ever get the the wife/girlfriend/daughter of a "prospective" buyer on the phone and then they ask you a million questions and then they have to "relay" the info to their husband/boyfriend/dad or he's in the background hollering questions to ask? ya lazy bastid, call yourself IF you're not just a time waster... got one of those last night... 1st thing they ask me is how much...well, it's right there on the car next to the phone number YOU JUST CALLED ME AT! my wife thought i should have been "nicer:" on the phone.... i guarantee you ain't gonna sell to people like that... or if they want to "negotiate" before even seeing the car... anyway, just as well have some fun ....anybody want to the list?
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=500471&highlight=ran+when+parked this pretty well covers it
Im dealing with this crap right now. I hate selling cars, HATE HATE HATE it. Ya get the people that ask you what your bottom line is, then they offer you $500 less. "WTF, i just told you 3seconds ago what my BOTTOM LINE is"
i've got a fairly expensive car for sale and i'm getting all the usual bullshit. people want to trade mundane cars for it or they think their trade is worth much more than it really is, and the ad doesn't even mention trades! then you get the guys who ask what my bottom dollar is over the phone without even seeing the car. i've already set a price why would i tell you a lower price. MAKE AN OFFER! i've been asking them what their top dollar is. they never tell me! and i've been getting the the people who say they will look at the car at a certain day/time then no show/call.
I hear you loudly!- it was the wife comment that got me.... "nicer"? What I heard was "prick", but then again....... I guess I didn't get to have the things I do being a nice guy. I wonder what would happen if I haggled at Micky D's?
The one I'm experiencing a lot is. "Love to have it but, I can't afford the transportation." Or would you sell me this or that part, or is the car in the background for sale. I've finally learned after years. Set a time to be there, if they don't show at that time leave. You probably didn't miss anything but a hassle anyway.
If you are so antisocial you can't deal with prospecive buyers; In the ad; "Shown by appointment only. Text me when you are coming to look. I'll be there for ten minutes, if you don't show on time, don't show at all."
(them) "If you will take payments , I'll pay you an extra $500 , you want $2500.00 for the car , I can pay , like 500.00 down , you keep the title and the car , and I will pay you in 5 payments , but add an extra payment for the time"............(me) Oh yea ,do you think thats the setup the guy gave me when I bought the car?....why do people think you run a credit union just cuz the damn car has a for sale sign on it? , I'll never understand that one....
I just usally cut the conversation short by telling them it takes $100 to look at the car my times expensive,never call back.Or if they come up with the Kelly bluebook crap I just tell its not for sale to them and hang up.and if a dude says hes coming over to look at it I just tell him to call when hes 20 minutes away and I will be there.And if they come with that famous I will be back tomorrow leave me a non-refundable deposit or don"t bother coming back cause you don"want it anyway.Make a lot of people mad but its easy to spot the ones that don"t have a brain anyway,roll up with wife,kids,then ask what do you think honey.only thing worse then selling a car is believeing what somebody advertizes theirs as, and when you get there the pictures they sent you are 3-years old.
My wife accuses me of not "being nice" when I'm talking to total turds (she only gets to hear one side). I appreciate her input - it tells me that the jackass on the other end of the line is very likely getting the clue. dj
Well, I havn't sold many a car, but I've bought my fair share. You can call me a "collector". MOST of guys selling cars think their car or truck is hot shit, when in reality, its just a hunk of rolling iron! When I call to view a vehicle, I ask what's the bottom price he is willing to take...NOT what the seller thinks its worth. Once I pull in the drive and inspect the unit, I tell them what I think it is worth, and how much cash I got in my pocket. 9 times out of 10, I get it for my price. The odd time, I just leave and tell them to call me when they are ready to dump the car. When they do call me back, I usually offer even less than the first time and again, 9 times out of 10, I GET IT! It is all about patience. And remember, "Fortune favors the bold".
How about the ones that, buy as is and did not take for a ride. And they bad mouth you about the car.
If the idiot is too lazy to come to the phone how the hell is he gonna get off his ass to turn a screwdriver on it?
Come along with a little attitude? Better wear some nice thick pie pans in your back pockets, HeHe He. My dog sees 2 sweet canned hams back there y'all.
HotRod40Coupe I appreciate that your perception (or at least the perception you'd like us to accept) is that your 'system' works for you. I don't really know too many car people (REAL car people) that would waste any time negotiating over the phone. As in: "what's your bottom line?" I get asked that from time to time, I remind them that the price is in the ad (I always price anything and everything I'm selling) and if they want to negotiate, they need to come and view the item (car, part, boat, plane, beer cooler, etc). If they persist, I thank them for the call, and advise them that when they're ready to do serious business we can make an appointment. Claiming that people respond positively to your 'bottom line' inquiry seems unrealistic. Maybe you're doing business with more amateurs than I find out there. dj
I think you misinterepted my comment. I was referring to the post from Hyway Hauler, I don't and won't do business with ANYONe that wants a bottom line over the phone.
Ratatat...lo siento mucho, mea maxima culpa - you are correct - I was referring to the post by Hyway Hauler and not HotRod40Coupe....my abject apologies to both parties and to anyone else that was confused by my own confusion. Thank you for your quick correction, dj
A little out there but, I have to share this one. Guy came to look at a 41 ford Coupe I had. Immediately I felt sorry for him, he had the Misses with him. She was giving him the look. He really wanted the car, but she was holding his sack with a death squeeze. He finally persuaded her to get out of the car and come take a look. She's looking at the engine with disgust. I'm telling him how good it runs. I Hop in, and forget to flip the toggle. The flathead is spinning over and building pressure. Bam, the dipstick blows and pegs her right between the eyes. Needless to say, I didn't sell the car, but I still laugh every time I think about it.
Sorry to break it to you guys, all of these things happen even outside of selling cars. I worked retail full-time for the past 4 years with a BIG audio corporation and I used to get all the same shit from people... everyday! Let's just say I'm glad to have been laid off. I have no job now, but A LOT less stress. Oh, and to keep this on topic, the last car I sold, guy says "So what will you take for it then?" I respond "Price is right there on the car, take it or leave it, makes me no difference." He bought it. Full price.
I had a guy get all pissed off at me on the phone because I was selling a 70 Ford truck for $100.00 without a motor and the tags were expired by a couple years. truck was advertised with no motor or trans, and this guy asked me why it didn't run. he felt that it would cost too much to register which made him very angry. go figure.
The Jalopy Journal
