Art & Inspiration Am I being a jerk??

So I have a couple things for sale on my local Craigslist. Example is a 1925 Studebaker barn find. Rock solid car asking $2500. I get a lot of emails "will you take $1500?" without even looking at the car in person ,etc, etc.
So I reply back with my standard
"Sorry,
I do not negotiate against himself over the internet. All offers are to be in
person with cash in hand."

And most people get offended. Personally I think they need to stop watching all these fake "reality" picker shows and get a life.
Some feedback would be nice.
Positive or negative.
Can I word it more friendly or should I even care?

 

My price is my price. offer me a lower amount and I may say no. If the shopper doesn't like that, I don't care.

 

I completely agree with you, the TV shows and the internet have taken the act of making a purchase to the lowest common denominator.
The act of going to see an item for sale, making an offer and making a purchase has now become almost unheard of!
Stick to your "guns" on this one, by and by nice Studebaker!
KK

 

add statement(s) to your ad that you will only consider offers placed in person, etc

 

No, sounds like you are being nice, the way you worded that response was 100% polite. That seems like a great deal. Anonymity brings out the worst in people.

Keep doing what you're doing! There are a lot of good people on CL, but unfortunately it's a public forum, so a good portion of them aren't.

Whenever I post an ad on CL, I get weird responses. A lot of "people" are trying to get you to their emails directly, never do it, people are trolling for valid emails to sell to spammers. Use the CL response tool.

If you're ever bored, and want to see a swath of the unwashed masses close up and personal, put something in the "free section", and see who shows up, some will make Ted Kaczynski look like Mister Rodgers with his "formal shoes" on.

 

You could try selling it here. Compared to a lot of cars listed, yours looks like it's worth the asking price.

 

My grandpa had an old popping Johnny tractor for sale a guy said "Its an old tractor I'll give you X for it". Grandpa said "I want to sell it, but I don't have too. The price is what I want take it or leave it."

 

Hell I even get that on the H.A.M.B. One guy offered me more money just to place him at the top of the list for parts I had for sale. I told him I don't play games like that.



..

 

I'm with you wholeheartedly OLDTINPUSHER...and the next question that sends me into orbit is, "What's the least you'll take for it?"

 

The only reason that you would need to deal via txt or the web is if you are selling cross country and even at that a phone call and a voice is nice.

Being a jerk?

Well let me say it this way. A couple of years ago I was selling a vintage Harley frame. now bear in mind I have been around bikes as long as I have been around cars. I was selling it local pickup only, and I knew exactly what I had to sell. I start getting these txts from Socal about how I wasn't selling what I said I was selling and blah bah and cheating people blah blah. After a while I pointed out to the guy that unless he was coming this way anytime soon he should probably leave me alone, he said that he was going to report me to Cl. So I said, "Look this is your addy, I got google and I am not afraid to use it, I am going to be in Berdoo next month for a meeting, and you are not going to be that far out of my way, if you like I can stop by and we can discuss it then." he stopped txting me.

I guess maybe you are a jerk but what does that make me.

 

Put the price up to $3500 and then you will start getting offers for $2500. There are all kinds of low ballers and grinders out there these days.

 

Culture, or what passes for it, these days is a sorry mess compared to when I grew up. I was a WW2 baby. A handshake was your bond, and human interaction was the rule. Now the instant gratification crowd wants everything at the push of a button and if you have what they want, somehow you are supposed to be "obligated" to provide it at their terms and conditions. Stand your ground, OldTinPusher, you are in the right and if the party is offended that is too damn bad.

 

Anyone offering less than your asking price for a car that appears to be missing no hard to find parts is either looking for a car to flip or has no concept of the market. Looks like it's worth every penny of $2500.

 

It happens every where , you are dealing with the public . As Petejoe said ,I've seen in on the HAMB also..and you know those guys are the salt of the earth ??

 

In my ads I always put ONLY FACE TO FACE OFFERS are accepted. Thank You.

 

I don't deal with lowballers.
BUT... are those the pics in your ad? If so why not clean it up and make it look the best it can for the ad. If you want top dollar, show how great it is, not how deeply buried in 3 inches of dust it is.

 

This is right on, I do this with all of my ads on the internet now. I did have a guy who drove all the way from eastern Penn. to me in northern Wisconsin for what was rightly a parts car, we did agree on a price beforehand but I had talked back and forth with him for a while by then and I knew he was genuine and also that it'd be tough for him to drive up just to look. He did end up taking it. Not going to do that for a guy a half hour away.

But I have gotten a much better response with stating up front that I only negotiate in person, and the people who clearly didn't read the ad and throw out shit offers or "what's your bottom dollar" just get ignored. I've even written in my ads that a positive attitude, along with cash and a trailer, get the best deals from me.

Just be careful. Some people's ads sound like they're already grumpy at any potential buyer, wording things like "no BS offers, no lowballers, don't waste my time, ect" and that will turn off the good buyers, too.

