Folks Of Interest Do these people irritate you also?

They have started charging $5 to list a car, but parts are free.

 

I love it when they reply to the add and ask " is this still for sale"..add clearly says if this add is still up it's still for sale.. yeah dealers calling and tire kickers.. had a 50/50 good-bad buying and selling..

 

Over the years, I have bought and sold a lot of items on Craigslist, and most times it has been a good experience. I agree that not listing the phone number seems to be the best way to let the scammers know that you are not a sucker. I feel that dealing with some idiots is the price a person has to pay for using the service.
There are looky loos, and tire kickers everywhere. It seems that some higher power put about 10% of the population on this planet to aggravate the crap out of the other 90%.
Just my .02
Bob

 

My favorites: Is it still for sale and what's the least you'll take for it?

 

Don’t be Eddie.



All things said and done I make Craigslist sales fit my schedule.

I list the address of the closest gas station to my house, tell the person to call or text once they get there. If the item isn’t bulky I bring it to the gas station, otherwise I give them my address once they are at the gas station.

If they want it they’ll find time, otherwise I don’t think about it. Weeds out the flakes and wannabes.

 

I had one like that about a month ago. After wasting more time than I should have spent on him, he never showed. Then he phoned me to offer me $800 on something that was worth $3,000. I wasn't kind.
Bob

 

Free for parts and motorcycles. There is a fee for selling cars.

 

It’s kind of like my buddy Timmy.
He passed away but left his friends with lots of stories to tell. You see Timmy was all out of “give a fucks” and a had different out look.

Here’s one of those stories:
He alway figured his averages and worst case scenarios that if he was in a bar and talking to women he might get to talk to 2-3 different women across the entire evening and probably spend $100 and go home alone most nights. So Timmy came up with a new plan,,, he figured if he’d walk into a bar and politely ask 100 women if they would like to fuck that he could get slapped 99 times. Most of the time he only introduced himself if the said yes, waisted too much time.
He had his new plan into action and I never saw him get slapped but did see some neat reactions and I never saw him go past 15 mins before he was out in the parking lot banging one of them. He had no standards and it didn’t matter how big, ugly or old they were to him.

The same shit on CL or FB market place,, would you take ,,, ? One of the ad posters will say yes And they’re off with something to resell at a profit

 

When the first words out of their mouth is "I'll give you $$$, all they hear is a dial tone.
Not just C/L either, if they're not interested in the details how can they even begin to make an offer.

 

What I have a problem with is the telemarketers and robo callers. I've gotten where I don't answer my land line at all.
If I list something I tell buyers to call and leave a message and I'll call them back, and I explain its because of the robo calls. Used to be you could tell real callers by their name showing on caller ID. Then the robos started stealing peoples names to make calls. I've even gotten calls with my own name in the caller id box. When I do get a call from someone wanting to purchase something, I just tell them I'll be home for a couple of hours before I have to run an errand. If they are serious about coming, thats plenty of time. Did have a guy come buy something once then came back a few weeks later and stole a couple welders. Got cameras and noise makers now......
Now if I could just figure a way to stop the robo calls!

 

I usually don't even bother to contact anyone who doesn't list a phone number. If I'm on Craigs list looking for something to buy, 99% of the time I'm ready to come purchase it right now. Sending an email and waiting for someone to answer it, sometimes days later isn't helpful. Just tell them to leave a message on your answering machine. Then if you are home you can call back quickly.....if not home, you will at least hear the beep when you get home. Maybe it works for you, but maybe you lose some sales because you inconvience the buyer. Selling or Buying should be a two way street.........

 

I buy and sell on C/L and other online sights all the time. I always kinda under rate my item, so that when the buyer views it, he is pleasantly surprised. I clearly state in my ad to reply via text or email, that way I can respond when it’s good time for me. I have learned over the years, which responses are genuine and those that are bogus. Usually get them right, but not always. It’s not perfect, but it does get results!




Bones

 

I can see that point ,,,

 

I guess you've never called someone and they told you they sold it already? even though the ad is still up? Happens to me...so yeah, first thing I ask is if he still has it.

 

I never get a phone call at 2am.
I bought a phone that has a off button and I use it every night at 10pm

 

In France our Craigslist is Le Bon Coin, I always ask if the item is still for sale because many times people are genuinely surprised that their ad is still up despite the fact that they already sold it. Maybe they expect that the ad will delete itself as soon as they sold their stuff.
I also bargain a little before going there on small items, at worst it's a firm price and I pay full price because if I answer to an ad it's because I'm interested and I think the price is about right or right. If I think it's too expensive I just don't answer.

 

I don't negotiate over the phone or on line. Come with cash and then we can haggle!

 

this

 

back in the old days of newspaper ads and phone calls only an asshole would make an offer over the phone. so what we have today is either more assholes or the rules have changed.

 

I mostly have had good luck selling on craigslist other than the scammers. I have a broken tv on craigslist right now and haven't heard from anyone. Not even a scammer.

Pisses me off...

 

Or, as my Car Wash owning friend said while repairing the exit door on his automatic car wash bay for the thousandth time, "Remember, 50 percent of all people are below average in intelligence, and out of that 50 percent, some are going to drive right through that door.", or reply to an ad. I try to think of the irritating aggravation as entertainment.

