Where did I stand?

Proving it would be the thing after all it comes down to your word against theirs. If you can prove it I've always understood that a verbal contract stands.
Then again you agreed to the lesser offer and went ahead with the sale as well.
Time after the deal here will not help you as a reasonable question now would be why so long after this all took place.

 

Water under the bridge now, but yup, an oral agreement is a contract. Enforcing one without a witness to attest is problematic. Lesson learned of course, and with all due respect to Winglad, never trust a German motorcycle salesman.

 

Same thing happened to me many moons ago mate of mine(or so I thought) traded his lovely Softail to a local bike shop I quickly went along there and got a price to trade mine against said bike trade in price given I was happy verbal deal done, boss was away still for a few days but they would prep the Softail ready for pick up by me, I returned few days later and was met with the same response the boss thought I was offered too much he needed to have another grand on the
deal, On this occasion he was swiftly offered the middle finger and a lot more as I recall, I do agree with you though it does stay with you.

 

Many moons ago, I worked in a bank in down town Wetherby. Whenever a new junior clerk started, straight out of training, within a couple of days they would be sent across the road to the solicitors office to pick up a few Verbal Agreement Forms.
Good job the solicitors had a good sense of humour!