Hi Ryan,
I have not dealt Wilson Motors per se. However, I would like to offer a few
comments on dealerships in general as I purchased my car sight unseen from a
dealer on the west coast.
1.) Most dealers that have been in business for a few years are "basically"
reputable. This is very true of specialty dealers because with a bad
reputation, they will not survive in business.
2.) They are generally more expensive for a number of reasons. They have an
overhead which the individule owner does not have. They have a very good
understanding of the market value of their products and they don't want to
"leave money on the table". Despite the "as is" nature of the sales, they
may take some responsibility and offer some protection if something they did
not see shows up after the sale.
3.) They are generally very helpful during the sales process. By this I
mean that they will do a lot to help you establish that the car is what it
is supposed to be. I have found them to be very willing to put it up on a
lift take digital photos of areas that you specifiy and that they will do
this a number of times if necessary. In my own case we discovered that the
entire suspension of the car was brand spanking new - a bonus for me (it
also made them a little more firm on the price I think.) I would recommend
that you do this first before you burn a frequent fliers or buy a ticket.
4.) What happens when you have decided to buy? This is the sticky part.
They have your money, you have no leverage, so you live by their time table.
I am not sure I know how to get around this one. Do not have them arrange
shipping for you. Arrange the shipping yourself. You do not want any
ambiguity as to who the shipping company should deal with. You want that
person to be you. I let the dealer arrange shipping figuring that they ship
more cars and would have leverage with the shipper if something went wrong.
It turned into a cluster #%&!. Best of all worlds is to avoid shipping
companies if at all possible. Trailer it yourself or drive it home if you
can.
Hope this Helps,
John Cyg
'70 TR6
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