Ode to my (former) car

From the day I took you home,

Not even one year old.

I was proud to take you around,

I am sad that you are now sold.

You have seen my laughters,

You have seen my tears.

You've taken me to church camps,

shopping trips and even IKEA.

Skye was the further place we've been,

Six hours was long enough.

Never once suffered a breakdown,

For this I thank Him above.

My sidekick when serving in church,

The bearer of all the weight.

Never had it let me down,

Sometimes more reliable than a mate.

So here we have it,

It is time to say goodbye.

I will remember all the good times,

And I promise not to cry.

I hope they keep you nice and clean,

With polish and wax applied.

Don't forget to toot the horn

Whenever you pass me by.

(6504)

The ball is rolling!

Finally!  There is a genuine interest for my -03 Ford Focus and the process of selling has now started.

Back in 11th December a person called "J" texted me asking for my final asking price of the car.  I said £3500 and she said it was too high but would discuss with her daughter.  On 31st December "J" came back and offered me £2800.  I said minimum of £3000 before I will let the car go because I had spent so much money on it already AND had taxed the vehicle until May 2010 recently and had not added it onto the price.  A few days later, 3rd January, "J" said they could not go any higher than £2950.  At this point I literally laughed out, cos I felt they were trying to haggle with me and keep the price low.  Fair enough if you were buying from a dealer, or even if the car was a bad condition in any shape or form, but those who know me would know I looked after my car very well.  It had only done 28,300miles in it's lifetime and the body work is mint condition, brand new tyres put on them and the engine is ever so reliable.  So for me to sell it at £3000 only it really hurt my wallet.  I was def making a loss.  But hey, I had put it down from £3500 to £3200 on my ads due to the current finacial climate, knowing that it was hard for anybody to come up a high amount of money at this time of the year.  Also, having the car parked on the street each day would decrease it's value whilst increasing the chances of it getting vandalised or damaged in any way.  As long as the car goes into safe hands I am willing to let it go.  "J" must have been local and must have caught sight of my car and the A4 ads I had up on the rear windows.

So... on Tuesday (12th Jan) "J" texted out of the blue saying they could offer £3000 if that's ok and they'll make arrangements for a mechanic to have a look at it.  Of course I said it was fine.  After all, I had nothing to hide.  I called "J" in the evening and it turned out to be a mother who was looking for a car for her daughter.  She passed the phone to her husband who is called John.  I introduced myself and told him a bit more about the car.  He told me about a bum deal their daughter got on an Alfa Romeo from a dealer and that case is now involving Trading Standards and lawyers etc.  So they want a reliable car.  I reassured him realiable is something they can expect off me and off the car.  I have had no troubles with it at all.  We made arragements for a test drive and chat the following day.

Yesterday (13th Jan) I met with John at 1:30pm.  Had the chance to give the car a wash at Foam n Away before drying off some parts and got all my lever arch of paperwork and receipts and even brought the original Ford radio cassette unit down with me.  I drove to Forge Shopping Centre carpark and along the way I told John about the car and that the reason I was selling it was cos I had a driving school car to drive so there was no point in taxing and insuring two cars at the one time.  Letting him know I was a driving instructor and giving him the real reason for selling my car helped to reassure him of my genuine-ness and it started winning his trust.  He had a shot of the car around the big car park as well as driven it back to our meeting place.  He loved it!  The deal is 90% done and all that was left was this mechanical check at Gordon's Garage which is local to me.

I took the car up to Gordon's Garage at 1pm today and took it back at 2pm.  The mechanic commented on how "minted" this car is, absolutely not issues with it, good new tyres on it, looks great etc.  He did note that the starter motor seemed a bit weak to him.  I said I feel a slight one or two second delay occasionally in the recent cold weather and it might have been to do with the car being parked unused for prolonged periods.  He said he wasn't sure that was the case, but the starter might go in a few day or in a few years, it's impossible to tell.  I told him I'd pass that message on to John and that John would call him anyway.  This evening before the gym I spoke to John who was delighted with the report and was not concerned with the starter motor concern.  I assured him it has NEVER given me any trouble at all in the time I've had it.  He said he trusts me and won't be play me around either.  I told him that I am messing him around either.

So, two genuine people with a common point of interest - the Ford Focus.  We're going to seal the deal on Saturday.  I suggested we meet at our local library where we have tables we can use to look through paperwork and to fill out the V5 registeration document.  Also I asked him to bring ID with him as I need to know if the car will be registered to him or to his daughter.  He should know by tomorrow night he said.  Ah, one thing I forgot to ask him about is insurance.  Will he have sorted out insurance for the Focus before driving it away?  Hmm...

The deal is 95% completed until Saturday when I get cash in hand :)

(6468)

Three weeks till Christmas!!

I find it hard to believe that there are only three weeks left till Christmas, well twenty days to be precise. Where has the time gone?? It's almost time to look back at the previous year and count upon all the blessings that God has given me. The up's and the down's, the good and the bad. I won't have time to review everything tonight as it is 7:40pm on a Saturday night and tonight I want to spend time sorting stuff out with my notepad and arranging the publications and magazines and re-organising my life basically.

