Private buyers - errgh!!!
Discussion
oh i feel your pain. I have just sold my Supra. Endless tossers,time wasters and young t
ts who have no intention of buying. I dont know why but the rejects of life come out the woodwork when you sell a car. Was asked by one chap if the Veilside kit " really hunkered the car done on its wheels".
Still not sure what he was on about, the down force i presume......
ts who have no intention of buying. I dont know why but the rejects of life come out the woodwork when you sell a car. Was asked by one chap if the Veilside kit " really hunkered the car done on its wheels".Still not sure what he was on about, the down force i presume......
I've always tried to sell my cars privately and either I've been lucky, or my general tactics work. I basically don't even reply to people whose emails / texts are clearly moronic, or indicate they may be a dreamer, I reckon you can tell. I don't meet people, or put myself out time wise, I take a take it or leave it approach and it usually flushes out the serious buyers...I do however, prep the cars very well and put some effort into the ad...I ask myself whether I would be taken with the ad..again, as a buyer you can usually tell.
I thought I'd been done with my last sale...an MOT failure of a 523i...stuck it on ebay and mistakenly left it open to international bidders ! A bloke from Lativa won the bid and I thought no chance...he turned up a week later with a car trailer and cash...and a big russian bloke called Victor. Handed the cash over and cleared off with the car...easy !
May all be luck of the draw though.
I thought I'd been done with my last sale...an MOT failure of a 523i...stuck it on ebay and mistakenly left it open to international bidders ! A bloke from Lativa won the bid and I thought no chance...he turned up a week later with a car trailer and cash...and a big russian bloke called Victor. Handed the cash over and cleared off with the car...easy !
May all be luck of the draw though.
as a now experienced seller of all sorts on ebay etc I can say this, if it's a collection only item (like a car 
)
never ever agree to do anything to help the buyer, and that puts you out. EG meet them somewhere; they won't turn up. Stay in on a Saturday; they won't turn up. Phone them when you're back from work; their phone will be switched off; etc etc
It has to be, here it is. If you want it, come and get it at the specified times. Otherwise fk off.
)never ever agree to do anything to help the buyer, and that puts you out. EG meet them somewhere; they won't turn up. Stay in on a Saturday; they won't turn up. Phone them when you're back from work; their phone will be switched off; etc etc
It has to be, here it is. If you want it, come and get it at the specified times. Otherwise f
k off.Haven't sold a car in a few years, but last time was a chore.
First bloke
'What MPG do you get?'
'About 40'
'Everyone else says they get 50'
'Well I doubt that it is the 2.5l 140 bhp model'
'I know, but why is the MPG so bad'
'It isn't, that is quite good for a car weighing over 2 tonne'
'Well I think you are talking a load of rubbish, not interested.'
A few more calls from buyers expecting a 12yo Audi A6 to have the fuel economy of a Ford Ka and eventually a Lithuanian man agrees to see it. He comes round in the dark and rain, uses his phone as a light to confirm it is a 6 speed and pays a 25% deposit. 2 Weeks later he returns with the rest of the money and a box of Lithuanian chocolate and some vodka. Around this time it seemed that Eastern Europeans were buying up loads of cars and were very easy to do business with.
First bloke
'What MPG do you get?'
'About 40'
'Everyone else says they get 50'
'Well I doubt that it is the 2.5l 140 bhp model'
'I know, but why is the MPG so bad'
'It isn't, that is quite good for a car weighing over 2 tonne'
'Well I think you are talking a load of rubbish, not interested.'
A few more calls from buyers expecting a 12yo Audi A6 to have the fuel economy of a Ford Ka and eventually a Lithuanian man agrees to see it. He comes round in the dark and rain, uses his phone as a light to confirm it is a 6 speed and pays a 25% deposit. 2 Weeks later he returns with the rest of the money and a box of Lithuanian chocolate and some vodka. Around this time it seemed that Eastern Europeans were buying up loads of cars and were very easy to do business with.
I sold a 1973 Landrover 109" petrol on eBay, and forgot to deactivate international sellers.