You want your ads to come across that you're welcoming and negotiable but only with truly interested parties.

 

This is another really good point. I look at that car, all dirty and read "barn find" and I think, this seller doesn't give two shits about this car, they probably bought it for next to nothing last week and didn't even wash it before taking pictures, they'd probably take way less on a cash offer. That might be part of your issue.

When I want to sell a car, I take the time to clean it up nice and get some nice pictures at the very least, usually I end up fixing a bunch of stuff to help it sell, add some value.

Maybe you do that too and those pics are just old pics, but if that's what you're showing, it comes across as "Gramps died, I'm ready to cash in on his old shit with as little effort as possible" and that's an open door for bullshitters.

 

I don't have a problem with what you are doing and I would say the same thing. If you come to see it and offer less, I expect that and I'd do the same thing if our positions were reversed. If you don't plan to negotiate at all, then just say the price is not negotiable or FIRM. There will still be "friends" who cannot read and will ask you to take less, but fewer of them. I liked "I want to sell it, but I don't have to."

 

you are not being a jerk. i have found being rude does weed out the people that waste your time. i start with you have to see it in person, bring all the cash and get permission from your wife or whoever is in charge of your money then we will talk. the wasters of time won't go any further.

 

You're much nicer than I am...I simply ignore/delete lowball offers. I also dont put my phone number in any craigslist ad either. In all my craigslist ads I include...."send me your number and ill call you". I use their first email as a signal of their sincerity and seriousness. No phone number and a lowball offer? Delete. Simply a phone number and nothing else...not even their name? Hmm...they become a backup. An email like this.....Hey my name is XXXX, and am interested in your XXXX , can you give me a call at (XXX) XXX - XXXX, or send me your number? Thanks!. Bingo. Winner.

 

I have no problem with your response but I will say you shouldn't get offended by they offers. A few years ago I had $1,300 in my pocket and a guy was selling his car for $1,700. I called him and told him I know I haven't seen the car but I only have $1,300. Before I drive there and waste both our times will you take that? That way neither of us wasted our time on a deal that wouldn't happen. For the record, the $1,300 bought the car.

 

I don't think your a jerk.I just got asked on Craigs list will you take $4,000 for your 56 Chrysler?.I said how can you make me an offer when you haven even seen the car???Craigs list is always a crap shoot but I finally sell them after weeding out all the crack heads. LOL. Bruce.

 

And if you came down to his low ball offer he would not show up with the cash. Some people have too much time on their hands and just like to screw with people for the fun of it.

 

A real jerk would NEVER even think of asking this question.

 

I almost hate to advertise on Cl. It is always a pain for me. Of course I am a sort of a shit magnet.

On aside note, a couple of years ago I emailed a guy about a lift for my bike. I asked if he still had it and told him that I may not be able to come up with the full asking price. I got a email back and all it said was call me and he guys number.

I called and we talked about everything but the price of the lift for about half an hour then out of he clear blue sky he says, "well how much you got?" I told him and he said, "Well this is my address. "So I went and picked it up.

 

You're not being a jerk. Your response to these types of lookers is fine. I put a set price
in my ads, I don't add "...or best offer". If someone, when they're here in person, wants
to negotiate I'll listen. Then I'll either accept the offer or say it's not possible. Fortunately,
I haven't had to deal with a fool so I haven't had to be rude. I prefer to keep things civil.

 

I sure don't see that as being a jerk but if you want to jerk around the jerks, try this, especially if he is coming from a long way away. Ask the guy offering you 1500 how he knows its only worth that if he has not seen it. He will tell you some bs like "I know these cars, that is what they are worth". OK. Tell him that if he is willing to buy it sight unseen, OK. Meet him somewhere besides your house, without the car, have a bill of sale prepared and ask him to give you the money and you will sign over the title. He will moan about how he needs to see the car before handing over the money. Challenge him on the fact that he previously said he knew the car's value without seeing it, what has changed? More moaning. Tell him to pay before seeing the car or no deal. He will cuss you and leave having wasted lots o time and fuel costs, maybe even trailer rental. It is a real jerk move but you will have made your point.

Remember, don't try this at home.

On a serious note, just put in your add that all money negotiations are to take place face to face. Also like squawblow said, clean that thing up and be careful about the wording in your add so as not to come off like Mr. Grumpypants.

 

You have to be a jerk to sell on CL. I can see someone making an offer, hell I do it, but say someone has something I want for a $1000, I'' call and offer $900 and tell them up front, if you can't sell it for that, I understand. These people that call and tell you what a piece of crap you have and then offer 1/2 your asking price are idiots. If they mess with me to much, I raise the price and write their number down. I like to get anything cheaper, but I'm not going to insult you and then try to buy it.

 

Roger that!
You owe them NOTHING and besides the chances of you ever coming face to face with that C/L buyer is pretty slim.
Another thing, after my experiences with C/L "tire kickers", I've developed an attitude of
I've got hundreds of jerks to deal with, they only have one......me.