Huh? Did you notice the part of your post that I quoted? The part I was referring to and disputing.
As it happens, I wouldn't welch on a deal for £2½k, regardless of whether it was verbal, 'on a handshake', or whatever.
This has actually happened to me several times over the years. Most recently when I sold my blue VVTi to SteveR. I made the mistake of telling a couple of folks how much the car was being being sold for, when they asked me - and then I had the "I'll give you £x more" 'dilemma' - but they were too late; to me the deal with Steve had already been done, verbally, and that's good enough in my book.