Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Anything goes in here.....
User avatar
campbell
Posts: 17318
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:42 pm
Location: West Lothian
Contact:

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by campbell » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:04 pm

We're having plenty fun here too Jim so don't be disheartened.

This is the first time I have experienced txt sales. Several txts have arrived, ranging from "will you p/x yr Golf for my chipped and coilovered Mondeo" to "will £xxxx buy yr Golf, pls let me know, v interested" (where xxxx is nowhere near its base value never mind a sensible negotiating margin).

I have also had several fairly specific enquiries from eBay which then go stony silent after I respond with clear details etc etc.

I do wonder if some people do this to pass the time, I really do.

However it also makes it easier to spot the serious buyers. I hope ;-)

The most entertaining one yet was a serious fellow from Fife who arranged to view, I set up to get away from work early to do this, he then phones me and digs me out of a meeting an hour before I'm due to leave, to tell me he's seen the car. How?...I wonder. Turns out he "was in the area", swung by early, and helped himself and his mate to a good looking over on the driveway while no-one was in. The neighbours, who are very vigilant (!), confirm they "went over it with a fine tooth comb". He then proceeded to chip me on 3 minor (and indeed questionable) things, without the ability to check even the interior or drive it. I felt like telling him to sling it but he made an offer that got near the zone so I asked him to leave it open til the weekend. I actually wish him luck finding a 6.5 year old car that's in showroom nick for the money he was offering. I really do. I think it's the snooping round the driveway...for quite some time...that spooked out me and especially Lisa!!

Campbell
http://www.rathmhor.com | Coaching, training, consultancy

foz01
Posts: 933
Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:36 pm
Location: location, location.

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by foz01 » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:20 pm

gorrie wrote:Jim... they're not timewasters... thats banter. You should embrace it :)
A seasoned timewaster is someone who sends you lots of seemingly good questions...
Who gets you out on your hands & knees at night to take more photo's in the pishing rain...
Who gets you digging the paperwork out to find answers to questions about the COC & type approval.
Who confirms they are wanting to buy it and asks if you can help them work out the best way to get over from Belgium, with his wife, and back again.
Who you then spend about 3hrs on interweb checking out all the various Ferry options/prices back to Belguim ... and give a comprehensive list of intructions on which trains to catch from Prestwick, where to change, the prices, the timetables....
Who then goes quiet... and when pressed finally says that there was some surface rust on one of the wishbones you took a picture of about a week earlier and that it's not acceptable in Belgium, despite it being a 5-6yr old car.
Now, that's a seasoned timewaster... that's something we can aspire to...
Yup thats pretty much how it goes :mrgreen:
Motorsport K20 Elise

User avatar
renmure
Posts: 3570
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2005 4:13 pm
Location: Arbroath(ish)

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by renmure » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:42 pm

Guess I was just naive but really didn't expect a text.
I mean, if you are going to all the bother of picking up your phone, isn't it just easier to push the Dial button?? :shock:

I had a very nice guy from Belgium who emailed for pics and replied saying ...
"yes, this car is perfect for me. I will take it, how do you want to proceed"
"Errr, you give me the money and I give you the keys seems a fairly conventional way"
"Ah.. but you are in Scotland and that is far away"
Thinks.... Hmmm not bloody far enough away!!

Who knows what the weekend will bring :blackeye
Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Wanted: Train.

User avatar
campbell
Posts: 17318
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:42 pm
Location: West Lothian
Contact:

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by campbell » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:53 pm

renmure wrote:Guess I was just naive but really didn't expect a text.
I mean, if you are going to all the bother of picking up your phone, isn't it just easier to push the Dial button?? :shock:
The upcoming generation are increasingly used to hiding behind non-personal forms of comms...texting is quite a biggie IMHO and in particular the arrival of txt spk itself has weakened people's written and verbal communication skills. And possibly the art of genuine interactive, rather than asynchronous, conversation :-(

Get used to it Grandad, it's the way forward ;-)
http://www.rathmhor.com | Coaching, training, consultancy

User avatar
renmure
Posts: 3570
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2005 4:13 pm
Location: Arbroath(ish)

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by renmure » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:07 pm

campbell wrote:
Get used to it Grandad, it's the way forward ;-)
Oi... I AM the upcoming generation!! :)
I like txts. I probably send / receive about 20/30 per day.. but it seems a fairly odd way to seek to gather additional information about a car and to expect, in any way, to be taken seriously. nomatter cuz I cant txt spk belgan naway. :blackeye
Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Wanted: Train.

User avatar
campbell
Posts: 17318
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:42 pm
Location: West Lothian
Contact:

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by campbell » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:39 pm

LOL!

I agree, seems such an inappropriate way to negotiate what for many is the next biggest thing after their house.

But there you go.

