Slight Rant on Aircraft Buying

[Jourdan Urbach]

Same experience with Scott - first with barons, then with mooneys. What Royal Air in Shreveport is to Dukes, he seems to be to everything else (and also to Dukes). That's fine. Somebody's got to run the junkyard. I ignore his ads now - they go in the same pile as all the unobtanium from Gauteng and Gordola.

By contrast: Jimmy (Garrison @ All American) took an hour on the phone with me today to orient me to M20Ks (some of you may recall my heartburn trying to buy a rocket or missile earlier this year) and I've never been so impressed with a broker. Strongly recommend a call. As many have said, buying cheap airplanes is never cheap for long.

 

-J

[carusoam]

Nice pirep for Jimmy... GMax / all American...

Thanks for taking the time to write it...

Best regards,

-a-

[Tx_Aggie]

On 9/3/2020 at 3:04 PM, LevelWing said:

I'm certainly no 231 expert but thanks to the folks here that are, I've learned enough to know what I'm looking for when shopping for a 231. I suppose this is more of a "buyer beware" kind of thing and just a general attitude warning. I've been calling a few places to inquire about various Mooney 231's that are listed for sale and everyone I have talked to has been helpful until today. This morning I called Scott MacDonald Aircraft to inquire about a 231 he has listed for sale. The ad doesn't list the engine model number or if it had the Merlyn waste gate or intercooler upgrades so I wanted to ask. His response was the following:

- It has the TSIO-360-GB engine

- No waste gate or intercooler 

- I read too much on the internet and it doesn't need them because the engine is just fine.

- He has a lot of time in these and he's never had a temperature issue

- For the price he has listed it at I can go out and buy the upgrades myself

This is why I've been doing my research: to ensure I get the aircraft I want and not worry about its performance or longevity. I wasn't impressed with how he handled the phone call, his dismissal of my requirements, or his attitude towards me. He could be a good guy having a bad day - we all do - but as a result of that interaction I'm no longer interested in purchasing an aircraft from him (requirements not withstanding). I understand the aircraft can fly without those upgrades, but based on the information provided in this forum it seems like a smart idea to have them.

I'm not in sales but I would like to think I wouldn't dismiss a customer's requirements but rather try to understand them and then guide them as best as I could (we didn't even get to the critical altitude changes or anything else because I ended the phone call). The search continues.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

LW,

I've recently been through that kind of rhetoric with my selection with various sellers. You just kind of have to ignore that “talk” and speak with your offer. Very similar to paying for a used car, or house - expect negotiation and a little hem hawing, and as others have said, if it hasn’t flown in a while be prepared to spend some amu’s on getting it current.
 

Deals are still out there for those who seek them. I bought my J for a substantial discount under the asking price after it had sat on the market for almost a year. I also had to pay for it to get adsb and a current IFR gps but even with the extra costs I still made a great deal on a solid plane. Don’t be disheartened!

Edited October 8, 2020 by Tx_Aggie

[carusoam]

It was a good Ted Talk...

It helps to recognize the seller didn’t have... what he thought you were interested in....

Some sales guys like to play a game...

Other sales people like to walk a mile with you in your shoes...

This gives them an opportunity to determine which Mooney is right for you...

Sounds like he had one Mooney for sale... anything it didn’t have on it... you don’t need...  

Being Mooney knowledgable yourself... you can use your skill to combat the game player...

 

You might want a different type of sales guy...

Best regards,

-a-