From: Ronzo (rojoha@attbi.com)
Date: Sat Nov 16 2002 - 06:27:16 PST
The more things change, the more they stay the same...
Early this year I went up to Ft. Devens to inspect some M35's that were
up for sale by GL. I reported on the list a warning that the trucks shown in
the lot photos were not necessarily the truck in the description.
This got me an email from David Wright, followed by a couple of phone
calls to/from David where I related my observations. During one of the
calls, David put me on a conference call and had me re-cover what I had
previously told him to the 'new' person, who asked a few questions about how
I could be "sure" of what I saw. It all revolved around the fact that there
were Army National Guard/Reserve vehicles in the sale and Air Force deuces,
which for some reason have non curved ends on their exhausts and 'flutter
caps'. This makes for a very distinctive looking truck. GL's rep had listed
the NG numbered trucks with USAF pictures and vice a versa with USAF numbers
and NG pictures, which I had confirmed because I WAS THERE and wrote down
data plate numbers, bumper stickers AND took my own photos. During the
conversation I suggested the sale be cancelled until the problem was
corrected...yeah, right.
After the 'new' person logged off, David told me it was the CEO of GL I
had been talking to. I was suitably impressed....or was I? Is GL actually so
concerned about what a customer says that they would be willing to get the
Boss on the line, or because I put a warning on a list with potentially
several hundred (thousand?) subscribers? Is it a 10 man show at the top
levels or layers of 'managers' who are screwing up? David seemed sincere, as
did his boss, at getting this problem straightened out. But 6 months later
it's business as usual. My read on David may be right or wrong..don't really
know. Then again, I actually like and get along quite well with Charlie
too.....
Bottom line is that it makes NO difference. DRMS use to list stuff and
people would inspect or low bid in the blind, willing to take the hit if
they got smoked. Most DRMS managers would listen and work with you if there
was a misrepresentation of a lot. Now with the slick photo presentation and
massive web access due to the internet, GLs sales are like eBay without
recourse if they foul up in the listing. They have your money up front, you
have to wait ???? months for a title, and then drive hundreds (thousands) of
miles to pick up your truck, only to find out it wasn't the one pictured, or
the two photos (right front 3/4 and rear) in the lot description neglected
to show the left side of the truck was missing fenders, doors, steering
wheel, instrument panel etc, or that the scrap truck you bid on for parts
was actually the photo of the truck next to the one you bid on and you have
a good, turn key runner.
Parts get stripped after the sale? Whose to know and how do you prove
it? Most sites won't let you bring a camera in. I used a digital camera and
hand held memo recorder to make sure I documented what I was looking
at/recording. Format was 'picture number xxx is of lot # xxx with bumper
sticker # xxxx and data plate #xxx". They just didn't match up with the GL
web site in many cases. Once you find a discrepancy in the data, it all
becomes suspect. GIGO, pure and simple.
A GL site manager screws up when they take the photo....sure, it happens.
Digital camera, taking a hundred photos with a screw up early in the day of
noting the number of the photo and the Lot # may be caught. Days work down
the toilet or worse. Or maybe doesn't get caught. Or maybe a lister catches
it and doesn't notify the list cause info IS power, or a pristine M35 at
scrap price. My favorite GL lot photos were/are taken in Alaska. Piles of
snow with lot cards saying "Lot of electrical signs" or "Lot of Lawn
mowers". Or maybe gold bullion or boxes of $20 bills or....
In the sale this week that David called our attention to, I saw 3
identical sewing machines offered as separate, sequential lots at the same
site. Two had $120 bids while a third had a $1500 bid. All looked identical,
with an gov't acquisition cost of $500. So what would prompt someone to
pick one over the other two based on the internet site, unless he had seen
them in person and realized the pictures didn't match the ACTUAL lots. And
why would someone bid 3 times the purchase price for a used item unless he
knew something you don't?
We have all noted the tendency towards ridiculous bids on these sales
by idiots or worse. There is no public listing of bid awards like the old
days, so it is impossible to know if the items actually go for the 'winning'
bids or are smoke and mirror defaults allowing back door deals to be cut. I
know of several local dealers who go to shows and rallies only to buy now.
What they used to sell at shows for $3 to $10 now brings $15 to $30 on eBay.
GL is eBay on steroids since THEY make the rules, and interpret them. No
impartial mediation board to settle disputes at this table, cause they own
the table.
Unfortunately it's the only game in town. The reason it is successful
is there is a constant stream of newbies on the internet who drift in and
discover this candy store, replacing the older dealers and 'adventurers'. So
there is no incentive for GL to change. There is someone in line behind you
waving a fistful of dollars to buy the pig in a polk you are balking at.
I have heard lots of moaning and gnashing of teeth on the list, but no
reports of successful law suits or court action by anyone against GL. How
come? Maybe cause GL has some pretty good lawyers, or maybe was formed by
lawyers? Hmmmm....now isn't that a pleasant thought?
So I don't buy from GL, I only buy from dealers where I can physically
touch the stuff and see the ownership papers. It's a brave, new world out
there, Bucko. As Hankie is so fond of saying, "Get over it!!"
Ronzo
BTW... I thought drinking warm beer WAS the cause of 'spotted dick'.....
----- Original Message -----
From: <Jeepstuf@aol.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 12:50 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] Inspecting trucks
> I believe your assumption is correct; most people are bidding blind and GL
> knows it. A friend just had his truck delivered and it's not the one
pictured
> in his lot #; it's the next one over.
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