L8rs, dude ;-)
http://www.rathmhor.com | Coaching, training, consultancy

User avatar
donnac
Posts: 263
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:52 pm

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by donnac » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:06 pm

When i sold my old car i ignored anyone who text me or wrote one line emails in slag or poor spelling, im selling my run about soon though so in this climate i may have to stop being so fussy :lol:

When i bought the Elise from Chris up in Aberdeen i never spoke in person with him until i arrived to collect the car, it was all done over emails and was probably the smoothest purchase ive ever made. :thumbsup

That is a bit creepy that they were in your driveway though, im quite cautious giving my address when im selling cars, i prefer to meet somewhere public to suss the buyer out incase its a pikey :lol:

User avatar
campbell
Posts: 17318
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:42 pm
Location: West Lothian
Contact:

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by campbell » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:15 pm

Good observation, Donna. I guess I always think from the buyer's point of view, it's important they have confidence that you are genuine otherwise they aren't likely to deal. Depends on how marketable your car is I suppose!
http://www.rathmhor.com | Coaching, training, consultancy

User avatar
donnac
Posts: 263
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:52 pm

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by donnac » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:27 pm

campbell wrote:Good observation, Donna. I guess I always think from the buyer's point of view, it's important they have confidence that you are genuine otherwise they aren't likely to deal. Depends on how marketable your car is I suppose!
i completely agree, im sure it may put some people off my car but once i meet them then i know if i want them in my house or not :lol: , ive been lucky that 99% of my cars ive sold via websites to enthusiasts who i got to know over the netvia forums etc so it wasnt "quite" the same as a complete stranger coming :thumbsup , i figure if they are that interested in the car they will meet to view it in a mutually netrual place.

User avatar
Mike Scib
Posts: 2995
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:04 pm

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by Mike Scib » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:50 pm

Well i have sold my S2000 4 times, yep 4 times.

Buyer 1! - Started adverting on a Wednesday, straight away a local guy is interested and comes for a look on the Saturday. He loves it, price agreed, leaves a £300 deposit and will be back the following weekend to pick it up. Get a phone call on the Wednesday, he has been made redundant :roll:

Buyer 2 & 3! - 2 weeks ago, phones me on Thursday night, again local guy so comes Friday lunch time, test drive etc, again loves it. Tell him all about the first buyer so would like a substantial deposit so agree £1000 and the deal will be finished on Tuesday. Goes away for "10 minutes" to get the deposit. Phone goes 15 minutes later.....bank won't give him the money as it takes 30 days to withdraw it from what ever account it is in. Also on the Thursday night a buyer from London is interested, a deal is struck. He is planning on flying up on Saturday times arranged etc. Get a e-mail from him on Friday, again can't get the cash straight away as he has not ordered the money and needs it for Saturday. Another e-mail Sunday he has bought a local car!

Buyer 4! - Ebay Monday night just passed. Buyer from Dublin submits a best offer i accept. Seems genuine as he was asking questions a week earlier. Tuesday night he e-mails for my number, looking good. Not heard a thing from him since, have e-mailed him twice!

Great fun :D
alicrozier wrote:As Robin said, need to be comfortable and confident to push right up to the limit - sometimes you only find the limit by going beyond it...
(that's why I think Mike will do fine, that and his lack of imagination). :roll: :lol:

User avatar
campbell
Posts: 17318
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:42 pm
Location: West Lothian
Contact:

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by campbell » Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:05 am

Yes there are lots of people who implore that they are committed and then suddenly are not. Long distance car dealing makes it too easy to back out, albeit your local guys did a fine job!!

It sometimes helps justify why the dealers charge the margins they do...
http://www.rathmhor.com | Coaching, training, consultancy

User avatar
gorrie
Posts: 2819
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:40 pm
Location: West Lothian

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by gorrie » Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:24 am

scib4 wrote:Well i have sold my S2000 4 times, yep 4 times.
..
..
Great fun :D
Hey... I did offer :D
I have no signature.

User avatar
Mike Scib
Posts: 2995
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:04 pm

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by Mike Scib » Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:52 am

gorrie wrote:
scib4 wrote:Well i have sold my S2000 4 times, yep 4 times.
..
..
Great fun :D
Hey... I did offer :D
......2 mars bars and a packet of ready salted crisps :damnfunny :wink:
alicrozier wrote:As Robin said, need to be comfortable and confident to push right up to the limit - sometimes you only find the limit by going beyond it...
(that's why I think Mike will do fine, that and his lack of imagination). :roll: :lol:

AllyY
Posts: 194
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:10 pm
Location: Broughty Ferry

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by AllyY » Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:02 am

campbell wrote: However it also makes it easier to spot the serious buyers. I hope ;-)
Campbell
Campbell - notice that you found a serious one - congrats on the sale.

Ally.
57 Elise S - Magnetic Blue - (07-14)
14 Elise S CR - Daytona Blue

User avatar
Peter
Posts: 1212
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:49 pm
Location: Dalgety Bay

Re: Car selling woes. Well, not really but it beaks the monotony

Post by Peter » Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:17 am

AllyY wrote:
campbell wrote: However it also makes it easier to spot the serious buyers. I hope ;-)
Campbell
Campbell - notice that you found a serious one - congrats on the sale.

Ally.
Yep, what's next sir? Unfortunately my 320 isn't for sale yet, only had it 3 months :lol: but if you are interested in a nearly new one BMW seem to be offloading 150 or so a month through BCA Edinburgh. I have most of the hammer prices for the last ones :oops:
ImageImage

Post Reply