My A&P told me that he does lots of pre-purchase inspections (charges about $400 and needs the airplane a good 8 - 10 hours). He said many sellers from several states away fly these planes to him as part of the agreement at no charge. So why would this seller refuse to fly the airplane to my airport 30 miles away!? And, the seller insists that if he flies the plane to my airport, he wants the pilot compensated for waiting around 10 hours.
Steve
What does everyone think? Is this reasonable? As a seller, I think I would at least want a non-refundable deposit if I was going to let someone take my plane several states away for inspection. In New England, that may not be a lot of flying, out West, you're putting hours on the Hobbs!
Personally, I would tell someone to pound salt if they couldn't find a mechanic nearby to inspect my plane. In your case however, you are nearby, but it is a catch 22; your mechanic wants to do the work in his shop but the seller doesn't want everyone hauling the plane down the road for a prebuy, and I guess I can't blame him, although at his asking price...
It's a tough one for sure.
My .02
