Buying an SL60 and/or R129 Pano Roof - Strange sellers or strange buyer (me!!!)

[rockits]

So I enquired about an SL60 on Ebay. This one:
Rare Mercedes-Benz SL60 1995 | eBay

I asked politely and nicely for some answers to a couple of questions. Received a reply back with some answered and some not. I tried again with a request for a few further pictures to be e-mailed and also details of the service history.

I receive a message back to say:
"I don't have any further shots of the car but please do feel free to come and look at it."

"Sadly I'm not comfortable sending service documentation over email but will be pleased to show you this and works carried out on her."

I replied to say:
"If you can't supply any further pictures which I thought was a very simple and reasonable request before I take my time to travel to SW London then I am not the right potential buyer for you I'm afraid. I am not sure what 'not comfortable sending service documentation' over even means. I am asking for the service history to be detailed and sent over to me before I waste my time and money coming to see the car.

I have bought and sold many many cars over the last 20 odd years so my gut feeling tells me that if you cannot satisfy these simple and pretty reasonable requests then I am wasting my time."


Now I don't know if I am becoming too demanding in the first instance, am I becoming short with people or a mixture of both? Was I and am I being unreasonable? Just getting a bit fed up with people not putting the time and effort I do. I thought the requests were reasonable and a few additional pics and some service history is not too much to ask before I waste 4 hours of my time is it?

 

[rockits]

The second attempt at a deal was for a pano roof. I have a Black 1999 SL500 with a standard hard top so for £1k I thought an upgrade to a Pano roof might be a good thing.

I saw this SL for sale on Ebay with a Pano roof:
121994181752 | eBay

I sent the seller a message:
"Strange question but it may help you financially with the sale of your car. I have a 1999 Black SL500 R129 with the standard hardtop. Would you consider a swap of my standard hard top for your panoramic hardtop plus cash on top?

Might mean you can sell your car easier at a cheaper price but be no worse off financially."

I received a reply which was:
"hi yes I would but I would want 1600 +your top cos as you know it would be just another sl without it but there is one on he for 1800 if that helps you."

Now the car looks like a nice enough car and is up for £4800 which seems very fair. I thought that my hardtop + £1k cash on top was a decent deal as they could sell the car for £3800 and be no worse off and might sell it easier with a standard hardtop at £3800 rather than with a Pano for £4800. They might even sell it for more than £3800 in which case they would be better off. I would be driving to Canvey Island to take my hardtop to them, swap it over and give the seller £1k cash on top.

I have politely declined and wished the seller good luck with their sale. Am I the strange one here by thinking that was a pretty good deal and offer?

I tried to buy another Pano roof on ebay that was up for £1895 and indicated to the seller that I don't think it was worth anything like £1895 as needed a repaint and possibly new rubbers/seals as didn't look great in the pictures. Also I don't personally think a Pano is worth that much over a standard hardtop to me. I don't drive the car in the winter, so half the remaining time the soft top is on with the hardtop sitting in the garage/shed. It is worth £1k extra over a standard hard top to me but no more. I bought one a few years back when I had my SL60 for £900 + £100 pallet shipped from Scotland. That seemed a decent deal and about right to me.

Why to people think that a Pano roof is worth so much? It is heavier to lift on/off, puts more weight at the top of the car, looks weird as the profile to me doesn't suit the car as is more bulbous and is thermally challenged. I think I'm talking myself out of the Pano roof!!

The standard roof is OK looks a nicer profile so not sure why many get so hung up on Pano's. Am I in the minority and the majority prefer the Pano's and value them much more?

 

[roastbeef]

I don't understand the roof situation? by the sounds of it you don't like them so why bother with it and also the other ones for sale you have seen are over a thousand,I know you are part exchanging your roof but if they got no car for it which is in presume is the second roof you found why would they want your roof?

 

[zipdip]

Well Rockits,with regard to the SL60 the seller has shown he is after big money,and he has decided that to put £18,000 no bidders reserve not met,which tells you ,that he is playing for keeps,so you bid 18 grand and the motor is sill not yours,you get these ebay adverts some time,not sure how much this car one of 40 odd left or ever made is worth,but the seller is testing the water,if I was interested in the car I would go and see it,the seller knows that people who want it will travel,nobody is going bid without looking at it so he will not send the service history.

