Who Me, Jump the Gun?
I'm beginning to realize that I never would make it in the cut-throat world of business. I'm just way too concerned with not disappointing people or appearing to be a callous jerk.
Oh, whatever am I rambling about now?
Why, selling my station wagon. Remember, we got a new car (and I love my new car very, very much)? So now, I'm trying to sell the wagon. We own it, I'm holding the title, it has a clear history, it's a nice car with low miles and in excellent shape.
We had a buyer give us an offer only $1K less than the asking price. I had inflated the asking price a little anticipating that people would underbid. Well, at least I've got that bit of business acumen...
They asked me for a "bill of sale" (check, found it online, filled it out, printed it), and a Carfax report (check, found it online, paid $30 for it (grrrrr), printed it). I even made a photocopy of the title for them. They stopped and picked it up on their merry way to the bank. They assured me there would be no problems getting their loan.
Turns out the problem was with ME, not them. The bank was not satisfied with my Carfax report. Oh no. They have insisted that I get them the names and addresses of all of the past owners.
I am here to tell all of you that if you don't have that information on hand, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get. In fact, it would be illegal because, as I found after hours on the phone with the DMV, my dealership, etc., etc., names and addresses are protected under the Privacy Act of 1994.
Seriously, I called everyone I could think of to try to remedy this situation and I got the same answer everywhere I tried...the information is not public. I went to the bank on Tuesday to show them my title...not good enough. Again, they insisted that I get the names and addresses of the two other people who owned the car.
I went home. I tried calling different people. I got the same answer. I went back to the bank the next day and told them that I didn't have it and could NOT get it. They calmly assured me that I could and turned me away again.
I know what you're thinking: isn't this info on your title? Well, according to the (fairly) nice folks at the California DMV, the only name legal to put on the title is your own and the lienholder. No other names should appear on the title. Now maybe this is just California, we know you all like to do things differently, you West Coasters. The bank insists that it's on my bill of sale from the dealership. Well, I don't have that anymore and what's more, when I called my VW dealership in San Diego, she told me that NAMES AND ADDRESSES of past owners are confidential and not listed on the bill of sale.
You can imagine the sort of mood I've been in for the last two days. I really sort of HATE being called a liar. I don't have it, I never had it and I CAN'T GET IT. OK? Sheesh.
Anyway, the story is that the bank absolutely refuses to issue the loan to my buyers because I can't produce this information. So yesterday I had to call them to tell them that I just don't think it will work. And what really, really sucks is that there are two American banks here in Germany and both of them want the "chain of ownership".
Now I have a line on a buyer up in Heidelberg, but I told him I can do cash only and offered him a discount. I'm supposed to meet up with him tomorrow. Just as I was about to confirm, my friend who happens to work at the bank here called me and basically told me that if I bring the loan to her branch of the bank (with my original buyers), they'll process it. She's going to double check on it and call me back tomorrow morning.
GAHHHHH!!! So now it's like: do I blow off the person in Heidelberg to go back to the original buyers? Because they offered me a lot more than the cash people in Heidelberg are offering...I'm just so concerned about offending someone.
Need some advice.
Oh, whatever am I rambling about now?
Why, selling my station wagon. Remember, we got a new car (and I love my new car very, very much)? So now, I'm trying to sell the wagon. We own it, I'm holding the title, it has a clear history, it's a nice car with low miles and in excellent shape.
We had a buyer give us an offer only $1K less than the asking price. I had inflated the asking price a little anticipating that people would underbid. Well, at least I've got that bit of business acumen...
They asked me for a "bill of sale" (check, found it online, filled it out, printed it), and a Carfax report (check, found it online, paid $30 for it (grrrrr), printed it). I even made a photocopy of the title for them. They stopped and picked it up on their merry way to the bank. They assured me there would be no problems getting their loan.
Turns out the problem was with ME, not them. The bank was not satisfied with my Carfax report. Oh no. They have insisted that I get them the names and addresses of all of the past owners.
I am here to tell all of you that if you don't have that information on hand, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get. In fact, it would be illegal because, as I found after hours on the phone with the DMV, my dealership, etc., etc., names and addresses are protected under the Privacy Act of 1994.
Seriously, I called everyone I could think of to try to remedy this situation and I got the same answer everywhere I tried...the information is not public. I went to the bank on Tuesday to show them my title...not good enough. Again, they insisted that I get the names and addresses of the two other people who owned the car.
I went home. I tried calling different people. I got the same answer. I went back to the bank the next day and told them that I didn't have it and could NOT get it. They calmly assured me that I could and turned me away again.
I know what you're thinking: isn't this info on your title? Well, according to the (fairly) nice folks at the California DMV, the only name legal to put on the title is your own and the lienholder. No other names should appear on the title. Now maybe this is just California, we know you all like to do things differently, you West Coasters. The bank insists that it's on my bill of sale from the dealership. Well, I don't have that anymore and what's more, when I called my VW dealership in San Diego, she told me that NAMES AND ADDRESSES of past owners are confidential and not listed on the bill of sale.
You can imagine the sort of mood I've been in for the last two days. I really sort of HATE being called a liar. I don't have it, I never had it and I CAN'T GET IT. OK? Sheesh.
Anyway, the story is that the bank absolutely refuses to issue the loan to my buyers because I can't produce this information. So yesterday I had to call them to tell them that I just don't think it will work. And what really, really sucks is that there are two American banks here in Germany and both of them want the "chain of ownership".
Now I have a line on a buyer up in Heidelberg, but I told him I can do cash only and offered him a discount. I'm supposed to meet up with him tomorrow. Just as I was about to confirm, my friend who happens to work at the bank here called me and basically told me that if I bring the loan to her branch of the bank (with my original buyers), they'll process it. She's going to double check on it and call me back tomorrow morning.
GAHHHHH!!! So now it's like: do I blow off the person in Heidelberg to go back to the original buyers? Because they offered me a lot more than the cash people in Heidelberg are offering...I'm just so concerned about offending someone.
Need some advice.
Comments
Second, let me think...where have I seen a siuation like THIS before...hmmmmm? Oh, that's right, I attended the University of Minnesota with the "help" (finger quotes) of Federal financial aid! What fond memories!