Selling a car - have people gotten more demanding these days?

[Rupert]

I do not accept most "negotiators". I listed my shit for sale, not for auction. Anyone who puts " OBO" in their ad is just asking for it, and that is stupid.

I see "firm" and think, ah, this is an unreasonable person. Whether you like it or not and whether is makes sense or not, haggling is a part of selling a car.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I see "firm" and think, ah, this is an unreasonable person. Whether you like it or not and whether is makes sense or not, haggling is a part of selling a car.

No. There is nothing unreasonable about a "firm" price if the price, itself, is reasonable. Who the fuck cares about the "personality" of the seller?
I will not advertise something for sale at an unreasonable price, nor will I inquire about purchasing something advertised for an unreasonable price. That being said, I will never use the terms "obo" or "firm". Very simple. Takes the bullshit expectations out of the equation. I'm a smartass, not a bullshitter.

[Rupert]

Like I said, doesn't have to make sense for that to be The Way It Is. I've haggled for almost every car I've had, and I've got $50 to $1000 off the price every time. $50, meh, but when I bought the 944, I paid $4500 when the asking was $5500. Pretty silly to let some minor ideal get in the way of that, IMO.

If I show up to see a car and I make an offer and the seller refuses to haggle at all, I'm less likely to buy the car, every time.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Like I said, doesn't have to make sense for that to be The Way It Is. I've haggled for almost every car I've had, and I've got $50 to $1000 off the price every time. $50, meh, but when I bought the 944, I paid $4500 when the asking was $5500. Pretty silly to let some minor ideal get in the way of that, IMO.

If I show up to see a car and I make an offer and the seller refuses to haggle at all, I'm less likely to buy the car, every time.

That is The Way You Are.

[GoCougs]

I've only ever sold old cheap cars so YMMV but I've always listed it as firm/no haggle or w/e (ditto for anything I've ever sold on CL too). Too much of a PITA dealing with people - I list what I think is fair and lower the price till I get bites - all in all much easier. I will also remind anyone that comes to see/get my stuff that prices is not negotiable - haggling is an auto DQ. Works like a charm. 

[Rupert]

I generally have an amount in my head that I want for the car, and then list it a bit above that. I relist once a week, lowering the price each time until it sells. When I get an offer, I pretty much try to get the other person as close to my minimum as I can, generally within $1-200. Eventually, if it doesn't sell, I reconsider (i.e. lower) my minimum, etc.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I've never had to wait that long for a car to sell. Maybe because I price it fairly and am completely thorough and honest about the condition. No room for haggling when all facts are known and the price is fair.
I don't deal well with buyers who don't listen to anything I say about the vehicle, and focus solely on lowering the price. They never end up getting their way.

On the other hand, if I am looking at a vehicle to purchase and I find major problems that were not previously disclosed and considered in the seller's price, I may make an offer below the asking price. That is quite different from being a Jew and haggling to haggle.

[Payman]

Doesn't matter if you say FIRM or not, they'll still try to make a lower offer. I advertised my 300cc ATV last year for $1750 FIRM. Guy called me up and we arranged for him to come pick it up. He pushed and pulled the bike, asked a lot of questions and even drove it over my lawn. Then he had the gall to say it needed new tie rods (reflected in my price) and offered $1400, adding "c'mon, I drove an hour to come see it". I reminded him I mentioned the worn parts in my ad, and that the ad also said FIRM. He countered $1500, to which I responded "sorry for your wasted trip" and I reached for the front door. He relented and gave me the full $1750, but we was an arrogant prick about it.

[Rupert]

IMO, if you sell a car within a week, you didn't ask enough. That's fine, though. I sold the Alfa in a couple of days because I asked the same price I paid (and got it), which was very cheap. Probably could have got something like $500 more for it if I had waited a few weeks.

[Rupert]

Also, WTF is a fair price anyway? I've asked what I think is a fair price for pretty much all the cars I've sold, and I've almost never got it.

[Speed_Racer]

I sell (and buy) a lot of non-car stuff from online classifieds. I'll list "firm" when I want to weed out the low-ballers. I don't mind negotiating on items I've listed as firm. I have just found that including "firm" in the listing keeps the low-balling time wasters away.

When I'm interested in an item listed "firm", I still throw out a fair counter offer. I've had very good success with "Would you take [lower amount]? I can swing by and have it off your hands within the next hour." If they won't negotiate, I'll either pay their asking price if it's fair and I really want it, or just let it be. No use wasting my time or theirs with a lot of back and forth.

[2o6]

Maybe it's just honda tards that make things hard to sell

[12,000 RPM]

This is a shit time to sell cars brah, people are dead broke during the holidays

Cheap gas isnt helping either, youd have better luck selling a "real" truck

Be patient.... I am holding on to my Z until tax time

[2o6]

This is a shit time to sell cars brah, people are dead broke during the holidays

Cheap gas isnt helping either, youd have better luck selling a "real" truck

Be patient.... I am holding on to my Z until tax time

I'm getting hits, just hits from very dumb people.

