McCARTHY’S — SAN LUIS OBISPO
SLO LOCALS: BUYER BEWARE.
I accepted the terms. Chris confirmed the appointment. Then he texted: the van was sold—before that appointment.
A firsthand account by Vince Denais.
Independent. Not affiliated with the dealership.
THE ONE-MINUTE VIEW
OCTOBER 29–30, 2026
His text arrived before our scheduled appointment. I had already accepted the terms and confirmed the time.
Would you trust a dealership’s word after this?
Read the texts. Decide for yourself.98 = load index
H = speed symbol
102 = load index
rf = reinforced marking
Photographed tire vs. vehicle placard. Different load index; both use speed symbol H. The updated inspection flags the mismatch.
Open the photos and inspection60 seconds · Actual source excerpts.
AI-generated narration; Vince’s account, not his recorded voice.
Being local is a responsibility. Stand behind your word.
UPDATED OCTOBER 31, 2026
This firsthand account pairs readable excerpts with the actual cropped source images. Unrelated personal details are omitted. Opinions are mine; the messages and inspection findings are identified separately.
Chris cited an obligation to the consignment owner. His explanation appears with the sale-notification text below. It did not repair my trust in the confirmed plan.
SOURCE A / OCTOBER 29, 2026 TEXTS
THE TERMS
Chris quoted the price and texted the financing terms. My response:
“I can make that work. Write it up.”Vince to Chris
THE APPOINTMENT
“Can you be here at 11am?”Chris to Vince
His message explained that the finance person arrived at 10:30.
THE CONFIRMATION
ME“All good, see you at 11”
CHRIS“Okay”
6:21 P.M. / THE EVENING BEFORE
“…a customer came in and paid full asking price for the Eurovan so it is no longer available.”Chris’s text to Vince
Chris cited an obligation to the consignment owner to sell to the first capable and willing buyer. That was his explanation. It does not change the sequence: I accepted his terms, he chose the appointment, I confirmed it, and he reported selling the van before I could attend.
SOURCE B / THE TIRE EVIDENCE
A second issue is documented in the updated independent inspection.
This compares the markings shown in the source images below. It does not calculate the van’s actual loaded weight or claim an overload occurred.
RIZZOLI’S AUTOMOTIVE / UPDATED INSPECTION / RO 118877
“Load/speed rating on tires does not match rating on tire sticker.”
The updated report records that finding for both front and rear tires. The documented marking difference is the load index: 98 versus 102. Both use the speed symbol H.
The report records good tread separately from the rating mismatch. Its tire wording was subsequently updated; the amendment time is not shown. This account does not claim that Chris received the amended report before the reported sale, or establish which tires accompanied delivery to the eventual buyer.
I HAD RAISED THE REQUIREMENT
“the 98H is more than sufficient.”
Chris attributed that assurance to his tire store.
SLO COUNTY / TRUST IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS
Broken trust teaches people to expect the worst. Ordinary dealings become adversarial. Good local businesses have to work harder to earn confidence. That is the community cost I see.
Read the record. Decide what that trust is worth to you.
Open the full record