Matt Williamson's Blog : Car

To Those Who Follow... Advice on a Car After College

Matt Williamson — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 13:39:00 GMT

I've just sold my car and I'm reflecting upon the experience with thoughts of what I would do differently if I had the chance to do it over. I've decided to title this article "To Those Who Follow" with the intention of making this a series of posts reviewing not only this, but all the rest of the mistakes I'm bound to make as well :)

I think the decision of buying a car right after college, like many milestone choices in life, boils down to two basic schools of thought; Do what makes you happy or do what makes the most financial sense.

Now, there are those of us who are fortunate enough to be genuinely happy doing what makes the most financial sense. Lucky you, you ought to lead a successful life. Then there are those of us who seek happiness without a care for what may or may not happen in the future. Lucky you, you are truly free. Finally, there are those of us who believe they can actually have it both ways. These stubborn, arrogant mules refuse to heed the advice of others and insist on repeating all the same mistakes made by countless men before them. Lucky me :P

If I could do it over I'd buy a nice-looking reliable ride with 50-70k miles on it. A clean, comfortable car in good working order. Maybe a '99 Maxima or something like that. But that's not what I chose to do at the time. I spent the better part of the 8 weeks between graduation and my first day on the job looking for a new Nissan 350Z Enthusiast 2DR Coupe with a 6-speed manual transmission, Xenon headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, and the sport cargo package ... with the silverstone "gun-metal-gray" paint job :)

It was fun while it lasted but here I am at the end of the road, three (very short) years later. My fiance and I are moving to the big city on Friday. It doesn't make a drop of sense to continue payments for another two years on a car I'd have to put in storage so I sold it to a dealership yesterday. With the way the economy is at the moment, I was lucky I eventually found a dealer who made an offer above what was left on the loan. So let me be the first to tell you, I would have much rather sold my theoretical Maxima yesterday that would have been paid off two years ago and pocketed a couple grand in cash.

Live and learn. I comfort myself by saying that, if I had bought the Maxima, I would have wasted all my extra money anyway. Still, given the chance I would go back and explain all this to myself in hopes of putting myself in the best possible position I could be in today... although...

... I doubt I'd listen :)

Longwood Inc Used Car SCAM!

Matt Williamson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:19:00 GMT

A few days ago I posted my car for sale on my website, on Craigslist, and on AutoTrader. This afternoon I received this voicemail from a pleasant sounding guy named "Brad" who's company would help me sell my car for a small fee, if I would just call him back at 866-326-0949.

A quick search on Longwood Inc confirmed my suspicion that this guy was up to no good. I can't say for sure if they found my ad through AutoTrader or Craigslist but as many of the posts have said, it is illegal for a company to contact you about items you are selling and they should be reported to the FCC, BBB, and/or the blogosphere!

Nice try Castanza!

References:

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-326-0950
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/452/RipOff0452892.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/463/RipOff0463738.htm

UPDATE 8/21/2009:

This post has been one of my most active lately and I decided to do another quick search on the topic. I found this interesting article posted a couple weeks ago by Paul Russell of Longwood Inc. He seems to completely ignore that fact that (from what I've read) it's illegal for companies to contact you about items you've posted for sale and maintains that his company is on the up-and-up. He simply tries to persuade his audience that anyone who says otherwise is "the unfortunate result of widespread panic and paranoia".

My response is this: If it's not a scam then go ahead and find me that guaranteed buyer. I'll gladly pay you a small fee, most everyone would. Hell, you could probably charge more! Not to mention I've already done all the hard work by creating online posts that include detailed photos and maintenance records. But it doesn't work that way, does it?

UPDATE 8/27/2009

I've closed comments before this thread grew any longer. If you'd like to share your own experience or join in on the conversation about Longwood Inc, please visit the forum below:

http://www.bunkerhollow.com/forums/50.aspx

2006 Nissan 350Z For Sale

Matt Williamson — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:28:00 GMT

Overview:

2006 Nissan 350Z Coupe
Enthusiast Model
Silverstone Color
6 Speed Manual Transmission
23,221 Miles

Extras:

Gold Preferred Extended Warranty ($2,000 value)
Covers everything until July 25th 2013 or 70,000 miles.
Includes emergency roadside assistance.
Removable Garmin Nuvi 250W GPS
Professional mount, cubby can be closed for security.
Nissan Sports Cargo Package
Cargo net in rear, by front passenger's feet, and storage on back of passenger's seat.

Maintenance:

Garage kept.
1 owner, me.
"Broke engine in" following guidelines in owner's manual.
Oil change at 500, 1500 and 3000 miles.
Oil change every 4,000 miles after that.
20,000 mile tune up (2/9/2009):
Alignment, oil change, 100 point inspection, replaced rear diff fluid, gear lubes,
limited slip fluid, full manual transmission service
Documentation available for serious inquiries.
Potenza run-flat all season performance tires are in good condition.
Washed and cleaned regularly. Fully detailed twice.

Price:

~~$17,900 USD~~ SOLD

Click any image to enlarge.