Long distance purchase?

[mhorowit]

Have you ever purchased an a/c sight unseen by yourself?

Obviously a pre-purchase inspection.

Your experience good and bad?

How negotiable are the prices I see in Barnstormers? - Mike

[VictorBravo]

Re: Long distance purchase?

[QUOTE=mhorowit]Have you ever purchased an a/c sight unseen by yourself?

Yes. More than once I have made a significant commitment or spent the traveling money before I got there. But there have been more than one time when I got there and didn't go through with the deal.

Your experience good and bad?

Both. This January, I sent 100% of the money to a guy in Texas for a homebuilt 1 seater, based on the phone calls and e-mails and photos. And that he was an airline pilot, to be honest. When I got there, the airplane tried to kill me on the first landing, the rear wing spar was cracked, and you had to take the cowl off to start it. I had some VERY good luck, because the guy was a prince and gave me my money back. But that cannot be counted on under any circumstances. I just got a break that time, because I occasionally pick up stray dogs on the street and find their owners.

How negotiable are the prices I see in Barnstormers?

I'd guess 10 to 20% depending on a lot of things. The times I have advertised an airplane or project on Barnstormers, that is what I would have taken off if I did not get a buyer immediately. There are also several other places on the internet that you can play with,although Barnstormers is the best. try globalplanesearch.com , I found my Grumman Yankee there a few years ago.

[Lou]

Re: Long distance purchase?

Bought a Tri Pacer that way and owner delivered it here after getting lost and landing in a hay field way west of here resulting in a phone call from the sheriff wondering what Mr. Whitaker's airplane was doing sitting all alone in a field 50 miles west of Alliance. Whole story is too long to tell but amusing for sure.
Bought it sight unseen and lived up to expectations except for two leaking fuel tanks. Guy apparently used autogas with alcohol in it and it dissolved all the orange shellac on the gaskets! Later on - brake lines deteriorated because he used brake fluid from his bus company instead of red piper stuff.
Be careful !!!