Private buyers - errgh!!!
Discussion
I've got one of our Golfs up for sale and had the first interest shown yesterday from a guy on the Isle of Wight and wants to see it and come up today. Great I thought !
In his mail he wanted to know if it was as good as it looked in the photos so since the car wasn't clean I set about 4 hours of foaming, washing, polishing and waxing so it was as he expected.
I took new photos and even ran off to get today's paper to photograph with it so he knows its genuine.
The chap asked to meet up at 4 or if I could meet him at Southampton and he'd pay my fuel - very odd, I thought. I refused as its a two hour roundtrip and I have to be at home today.
Anyway, I told the guy to call me today when he's leaving so I know he's on the way and.....nothing.
Really annoys me and if I hear nothing today then he can whistle for it. Politeness costs nothing.
In his mail he wanted to know if it was as good as it looked in the photos so since the car wasn't clean I set about 4 hours of foaming, washing, polishing and waxing so it was as he expected.
I took new photos and even ran off to get today's paper to photograph with it so he knows its genuine.
The chap asked to meet up at 4 or if I could meet him at Southampton and he'd pay my fuel - very odd, I thought. I refused as its a two hour roundtrip and I have to be at home today.
Anyway, I told the guy to call me today when he's leaving so I know he's on the way and.....nothing.
Really annoys me and if I hear nothing today then he can whistle for it. Politeness costs nothing.
Just another dreamer, sadly!
I had loads when I sold my MR2 Turbo. Mostly kids trying to broker deals without insurance. Or the cash to pay for it.
The biggest carry on was some bloke down South, who made all the right noises. Said he had a 600bhp Skyline which he wanted to keep for the road now, and wanted to track the MR2 Turbo. He gave me a load of guff about coming up with his missus by train and driving back with an overnight stop. Much conversation ensued, and since he was only free at the weekend, I agreed to do the deal then. The plan being that he would arrive at Newcastle, get a taxi to my house with his missus, take the car and drive it home.
I managed to get time off work one Sunday and finished early. Went home and washed the car. Thought he would have called by then as he was supposed to be arriving at 1500 or 1600. Didn't reply to my texts. Perplexed, I called and got no answer. Emailed him later that evening to see if there had been a change of plans. Never heard back from him. I still have the texts between us on my phone, a small chronicle of this timewaster's interest. I suspect he didn't even have a Skyline and was just trying to get a thrill pretending he was going to buy an MR2 Turbo.
Generally when I'm selling a car, I don't mind genuine enquiries. Even if the other party eventually can't get insured or can't stump up the asking. But the glut of sad-cases who pretend to buy cars for fun do make things more difficult than they need be!
I had loads when I sold my MR2 Turbo. Mostly kids trying to broker deals without insurance. Or the cash to pay for it.
The biggest carry on was some bloke down South, who made all the right noises. Said he had a 600bhp Skyline which he wanted to keep for the road now, and wanted to track the MR2 Turbo. He gave me a load of guff about coming up with his missus by train and driving back with an overnight stop. Much conversation ensued, and since he was only free at the weekend, I agreed to do the deal then. The plan being that he would arrive at Newcastle, get a taxi to my house with his missus, take the car and drive it home.
I managed to get time off work one Sunday and finished early. Went home and washed the car. Thought he would have called by then as he was supposed to be arriving at 1500 or 1600. Didn't reply to my texts. Perplexed, I called and got no answer. Emailed him later that evening to see if there had been a change of plans. Never heard back from him. I still have the texts between us on my phone, a small chronicle of this timewaster's interest. I suspect he didn't even have a Skyline and was just trying to get a thrill pretending he was going to buy an MR2 Turbo.
Generally when I'm selling a car, I don't mind genuine enquiries. Even if the other party eventually can't get insured or can't stump up the asking. But the glut of sad-cases who pretend to buy cars for fun do make things more difficult than they need be!
No excuse for the no show, but i live on the isle of wight too.
It is v. Expensive to bring a car across, so works out much cheaper to come across the solent as a foot passenger. I've done similar when purchasing my vx220 (guy came from south london) and my smart roadster ( from southampton).
I purchased both cars because owner was very accurate about condition.
Mike
It is v. Expensive to bring a car across, so works out much cheaper to come across the solent as a foot passenger. I've done similar when purchasing my vx220 (guy came from south london) and my smart roadster ( from southampton).
I purchased both cars because owner was very accurate about condition.
Mike
Rushmore said:
Has anyone here on PH ever done this and would admit it?
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.
I've been having some interesting discussions with private sellers.
The latest - I offered a small amount less than asking price and said I could collect this weekend since I'm about 20 miles away. He declined because he had 2 other people interested (who would have bought it but they can't until they sell their vehicles).
I just don't understand the logic - the item in quesiton is a quad bike, so it's hardly the most desirable as we're approaching winter. In addition to which, the two people who are interested have to sell their bikes, also in winter. What's the betting that they either don't sell, or offer a lower price for the quad when they find they have to drop the price of their bikes to sell them?
