Hot Rods People not showing up.

Dose this happen to anyone else?
Someone is interested in something your selling, you send pictures, you make an appointment with them to come over. And their a no show......
No call, no text, no email, crickets.
Let's hear your stories
P.S. I have been buying and selling for over 45 years and always had good people. Even made new friends.

 

I store stuff I have for sale off site and I tell the potential buyer he needs to:
a) give me his phone number so I can contact him to give him the location (not my home).
b) make an appointment with me to arrange to meet him at my storage unit.
c) call me when he is on his way to my storage site.
EDIT: THEN I will give him the exact address.

No call from him - no need for me to stop what I'm doing to meet him

 

Happened to me often when I was selling my coupe. Frustrating as heck. Snowman ⛄️

 

Of course it does. Back in B.C. (before cell phones), I'd tell the prospective buyer that I'd be there until, say, 3:00, and if they didn't show up by then and I decided to go somewhere else, to just turn around and go back home. I did most of my selling on the weekend, and I wasn't going to stand around all day waiting for someone to get their head out of their ***.

 

I have seen stuff stolen under these cir***stances. Get details of what you have got and where you keep it.

 

Yes. It dose.

 

It happens here, too. Potential buyer PMs you 14 times with many questions, makes deal, then you don't hear from him again.
Makes you wonder if they even own a car ...

 

Must be bugging you.
Try to not let it. Too many *****s, it's a fact. I sold all my stuff over a relatively short period some years back. I'd think I had seen it all until another one came along to prove me wrong LOL. Started ******* me off. Wife said I was turning into an old curmudgeon LOL. I decided to laugh about it instead. Except that I feel kind of bad for these poor misguided ****s.
Anyway, always remember, you can't get around it, chances are you're going to have to deal with a dozen idiots before Mr Right comes along. And then it goes smooth as ****er and everybody has a nice memory and a nice story to tell.

 

We have ALL had it happen at one time or another.

Sometimes I believe it's a spur of the moment thing, the guy see's something he always wanted ,makes a call and spends the night really thinking about it and realizes he really can't afford the car, the parts, etc.

He then decides he can't have it , oh well, it never enters the idiots mind to do the considerate thing and call the seller and gracefully bow out. HRP

 

Pretty much the usual scene, runs about 1 in 3 actually showing up.

 

It sometimes works to the advantage of the guy who does show up. I got my coupe a whole lot cheaper because the seller got disgusted with all lame phone calls and the no-shows. I showed up, on time and I respected the car and his reasoning for the price but I didn’t want to pay it.
A week or so later, he called and said, “make me an offer”. I brought cash and drove it home.

 

Don’t forget the “can you send more pictures” *****s

 

Kind of like the idiots that list something for sale online, sell it, never take down the listing. You send a message about it but they don't have the decency to tell you it's sold. Just let you wonder for days until you figure it out.

 

I'm sure it is not new, but it Seems like modern times is breeding that at***ude more and more. My wife's dental office has had several no-show new 20 and evvn 30 something year old employees. Supposed professional like dental hygienists, etc

 

Yup one of if not the biggest complaint when selling stuff to the general public. Had an S10 trans for sale cheap just to get it out of my shop. Had a guy call me 3 times and say he was coming to get it as he wanted it. No show 3 times. He called a fourth time and I him told I gave it away. Enough of that ****!

 

I sold the same OT hood for a Chevelle three times, each time for $100. Got $20 deposit each time from each buyer and none of the three ever did show up to get the hood or pay the remaining $80. Never saw or heard from any of them ever again. I still have the same hood. I guess I could sell the same hood twice more and I finally get my asking price!!

 

I live way out in the boonies, no-shows on ads is a feature of country living... Although the ones that do show up are usually serious buyers.

 

I've definitely benefited from being the "only guy who actually showed up" several times.

When I do have something for sale, I will let interested people know when I'm around, but I won't stick around at odd times or make special arrangements for them to come at a certain time because at least half of the time, they don't show up. It's worked out well. Most of the people who have showed up in person have been very nice and reasonable, and are either a buyer on the spot, or p***ed on it but respectfully. Very little trouble with people face to face.

My biggest issue is people trying to pre-negotiate the price before looking at the car/item. If the first question out of their mouth over the phone or in a message is "what's the least you'll take", I'm out.

 

Happens often. Here's a weird one. Guy wanted a restored 40 Dash. All correct etc. Came by and paid me $900. Said he would come back and get it?? Called a month later and wanted me to replace the one in his 40 with this one. No thx. Time goes by ( 2 yrs!!) never heard from him. Finally tracked him down. Called and got his address and sent him the money back-never heard from him again but the check was cashed. Guys said I should have just kept the money-no thx.

