Thank you for sharing your experience , i think that's why a lot of cars are going through dealer or auctions ...Owner don't wnat to deal with the tire kickers...But , me i would never buy a car in Auction .
I feel your pain...typically I don't go look at a car unless I'm willing to pay the asking price, then when there, I will try to negotiate a few bucks off..
I hate when you get the first phone call or email (these days) and they try and cut your asking price WAY DOWN without even seeing the car... :pullinghair: I tell them to go buy one of the other ones advertised.....to which they reply....there are no other ones....and I say EXACTLY ! :rofl:
It seems the only people that reply to my ads are flippers. It's annoying.
I had the same experience while selling my 72. Rotisserie restored blah blah blah all the good stuff.
However the buyers thought all kinds of stupid stuff "You are incorrect about motor is should be a 360" I can assure you it has the numbers matching 340 motor. You know that thing called a VIN? and the invoice for the car? yeah...those state you are actually the idiot here.
Or a guy that came 350 miles to see the car. "But I brought a trailer" so?
Lowballers and flippers :angry: I was selling a `74 road runner years ago that was nowhere near perfect, still needed plenty of things to be nice but had new paint and was a fun driver. I had a local guy and girl come by to check out the car. Since I knew they were flippers I already knew how it was going to go and yup, totally dissed the car stopping just short of calling it a POS and made a ridiculous offer. I just smirked at then and so no thanks I`ll get what I want which just pissed them off. That experrience just confirmed what I already knew about them and put that in the memory to never deal with them again.
First thing I would do is delete that first paragraph on your add. If the brakes work and they are safe that's it. Tell them if it was perfect the price would be double! When you know right away the guys an ass just say the price if firm so you can stop telling me everything that you think is wrong.
Out of curiosity, what did he offer?
Most people assume they can negotiate at least 10% off the asking price.
Selling a nice cars is probably the most aggravating thing you can do in your life. When I go look at a car I generally look it over, usually say nothing and make an offer or tell the guy I'm going to pass. If a car has shortcomings generally the seller knows anyway and things like radial tires are pretty easy to note in a pnotograph so that is just another used car salesman's game to bring them up. When a flipper says he needs room to make money on a deal it's time to kick his butt outta your yard.
Quote from: Katfish on May 28, 2020, 07:27:12 AM
Out of curiosity, what did he offer?
Most people assume they can negotiate at least 10% off the asking price.
The longer story is that he initially said low $30's. I responded with reminding him that we had previously discussed price on the car, he agreed. But like I said, I think he was not expecting the car to show as well as it does. So he was quick to come back and offer $35k. To be completely honest, I was not as offended by the offer as I was for his reasoning (telling me the motor is not original when he did not look at the VIN or look under the car to verify, the tires, etc... plus "he needs to make a profit").
I'm a lot crankier than you. I would have ended the conversation and asked him to leave. I'm too old to put up with BS like that.
I don't understand his mindset that stating he "needed to make a profit" would be a bargaining chip. That's fully admitting the car is worth more than his offer.
Quote from: Flatdad on May 28, 2020, 08:33:37 AM
I don't understand his mindset that stating he "needed to make a profit" would be a bargaining chip. That's fully admitting the car is worth more than his offer.
Yea...that's the part I don't get....Who says that other than Richard Rolings ? :haha:
I absolutely HATE all the BS and posturing that goes with selling a car. We tend to keep vehicles until there's almost no life left in them, so the difference between selling it pain-free to an organization like CarMax or even donating it instead of doing the Craigslist dance is typically a few hundred dollars. The extra money is always nice, but the hassle and time involved getting it isn't worth it to me.
Quote from: Flatdad on May 28, 2020, 08:33:37 AM
I don't understand his mindset that stating he "needed to make a profit" would be a bargaining chip. That's fully admitting the car is worth more than his offer.
And if I know the buyer is a flipper my bottom dollar goes up! I`ll give a better deal on parts or a car if I know the owner will be keeping and enjoying them than trying to lowball me to overcharge someone else. :bigthumb:
In that situation I would have used the line I picked up from the movie, A Few Good Men.
"That's an interesting offer, I'll give it the consideration it deserves and let you know"
Most aren't bright enough to get the insult.
Quote from: Flatdad on May 28, 2020, 08:33:37 AM
I don't understand his mindset that stating he "needed to make a profit" would be a bargaining chip. That's fully admitting the car is worth more than his offer.
Exactly. I'm not selling this to make you money. I'm selling it to make me money.
I feel for ya. I put my 67 Fairlane up on Craigslist last year, very detailed description and a walk around video with the engine running. Half the folks that actually showed up were looking for a reason not to buy.. none brought up anything that was not already disclosed in the detailed CL listing. How many times did I hear.. "are you sure. . . looks like. . . etc." I've owned the car 25 years. Tell me something about it I do not already know and I'll sign the pink over to ya. Tire kickers.. sketchy people wanting you to ship to destinations unknown, etc. And as you state, nearly all seem to think you are selling because you need to. Took the ad down and am splitting driving time between my Challenger. Might try again this summer when the Rona passes.
