neddy65

My sister-in-law and her husband were going out to buy a used mini van and asked my opinion. Having sold cars in the past i have a fairly good inside view of the workings in this small city and could offer insight . The dealership is owned by a guy who does body work and after seeing the van and hearing the details of the sale i believed that the deal was too good to be true, I told them this and they went ahead and bought the van anyway.
The interior lights work sporadically and sometimes will not go off and the door ajar light will stay on sometimes. The traction control and antilock light will go on and off at random moments and the interior fit and finish is off. i am sure the van was written off and has been repaired and that is why the deal was sooo good.
Tonight I lay in the snow and rerouted the serpentine belt that had come off and left them stranded and they were complaining that the van didn't work well in the snow even though it is equiped with traction control.
My question is this: How long before I can say " I fucking told you not to buy the van and I don't want to here about it any more"?

Maybe I should be more charitable but if they wanted my opinion and then disregarded it anyway then how long do I have to be nice?

__________________
If you're travelling at the speed of light, and you turn the headlights on, do they do anything?

My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die!

Drink Dickens' Hard Cider because nothing makes a girl smile like a Hard DIckens' Cider!

:::OshnSoul:::

Hey- you gave your opinion, but they made the choice to by it. They will realize soon enough on their own that the car isn't that great. Don't rub it in their face- just let them experience the consequences of the choice they made for themselves. Also, they might not even care about those details. The lights may not be that big of a deal to them.

Poloboy

I think they are a big deal to them, enough of a deal to be complaining to neddy frequently, and that's the problem. You don't have to be Mr. Supportive, telling them that they just got unlucky, they never could have known etc. would be lying. On the other hand don't be confrontational or accusatory. If you politely change the subject every time they bring it up, they should get the picture that you don't want to hear about it eventually. If they don't, there's nothing wrong with bringing it up one day, saying that you're sorry that they got a bad van but you don't want to hear about it anymore.

That being said, if they complain about it in ways that imply you should have warned them about it, go nuts. Have a field day with the lecture

sailor

I agree. They will realize the error of their ways soon enough, there isnt any reason to rub it in their faces.

__________________
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
--Plato

absorbentishe

All you can do is just ask them not to call you for help, or complain about it to you. Other than that, you'd be too small minded if you want to rub it in their face, and they wouldn't think so highly of you again, or just wouldn't ask you for advice. And more so, you'd get a huge lump of coal in your stocking.

dragon2fire

no no no

nip this in the bud right now they came to you for help


the ingnored you



rub it in there face and maybe they will listen next time

moonstrucksoul

well it was gracious that you still helped fix her vehicle, but i wonder if you aren't enabling them, by fixing it. maybe if you didn't fix it and they had to pay someone, they would heed your advice next time

__________________
no signature required

Bloodslick

Ask for money when making repairs. Tell them that your initial advice was free, but that the subsequent consulting based on their rejection of your advice are going to cost them. They might end up getting bitchy about it, but this isn't something that you should be forced to listen to again and again, especially if it ends up with you on your back in the snow.

Boo

You don't have to be nice, but you should.

"I told you so" does nothing for anyone. Saying it may make them less likely to utilize your experiences in the future. Family helps family.

I am sure they appreciate your assistance during their breakdown. What if you had recommended the vehicle to them and it broke down? Would it be right for them to sneer?

Car deals can be lose lose even with a keen eye for the market and its "EVILS".

__________________
Back button again, I must be getting old.

yournamehere

As long as you keep fixing what breaks, I don't see how they have a problem. Sounds like a sweet deal for them - not so good for you.

__________________
If you want to avoid 95% of internet spelling errors:
"If your ridiculous pants are too loose, you're definitely going to lose them. Tell your two loser friends over there that they're going to lose theirs, too."
It won't hurt your fashion sense, either.

Finchie

Remind them once and make sure they listen. Then don't mention it again.

wry1

Personally, I'd say screen your calls. If they're calling you for help, be busy - but recommend a good mechanic.

Who knows, maybe they'll listen this time!

tinfoil

Good mechanic? They exist? (I've had a really bad run)

They need to hear it from someone else, Neddy. Then, and only then, will they believe you.

__________________
Get off your fuckin cross. We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

KellyC

a little bit too late to "say i told you so." If you were to say it, then say it when they asked you to help for the first time would be ideal...thats just the way i think...

__________________
Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe?
Me: Shit happens.