Rant: How are people (e.g. car sellers) so stupid?

[atikovi]

- Are you the original owner?
- Why are you selling?

1) What difference does that really make? Will you pay less if they say no or more if they say yes? There is no price adjustment for number of owners like there is for number of miles.

2) You actually expect them to say, "It's a rolling POS that's going to put me in the poor house the next time it breaks down." Of course not. They will say something benign like, I don't need it anymore, or I just got a company car. Again, what difference does that make? A PPI should uncover most significant issues.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

From a private seller's perspective, when I'm selling a vehicle (or anything else) I expect to be paid in cash, and cash is all that I will accept. I can tell you from personal experience that someone leading-off with "I am paying cash" is typically either a scammer or is going to make some kind of ridiculous "cash" offer. Something that really corks me is when a "cash" buyer takes up a bunch of my time and we settle on a fair price only to have them tell me that they will have to go to their credit union to get a loan.

One thing I have learned.. never let the title go until they have paid in full. That'll get ya.

Reluctant to even provide a Bill Of Sale at this point, too many people think they are Titles and they are not.. but then again, crackheads have obsessions with Bill Of Sales and "getting over," reasonable people may see it as a receipt document (not think they can drive with it as-is because they have a Bill Of Sale, particularly in only electronic and not paper form, that is a pet peeve of mine and those people were scammers.)

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

1) What difference does that really make? Will you pay less if they say no or more if they say yes? There is no price adjustment for number of owners like there is for number of miles.

2) You actually expect them to say, "It's a rolling POS that's going to put me in the poor house the next time it breaks down." Of course not. They will say something benign like, I don't need it anymore, or I just got a company car. Again, what difference does that make? A PPI should uncover most significant issues.

1) I always thought a car with multiple owners affected value. They list this on Carfax, I think?

2) "I lost interest in the project/car." (Code for: It got too expensive for me, buy my problem. Maybe you can fix it and love it."

"I don't like the car anymore." This may be true.

"I can't afford the gas."

"I got tired of looking at it."

"I only need one car."

"I got something else."

"I commute now."

 

[Astro14]

1) What difference does that really make? Will you pay less if they say no or more if they say yes? There is no price adjustment for number of owners like there is for number of miles.

2) You actually expect them to say, "It's a rolling POS that's going to put me in the poor house the next time it breaks down." Of course not. They will say something benign like, I don't need it anymore, or I just got a company car. Again, what difference does that make? A PPI should uncover most significant issues.

There is absolutely a value change, and price adjustment, for the number of owners. One owner still means something to me. Length of ownership matters. Just as maintenance records matter.

If the car has traded hands many times, then it’s certain to have been neglected, and one naturally wonders why people kept getting rid of it. Bad car? Lemon? Hidden accident? Slipping transmission? What, exactly caused people to dump this thing?

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

When I was looking for an old-style Ranger, this was the information I wanted to see in an ad on (for example) Craigslist:

Year, body style, condition of body and glass

Which engine, which transmission, quick statement of how the vehicle was running and operating

Mileage

Any pluses, such as trailer-towing package, bedliner, etc.

Recent work done, any work needed

Any accident damage that had not been repaired

Reason for selling

Important: selling price!

These were the bare minimum. But many ads had almost none of this. Instead, I'd see something like "Used [duh!] Ranger for sale, call [number]". And that would be all—not even a selling price. That's a turnoff. This is the OP's complaint.

RIGHT. Think for a second. If you really wanted to sell vehicle for a fair price... would you NOT list the selling price among others you mentioned?

