Just put the price in you moron

[Bruzilla]

I guess some of us have forgotten the good old days when selling something meant buying an ad in the paper and paying by the word. There was no such thing as a free ad, or copious descriptions. Hell, even dealers didn't pay to have pictures! You got a description like "71 PLY ROADRUNNER, $1,500, 412-327-9393" and that's if you were lucky. You called, got an address, and didn't know jack-diddly-squat about the car until you drove out to look at it. Now we have ads with loads of details, photos, and we still find something to bitch about. Some of you will never be happy.

I guess at some point in the future we'll have the capability for the car to be physically transported to your home and put in your driveway so you can go and inspect it before buying it, and guys then will be like "For crying out loud, why didn't the seller wash it before sending it to my house!" or "Man, it sucks that I have to get out of bed, get dressed, and go outside just to check out a car! Why can't it materialize in sections in my bedroom dammit!"

And on the selling side, you get what you pay for, which is nothing with Craigslist. You get scammers because it doesn't cost them a penny to run an ad. Remember back to when a decent Auto Trader ad with multiple pictures would set you back a couple of hundred bucks, but the expense was worth it because you would make it back when you got the car sold? We didn't see many scammers then because they didn't want to risk the upfront costs. We also didn't have the width and breadth of items for sale either because owners didn't want to pay the costs of ads. Now we can find a lot more stuff for sale, for lower costs, but we also have to deal with scammers.

Bottom line is whether we have expensive and vague newspaper ads, or free and dynamic Craigslist ads, there's going to be a downside. Deal with it.

 

[crank]

that cinder block ad is the best i've seen in a long time.how many of us have felt just like that at one time or another.

 

[BeeKool]

I agree. A polite way of saying no "lowballing." Is simply to place include the word "firm" after the price.

Another thing that's rude is when people tell you how sweet their car is and not to bother complimenting them.

 

[conv67bdere]

Was looking at a truck for my daughter, looked okay, fair on the price . . . the "first" question I asked him was do you have the title in hand - Yes. Go down there, take it for a test spin, everything seems to check out, so I told him I don't have all the cash, will he take a deposit to hold it until I can get to the bank to get the money - and you have a title - yes. Handed him $300 to hold it. Go to the bank the next day, get the cash, call him up and ask where he wants to meet - we agree on a location - I tell him I've got the cash, you'll be bringing the signed title and any spare keys that you have.

He's responds to me ( get this ):
I don't have the title, I've got a form that the DMV has told me is as good as a title - you just need to go to the DMV and pick it up. My response - we'll meet at the agreed upon place and you'll have my $300 deposit to return to me because the deals off - you told me more than once you have the title in hand.

Luckily - he gave me back the deposit and I let him deal with selling it to someone else . . .

Sheesh . . . how hard is it to tell the truth that you DON'T have the title in your possession ? ? ?

 

[Bruzilla]

We see that a lot in Florida since they upped the cost of getting a title. Someone will flip a vehicle, and rather than pay to have the car retitled in their name and have a new title issued they'll just give you a sheet that shows the current title info and you have to take it to the DMV and get a new title issued. It's all on the up and up, but I just think it's easier to get the title and hold it if I'm flipping a car. All a buyer needs is a signed title and it doesn't matter who's name is on it, and long as the last titled owner's signature is there.