I wouldn't have haggled any further, it was a guaranteed sale from a local buyer. Ah well, onto the next one.
The latest - I offered a small amount less than asking price and said I could collect this weekend since I'm about 20 miles away. He declined because he had 2 other people interested (who would have bought it but they can't until they sell their vehicles).
I just don't understand the logic - the item in quesiton is a quad bike, so it's hardly the most desirable as we're approaching winter. In addition to which, the two people who are interested have to sell their bikes, also in winter. What's the betting that they either don't sell, or offer a lower price for the quad when they find they have to drop the price of their bikes to sell them?
I wouldn't have haggled any further, it was a guaranteed sale from a local buyer. Ah well, onto the next one.
I think, when selling privately, you have to expect to be pissed about because thats what people do. If you don't want to be, potentially, pissed about then you sell your car for a much reduced price to YBAC or part-ex it.
I always think, if someone said I'd give you £1000 to piss you off for a bit then you'd take it but selling a car for a reasonable price and accepting the grief that comes with it seems too much?
I always think, if someone said I'd give you £1000 to piss you off for a bit then you'd take it but selling a car for a reasonable price and accepting the grief that comes with it seems too much?
No, I mean - called a seller, discussing a car, just for the thrill of it, without any intention of actually buying it?
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.
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.
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.
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.
The thing that drove me mad trying to sell my wife's old Pug 106 GTi were all those 'wots da lowist £ ur take m8?' emails and text messages. Does nobody make an offer any more? I suspect the type of cars was a factor. Replacing it with a mk2 Focus ST may not have been a wise move from that perspective. At least it's a black 5dr and not the chav fab orange 3dr!
We also had our share of people just not turn up. One claimed he'd sent me a message or some b
ks but I'd never received anything so who knows. Thinking about it all keeps me owning my BMW e36 touring. I'll run that until it's time for the scrap yard to take it!
We also had our share of people just not turn up. One claimed he'd sent me a message or some b
ks but I'd never received anything so who knows. Thinking about it all keeps me owning my BMW e36 touring. I'll run that until it's time for the scrap yard to take it!We bailed on a Fiat 500 on Ebay, bid and won, looked great and was advertised as having "No Rust or rot", got there and it was full of rust, under the paint, bubbling through.
My uncle is selling a car, a ZT 260 and it seems to attract dreamers and fantasists, one was some guy from overseas who wanted my uncle to hold the car on a deposit for several months, got aggressive when he said no, really weird guy, another was some nutjob that claimed to be some ex military captain but was in fact a convicted fraudster.
Anything Japanese and fast, or Japanese and taxiable means you get the "innit" brigade, offering daft money.
My uncle is selling a car, a ZT 260 and it seems to attract dreamers and fantasists, one was some guy from overseas who wanted my uncle to hold the car on a deposit for several months, got aggressive when he said no, really weird guy, another was some nutjob that claimed to be some ex military captain but was in fact a convicted fraudster.
Anything Japanese and fast, or Japanese and taxiable means you get the "innit" brigade, offering daft money.
I don't bother replying to certain emails or texts, since you can generally tell a timewaster straight away. Aside from the txt spk idiots, you can add people who will reel of a list of about 30 questions or want to perform a full AA inspection on a £500 car. You just know they'll be there for hours picking faults and will expect something that looks like it just left the factory. So they just aren't worth dealing with.
For once I have exactly the opposite !! First buyer turned up on time, was thoroughly pleasant, replyed as needed we had alittle haggle and deal done. Cash in bank as promissed, happy for our land rover to go to a good home.
Since had loads of calls on the car offering £1500 more than sold it for I may have sold it too cheaply but a deals a deal and it's been a hassle free deal.
Better than the dealer who offered cash than put it up on his website for 3k before he had even seen or paid for car !!
Phib
Since had loads of calls on the car offering £1500 more than sold it for I may have sold it too cheaply but a deals a deal and it's been a hassle free deal.
Better than the dealer who offered cash than put it up on his website for 3k before he had even seen or paid for car !!
Phib
Papa Hotel said:
I advertised my Panda on eBay, got a message from a guy in Luton (car in Edinburgh), said he'd fly up for the car. He did.
I'm not doing it right, am I?
I had the opposite journey ,sold a bike to a guy in Edinburgh i am near Luton he fly down to heathrow picked up a van one way rental picked up bike and drove it back to Scotland ! I'm not doing it right, am I?
Sold a Mustang on Ebay a while ago to a chap that didn't collect it for 2 months, and when he turned up he had no money to pay for it because of bank problems. Called his bank and they assured me it was a genuine problem on their end.
Gave him the benefit of the doubt and sent him away with the car out of frustration, he paid the next day.
Gave him the benefit of the doubt and sent him away with the car out of frustration, he paid the next day.
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