People who say “no time wasters” in their adverts
People who say “no time wasters” in their adverts
Author
Discussion

Captainfred

Original Poster:

100 posts

60 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
Does this put anyone off going to see the vehicle ? I have seen a few cars with this. I’m not a time waster I only go and see cars if I’m genuinely looking however if it’s not as described or I don’t like it I’ll not take it any further.

I always assume with people like that they’ll get their knickers in a twist when I don’t buy it.

Discuss

Venturist

3,472 posts

223 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
Suggests to me there is something wrong with the car or the price is too ambitious. Or at least that this seller has a history with that.
People who’ve taken time out to view a car don’t tend to walk away without buying unless there’s a reason.

Countdown

49,060 posts

224 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
It would put me off tbh as it comes across as quite aggressive/rude.

However some cars attract a lot of wannabes who want to brag to their mates about how they "thrashed the nuts off an RS3/Gold R/Focus RS" and have no genuine interest in actually buying the car, so i cans ee why some sellers get peeved.

mwstewart

8,506 posts

216 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
It does me - it comes across as rude.

PH User

22,154 posts

136 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
Captainfred said:
Does this put anyone off going to see the vehicle ? I have seen a few cars with this. I’m not a time waster I only go and see cars if I’m genuinely looking however if it’s not as described or I don’t like it I’ll not take it any further.

I always assume with people like that they’ll get their knickers in a twist when I don’t buy it.

Discuss
Discuss? You may as well say "ready steady go"

MrT8064

116 posts

209 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
It's a tricky one. I've sold a couple of cars at the bottom-end of the market recently – and have been amazed at the sheer number of absolute cretins. Most messages (usually sent at midnight-to-3am) are either 'best price?' to which I reply 'Come and have a look and we can discuss', or 'is this still available?' to which I simply reply 'Yes'. In both cases, I almost always get completely blanked. I feel that saying 'No time-wasters' won't put these people off. For the last car, I had 21 messages before someone was brave enough to have a chat on the phone, and come to look at the car.

halo34

2,890 posts

227 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
Define time wasters anyway, frankly I don't think it puts someone off who is going to fart about.

It puts me off going to see a car as I perceive it as a little aggressive - me asking questions might be construed as being "difficult" so why bother if someones already in that frame of mind.

Danm1les

1,007 posts

168 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
It’s not the end of the world, what is though is when the whole advert is written in caps.

aka_kerrly

12,505 posts

238 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
In my experience nearly every advert that states no time wasters is missing what I consider vital information.

I take the view if the seller can't be assed to do a detailed advert I'd probably be perceived as a time waster for daring to ask the vital questions which once answered usually confirm the car isn't worth looking at.

Now if those details were included the seller wouldn't have had to take a phone call aka not waste any of their precious time.confused

ChrisH72

3,064 posts

80 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
Putting ‘No Time Wasters’ in an ad is a total waste of time. The time wasters will come anyway, as they always do.

I sort of understand why some sellers say it, especially if they have had their time wasted by people who have no real intention of buying or who want the perfect car for no money.

Fastlane

1,348 posts

245 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
I think it's a great idea, along with no tyre kickers or test pilots as it makes it very clear the seller is a cretin and is best avoided.

mjf1

59 posts

78 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
"First to see will buy" is also annoying. I like to ask those ones how many viewings they've had - it's usually more than one - then ask why the first to see it didn't buy it.

Wacky Racer

41,183 posts

275 months

Monday 20th September 2021
quotequote all
No test pilots or tyre kickers hehe

NMNeil

5,860 posts

78 months

Tuesday 21st September 2021
quotequote all
Almost the same scenario.
I bought a garage full of old motorbike parts and in the pile was a box of speedos, mostly useless but there was one for a Kawasaki Z1 and one for a Honda CB750. Both as rare as hens teeth.
Put an ad in the Motorcycle News making it very very clear that I would only sell them all together, I would not separate them.
Just about everyone who responded to the ad, and there were a lot, said "What will you take just for the CB750 and the Z1 speedos?"
Some even thought they were being helpful when they pointed out that I could sell the others for a good price at the local swap meet. banghead

Terminator X

20,322 posts

232 months

Tuesday 21st September 2021
quotequote all
Captainfred said:
Does this put anyone off going to see the vehicle ? I have seen a few cars with this. I’m not a time waster I only go and see cars if I’m genuinely looking however if it’s not as described or I don’t like it I’ll not take it any further.

I always assume with people like that they’ll get their knickers in a twist when I don’t buy it.

Discuss
Most people are offering 5 grand under over the phone so they can FRO. Of the ones that do plan to visit I ask them what they plan to pay assuming the car is as described; if chancers then they too can FRO.

TX.

CloudStuff

4,216 posts

132 months

Tuesday 21st September 2021
quotequote all
Wacky Racer said:
No test pilots or tyre kickers hehe
Or dreamers!

Wagonwheel555

909 posts

84 months

Tuesday 21st September 2021
quotequote all
Reality is that there are plenty of time wasters out there so I can see why people do it. People often bid on things on ebay and then change their minds, I recently sold an iPad and the buyer literally ignored me. You used to be able to report a non paying bidder but now you just 'Cancel the auction' and there seems to be no repercussions for the buyers as far as I can tell.

I suspect most of the 'No time wasters' adverts are for the cheaper stuff, I can't see many time wasters on a £20k car but I guess it happens every now and then.

Gumtree seems to be the worst place of all to sell on.

99% of the messages I get are eejits trying it on or scammers.

900?
900 what? Magic beans?
No £
On a £3k car? Go away

Send me your best price and I will pay via Paypal
My best price is in the advert, do you want to come and view it?
I will send the money via Paypal, what is your email? It will then be collected soonest
Jog on

griffter

4,143 posts

283 months

Tuesday 21st September 2021
quotequote all
“No time wasters” to me is a red flag that the seller is about to waste the buyer's time, with a partially described, poorly presented POS.

GTEYE

2,454 posts

238 months

Tuesday 21st September 2021
quotequote all
I can see why people do put it in.

A bit like the non paying Ebay auction winners there are a lot of chancers out there....the ones that think they'll talk a £10k car down to £6k.

catman

2,504 posts

203 months

Tuesday 21st September 2021
quotequote all
griffter said:
“No time wasters” to me is a red flag that the seller is about to waste the buyer's time, with a partially described, poorly presented POS.
I agree. Virtually all of the ads that I've seen are full of fantasy descriptions of their car, for stupid money. You will of course be the one at fault if you don't buy it for the full asking price.