A chap from Germany emailed me (lived 10 miles from the Nurburgring) asking if I would accept an international bid, so I said 'yes' but cheekily said only if he brought a bottle of Jagermeister with him if he won.
Two days later, he won, paid by Paypal, and emailed me to say he'd be along in three days. What stunned me, was he arrived an a very elderly 250cc motorbike he'd ridden from home (the first thing he said to me when he arrived was 'here's some advice - never have a puncture in Belgium'), produced a big bottle of Jager from a side pannier, promptly dismantled his bike on my driveway much to the amusement of my young sons, slung it in the back over the Landrover, and was gone in half an hour!
He emailed me the next day, got home with no problems, and was delighted with his purchase. It was the most godawful thing to drive, I was very pleased to see the back of it.
A chap from Germany emailed me (lived 10 miles from the Nurburgring) asking if I would accept an international bid, so I said 'yes' but cheekily said only if he brought a bottle of Jagermeister with him if he won.
Two days later, he won, paid by Paypal, and emailed me to say he'd be along in three days. What stunned me, was he arrived an a very elderly 250cc motorbike he'd ridden from home (the first thing he said to me when he arrived was 'here's some advice - never have a puncture in Belgium'), produced a big bottle of Jager from a side pannier, promptly dismantled his bike on my driveway much to the amusement of my young sons, slung it in the back over the Landrover, and was gone in half an hour!
He emailed me the next day, got home with no problems, and was delighted with his purchase. It was the most godawful thing to drive, I was very pleased to see the back of it.
80quattro said:
I sold a 1973 Landrover 109" petrol on eBay, and forgot to deactivate international sellers.
A chap from Germany emailed me (lived 10 miles from the Nurburgring) asking if I would accept an international bid, so I said 'yes' but cheekily said only if he brought a bottle of Jagermeister with him if he won.
Two days later, he won, paid by Paypal, and emailed me to say he'd be along in three days. What stunned me, was he arrived an a very elderly 250cc motorbike he'd ridden from home (the first thing he said to me when he arrived was 'here's some advice - never have a puncture in Belgium'), produced a big bottle of Jager from a side pannier, promptly dismantled his bike on my driveway much to the amusement of my young sons, slung it in the back over the Landrover, and was gone in half an hour!
He emailed me the next day, got home with no problems, and was delighted with his purchase. It was the most godawful thing to drive, I was very pleased to see the back of it.
Accepting payment by Paypal was one hell of a riskA chap from Germany emailed me (lived 10 miles from the Nurburgring) asking if I would accept an international bid, so I said 'yes' but cheekily said only if he brought a bottle of Jagermeister with him if he won.
Two days later, he won, paid by Paypal, and emailed me to say he'd be along in three days. What stunned me, was he arrived an a very elderly 250cc motorbike he'd ridden from home (the first thing he said to me when he arrived was 'here's some advice - never have a puncture in Belgium'), produced a big bottle of Jager from a side pannier, promptly dismantled his bike on my driveway much to the amusement of my young sons, slung it in the back over the Landrover, and was gone in half an hour!
He emailed me the next day, got home with no problems, and was delighted with his purchase. It was the most godawful thing to drive, I was very pleased to see the back of it.
Glad it went alright for you though
Whilst I have said how much I hate selling cars, I did once sell a Volvo 740 with a flat tyre for around £200, and the winning bidder was in Essex. Said he was on his way down to Plymouth then the phone went dead so I presumed the usual. But then lo and behold they did turn up around 10pm, handed over the cash and said they were driving straight back. Never did know if they made it, but the car showed as taxed a year or so late
80quattro said:
I got him to pay as a gift, and not linked to the ebay transaction.
Still not as good as crisp and folding though.
I know someone who accepted a paypal gift for an expensive AV amp, he got the buyer to pay via a paypal gift.Still not as good as crisp and folding though.
The bloke did it on his credit card, which he subsequently got the CC company to reverse. Paypal then took the money off him.
No Amp, no money
He tried the police route for a bit, and gave up in the end. Lesson learned.
I've been through this recently..... Had three "buyers" that need their teeth kicked in.
