Projects how much do you lie to sell a car???

Karma. What goes around comes around. That's not just a saying, that's the truth. I won't lie to sell a car and I only bought one once sight unseen and that won't happen again but I didn't complain. It's the buyers responsibility to check it out before cash changes hands. Never take the sellers word for anything, verify it for yourself. What I got was my 100% my fault, not the seller's. I was mad because he lied, but madder at myself for not being a diligent buyer.

I'll never forget I once answered an ad for a '48 Ford F1 pickup. Ad said it was solid, no rust, faded paint but looked like new under the hood and in door jambs. I called the seller and he really hyped up how easy the restoration would be. The asking price was really fair so I jumped in the truck and drove a couple of towns away to check it out before somebody else beat me to it. The reality was it had rust holes you could put your fist thru, no bed, frame had been cut and lengthened with channel iron to put a wood flatbed on, busted glass, flat tires, etc, all stuff he failed to mention. If it would have been free I would have gladly left it there.
It's amazing what he described vs. what was there in reality.

 

I've got someone to answer to and a kingdom to inherit so I can't be bothered with telling lies.
But man are there a bunch who do.

I've flipped a quite few cars so it's hard to answer buyers questions. I tell them what I can about it and why I can't tell them more, because I don't know. Now here's the good thing, nobody has come back complaining about what they bought. One guy has put 120k miles on a $2000 car and he's happy, gonna push it another 30k and retire it at 300 miles.

 

I try to help the seller when looking at a car, what is the first thousand dollars you would spend on it if you were keeping it.

 

I'm not a sheister, so I don't lie.

 

I have actually talked people out of buying a car by being honest.

—louis

 

Never lie about anything I'm selling whole car of one piece off it, if anything I'll under rate it. Sure I've sold rusty stuff but told the people it was rusty, and posted photos of the sunshine coming through the holes. Mint & cherry are ice cream flavors, that I've never used to describe car parts. Bob

 

Birdman ,I never lie about a car either, just isn't worth it ,BUT next time you get a urge to buy something give me a yell and we'll make it a road trip.

 

Bad karma man,i shoot straight with people and a lot of times I didn’t sell a car cause i told them the good and the bad,but i sleep good at night.

 

The haunted Model A

 

I thought you went to hell for lying

 

I bought three on E bay just looking at the pictures and the sellers description. Not my best deals. Kinda disappointed but I know human nature. Im a big boy and can take my licks. Never again do I intend buy something I havent personally inspected

 

So this guy walks into a bar:
Three different people tell him their stuff for sale is in "mint" condition. And No one is telling lies. What you're expecting is what you perceive as mint condition.

So now you find out about these people.
First one is the crack head neighborhood scrap guy.
Second guy is a museum curator
The third guy is the kid that works at Baskin-Robbins.

What are you expecting now?

 

I don't. Any yeah, you are a sucker for not going to see it. I have been a sucker too. Once bitten, twice shy.

 

I have never had a buyer come back to me and tell me anything other than “the car is exactly as described “. I’m very critical of my own cars and typically people are pleasantly surprised to see a car that I am selling after talking to them about it. I want all of the people who have bought a car from me to think of me as a friend.

 

Never, As mentioned earlier, I'd rather talk someone out of it, Three minutes I can usually tell if where playing ball on the same field! But ... Have i been on the receiving end of Fuxking sphincters, You know the type, take the picture at the best angle to hide the obvious blah-blah, From wny. To Cincinnati, empty trailer, Middle of oh. Twice, NJ. All to come home empty, But have delivered three times with out any money down on 5 figure car's with zero issues, an always got, Better than described, Other occasions sold to the monkey garage, an Jim Jared of so-cal... One time a guy from long island called an asked me how far from an a small airport near by I was (10mls.) Hour an half later I picked him an his pilot, An girlfriend up to look at a hemi I had for sale, Bought it, took him back to plane an shipped it that week.... There's Kool people out there.. But there's a lot of strokes as well..

 

I've written multi-paragraph, hyper detailed descriptions of cars for sale and have had buyers ask me questions that were clearly explained in the description or be surprised by things that I'd been up front about. People see what they want to see.

Have also had buyers of items point out things to me that I never noticed but that were legit issues, it happens.

 

I've built and sold 30 plus cars, several overseas, mostly deuces since 1970 and have always let the cars speak for themselves. I've never had to hide anything. I did have one motor go bad after the buyer had driven the car about 10,000 miles and I sold a deuce roadster in Europe and the buyer complained the back of the seat was to far back and he couldn't reach the pedals. But overall I've had good success to date and don't have to look over my shoulder. I recently helped a man repair a 32 roadster I sold that had been thru several owners.