 

[jotter22]

To be honest if i was the seller of a genuine very sought after car like the one listed i would not waste my time mucking about either! He has put up what i think is a fair description of the car and may not have the time or inclination to alter it or to spend his time going through what could possibly be an extensive list of service/maintenance document's when he knows the car will sell! and whats 4 hour's if the car is what you want.


Tony.

 

[d w124]

In all honesty I would act the same if I had that pano roof
Seen standard 129 hardtops go for as little as £100

 

[Deleted member 6183]

When I'm selling cars I want a quick no-nonsense transaction, some potential buyers take a lot of time but commit to nothing.

 

[rockits]

I don't understand the roof situation? by the sounds of it you don't like them so why bother with it and also the other ones for sale you have seen are over a thousand,I know you are part exchanging your roof but if they got no car for it which is in presume is the second roof you found why would they want your roof?

Sorry, I don't think I explained that very well. I only tried a part ex deal with the seller of the black SL320. There would be no part ex deal on any pano roof I tried to buy as you rightly say why would they want my old one.

Just because someone lists something for £1895 doesn't mean to say that they won;t sell it for £1k. I buy and sell plenty of stuff to know that is sometimes the case. You don't ask...you don't get. What is the worse that can happen...they say no.

I am not trying to steal a pano for silly money and do someone out of money. I just don't value them as much as some others. The seller can always say no. No harm done.

 

[rockits]

To be honest if i was the seller of a genuine very sought after car like the one listed i would not waste my time mucking about either! He has put up what i think is a fair description of the car and may not have the time or inclination to alter it or to spend his time going through what could possibly be an extensive list of service/maintenance document's when he knows the car will sell! and whats 4 hour's if the car is what you want.


Tony.

If he hasn't got the time or inclination to alter it or spend time preparing the car for sale then selling it then they are not the seller for me. I have bought cars blind without even seeing them so I am not a time waster or someone who looks at cars and doesn't buy them. Maybe that is why I have 6!

If it was £5k or less then fair enough. However it is a £100k car new and still a £100k car now so much to be wrong with it and much risk. With any car like this many parts are end of life and you need to prepare to have very deep pockets should the worst happen. A car is often most people's single biggest purchase in life second to a house. Why not spend some time getting it as right as it can be.

My first SL60 was from North Wales. Olly @ PCS kindly did an on-site inspection for me before I even saw the car. Then I went to see it, we talked, we did a deal and I bought it. That was not far off half the cost of this one.

If I were young free and single I can see your point. However I have a wife, 2 kids and a stack of jobs on my list constantly. I cannot afford to waste time looking at cars if they are not right. I know what I want and know what is right. If the car has a 5 year hole in the service history I want to know about it before I waste my time as it won't be for me. I am being open, honest and upfront trying not to waste both seller and buyers times.

I thought it was not too much to ask for a few more pics and a simple list of the dates, services and miles on services completed. It seems I am the unreasonable one though. I would have no issue doing this for a potential buyer. In fact I did this recently.

I sold my E55K to a thoroughly nice chap on here. I tried to do all I could to be as nice as possible and do as much as I could to satisfy the buyer's request. I canned in the Service Book and invoices and e-mailed them over. I even took his Focus ST-3 in part ex against it. I never even saw the Focus and bought it in.

Maybe I worry too much and work too hard. Maybe I should bother less but that is just the way I am....I care.

 

[rockits]

In all honesty I would act the same if I had that pano roof
Seen standard 129 hardtops go for as little as £100

I don't disagree that standard hard tops aren't worth too much. That is not really my point.

If you had that car, wanted to sell it and I was offered £1k plus a standard hardtop would you take it? I would no problem at all. I would be 25% way to selling my car for the £4k I wanted. I wouldn't see the car as worth £1600 more because it has a pano roof....would you? Cheap car at £3800 with a standard hardtop is it not?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

If he hasn't got the time or inclination to alter it or spend time preparing the car for sale then selling it then they are not the seller for me.

You have mentioned this a few times and, in your circumstances, I wouldn't waste any time making contact with sellers where you have any doubt that they might not be 'the one for you'.

There is nothing more fruitless than hoping that a seller will change to fit with your preconceptions.

If you have high expectations I would stick to main dealers and steer well clear of private sellers.