 

My biggest issue is people trying to pre-negotiate the price before looking at the car/item. If the first question out of their mouth over the phone or in a message is "what's the least you'll take", I'm out.[/QUOTE]


When I post an ad, I always include "I don't negotiate price on the phone". Most of the time, when they show up they don't even try to haggle. They just pay the asking.

.bjb

 

Me to. And i will through in something extra

 

Agree to a point. I'll prenegotiate to a ballpark if I have to drive a considerable distance to go look at a car. Like you, if I say I'm coming, I'm coming. But I'm also not going to drive a major distance, at significant expense to myself, if a seller is firm on price and we have not had a meeting of the minds on where the sales price should be. I will ask for additional pictures, video, etc.

A prime example would be when I purchased my 56 Olds. It was advertised as a running and driving car, and was 7 hours away, 1 way. They were kind enough to send me a video of the car with an oil pressure gauge on it and with a pyrometer on the radiator to give me some ***urance the engine wasn't wiped out. I hooked up the trailer at hit the road. However, when I got there, there was some issues with the paint I wasn't happy with, the car ran poorly, and it was abundantly clear during my very brief test drive that the brakes were barely functional. I was prepared to leave it there. But since I showed up, with cash, we renegotiated and struck a deal. Had the car been exactly as described, I would have gladly paid the previously agreed upon price. But we were both reasonable, and a deal was made. Stand up guys I'm still friends with on FB.

 

The two I’ll never forget concern OT desirable cars that needed a bunch of work.
The first one had a guy from Mexico that wanted to meet me at the border. He offered a big premium and expenses but with me living in Maryland it was a no go.
The other involved a young guy that asked me to hold it while he raised the money. Offered to send me what he had on hand(less than $100). I told him to hold off until he could afford it. A few days later I get a call that he had raised the money and wanted to work out the details. I was busy at work and told him to call me that night. About an hour later I get a call from the boys grandfather. He begs me not to sell the car to the boy. Told me that he is the one lending the money and that the boy is out of work, married and expecting his first child. We agreed to tell him the car had been sold. Felt relieved and sad at the same time. Kind of like being in a dark version of a Waltons episode.

 

I don't think that is a new thing.
Anymore for smaller items that someone is picking up I usually let them set the time and meet them at a friend's gas station or the parking lot of a gas station that is about 5.8 miles and ten minutes away but right on the interstate. I've also had folks meet me there when they were p***ing through to buy something from them. The call me when you are an hour out in either direction and I'll meet you there. Last time I bought a pair of louvered panels from a gent from the Seattle/Tacoma area who was returing off a road trip. A quick stop and go for him and a short break for his wife.

 

Like mentioned, I’d only be available on a weekend. I’d tell the buyer “I’ll be around Saturday “. If the showed, they showed, if not, oh well.
One guy who did sow was an odd duck through. I had a ‘48 F1 bed for sale. He came by, looked it over and left a 80$ deposit, then called and said he couldn’t find a way to haul the bed. Wanted to use his deposit towards something else I had, I said sure. He came by but didn’t have enough on him to cover the rest, I think he left me another 40 or so.
A week later calls, wants to know if he could use the money he’d given me on something else I had. I said sure. Weeks, turned into years, never saw him again.
The strange part of it is he showed me a pic of his truck, lowered LWB early 60’s Chevy, I told him I’d seen him drive through town a time or two.
This was 6/7 years ago and I’ve seen the truck 1/2 dozen times since.

 

Yeh, I experienced that a number of times with items I had listed for sale on C/list.
I just considered the audience I had, just a bunch of tire kickers with nothing better to do.
What I'm experiencing lately is the whole construction trade nearly seems like it has just "checked out", if they answer the phone at all, they don’t follow through on commitments.
The world is going to hell in a handbasket!

 

I don't even bother with Craigslist because, around here anyway, if you list something for $100.00, you get people wanting to give you $12.00, three bales of hay, and an old clothes dryer that needs a new motor.

 

I just bought 4 bales of Orchard gr*** this morning, 138 and change. I’d tell the guy 12 bucks and 3 bales, keep the dryer

 

My wife and I are kinda **** about punctuality! If we say we are going to be somewhere at 3:00, you can set your watch to our arrival! Not early, not late! So you can imagine our frustration with late folks or no shows!
I also sell a lot of stuff on the net, just sold my OT one ton, that I have owned for 17 years last Saturday!
I always arrange to meet at a gas station about three miles from my house! That way the buyer has no inkling of where I live! I get as much info from the buyer as I can, phone number, where he is coming from, name etc! But then I have him contact me when he gets to the station! Then when he contacts me he is there, I ask him things like what side are you on? By the car wash? Then from his answer I can verify if he is actually there! I no longer sit at the station for an hour waiting on ********ters! I have developed this successful method over the years of dealing with liars!




Bones

 

I usually want cash…..but I have profited from trades…..so I always ask….what’s you got?
Just my way!






Bones