I'm advertising a 1950 Mercury Station wagon, a genuine woody. For $3500 firm. It needs EVERYTHING, it's a rough project but its a rare car and once restored worth over $100,000.
Here's the text of the ad:
1950 Mercury Station Wagon, $3,500 firm. Rough project. This is a genuine woody but it needs everything. Frame is solid and intact. Transmission and rear end condition unknown, motor locked up tight but is the correct flathead for the year, unknown if original drivetrain. All chrome is there, pot metal generally heavily pitted, everything needs redone, interior is also rough, seats down to the frames. All moldings there. Most structural wood rotted away, brakes locked up tight, tires flat, floors, rockers rotten, bottoms of front fenders need patching, rear quarters rusty, and there's probably more rust hidden. Car off road for over 50 years and stored outside for over 40. Rough and rusty but worth restoring. Major project, not for the faint of heart but priced more than appropriately. Clear NJ title in my name, in hand. No keys.
First fool calls and asks if its rusty. I say yes it's. he says he doesn't buy rusty cars. I ask him what sort of Mercury Woody does he think he's getting for this sort of money?
Second guy calls, turns up to look at it. Starts picking it apart.. Says chrome is rough, body is rough, etc. I ask him if he read the ad. He says of course he did, I ask him if he read where I said the car was very rough and rusty and needed a fortune spent on it. He says "if I did the work myself I'd have over $50k in this car!" I said "I doubt you can build it for that, if you can you can double your money on it"
Then another call comes.. Guy asks if he thinks it can be driven home. I respond, sure, but you'd need to spend $10,000 minimum on the mechanicals first.
I mean, how clearer can I be?
I'm advertising a 1950 Mercury Station wagon, a genuine woody. For $3500 firm. It needs EVERYTHING, it's a rough project but its a rare car and once restored worth over $100,000.
Here's the text of the ad:
1950 Mercury Station Wagon, $3,500 firm. Rough project. This is a genuine woody but it needs everything. Frame is solid and intact. Transmission and rear end condition unknown, motor locked up tight but is the correct flathead for the year, unknown if original drivetrain. All chrome is there, pot metal generally heavily pitted, everything needs redone, interior is also rough, seats down to the frames. All moldings there. Most structural wood rotted away, brakes locked up tight, tires flat, floors, rockers rotten, bottoms of front fenders need patching, rear quarters rusty, and there's probably more rust hidden. Car off road for over 50 years and stored outside for over 40. Rough and rusty but worth restoring. Major project, not for the faint of heart but priced more than appropriately. Clear NJ title in my name, in hand. No keys.
First fool calls and asks if its rusty. I say yes it's. he says he doesn't buy rusty cars. I ask him what sort of Mercury Woody does he think he's getting for this sort of money?
Second guy calls, turns up to look at it. Starts picking it apart.. Says chrome is rough, body is rough, etc. I ask him if he read the ad. He says of course he did, I ask him if he read where I said the car was very rough and rusty and needed a fortune spent on it. He says "if I did the work myself I'd have over $50k in this car!" I said "I doubt you can build it for that, if you can you can double your money on it"
Then another call comes.. Guy asks if he thinks it can be driven home. I respond, sure, but you'd need to spend $10,000 minimum on the mechanicals first.
I mean, how clearer can I be?
Dusty964 said:
Of sorts, yes.
Im over in Dubai, and looked at an ad for an Alpina, which seemed perfect. It was way the other side of town, so i asked for load of interior shots, and claimed- quite honestly- that if it was as good as the photos, I would buy it. I stood and waited for 2 hours at the registration centre, money in pocket........
He eventually turned up, and interestingly, the car had a different coloured interior to the ones he sent. It also had all of the stitching pulling out of the seats, the change buttons on the wheel were worn right through, and the entire dash had ceased to function- even though the photos showed a genuine 78000km. "that happened on the way over, i will take off 300aed (50 quid) as it is an easy fix".
I walked, nay ran from the deal, and im quite happy to admit it.
