Nearly 50 years of buying and selling left the host of Uncle Tony’s Garage sure he could spot a bad deal. In an October 16 video, he describes a Tennessee bike deal that cost him $600 and sent him to police.
On Facebook Marketplace, Tony had found a Harley-Davidson Sportster that didn’t run and had no title. At that price, he figured he could sell its parts and make money even if he couldn’t get it running.
At the seller’s home, Tony looked over the bike inside an apartment and handed over the cash. The seller wrote a bill of sale with the bike’s VIN, then read the number back to him.
A woman Tony described as the seller’s girlfriend showed him family motorcycle photos during a friendly half-hour chat. The seller handed over a business card, and Tony noticed tools for the man’s work around the room.
A Handshake Deal
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Tony defended paying up front. With the money settled, a friend with a trailer could pick up the bike. His friend would have no cash to handle or second meeting to work out.
Pickup needed to happen soon because the seller planned to move to Florida on Tuesday. Tony bought the bike Sunday evening and arranged for his friend to get it Monday.
When neither could reach the seller that day, Tony drove back around sundown. The seller answered the door and explained that he had worked overnight and slept through the calls.
Together, they rolled the Sportster into the driveway for pickup the next morning. Tony left it at the bottom of a long driveway on a dead-end street, expecting his friend to load it early.
Back to the Driveway
Tuesday morning, his friend messaged: “I’m here, but there’s no bike.” Two women were there loading a trailer.
Tony says the woman he had met earlier said the seller had left for a medical emergency after moving the bike into a locked room. When Tony arrived, she said they couldn’t open it because they didn’t have the key.
Tony had called police on his way to the house, but the women left while he was still waiting for officers. After hearing the shouting, the seller’s uncle came outside and offered to show Tony through the home.
During that walk-through, Tony says, he found neither the bike nor a locked room where it could have been stored. A trip to a trailer park the uncle suggested also turned up nothing.
More Messages Followed
Later that day, Tony says the seller sent voice clips blaming him, his friend, and the woman for the missing bike. Tony described the messages as rambling, and his anger began to fade.
“I kind of feel a little bad for the guy,” he said. He still wanted his money or the motorcycle back and intended to seek charges if possible.
Tony says he filed a police report and gave police the seller’s contact details and other names he found during his own search. He also saved the voice clips.