Long Term Owners contacted through Registry by "Flippers"?

[BGlover67]

A friend of mine who, has been a Shelby Owner of the same car for over 40 years, recently confided in me that he has been contacted multiple times by different Shelby dealers asking if he would like to sell his car.  Each time the reseller found his name and address through the registry.  The last time being quite recent, he lied about his status in business and made it appear that he was just an enthusiast who was looking for a Shelby like his "all his life".  How often do you think this happens?  Has anyone else had this experience?  The registry is a wonderful tool, but with great power comes great responsibility...

[Wedgeman]

Happened to me several times....

[CSX2259]

Were the owners names listed in the Registry? I ask because I know sometimes owners do not want their information made public.

[SFM6S087]

Yes, if you allow your name to be printed in the Registry you're opening the door to stuff like this.

I know a dealer who made "cold calls" like this a few years ago. He would start with a name & city from the Registry and could sometimes work that into a list of possible phone numbers. Then just call them all and hope one was the owner of that car. He was honest right up front about the purpose of his call so that any owner not interested could hang up quickly and get on with their life. In a few cases he would have a long conversation with an owner who actually enjoyed talking about his car to someone who appreciated it.

I don't know if he recruited any business like that.

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I think it's an unwelcome intrusion into an owner's privacy. On the other hand, I think that as long as the caller is honest up front, and hasn't done something shady to get your phone number, then no harm, no foul. But on the other hand... wait... how many hands do I have? Ha, ha!

As for dealers that lie and present themselves as simple private enthusiasts, that's just despicable. If it's not illegal it should be.

Steve

[shelbydoug]

This was talked about way back in the beginning when Bruce Jodar started the Cobra Club and made the decision to start a Registry.

Registrars give owners the ultimate determination whether or not to have any owner information listed. Addresses were never available to the public. In fact, when I was the '68 Shelby Registrar, I only had information that was submitted to me. I had no access to other years or even the membership list of the club. That had to be gotten through Kopec himself.

In this day and age, people are dropping their landline phones and just using their cell phones as the primary means of phone access. Even on those, I constantly get phone solicitations. You can't blame the Registries for that.

There are individuals that do gather personal information and construct spread sheets. That's unavoidable. Ultimately if one feels that their personal space is being violated then probably they are going to have to go to similar security measures that public celebrities do.

I could give you a list of them that I know of now from back then but basically car ownership rarely was in their own names and was in the name of some kind of a holding corporation. You might find the name of that holding company but rarely know specifically who it was for.

Currently it's not just celebrities that use those measures. CEO's, medical doctors and business owners do the same thing.

As I recall, most of the celebrity ownership that came to me was second hand and they had been previous owners. Lee Marvin and Buster Crab come to mind.

There are people, non-SAAC related, gathering ownership information at larger club events and certainly at the SAAC national conventions as well as others major events. It's not illegal nor even necessarily subversive. Probably most of these cars will get sold and many sellers don't know how or where to sell. Giving someone your business card some consider offensive. It takes all kinds?

[capecodmustang.com]

Brian:  I've sold 200-250 Shelby's....

I've never gone through the registry and contacted owners.
There has been a few times on special occasions where I have though because it was a special situation.
Actually, owners have told me they have been contacted and they really don't like it.
The registry wasn't really put together for that intention.

Just about every transaction I've made was because I owned www.shelbymustang.com for years and years.
There has been a few times that I contacted a previous owner thanks to the registry.

There was a time a few years ago on this site where a VIN wasn't required to advertise.
I understand why they changed that rule.
There's nothing more annoying to have someone with no interest in purchasing your car asking what the VIN is.


I've noticed a few things over the last few years.
More and more buyers do not want their information to be made public.
And even though SAAC is a valuable tool and an important part of Shelby's success there's quite a few people that do not want to be part of the club or advertise their car in a book.

And one of the reasons is they don't think it's anyone's business what's in their garage.
And to get calls from dealers asking if it's for sale is one of the reasons.

At a time where more and more people are concerned about identity theft or having their credit card stolen I can understand why some owners do not want their names in a book even though it's for the best intentions by SAAC.

Just my .02..

Bret

[JD]

Owners can have their name not published but on record with the SAAC Registrar.  Having you and your car on file with the SAAC Registrar is helpful if there is any issue regarding someone trying to create an "air-car" with your cars VIN or theft, insurance etc.