 

Don't lie, it usually gets rectified...........when you least expect it!
Like others, I've nixed a sale just because I was honest, on the other hand some people will only hear what they want to hear.

 

I've done that a few times. These were cars that 'needed work' and the buyer would obviously be in over their head so I gently discouraged them. Most listened.... Or a car that had everything functioning at the time but was unlikely to remain that way (Jaguar) and again, it was obvious that the buyer would be in over their head.

But I've had a number of lookers/buyers tell me that my ad descriptions painted the vehicle worse than they found when they got there.

 

. . . or to the head of the class, the CEO's post, to Congress, the White House, the Governor's mansion or every statehouse in the U.S. Lots of opportunities to get ahead for those who don't have a problem with lying. On the other hand, being honest can be contagious, and word gets around when someone can actually be trusted.

 

No point in lying to sell something. I think I will leave that to the dealership sales staff. I've bought some real dogs over the years because I "had to have it" and it usually bites me in the ass. That said, if I'm selling it, you get the straight dope on it. If for no other reason than I have to live in the house attached to the driveway that car was sitting in and I have to live with myself as well.

 

when selling/buying often people see what they want to see/hear - even with multiple pictures, or even seeing it in person, there is no guarantee that seller/buyer know all of the good/bad about a vehicle - assume nothing - yep, there are bold face liars out there - others stretch the truth - happens with old & new vehicles - more than once I was overly optimistic in making a purchase - OP not concerned about poor pictures & bad quarter panel - can only try to do the best that you can

 

Lying will come back and bite you in the ass!
I never lie when selling anything, but I also don’t volunteer anything more than I have to tell, but if asked will tell everything I know. Talked a guy out of buying a minivan I had for sale just last month when some issues came up during his test drive. I fixed the issue and sold it to another guy a few weeks later.

Been on the other end, too. A couple of years ago we drove 200 miles with our C4 Vette on the trailer to look at a project 47 Tudor we were thinking of trading for. 47 looked good in pics, talked with the guy on the phone a hour or two, he had medical problems and wanted something finished he could drive. Got there, the car had a cheap quick paint job without any bodywork, there were rust craters in the roof so deep I swear the paint was the only thing keeping you from seeing daylight though them! He had told me it had a new paint job, should have been my first concern. He also told me it had a 351 in it, turned out to be a 360 from a pickup with a three speed, on which the shifter was so screwed up you could only find 1 st and reverse, yet he said he drove it around his neighborhood I asked him if he ever changed gear, he finall said no, he stayed in 1st the one time he drove it around the block. Needless to say, we went back home with our Vette.....

 

I tell everyone , everything I sell is total driven junk , you want it you buy it . “You don’t want it don’t piss me off , if you don’t know what it’s worth you would not be here to raise my BP to explosive levels . “ I had an old Shovelhead to sell . The first guy comes to look at it says “ Oh that’s an AMF !” I ask him “ where in hell can you buy a 75 Harley that is not an AMF ? “ I have never seen one . So he then asks me “ can you kick start it for me ?” I told him maybe you need a NIP , electric starter , at lease you will see on the tank of what you are buying and not an old junk AMF , and get the hell out of here before I take your lunch money !

 

You have to determine the knowledge of the seller. I have a tudor I got from my uncle. Had it 5 years. Had a guy look at it and do the magnet thing. I never bothered as I didnt really buy it. so I was as interested as he was to see what he found.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

I hate this topic...When I have to sell something due to lack of space etc. It absolutely torments me. Most of my projects become a part of me ,thousands of decisions , parts bought -sold traded . I know there's an assload of flippers out there , I'm not one of em. So I guess the answer is no , I don't lie when selling a car..Pretty sure the buyer got the best of me.....

 

My Mom told me a LONG time ago that I wasn't a very good lair, so...I do my best to not even try..!
Plus my "word" is better than any sale.

Mike

 

I hate selling cars! Like the other posters, I don't BS when I sell a car. I represent it as honestly as I can and tell them up front if there is any issue. It is the tire kickers that piss me off the most.
I have been burned when buying a car, but not on a high dollar purchase. I don't take the sellers word for anything, and I know if there is a problem, that it is just going to cost me time.
Bob

 

The more I think about this thread the more it bothers me, the OP seems to imply the Hamb collective would lie to make a sell which rubs me wrong,maybe it's just me but it just rubs me wrong. HRP

 

No I don't....or stretch the truth....answered an ad on a 1940 and the ad says runs like a top. After a 5 hr drive and as we poped the hood and no battery present....I could tell it wasn't going to be starting today....his response was I could have it running in a day - BUT - the price will go up......wasn't the pic of motor in the ad....knew that when we opened the hood...go figure...