Over the weekend, we bought a new van. Well, not a new van but new to us. (First of all, don’t judge me…I look cool driving it)
If you’ve ever purchased a vehicle before, you know it can be a little stressful. In the back of our minds, I think we all wonder the same thing: “Is this person trying to screw me over?” It’s like we like as soon as we sign the papers and drive off, all the lights on the dashboard will come on, the tires will automatically deflate, and a timer will start counting down saying the car is about to explode.
But thankfully, our transaction was one of the least stressful experiences (side note…we found it on Craigslist…still one of my favorite sites). Why? Because the seller was honest. Not just kind of honest, but over-the-top honest.
He told me about every possible little thing that was wrong with the van (which wasn’t much thankfully). Even little things that most people would leave out.
“There’s a tiny scratch here. There’s a little wear there. This button doesn’t work.”
You know what was weird though? The more negative stuff he told me about the van, the more comfortable I felt. Strange I know.
But it gave me reassurance that he was being straight up with me. He wasn’t going to hide anything. I knew that if we drove away and the bumper fell off, this guy didn’t know about it or he would have told me.
It just reminded me how important honesty is in our society. It’s one thing to be honest about all the good stuff but to volunteer to share the bad stuff too…that’s honesty.
Keep that in mind next time you sell something…you interview for a job…you turn in a paper…your parents ask where you were last night.
Be honest. It works.
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2 Comments
Good stuff man. I’m currently looking down the same sad barrel of reality….contemplating buying the dreaded VAN!! I’m still pushing for an SUV, but those things seem to be too expensive for our debt-free lifestyle. You are right, Craigslist is awesome. I have sold everything on that site, and bought many things as well. You have a good site, keep up the good work.
–Dan
(*I live across the street from the Taylors. You’ve seen me walking the neighborhood with and w/o the baby stroller!).
Dan…this is our 2nd van and although we fought it at first, it’s a great move! Like you, we saved up and paid cash so it definitely drives better!