Shaking (and shirking) hands on a deal

[Pheasant Surprise]

Seems like it carries no meaning now, or at least not to me.

Had a new company doing some fitting up work for me a few weeks ago. They were very good admittedly. They had some demo gear with them that I liked and I said I’ll buy that off you (it was new kit). We agreed a price and shook on it. They left it with me.

I sent them an email last week asking them to send me an invoice. They’ve been quite busy, so just responded now....

Apparently it was “last years price” that we shook on/agreed and this years price is now ‘x’. Of course if I’m not happy with that they’ll come and collect it...

Now ‘x’ is over 20% more the price we shook on. The total price isn’t huge - less than £500 - but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when sh!t like this happens.

#whenadealreallyisnt

 

[vantage]

Call their bluff and tell them to collect it if the price as agreed is not adhered to.

 

[deleted user 837354]

In my book a verbal contract is as good as one in writing. That is sales training basics 101.

If a man cannot master the above then he cant be trusted at all.

 

[wasted years]

Its fine, you shook hands on last years price so it is last years price.

 

[Sharpy]

I would tell them to ram their kit up their arse. Ex demo kit doesn't have a list price anyway so where do they get "last years price" from?

 

[Hesstondriver]

all of the above , rolled in to one ! . Use the phrase 'with all due respect i think you will find you in breach of contract' (you may at this point wish to tell them to poke it where the sun don't shine) but remember if it is still in your yard , and haven't paid for it - you have the upper hand,

unprofessional & not reallyy cricket

 

[Muck Spreader]

Do you have a witness to the verbal agreement?

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Do you have a witness to the verbal agreement?

Witnesses? Yeah the two blokes working in my yard from the company. There's no dispute what was said / agreed at the time.

Reneging on a deal in this way is a pretty poor reflection of character - or maybe its an exact reflection of their real character. Just not cricket as said.

I'm not going to bother wasting my time. If this is their attitude, they can keep it.

 

[76masseyman]

Make a point of what it will cost them, in fuel, to collect the item, but no way are you upping the money to them, so come and get it.

But you leave your yard at 6 am, and return after 7 pm, and is all locked up in between.

 

[Mursal]

Just chancing their arm, reply confused and state clearly the price agreed in the deal.
Why would you pay this years price and it now older than when you struck the deal, madness .................

But when in conversation don't even try to get your head around what they are saying, act confused and stick to the original deal, by E-Mail.

No one has a word now, cant trust anyone
Feckers ...................

 

[Muck Spreader]

Witnesses? Yeah the two blokes working in my yard from the company. There's no dispute what was said / agreed at the time.

Reneging on a deal in this way is a pretty poor reflection of character - or maybe its an exact reflection of their real character. Just not cricket as said.

I'm not going to bother wasting my time. If this is their attitude, they can keep it.

It's a poor do, if they are reneging on a deal. One can only assume these operatives were never in a position to talk deals in the first place. If it were me I would just tell them to come and pick their equipment up and then put the name of the company on here and leave it at that.

 

[Gerbert]

If you can't trust someone with small stuff, you can not trust them with big stuff.
Tell them that and if they don't wanna know, count your blessings this is something small and search for another company doing the works.

 

[Robt]

Pheasant, I thought you’d have been dealing with farmers long enough to know how to handle this!
I agree, call their bluff!
I’ve been fortunate to spend a few days on a dealers stand recently. He trades on a handshake and his word is his word... that is why he is doing very well and has repeat customers!
If it’s only £500, what did they leave to demo? Must be a small item so little profit for them?
A tweet in the right direction is all that’s needed! Shouldn’t have to come to that but from my experience as much as some think how corrupt the farm machinery game is... it’s really one of the few industries that’s actually not!

 

[KennyO]

Unless it is something that you desperately need I would tell them to come and collect and never deal with them again.

 

[Zebbedee]

Seems like it carries no meaning now, or at least not to me.

Had a new company doing some fitting up work for me a few weeks ago. They were very good admittedly. They had some demo gear with them that I liked and I said I’ll buy that off you (it was new kit). We agreed a price and shook on it. They left it with me.

I sent them an email last week asking them to send me an invoice. They’ve been quite busy, so just responded now....

Apparently it was “last years price” that we shook on/agreed and this years price is now ‘x’. Of course if I’m not happy with that they’ll come and collect it...

Now ‘x’ is over 20% more the price we shook on. The total price isn’t huge - less than £500 - but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when sh!t like this happens.

#whenadealreallyisnt

The other way to look at it possibly is- 1 you said they made a good job so you may be keen to use them again -2 if they made a good job and there price was good maybe they are not making a huge margin on there services so therefore cannot afford to actually lose money on a deal?
-3 use your knowledge of the services and products involved to make an informed decision, if they are overcharging then tell them to pick it up but if on the whole they are a good business at decent prices then let them know it is not normally the way you do business but on this occasion you will pay (you do say it is a sub £500 item total)
4- we as an industry are loosing suppliers and there services at an alarming rate and support needs to go both ways I think to ensure we all stay in business nowadays as soon it will be just a couple of suppliers left controlled by supermarket, it is very easy to cut off your nose to spite your face

 

[Hooby Farmer]

Word is bond. Simple.

 

[8100]

Charge them for storage when they pick it up..

 

[deleted user 837354]

A verbal contract is as good as a written one. I used to spend millions with a few companies and it was all done over the phone! If you tried this stunt they would never deal with you again.

 

[Overworked]

Unfortunately this is how things are, we all have similar stories I think.

I got down to the nitty gritty on a tractor deal, £51,500 to swap on a Saturday, albeit over the phone, but to me 'a deal is a deal', by Tuesday he had bad news!!! "Sorry I've used an old price list, it's £12,500 more than I said". Needless to say we didn't proceed.

 

[rusty]

Unfortunately this is how things are, we all have similar stories I think.

I got down to the nitty gritty on a tractor deal, £51,500 to swap on a Saturday, albeit over the phone, but to me 'a deal is a deal', by Tuesday he had bad news!!! "Sorry I've used an old price list, it's £12,500 more than I said". Needless to say we didn't proceed.

How old was the price list to be 12.5k out!