So much has been happening since my last post on the 28th of November. In fact, that "Lanty David" actually contacted me through Google Talk whilst I was at work. It came through on my phone and "he" (I actually thought it was a she from the xxxxxxx left at the end of the emails) persisted in asking if I was interested in going ahead with the deal (re. "Beware the launderers!" post). I told him I didn't want a bankers draft, but would much rather a personal cheque or payment through Paypal. He said he didn't have those alternatives. I told him that there was a lot of money involved and that I did not feel comfortable with it considering all the news about money laundering. The result - he went silent. And never chatted back!! Lol!

So...back to square one. The car is still parked on the street not from my house. The new tax disc came though - £82.50 bought me vehicle duty until 31 May 2010. So basically I have taxed my vehicle for nothing but simply to put it on a UK road. It's unfortunate I do not have my own driveway or an off-road carpark, otherwise I would declare my vehicle SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) for 12 months and save myself some money. My Autotrader advert runs out this Monday (7th December) and I don't think I'll renew it. Has caused me more problems than I anticipated - funny phone calls, weird emails etc. Just crazy and more hassle than it's worth. Autotrader advert was £35!! Paid that and it has bought me nothing! No progress whatsoever!

Ah well, at least the driving tuition business is going well. So far so good. Enjoying myself and it seems my pupils are having a good time too. Took on my fourth pupil this morning. Not a complete learner. He is experienced in manual and automatic transmissions. Initially had thought it would take a while to teach the clutch, but surprisingly he did quite well, especially in finding the biting point and we didn't stall once! :) After the lesson I went to Tesco, grabbed breakfast oats and some lunch. Then went to church meeting after that and came home around 6pm. It's time to unwind, since it's a Saturday night. But no. I have stuff to do. Must get on with it.

Tomorrow... gonna wash the car, take mum Chinese shopping, go to church, go to the gym, then chill ooot! Finally! =D

(5734)

Beware the launderers!

I should be in bed now, but thought I should warn you all of something first.

I advertised my Ford Focus on Facebook, on this blog and on Gumtree. All for free, and all with no response from any interested parties. So I thought I would try Autotrader since that is a big name in the vehicle sales industry, both private and trade sellers use this to advertise on it's magazine and website. The advert cost me £35 and would give me one week in Auto Trader Scotland magazine and two weeks in the Auto Trader website. I paid for this last Sunday (22nd Nov) and hoped for the best.

Monday lunch time I received a missed call from an 0208 number and so I called it back. Turned out to be "The Motorist Guide" who saw my advert on Auto Trader and offered to send me a magazine through email which will give me tips on how to sell my car etc. So I said yes and gave him my email address as it was free and there is no ties involved.

That afternoon I received another call, this time from an unknown number. The caller was a guy who said he saw my car was for sale and said he was interested in it, but the price was so high. I mentioned to him that the price had went down from £4000 to £3500 and that I spent a lot of money getting the body work touched up etc. He said the price was still too high and that he only needed the car for one day. That he only wanted the car for a hit a run. To play his game I said to him that it would take more than a day to get all the paperwork sorted out. He said again that he only needed the car for one day, for a hit and run, then said, "Bang! Bang!" and hung up!! How crazy was that?! After the call ended I just sat down and prayed to God, asked Him to protect the sale of the car as there are many dodgy people out there.

Two days later, 24th November, I received this email:

"Goodday,My name is Lanty David,
I will like to know if your car is still available for sale..i am okay with all informations posted with the ads..but i will like to know the followings..
1,the present condition of the Car?
2,your reason for selling it?
3,Your final asking price ?
I will like you to get back to me so that we can proceed with the transaction..i wait your reply soonest..Regards.Lanty xxxxxxxxxx"

To which I replied:

"Hi Lanty, thank you for your interest in my car. I have a question to start with though. Where did you see my ad? Now to answer your questions:

1) Present condition: Excellent condition, but WET! It has been parked on the street under the Glasgow rain! I spent £600 getting the body work touched up at the Car Care Centre three weeks ago. And bought four new tyres from Costco, costing £228. Have all receipts with it.

2) Reason for selling: I am a qualified driving instructor with the AA and have been given a tuition car with my franchise, therefore I do not need this car anymore as I'll use that car 24/7.

3) Final asking price: £3500, originally £4000 after I spent so much money on it. But had to drop it down due to lack of interest. I feel if the price is any lower it would do this car injustice if you check out the condition of it.