 

[rockits]

When I'm selling cars I want a quick no-nonsense transaction, some potential buyers take a lot of time but commit to nothing.

For a quick easy no-nonsense transaction you could sell to a trader or WBAC or the like for average money. To sell privately for better money I'm afraid it often takes a little more effort. You can't have your cake and eat it.

I'm not in a good mood at the moment so maybe I should take a break from the forum posts! I sound like a right old grouch reading some of these posts back!!

No offense meant to any or all

 

[oldguy57]

Rockits I understand what you are saying re the SL60 but to answer your question yes I think you were being too demanding. (sorry!) Personally if I had been looking for an SL60 I would have been only too delighted to travel to see it in the metal (done this many many times to buy stuff and I certainly wouldn't have regarded it as a waste of time ). The guy was polite in his response to you - can you imagine the number of timewasters he will get?

 

[rockits]

You have mentioned this a few times and, in your circumstances, I wouldn't waste any time making contact with sellers where you have any doubt that they might not be 'the one for you'.

There is nothing more fruitless than hoping that a seller will change to fit with your preconceptions.

If you have high expectations I would stick to main dealers and steer well clear of private sellers.

I am not asking the seller to change. I only wanted some further pictures and an outline of when services have been completed.

I don't have unreasonably high expectations and never buy cars from main dealers. I have bought and sold maybe 100 cars and 1 has been from a main dealer. I have had no issues with any previous people I have bought from. They have been accommodating and sent over pictures and service history outlines before. It is really not too much to ask and if I were asked i would send it.

I guess we are all different so we will agree to disagree.

 

[rockits]

Rockits I understand what you are saying re the SL60 but to answer your question yes I think you were being too demanding. (sorry!) Personally if I had been looking for an SL60 I would have been only too delighted to travel to see it in the metal (done this many many times to buy stuff and I certainly wouldn't have regarded it as a waste of time ). The guy was polite in his response to you - can you imagine the number of timewasters he will get?

Thanks for you reply. I need to look in the mirror then I guess. I didn't think asking for a few pics and an outline service history was too much too ask or so I thought. I guess it is. I am looking to buy a 20 year old £100k car for £18k so maybe my demands are unreasonable.

Maybe I should phone him up and buy it over the phone and take punt. What is the worst that can happen

 

[Doodle]

Given the seller is being quite cagey and the inaccuracies in the advert, something doesn't sit quite right.

Full AMG body kit - apart from the front and rear bumpers, and side skirts that is. No idea whether the exhaust is there either.
Launch control - errr...no.
No shots of the engine bay.
Blue car should have a blue roof, not black.
"ORIGINAL badges" - was Klaus p*ssed when he put them on then?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I am not asking the seller to change. I only wanted some further pictures and an outline of when services have been completed.

I don't have unreasonably high expectations and never buy cars from main dealers. I have bought and sold maybe 100 cars and 1 has been from a main dealer. I have had no issues with any previous people I have bought from. They have been accommodating and sent over pictures and service history outlines before. It is really not too much to ask and if I were asked i would send it.

I guess we are all different so we will agree to disagree.

To be fair you did ask the question in the thread title and you have invited opinion on your car buying method.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Asking for the info you did is hardly OTT and if I were buying it would make me pretty suspicious too. If I'm selling a car I will go to great lengths to get things right, but with some buyers there is a point where you say enough is enough.

The pano swap though I can understand him negotiating - people always have different perceptions of values, but if you don't try you don't get. I recently needed to find some cloth for my old BMW to repair a bolster. I couldn't find any at all, except a dealer I knew had a car for sale with a roll of cloth as an inducement. I asked him if he'd sell me some cloth for a sensible price, which he happily did.

 

[rockits]

To be fair you did ask the question in the thread title and you have invited opinion on your car buying method.

I did and I thank any posters for their opinion. Just goes to prove what I thought. I live on a different planet to most people on this place we call Earth

 

[rockits]

Given the seller is being quite cagey and the inaccuracies in the advert, something doesn't sit quite right.

Full AMG body kit - apart from the front and rear bumpers, and side skirts that is. No idea whether the exhaust is there either.
Launch control - errr...no.
No shots of the engine bay.
Blue car should have a blue roof, not black.
"ORIGINAL badges" - was Klaus p*ssed when he put them on then?

Maybe launch control is the winter gearbox switch to start off in 2nd gear