I feel for ya.
:dunno:
Thanks everyone... I have not sold a car in the last few years, and this experience has reminded me of the BS that goes with selling a car.
Bottom line, I don't really NEED to sell it, and I am not trying to "make" money per se, I was just listing it for what I thought the market would bear. It's the wannabe asshats that think they are on a tv show that drive me nuts. Like I said, I was just venting.
Hands down my #1 material interest in life is automobiles. On the other end of that spectrum, my #1 hatred is buying or selling vehicles. Whether it be a brand new car at a dealer or private party, I'd rather have teeth pulled.
You can largely avoid selling hassles. Be honest and firm in your ads. Saying things like "I know how much it's worth", "have appraisal on hand" are things that really dissaude certain types of people. Be straight up in that you're not interested in "flippers".
Also, don't be afraid to be contacted by text. People that will "lowball" will often times do it through text rather than on the spot. Easy way to weed them out.
I sold my last car on craigslist to the first seller that showed up. My advertisement sounded firm and fully researched, and gave all the details. I posted the KBB value. I looked like I've done all my research as a seller. He offered me a very fair price and I immediately shook hands. Was the easiest time selling a car ever. Before he even came over, he already decided to by the car. That is your goal as a seller and as a buyer. You don't want tire kickers.
Your goal as the seller for limited hassle is to nearly sell the car before the buyer arrives. All the seller is doing when he arrives is doing a final check-over to make sure the pictures you sent him via email (notice that tip there) are correct, go over and last details, and to shake hands.
Another tip, when you get a text, don't just invite the person over right away. Ask if there's any questions/pictures/etc that you can answer/share. Again, you want to do all of this up front.
Sorry you had to deal with that.
I guess it comes with the territory of selling these type of cars.
I actually have a pretty nice V-Code FC-7 RR for sale so I feel your pain.
It kind of bugs me when a guy will call ask all kind of questions and request a lot of detailed photos of everything. I send them out and
and they don't even acknowledge the receipt of them...Oh well
I have sold a few of these cars over the years and I hate the negotiation process. I make it clear that I think the price is fair and this
is about what it will take to buy it. I have that conversation several times.
Some get it some don't. I had a guy fly from NY to FL to look at a car. He liked it and offered me 5K less than what I told him it would take to buy the car before he flew down.?? I said we were done here and he acted like he couldn't believe I turned him down. I called him Uber and he left.....
Good luck with your sale, looks like a solid car. When my RR sells I will check back to see if you still have it.
I really like it.
Sorry to hear but selling our cars is hard. Since you stated you do not need to sell the car then you hold all the cards. When I sold my cars I had a few assholes also. When the conversations starts off with " Whats the Lowest you will Take" I know it will be a NO SALE so I do not waste my time with them and counter with the asking price. Saved me a lot of time weeding them out. As Alan stated if someone takes the time to come look at the car and know the asking price then they are serious or they just need something to do on a Sunday afternoon and spend most of the time telling you about the one that they used to own. I sold both of my cars to buyers who never came to look at them. I talked to both on several occasions for over an hour so I knew they were serious. The Guy who bought my GTX never ever even mentioned the price. When he decided he wanted it he sent me full asking price in a bank check. The guy who bought my R/T mentioned the asking price in the second conversation and not again. A few conversation later he said he wanted it and would I take 55 and I thought about it and said sorry I need 60 and he said okay. I had a check a few days later. The thing was during these conversations with both buyers I new they were not flippers. I had a few of those calls and that is when you low balled. Your car is beautiful and there is a buyer out there who WANTS YOUR CAR the way it is to keep and enjoy it. Be patience and have faith.
JS27
not always the buyer wrong ...i m going to share what happen when i was looking for my car , i m in France ,IN 2013 i came a first time in Washington to inspect the first prospect , when i got the pictures and info's before to come ,it looked like a good car , but when the car was on the lift ,it shows to much old rust in the panel area's welding , that car would have issue in the long term. So went back home . :dunno: ( i paid an inspector to come with me too).
Few months later , another one showed up, :D decided to come check it , Oklahoma this time , a friend from SAAC fly-ed from Texas , picked him up in airport , go check the car , i liked it , not dealing even one dollars from the asking price :takemymoney:, shaking hand , asking to send info for wiring money ,went back home .( France ,remember !) :wave:
Waiting ,one day , one week , no news , sending an email .. and surfing on internet on all the well known seller i was following , and boom on Canepa ( sure you know them) The car i had supposedly bought in Oklahoma 8 days before !!!! :verymad: What a surprise , i called them right away , tell them my story , ask them , well i m still interested in this car , OK no problem 75 000,00 more !! :steamingmad: Thank you ,but no thanks !!!