 

[WylieCoyote]

I encountered a lot of dumb dumbs on my search for an older car a couple of years ago. I encountered a woman in Arkansas with what appeared to be a really beautiful V6 5-speed Sunbird, but getting any information out of her was like pulling teeth. Her pictures were distant and fuzzy, so much so that I didn't know until she sent more detailed pictures that both doors were rusted above and below the rub strips. She crowed about the very nice aftermarket stereo but could not answer any questions about the status of the car's factory head unit being integrated, or dead. Very soon into our conversations she stated she wasn't going to answer 100 questions about this car, so I told her to get bent. She came back with a much better attitude, and closer pictures. I never got any description about how the factory head unit, integrated into the dashboard, was handled when the new stereo was installed. People are either shady or stupid and shopping from a distance is a real pain in the neck, something I probably won't endeavor again.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Why are some car buyers so stupid?

I resemble that remark...

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

I resemble that remark...

Stupid is as stupid does lol

 

[javacontour]

1) What difference does that really make? Will you pay less if they say no or more if they say yes? There is no price adjustment for number of owners like there is for number of miles.

2) You actually expect them to say, "It's a rolling POS that's going to put me in the poor house the next time it breaks down." Of course not. They will say something benign like, I don't need it anymore, or I just got a company car. Again, what difference does that make? A PPI should uncover most significant issues.

So by your logic, what difference does the quality of the listing matter? One is buying the car, not the listing.

The OP said he wanted more detail, but wasn’t specific. That was my point. Asking me why it matters is misguided, as I’m not the one critiquing listings.

 

[CharlesInCharge]

Something that really corks me is when a "cash" buyer takes up a bunch of my time and we settle on a fair price only to have them tell me that they will have to go to their credit union to get a loan.

That's a dishonest buyer, and precisely the reason I often say up front that I am a cash buyer.

 

[Astro14]

The problem with "rant" threads: the OP is upset, and expects people to agree with him.

When that doesn't happen (and it won't) the OP can get upset.

There have been some recent rant threads, where the OP got upset with people who disagreed, and their bad reaction resulted in consequences.

If you post a "rant" about, perhaps, car sellers, use of timing belts, how awful mechanics are, whatever, then be prepared for those who don't see the world your way.

 

[JeffKeryk]

One issue is, no one thinks like me, which is probably a good thing.
How I sell a car, or what questions I have as a buyer, are probably different than others.
Bottom line is, the world does not revolve around me...

Heck, the person selling may not even know much about the car, or cars in general.
My friend, who was sick, asked me to sell his '46 Dodge PU with the flattie. There was only so much I could answer, and Dave was unable to talk much due to his condition. But we got 'er done! Dave passed on, but his beloved Dodge (he got it as a HS graduation present) is still in service.

 

[Hall]

The problem with "rant" threads: the OP is upset, and expects people to agree with him.

When that doesn't happen (and it won't) the OP can get upset.

There have been some recent rant threads, where the OP got upset with people who disagreed, and their bad reaction resulted in consequences.

If you post a "rant" about, perhaps, car sellers, use of timing belts

Haha !!

As I said about a recent rant, the poster might as well create a "blog" for it and turn off commenting options, if applicable. They can vent and no one will can disagree with them.

 

[javacontour]

Haha !!

As I said about a recent rant, the poster might as well create a "blog" for it and turn off commenting options, if applicable. They can vent and no one will can disagree with them.

No one can express their disagreement on the blog. They CAN disagree, just not express it on the site.

 

[vw7674]

One issue is, no one thinks like me, which is probably a good thing.
How I sell a car, or what questions I have as a buyer, are probably different than others.
Bottom line is, the world does not revolve around me...

Heck, the person selling may not even know much about the car, or cars in general.
My friend, who was sick, asked me to sell his '46 Dodge PU with the flattie. There was only so much I could answer, and Dave was unable to talk much due to his condition. But we got 'er done! Dave passed on, but his beloved Dodge (he got it as a HS graduation present) is still in service.
View attachment 82361

Is that the kind (of Dodge truck) with the 'dimples' embossed into the running boards?
Love those.

 

[CharlesInCharge]

There is absolutely a value change, and price adjustment, for the number of owners. One owner still means something to me. Length of ownership matters. Just as maintenance records matter.