The exact reason I bought new from the main dealer over there. I wouldn't trust anybody buying privately. Im over in Dubai, and looked at an ad for an Alpina, which seemed perfect. It was way the other side of town, so i asked for load of interior shots, and claimed- quite honestly- that if it was as good as the photos, I would buy it. I stood and waited for 2 hours at the registration centre, money in pocket........
He eventually turned up, and interestingly, the car had a different coloured interior to the ones he sent. It also had all of the stitching pulling out of the seats, the change buttons on the wheel were worn right through, and the entire dash had ceased to function- even though the photos showed a genuine 78000km. "that happened on the way over, i will take off 300aed (50 quid) as it is an easy fix".
I walked, nay ran from the deal, and im quite happy to admit it.
When selling my A6 last year advertised via autotrader I got a call on the anonymised number from a guy about 30 miles away in the evening. He was umming and aahing about whether he could come over that evening, if his mrs. would let him and so on. So I put him down as a timewaster and said "if you're going to come over just drop me a text". So I didnt have to speak to him again. Problem solved I thought. I had an early start at work the following morning so was about to go to bed and in my pyjamas when the mrs. spots someone poking around the car on my drive about 40 mins later. It was the "timewaster"! He was a serious buyer, when I asked him why he didnt text me, he said he did but the autotrader number hadn't forwarded it on. He bought the car and took it with him, so I'm not good and telling wasters from buyers it seems.
Have had a few time wasters, but more often than not always had a good easy deal with genuine people.
Current car is for sale, there isnt much interest at all which is a bit of a pain, but so far the only contact I have had has been chancers, one guy with an A4 on gallactic milleage and a borked gearbox, yet is up for damn strong money becuase it has a 'rare' bodykit and alloys, oh and the tax ran out today and the MOT is up in a week
All i want is a genuine buyer, would haggle and do a deal if the right person comes along. Have started ignoring the obvious carp, maybe I will miss a genuine buyer, but at the same time I dont have to deal with dreamers and mouth breathers.... was even asked how much space there is in the back, so told the guy enough space for a weekend away, but no more, his response was he needs something big enough for the kids and yet emailed about a vx220!
Current car is for sale, there isnt much interest at all which is a bit of a pain, but so far the only contact I have had has been chancers, one guy with an A4 on gallactic milleage and a borked gearbox, yet is up for damn strong money becuase it has a 'rare' bodykit and alloys, oh and the tax ran out today and the MOT is up in a week
All i want is a genuine buyer, would haggle and do a deal if the right person comes along. Have started ignoring the obvious carp, maybe I will miss a genuine buyer, but at the same time I dont have to deal with dreamers and mouth breathers.... was even asked how much space there is in the back, so told the guy enough space for a weekend away, but no more, his response was he needs something big enough for the kids and yet emailed about a vx220!
I think when it comes to selling cars privately the operative word is patience as it can be very difficult to tell the diamonds from the rough.
I sold a JDM Prelude weekend car on PH and had an absolute torrent of 'innits' bidding half the advertised price. Eventually, the least likely looking of all the enquirers (a guy from South Wales whilst I lived in Lincoln) arranged to view the car on a Friday night in Coventry in a rainy car park and bought it for the agreed money. Top bloke too.
I've just sold my two cars to make way for a company motor. The Leon FR struggled for 4 weeks on Ebay with various t1ts from half the country away bidding daft money 'if you end the auction now' but I knew i'd get dragged into a haggle situation when/if they arrived. Then a local chap - professional mechanic with his mate who was a bodywork specialist - came to view and drove it away the next day. Perfect buyer really as he planned to do the overdue cambelt etc himself.
The other car was a 406 diesel which needed a bit of TLC. Bought by a Romanian immigrant from 80 miles away - who couldnt have been nicer. No haggling nor hassle - turned up the next night with the reddies and paid the full amount despite finding items wrong with the car I didnt really know about.
I sold a JDM Prelude weekend car on PH and had an absolute torrent of 'innits' bidding half the advertised price. Eventually, the least likely looking of all the enquirers (a guy from South Wales whilst I lived in Lincoln) arranged to view the car on a Friday night in Coventry in a rainy car park and bought it for the agreed money. Top bloke too.