And after ,thinking about it, i m sure ,the seller ( a pro ) knew before i come , that he sold the car to Canepa , so i came from Europe , asked my inspector to come , all of this for nothing ! Do you think i was not mad !!!!! :verymad:
At least when you have somebody coming to check your car ,you're losing some time but no money ! hey ,i had to tell to my wife too ,i m taking my holiday time to go to USA to inspect ,one , two and then Third one in Iowa ! this one was D good one ! :woohoo:
I just hope that when i ll'be ready for my E-Body it will be better ! :ohyeah:
Over the years, I always sold my cars by owner when I was buying something new, or needed to get something out of my way. I'm batting zero for three on the most recent attempts though, two daily drivers and one collector car. The two daily drivers I gave up trying to sell myself and put myself at the mercy of the stealership I was buying my new vehicle at, and traded them in. The collector car (my no excuses no rust ever JS23V1B car) I've basically gave up on selling, other than toyed with thoughts of putting in an auction, though I'm wary of that idea due to the games the auctions play.
It makes me wonder if the market has changed since in the last 10 years or so compared to previous times. No one has money and needs to deal with sellers who offer financing? People lazy and don't want to travel to see a car, only travel to an auction or dealer with lots of cars to look at?
It also makes me wary to ever buy something again, as I feel like anything I buy will end up being a lifelong commitment as I would never be able to find a buyer if I wanted to sell!
Quote from: Joegrapes on May 29, 2020, 03:17:02 PM
A bunch of years ago my insurance company said I needed to have the appraised so I took it to the guy they deal with. He went over the car and wrote a report saying the car was worth 36k. I was thinking who would ever pay that for the car so I told him "I'll tell you what, give me 28k right now and I'll walk home" of coarse he didn't. I guess my point is these cars have gotten so expensive that it's become a rich mans hobby. Young kids just can't get into it. The parts cost so much that with what you have into these cars you just can't sell them and even come close to getting any of that money back. I'll just keep the car for ever.
Totally agree. Almost makes me want to get back into a classic Mustang where resto parts are cheap and plentiful. Why are Mopars so expensive?
Probably because there's just not that many E bodies compared to Mustangs and Camaros. It's expensive to reproduce the parts and the volume is to low to make your back so you need to charge more. When I dragged my car home back in 1997 everyone wanted 70 or 71 with big blocks. You could pick up 72-74 cars really cheap. Now you take what you can get and make it into what you want.
It's economy of scale. If it costs $100,000 to buy tooling to make a part, that investment has to be recouped through sales of the part. If you buy tooling to make a part for an e body, and you forecast total sales of 1000 parts over the next 5 years, whereas if you buy tooling to make a similar part for a Mustang and your forecast for total sales is 10,000 parts over 5 years due to their being so many more Mustangs out there, it becomes pretty apparent why an E body part is so much more expensive than a Camaro or Mustang part.
Selling a car is "easy". Look a car or ANYTHING is worth what someone will pay for it!!!
If after a couple months of advertising and dealing with "possible" buyers you haven't sold it then you are obviously asking MORE than someone will pay for it...
Look i know we get attached to these vehicles and have spent a ton of money on them and therefore think their worth a mint, and we watch Mecum and Barrett Jackson and think...wow...is mine worth that much? NO IT ISNT... Lets say on Barrett Jackson a Cuda sales for $40,000. The seller loses 8% so he only gets $36,800... plus it probably cost him $2,000 to have it transported there, and then there are the entry fees... plus his transportation and lodging... So in reality he nets maybe $30,000
So, when you sell on craigslist and never have to do anything ...be prepared to deal with people many of which will be assholes...but... if you want to sell your not a dealer and your not guaranteeing anything so be prepared to take less !!
I've sold a few over the years and agree that the process can be very frustrating. I had similar experience selling my 71 FC7 super bee. All of the sudden a car that got lots of attention no one seemed interested in. Took it to Carlisle to sell and basically got "judged" which I really didn't mind as I was up front about what was done and I felt the price reflected it. Dealt with a few kickers through till Saturday when the right buyer walked straight up to the car and said I came here just to see this car. Worked out. He didn't have cash that weekend but the next weekend he showed up at my house in Wisconsin with cash and a trailer.
I will say that selling my roadrunner through gateway classics was actually a pretty painless process. I wasn't a huge collector dealer fan but once I learned the consignment ropes I think it's a pretty solid way to go. For around 300 they take a boatload of pictures and list the car The best part is that includes 3 months of storage at their showroom which was a brand new huge warehouse. For price you set what you want and they add 6% and that is what they advertise. So if a price seems inflated it's usually the owner that causes that as they want a specific number. As stated earlier most people usually will settle for around 5-10% under their asking. At that point it's about how firm your bottom dollar is. I got a call a month after listing telling me they had a buyer. I settled for around a grand less than my bottom dollar which was still 6k over what I bought it for so I made money in the deal.
I found out a lot of people would bring their cars in November and list it and essentially use it as storage for the winter. They would have a higher price but if it sells great, if not they pull it out in spring and drive it again.
The guys doing the selling are the wheeler dealer types and they are after their 6%. But considering how much hassle it was when I sold my bee I would not hesitate to go this route again.
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