[FoMoJo]

I'm getting hits, just hits from very dumb people.

You still trying to sell that CRV?

[MX793]

I'm getting hits, just hits from very dumb people.

My brother fairly frequently sells stuff on eBay or CL (buys and flips used motorcycles a couple times a year).  He has a collection of stories of complete dumbasses not counting the usual Nigerian scammer.

He sold a washer and dryer set and the lady that bought them showed up over an hour after the time he had arranged to show them to her and she showed up in a little compact car without any consideration that these items would not fit in her car.

He's had people try to trade him some of the most ridiculous stuff for bikes he's sold.  He was selling a completely restored 2 year old bike and somebody wanted to trade him a whipped, 4 year old example of the same bike and a few hundred bucks.  Somebody else tried to trade him a riced, beat up Del Sol that I don't think even ran.

[2o6]

You still trying to sell that CRV?

Yes

My brother fairly frequently sells stuff on eBay or CL (buys and flips used motorcycles a couple times a year).  He has a collection of stories of complete dumbasses not counting the usual Nigerian scammer.

He sold a washer and dryer set and the lady that bought them showed up over an hour after the time he had arranged to show them to her and she showed up in a little compact car without any consideration that these items would not fit in her car.

He's had people try to trade him some of the most ridiculous stuff for bikes he's sold.  He was selling a completely restored 2 year old bike and somebody wanted to trade him a whipped, 4 year old example of the same bike and a few hundred bucks.  Somebody else tried to trade him a riced, beat up Del Sol that I don't think even ran.

What I've been offered

- $1800 cash because it's got all of these made up issues and they know little how a car works

- Base 2WD 2002 Liberty with 180k

- a 2003 Accord with 160k, and a seller that has not a clue about cars

- a 99 Civic that's like six shades of green (and didn't want to put any cash with it)

- two unlocked LG phones

- a 2001 Jetta Automatic 2.slow with 188k (also wanted a direct trade)

- An Assault rifle of some sort

And other offers wayyy below market value

[FoMoJo]

Yes

What I've been offered

- $1800 cash because it's got all of these made up issues and they know little how a car works

- Base 2WD 2002 Liberty with 180k

- a 2003 Accord with 160k, and a seller that has not a clue about cars

- a 99 Civic that's like six shades of green (and didn't want to put any cash with it)

- two unlocked LG phones

- a 2001 Jetta Automatic 2.slow with 188k (also wanted a direct trade)

- An Assault rifle of some sort

And other offers wayyy below market value

Would've thought it would be an easy sell, especially this time of year.  Lesson learned, maybe.

[AutobahnSHO]

So they just expect that you know what you're doing enough to fix the car and make it run right but not know enough about cars to know what your work is worth...?

[2o6]

People get weary about buying flip cars. I generally don't say that until they ask (and I've got a few that run off when I tell them I worked on the car and fixed xxx, xxx, xxx.

[AutobahnSHO]

I could see that. I'd be weary too, but I've generally done pretty well in my old/used buys.

[2o6]

It's annoying, actually. People around here want an Ill cared for car that they want to half ass fix at their shade tree mechanic and drive around broken.

[AutobahnSHO]

It's annoying, actually. People around here want an Ill cared for car that they want to half ass fix at their shade tree mechanic and drive around broken.

Way cheaper than actually driving an actual, working, car!

[NomisR]

It's annoying, actually. People around here want an Ill cared for car that they want to half ass fix at their shade tree mechanic and drive around broken.

Or maybe they're buying it and fixing it themselves and then flipping it for a profit..

[FlatBlackCaddy]

You're selling a honda, of course you are going to have all the idiots calling you.

Just be happy it isn't a delsol with rota's  or something.

[2o6]

You're selling a honda, of course you are going to have all the idiots calling you.

Just be happy it isn't a delsol with rota's  or something.

I feel like a DelSol with rotas would be a quick sell

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I feel like a DelSol with rotas would be a quick sell

Give it a try sometime.

[GoCougs]

It's annoying, actually. People around here want an Ill cared for car that they want to half ass fix at their shade tree mechanic and drive around broken.

Dealing with the retail customer is pretty awful and the further you move down market the worse it gets.

[hotrodalex]

Biggest problem with trades - if they were trading anything worth equal or greater value,they would have just sold it themselves. So you only get lowballed on trades.

[ifcar]

Biggest problem with trades - if they were trading anything worth equal or greater value,they would have just sold it themselves. So you only get lowballed on trades.

Not necessarily -- it could be that they would need the cash from that sale to buy the next car, and wouldn't want to be between cars for too long before the next one is purchased.