Selling equipment

[Willie B]

Or put a ‘stop payment’ on the cheque by calling the bank as soon as they get out of sight. I usually use a certified cheque, bank draft or wire transfer on larger amounts

I stopped payment once.
A tractor I had my eye on since 1985 was offered for sale. I made an offer, owner accepted.
I went for the truck & trailer loaded it, wrote a check. On the way home my son was on the phone with his buddy: "That tractor was in the pond last month!"
We made it home took plugs out of crankcase & transmission. No water in the engine, transmission milk shake came out.
I called my bank, stopped payment. Then I called her. I gave the choice, I'd bring it right back, or renegotiate the price. I didn't mind a project, but not at full price.
She called me a liar, called me some other choice names & hung up.
She must have gone to the bank, found I had stopped payment. She called me, ranted a while, used some foul language, hung up again.
Later she called again, wanted to know what I would pay. We came to a new value I could live with.

 

[Welder Dave]

The new value should have been even lower after her ranting.

I lost a $50 or $100 deposit on a pick up truck. The seller claimed the owner he bought the truck from was an old farmer and figured the air filter needed oil in it. At least that was his excuse for the air cleaner having oil in the bottom. I just couldn't trust that was the reason for the oil. The more I thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. Why didn't the guy selling it clean uthis that was the case?? It would have taken 10 minutes at the most. The only theory I could come up with is the engine was blowing oil out the intake. I wasn't willing to take a chance on the sellers theory for the oil.