(I was never contacted via the registry)

[capecodmustang.com]

About two years ago I was driving a Shelby convertible and had to run into an Auto Zone...

As I'm waiting in line I looked out and a guy had gotten out of his car and took a photo of.....

Guess...?

The VIN on the dash...

I'm still thinking about it....
Bret

[shelbydoug]

I would never broadcast my name and location along with a car photo or VIN.  Nothing to be gained.  Rarely attend shows anymore.  When I did, was only there to interact with other enthusiasts.  Never had my name or home town on the placard.  Again nothing to be gained if the vehicle is not for sale.

Ever watch those scripted, reality shows where an actor follows a classic car thru traffic finally waving them down?  Had an unnerving, similar experience in very rural, Northern, New England.  Far from cell phone service.  I intentionally led the unknown, suspicious vehicle down a dead end, dirt road.  Wife and I exited the car prepared for the worst possible situation.  Doubt the fool ever tried that again.

This is common occurrence however these cars have mystical powers. When you pull up to a light alongside a Ferrari or a Corvette...puff, you become invisible to their driver! Amazing, just amazing.

It's part of the paranoia that owners feel with them.

I remember a scenario where I was riding in a group of five blue Cobras. Carter Gette was among us with his 'cammer 427 Cobra. He suggested that it would be a good defense to be one of the five in the likely case if a cop pulled someone over. Then the cop would have to identify which one of the five it was.

Over reaching police forces is part of the paranoia too. Wasn't it a local California 'cop that was writing a ticket to a parked Shelby for speeding just on principle? I think that picture was posted here and one of the ones lost with forum version 1.0?

[roddster]

  I've never been contacted through the registry.  My car was featured nine years ago in Muscle Car Review.  I received two phone calls about the car.  They were "feelers"; wondering if the car was, by chance, for sale.

  Bret:  OK, you buy and/or have sold numerous Shelbys.  Do you report: 1) who you bought the car from, and 2) who you sold the car to, to the registrars? 

[Grumpy]

Had a few people that would call me every few years. Wasn't bad. I did have one flipper.. Ken Eber. What a piece of **** he was. I did have fun talking to him.

[capecodmustang.com]

Yes roddster:

I've been very loyal with the registrars on cars that's gone through my hands....

However, there's been times where new buyers request that I do not give SAAC their name.
I have to respect their wishes.

Recently I purchased a 67 GT 500 that the previous owner had old registrations dating back to other owners over 30-40 years.
The registrars love that!

Bret

[Don Johnston]

I have never had the problem despite having both  a land line and cel phone plus posting my name here and handing out business cards with name and email on them at SAAC conventions and numerous other car shows over the past 35 years. My earlier cars had a phto of the Shelby on one side.  But I do not pst on Facebook or any other social media sites.  Only have I had a few of individuals ever come by an open garage door or at a cruise night show and express interest in a future purchase.

[hertzdonut]

What is considered long term? I guess some are more long term than others.
I did get one call a few years ago from someone that got info from the registry.
He was respectful and honest in his approach.
Terry

[stephen_becker]

Brian:  I've sold 200-250 Shelby's....

I've never gone through the registry and contacted owners.
There has been a few times on special occasions where I have though because it was a special situation.
Actually, owners have told me they have been contacted and they really don't like it.
The registry wasn't really put together for that intention.

Just about every transaction I've made was because I owned www.shelbymustang.com for years and years.
There has been a few times that I contacted a previous owner thanks to the registry.

There was a time a few years ago on this site where a VIN wasn't required to advertise.
I understand why they changed that rule.
There's nothing more annoying to have someone with no interest in purchasing your car asking what the VIN is.


I've noticed a few things over the last few years.
More and more buyers do not want their information to be made public.
And even though SAAC is a valuable tool and an important part of Shelby's success there's quite a few people that do not want to be part of the club or advertise their car in a book.

And one of the reasons is they don't think it's anyone's business what's in their garage.
And to get calls from dealers asking if it's for sale is one of the reasons.

At a time where more and more people are concerned about identity theft or having their credit card stolen I can understand why some owners do not want their names in a book even though it's for the best intentions by SAAC.

Just my .02..

Bret

Agreed 100%