If you're interested we can arrange a meet up for you to check it out? Let me know if you're still interested. Cheers, Gordon"

The next day, 25th November:

"Hello , Thanks for getting back to me,and am very happy that you still have it for sale.
This car is what I have been searching for quite some months now before I finally got yours.Regards the price,i will offer you £4,100 for it and i will like to know much about the car. So i will want you to please email me it's full details and the reason why you are selling it,also when is the m.o.t expires.
Please i will want you to get back to me with these answers so that we can proceed from there.. Really I based Kompehenger here in Denmark were i work as a Mechanical Enginer but originally from Wales(My Dad is from Wale and mum from Oslo Noway).
If you can get back to me as soon as possible i would be glad to wrap everything up in a short while so that i can take the possession of the Car .I will be willing to pay you with a Uk banker's Draft which will clear between 3-4 days in any Uk bank of which i have a shipping company that will come for the shipment of the Car .
So if you are ok with this kindly get back to me so that we can conclude the transaction on time. Best Regards.
Lanty xxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

To which I replied:

"Dear Lanty,

As I mentioned earlier, the reason for selling this is car is because I am a qualified driving instructor with the AA Driving School and have been given a tuition car with my franchise, therefore I do not need this car anymore as I'll use that car 24/7.

If you were interested in buying this car, £4100 sounds like a very good offer. However, I have never used Bank Draft before. Would you be able to pay me through Paypal instead then? There is more protection through Paypal for both you and me.

Also, what information are you looking for about the car?

Silver Ford Focus LX
5-Door hatchback
Registered July 2003
I bought it on 14th June 2004 after one owner
Has now done 28,000 miles
1.4L Manual Petrol
Full Service and MOT history
Brand new Michelin tyres
No Pets, No Smoking

(Taxed till Dec 2009, Service due May 2010, MOT due July 2010)

Please get back to me about payment. Thank you.

Gordon"

The final response from Lanty...

"Hi,
Thanks so much for your kind of lovely mail and As for the payment i will ask my Bussines Accosociate to issue a Certified Uk Bank Draft of £9,500 and once u get the cheque u are to get The Cheque deposited into ur bank account and once it clears u deduct the cost of the Car which is £4100 u deduct £200 am willing to give u for ur efforts and the western union fees.U are to help me wire the balance inform of a cash via western union the same day u get the cheque to my shipper and in just 2 or days after my shipping agent will come down to ur location for the pick-up right thre at ur location.

Pls i will need the following ful datas from u.
Name....(to be on the cheque)
Full Address.....
State....
Postal Code....
Country.....
Telephone number...(Cell,Office,Home,)

Pls i will really be glad if u could get the balance wired the same day the cheque clears ur account cos am highly sure that once my shipper get the balance from u is going to come down to ur location in just 2 or days after for the pick-up.as soon as you provide me your info i will give you a call on your number so we can talk better.

Thanks"

Well well well! After reading these emails, what are your thoughts? So dodgy, right? Totally crazy!! Do they think I'm some sort of ignorant guy who is money-hungry and will do anything for lots of money AND help them with criminal activities too?? I mean, all these signs shows something dodgy is going on. First of all, the grammar is horrible. "Lanty" if that is their real name is in Denmark where they drive on the opposite side of the road to us. So why would they want my right hand drive car? Secondly, throwing in random information about parents from Wales and Norway wins no favour from me as "Lanty" did not even answer my question of "Where did you see my ad?". So yes, the biggest sign of dodgy business was when I said my final offer would be £3500 and I was then offered £4100. Not only that, but then later told I would receive £9500 in the form of a UK Bankers draft of which I would deduct £4100 for my car, then a further £200 for my troubles and transfer the rest of the £5200 to another account for them. Like NO WAAAY!! Fortunately as part of my work at HR I have had training on fraud, money laundering and how to spot the signs of it happening. And if this is not a clear sign, I don't know what is!! I mean, even Western Union has been in the news in recent years of having being used for money laundering and illegal activities by criminals. Hence the reason I suggested Paypal instead as that is more highly regulated and is a safer way to make transactions with protection.

So, I imagined to myself, what if I agreed to this. Gave "Lanty" all my details, waited for the Bankers cheque, cashed it in, deducted my share of the money, transferred the rest to the "shippers" then sit and wait for them to appear at my door to pick up the car. I think if that happened, the people who turns up at my door will not be "shippers" but will be like police or the FBI or Interpol! Hahahahahaha!! Picture that! Your friend, Big G, on BBC 24 News, on local newspapers, on the internet! Name black listed amongst the financial industry for money laundering. Who would believe me for that I was an "innocent party" eh? Lol!

Take care guys, especially when selling things online. It has not happened when I sold things through eBay before, but this time weird stuff is happening. What's this world coming too?

(5641)

**Car For Sale**

(click on car for more detailed pictures)



I'm selling my Ford Focus LX as I prepare to start my driving tuition business and will have another car to teach with.


This car was registered July 2003 and has done less than 28,000 miles in it's lifetime.


Ford Focus LX
Silver
Registered 2003
Mileage 27,979 (VERY LOW!!)
1.4L Petrol
Manual Transmission
Five-door hatchback

I am the second owner


Very well looked after under my care. There are plenty more years left in this faithful hatchback. Suitable for all age groups: student road trips or family grocery shopping. Five doors give ease of access to the back.

Service and MOT carried out annually with all receipts and garage stamps.

- Bodywork has been touched up this week

- Brand new Michelin tyres today (7th Nov)

- Road Tax will be renewed in end of November

- Service due May 2010

- MOT due July 2010

Asking price - £4000 ONO

Interested or have any questions? Contact me to discuss. :)

(5323)