone.

[Grover-98]

Thats harsh! i think we can all learn from this! Humans should never be trusted and never give up details when looking into a car or anything for that matter. Couldn't you of called the mechanic asked him how much to do the job without telling him where and how much you were getting the car for!?

[bussy1963]

Golden rule in life. Never give a fool a even break. Second rule of life: Dont be the fool.

When its all said and the mechanic got the car but you got shafted f.o.c