I've just sold my two cars to make way for a company motor. The Leon FR struggled for 4 weeks on Ebay with various t1ts from half the country away bidding daft money 'if you end the auction now' but I knew i'd get dragged into a haggle situation when/if they arrived. Then a local chap - professional mechanic with his mate who was a bodywork specialist - came to view and drove it away the next day. Perfect buyer really as he planned to do the overdue cambelt etc himself.
The other car was a 406 diesel which needed a bit of TLC. Bought by a Romanian immigrant from 80 miles away - who couldnt have been nicer. No haggling nor hassle - turned up the next night with the reddies and paid the full amount despite finding items wrong with the car I didnt really know about.
paulwoof said:
usually i can judge genuine buyers from time wasters pretty well.
theres just something in the voice that seems to click, im pretty much disinterested as soon as they want to meet somewhere, usually halfway or something, i wouldnt expect to sell a car in a car park miles away. and when i decline their offer, its always been over there, sometimes they will say they will come the whole way and sure enough they wont come.
anyone who texts. any normal person interested in a car would phone, i pretty much ignore texts. and anyone who talks like a RUDEBOI, unless im selling a RUDEBOI car.
the amount of "somesthings came up" and "our cars broken down" when i phone up to see where the are.
I allways meet people at my local train station car park (give them post code)and wait for them to phone me and ask were am I , only 2 mins down the road I drive the car there if they want the car and give me a deposit then they come come to my home to finish the deal. had to many idiots comming to my house, so this is a good and safe way of selling cars .theres just something in the voice that seems to click, im pretty much disinterested as soon as they want to meet somewhere, usually halfway or something, i wouldnt expect to sell a car in a car park miles away. and when i decline their offer, its always been over there, sometimes they will say they will come the whole way and sure enough they wont come.
anyone who texts. any normal person interested in a car would phone, i pretty much ignore texts. and anyone who talks like a RUDEBOI, unless im selling a RUDEBOI car.
the amount of "somesthings came up" and "our cars broken down" when i phone up to see where the are.
How hard is it?
1. Post a decent ad with decent photos which limits the number of obvious questions people will ask
2. Be polite and accurate on the phone.
3. Tell the buyer to come and see the car and that if he wants it a cash deposit of £250 will be required to hold it.
3. Decide your bottom-line price and sell to the first serious punter who offers it.
1. Post a decent ad with decent photos which limits the number of obvious questions people will ask
2. Be polite and accurate on the phone.
3. Tell the buyer to come and see the car and that if he wants it a cash deposit of £250 will be required to hold it.
3. Decide your bottom-line price and sell to the first serious punter who offers it.
In a moment of madness I put my 1993 MX5 up for sale last year. One caller was most put out that it didn't have a full service history.
I tend to sell my cars on ebay on a no reserve basis. By the time I sell them they are only worth a few hundred so it's the least hassle way of getting them sold.
I tend to sell my cars on ebay on a no reserve basis. By the time I sell them they are only worth a few hundred so it's the least hassle way of getting them sold.
Wacky Racer said:
The golden rule when selling privately in never stay at home especially for them to turn up...arrange a viewing time (in daylight) when you would have been at home anyway, so if they don't show you have not wasted your time.
Been there, done than several times....never again.
You have just typed my post for me. Been there, done than several times....never again.
I will never again make any time accommodation for buyers - sorry if they're someone decent but the messers I have come across in my time just do my head in.
Had a phone call when selling my Volvo on the Sunday, asking when I would be available the next day with the car.
Was at home the next day, so was an easy answer anytime. No questions about the car expected to hear nothing more. Chap duly rang the next day with his train time. I picked him up and drove him back (tax expired on the Volvo) to see the car.
He paid the readies and was off. I was genuinely surprised. Nice chap a Lithuanian.
Was at home the next day, so was an easy answer anytime. No questions about the car expected to hear nothing more. Chap duly rang the next day with his train time. I picked him up and drove him back (tax expired on the Volvo) to see the car.
He paid the readies and was off. I was genuinely surprised. Nice chap a Lithuanian.
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