If the car has traded hands many times, then it’s certain to have been neglected, and one naturally wonders why people kept getting rid of it. Bad car? Lemon? Hidden accident? Slipping transmission? What, exactly caused people to dump this thing?

Possibly. But consider that any reasonably nice vehicle, with multiple owners, has probably had more maintenance done, not less.

Say, a nagging issue a seller knows he'll need to address that he would be fine to ignore, but to sell it it would need to be fixed for whatever reason (e.g. broken window switch, or new tires, etc.) that will make it easier to sell.

What do new car owners tend to do when getting a reasonably nice car? Excited, with a pride of ownership and investment, they probably get caught up on routine maintenance, get it washed and waxed, etc. Let's say a $20,000, ten year old car. It's probably been treated better by 2 separate owners, than 1 owner since I assume the 1 owner probably got "tired of it" around year 7 or so. Whereas it was still "fresh" for the first 5 years for both the two owners where it traded hands twice at the 5 year mark. There might even be advantageous "overlapping" maintenance, such as too frequent transmission fluid changes. The new owner does it out of a precaution, but it's already been done.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Is that the kind (of Dodge truck) with the 'dimples' embossed into the running boards?
Love those.

If I understand your question, yes. Dave's '46 was an amazing truck and a true piece of Americana.
Some rich guy in the wine country bought it for his wife to pick up flowers for her garden, and to drive in some yearly parade.

 

[eljefino]

Do you really want to buy from those below the mean? Did their same mental acumen inform their views on car care as it did on car advertising?

I've honestly had good luck doing exactly this. I've wasted my time but I've had 80%+ success.

When two people are discussing the condition of a clunker, one person knows more than the other. I want to be that person. I want the car with the completely dark gauge cluster in need of a 20 cent capacitor which any yahoo can google diagnose ahead of the showing. I want the minivan with a malfunctioning door that needs brakes and tires that some overly emotional person "just gave up on." If the ATF isn't burnt and they have jiffy lube receipts it's worth the risk at my lowball pricing.

And to keep myself sharp, I lowball with the expectation of losing out on some deals, so I'm always on the ragged edge. There'll be another opportunity tomorrow.

As for selling, it's worth while to play dumb. Would you claim your car was "mechanic owned?" Would that set any red flags? Most buyers want to hear the car was maintained, "Loyal", but never made any "surprise" trips to the mechanic. Only if everybody knew there was some bullet proofing, like head gaskets and timing belts on a subaru, would it be worth mentioning that stuff had been done in the ad. You can save the receipts and show them if prompted, but don't volunteer the info-- you'll scare people away.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I feel that cash talks for individuals. I know it would for me if selling a vehicle. For dealers not so much at least not anymore. I know when I was helping my aunt get a car she told them she had cash and they pushed her into financing a car. I’m sure it’s because they make more money if you finance it. She is one that has a hard time saying no so she took it because she wanted to buy the car then and there. The sales manager didn’t seem interested at all in her cash nor did the salesman. She ended up returning the car (bought without test driving) and having to put more money down for another one which she would of not had the cash for so it would of had to have been financed.

Now recently my friend seen a car sitting in someone’s driveway. They had $1000 listed on it he went and offered $500 all in $100 bills to the lady and she said yeah let’s do it. Now granted it’s a rust bucket that he will spend way more then that restoring it, I feel the cash helped in that situation. Also when I purchased my truck in 2018 the lady was asking $1500 for it. We test drove it and come to an agreement I had $1000 cash so I offered she said I’ll do $1050 and it’s yours so we were able to make a deal there as well. When we bought our 2004 Camry in 2010 the seller was very adamant that he would not accept anything but a cashiers check no green cash or other form of payment so we got the cashiers check and he deducted $40 from the price lol. But it still helped a little having the payment method that he wanted.

 

[eljefino]

yeah when you pull out your wallet just before or as you're making your offer the seller will generally be happy he doesn't have to hang out while you poke and prod his car any longer. They respect you're getting down to business.

Do the same thing without the wallet and you might not get as far.