 

Unfortunately the world is full of crooks and asshats, the more I can weed out the better. I can't really say that I have lost any sales as I have sold every car I have listed. An honest listing and a fair price works every time and people that really want it will go to the trouble of contacting you no matter how you have it set up. I just got tired of the scams/BS calls and at least with the emails I don't have to drop what I'm doing to answer the phone. Most of the robo calls that are sent now usually start with your area code and your first three numbers. A sneaky way of making you think it's local. If I don't recognize the call I don't answer it. If I placed my number in the ad I would have to answer all those calls. Who the hell wants to do that?

 

Don't like dealing with Cragslist for selling complete cars for all the reasons listed. I've had better luck advertising on the HAMB.

 

I've learn't with robocalls, if you don't answer straight after picking up the 'phone the computer ends the call. If a human speaks I will speak then.
As far as going to look I tell them I'll ring when I'm on my way and again 10 minutes from destination. I know it pisses me off waiting for someone to turn up.
I also tell sellers that I will call them if I'm not going to make the agreed time or if I'm not going to make it at all.
Too bloody honest for my own good I suppose.

 

I sell a lot of stuff on Craigslist ,facebook and local swap sites.I think the secret is plenty of pics and description . I hate trying to buy something and the guy has taken one pic with a cheap cellphone at midnight in a rainstorm. If you want to sell it spend some time making it look desireable. Just my opinion.

 

Many robo calls are obvious because caller id shows a number where the name should be. Many steal names or use local area codes. About 99% hang up after a few rings and don't leave a message.....so I just don't answer the calls.
If it is someone who needs to contact me, they will actually leave a message and if I'm home I call them right back.
I think that works well for dealing with honest callers. Seldom do robos leave a message, but I can just delete it.

When I do call someone, I let them know that I will be coming and about how long it will take me to get there. I also mention to them " You know those people that call and never show up ? Well I ain't one of them" Then I tell them if anything happens to delay me on the way I will give them another call, but baring an accident I should be there in X number of minutes. Most people seem to appreciate that and will give you time to get there.

Years ago I was trying to buy a Vega wagon. People lived in a nice home in a nice neighborhood and were selling it for their son who was away in college.Made them an offer and they said they would run it by their son. This was long before cell phones. They called on a snowy Sunday morning and said they would sell it for an intermediate price and we reached an agreement. Said I would be over in an hour with the money. As I rounded the corner, I saw someone looking at the Vega, he looked at me, and quickly scurried in the house. The lady was very nice and apologetic but her husband was going to take the best offer. I was pissed but didn't let it show. I was more pissed at the weasel who was trying to buy the car than the father who was trying to help his son....even though I wanted to say something to him.
So even though I wasn't going to actually give any more money, I made an even higher offer than the weasel, and he cam back even higher. I said OK, Its yours and turned to walk out. The lady kept apologizing as we entered the area at the front of the house. I told her " Mamm, I didn't really plan to pay more, I just wanted to see that weasel pay even more for buying the car out from under me", gave her a wink and a nod and was on my way.........

 

Sellers are just as bad: Agreed on a price on a 64 Nova and offered to pay up front and return with my trailer the next day to pick it up. Shook the guy’s hand and he said we could settle up when I picked it up. Called the next day and was told he sold it to someone else.

Drove 100 miles to look at a couple of 36 Fords with supposedly good frames. Got there and found them sitting in the mud with no floors whatsoever. Couldn’t even see the frames sunk in the swamp for forty years.

36 coupe two years ago similar experience. Called the guy when I left home, drove 120 miles to get there as someone else was loading it. Ever heard of a text telling me not to bother, since you knew I was on my way?

 

I have sold enough on Craigslist in the last couple years to fund my ‘32 5 window build with almost no out of pocket money. You need to learn how to use it.

I googled phone numbers I don’t recognize since I don’t ship. Works great.

What pisses me off more is sellers that won’t answer phones or return messages. Trying to buy a car right now that the guy just refreshed his ad but won’t answer his phone!

SPark

 

I sell a lot of things on Facebook Marketplace. Many people don't care for Facebook, but its the only way most newer generation people communicate. Plus, you can see the persons profile that is contacting you, and see if they are legit or not. Plus, you get thousands of square miles of exposure on your sale ads on there instead of just more localized cities than using Craigslist.

 

I love "Address collectors"- they have no intention of turning up or buying your stuff- but want your address "just in case". I tell them to call when they are ready to leave ( I ask them where they are coming from, to give them time, and tell them the suburb where I am), and THEN I will tell them my address. They say "OK", and I never hear from them again. When I was young & green, I would give them the address straight away, and they never showed up. I figured these people wrote all the addresses they had collected from people over the years, and, on their death bed, passed it on to their children.- "Make sure you don't use this list my son, but keep calling people and adding to it. Promise me this as I draw my last breath...….."
And Robocalls (or anyone now) who calls... I pick up the phone, and say nothing. 9 times out of 10, it hangs up after 5 seconds. If it is a "normal" person, they will usually ask "Hello?".