rmchrgr
Skate And Destroy
So I recently bought a new-to-me ride. (will follow up with a post in a week or two) This is not about that but the actual process of buying the thing. I wanted to share my recent adventures in car buying to see if its as tough out there for everyone else as it was for me.
I looked for a long time, over several years. I bought and sold 5 cars myself over that time but finally arrived at what I hope is a keeper.
So here's my first observation - if you're trying to sell a car on the internet, HOW THE F*CK DO YOU NOT POST PICTURES? I mean honestly, how do you expect anyone to take your ad seriously? I did actually end up reading through some ads that didn't have pictures (I like to be thorough) but come on, this is basic stuff at this point. It's not like 1998 where this technology was still emerging. Anybody should be able to snap a few pictures and upload them to a computer. I can't tell you how many potential vehicles I didn't even bother with because the seller was too lazy to put up even one image. This even goes for some more expensive cars, like over $20K asking price. Gotta love it when the guy says pics available for serious buyers only. How can I be a serious buyer if I can't see what the hell I am looking at?:banghead:
Then there's the next ad that does actually have pictures but they're from 20 feet away. Any car I was considering, I would answer the ad and start the inquiry by saying "I know it's a pain to send more pics but can you show me this, that and the other thing?" I was very specific. When I sell cars, parts etc., I usually try to post as many clear pictures as necessary. If someone asks for something else, I usually oblige. But often I would get grainy cell phone pics from further away, pictures taken at night or none of what I asked for. Insane.
Clearly, prices these days are through the roof. That's probably obvious but when you really start seeing what people are asking for lower level project cars you might get a real understanding of just how warped things have become. I really thought (hoped) that the buy in was coming down a bit because of the economy but not really. Guys still think its 2006 and their rusty, beat-up crap that's missing everything is somehow worth $100K. :finga:
Then there's the down right dis courteousness. Sometimes I'd get the idea I was really bothering someone by asking questions about the car they were trying to sell. Or the basic email inquiries without a reply. Yeah, this happens in every facet of life but it's seriously frustrating when you're trying to give someone money for something they have. Why even bother? Keep your piece of **** car. I like to think I have pretty thick skin (heck, I work at a dealership) but it's bothersome when this type of stuff is the norm.
This wasn't meant to be a rant and no, I'm not really surprised at all by any of this. I am though just a little demoralized by the lack of basic decency. I guess I hope/expect that the guy on the other end would share my passion for these cars and would be excited to talk Mopars with someone, even just for a few minutes. Seems like that might be a rare occurrence these days.
I remember buying cars before the internet. There were the same unsavory characters then too, the same shady tactics, the same crummy cars. Somehow though, it just seemed a little bit more honest. Maybe that's hindsight, not sure.
Ultimately, I did find what I was looking for but it was across the country. I had someone go check out the car for me and he confirmed it was a good deal. The seller turned out to be great and easy to deal with so I pulled the trigger. Luckily I was in the right place at the right time and had the ability to complete the deal. Hopefully if all goes as planned, I'll be out of the game for a good while.
Anyone else care to share recent car buying experience, good or bad?
- Greg
I looked for a long time, over several years. I bought and sold 5 cars myself over that time but finally arrived at what I hope is a keeper.
So here's my first observation - if you're trying to sell a car on the internet, HOW THE F*CK DO YOU NOT POST PICTURES? I mean honestly, how do you expect anyone to take your ad seriously? I did actually end up reading through some ads that didn't have pictures (I like to be thorough) but come on, this is basic stuff at this point. It's not like 1998 where this technology was still emerging. Anybody should be able to snap a few pictures and upload them to a computer. I can't tell you how many potential vehicles I didn't even bother with because the seller was too lazy to put up even one image. This even goes for some more expensive cars, like over $20K asking price. Gotta love it when the guy says pics available for serious buyers only. How can I be a serious buyer if I can't see what the hell I am looking at?:banghead:
Then there's the next ad that does actually have pictures but they're from 20 feet away. Any car I was considering, I would answer the ad and start the inquiry by saying "I know it's a pain to send more pics but can you show me this, that and the other thing?" I was very specific. When I sell cars, parts etc., I usually try to post as many clear pictures as necessary. If someone asks for something else, I usually oblige. But often I would get grainy cell phone pics from further away, pictures taken at night or none of what I asked for. Insane.
Clearly, prices these days are through the roof. That's probably obvious but when you really start seeing what people are asking for lower level project cars you might get a real understanding of just how warped things have become. I really thought (hoped) that the buy in was coming down a bit because of the economy but not really. Guys still think its 2006 and their rusty, beat-up crap that's missing everything is somehow worth $100K. :finga:
Then there's the down right dis courteousness. Sometimes I'd get the idea I was really bothering someone by asking questions about the car they were trying to sell. Or the basic email inquiries without a reply. Yeah, this happens in every facet of life but it's seriously frustrating when you're trying to give someone money for something they have. Why even bother? Keep your piece of **** car. I like to think I have pretty thick skin (heck, I work at a dealership) but it's bothersome when this type of stuff is the norm.
This wasn't meant to be a rant and no, I'm not really surprised at all by any of this. I am though just a little demoralized by the lack of basic decency. I guess I hope/expect that the guy on the other end would share my passion for these cars and would be excited to talk Mopars with someone, even just for a few minutes. Seems like that might be a rare occurrence these days.
I remember buying cars before the internet. There were the same unsavory characters then too, the same shady tactics, the same crummy cars. Somehow though, it just seemed a little bit more honest. Maybe that's hindsight, not sure.
Ultimately, I did find what I was looking for but it was across the country. I had someone go check out the car for me and he confirmed it was a good deal. The seller turned out to be great and easy to deal with so I pulled the trigger. Luckily I was in the right place at the right time and had the ability to complete the deal. Hopefully if all goes as planned, I'll be out of the game for a good while.
Anyone else care to share recent car buying experience, good or bad?
- Greg
