When I was selling my son's 04 GTO, I placed a craigslist ad.
Nothing for a couple of weeks, then I renew the ad, and a few days later get a few replies.
One guy 2k short of my asking price, another 3k short, and another 4k.
I reply to them all that the car is for sale. the 4k guy then gives me this rude email: "What's your bottom line I have another one to look at today?"
I tell him that my price is within reasonable asking price and I would like to get close to that.
Meanwhile 2k guys seems interested. I tell him my bottom line. He asks if I could go lower. I reply, "Come look at the car first, then we can talk. See it for yourself it's a nice car (less than 36k original miles). He comes out a couple of days later to see it on Sunday.
My youngest son and I washed the GTO and were doing another one of our cars when he pulled up. We had the GTO looking good, washed, armor all on the tires, and polished the rims.
The guy gets out of his car and immediately says, "I'll take it. This is the nicest one that I've looked at, and I've been looking for a year. I have submitted the paperwork to my bank and the loan will clear on Wednesday. I have $2500 cash right now, how much deposit do you want to hold it until I can come back on Wed? Do you want a cashier's check or cash?"
I told him that I would accept a $1000 non-refundable cash deposit. (If he wants to give me $1000 and walk away from the deal, that's ok with me....)
He gave me the deposit, and returned on Wednesday with cash to pick it up. :glasses7:
I got some replies from my ad where they would send me a link to a cheaper one or tell me that there is another one cheaper than mine. I just told them to go buy that one, because mine's better and I know it. Come look at it if you don't think it's worth it.
Offering 10%-20% off of reasonable asking price is acceptable, but trying to get off with a 50% offer is offensive... :finga:
Everybody's out to get something for nothing now days...
rotest:
If they are serious, they will leave a deposit.
***************************************************************************
Speaking of being serious and leaving a deposit....
About 4 years ago I was selling my old beat up Chevy pick up. Listed it on Craigslist for $1700. My friend Craig brought his friend Todd over to look at it and I didn't hear back.
I get a reply from a young guy in his early 20's from middle Indiana who wants to come look at it. He comes out and test drives it, telling me that my 4x4 isn't engaging and it's common with these Chevy trucks. I take him to test it in a non plowed forest preserve parking lot, and don't feel anything wrong.
He says that he's interested in it and what my bottom line was. I said I wanted $1300. He mentioned that he was a vet in our earlier conversation and offered me $1200, so I considered his military service and took the offer. He then said that he would come back Wed/Thur to buy it.
Meanwhile I mention to Craig that I have a buyer for the truck and told him the offer, and he says that his friend Todd wanted it, especially at that price (I told Todd $1300 when he looked at it).
Wed comes and I get a call from the Indiana guy who is giving me the old "I have $1200 right now, but by the time I drive all the way there and drive both trucks home, I will need $100 of that for gas money, will you take $1100?"
I said, "No, we agreed on $1200."
He says that he will need to scrape some more up and come out Thur morning.
I tell Craig what's going on, and Craig calls me back a few minutes later saying, "Todd and I will be there to pick it up first thing tomorrow morning."
I tell Craig that the other guy is supposed to come. Craig says, "Screw him, he tried to renegotiate the deal. We'll be there first." (Plus I've known Craig since I was 4 years old)
So I call Indiana guy back and tell him that the truck is sold. He then tries to pull the old, "We had a deal, you can't sell it to someone else..."
I reply, "We
HAD a deal until
YOU tried to renegotiate again. That cancelled the first deal. And besides if you were so interested in it, you should have put a deposit down. You kept trying to beat me down in price. First one here with the ca$h wins... You loose..."
I didn't feel bad about sending him packing after he insulted me trying to claim my transfer case was shot. It wasn't. Todd bought it at 7:00 AM that Thur morning CA$H, and then used it for 2 1/2 years for his snow plowing business. The four wheel drive worked no problem and never broke on him. He fixed up the body damage and sold it a few years later for $5000...
Sometimes you attract the "bottom feeders" on craigslist.... that's the way it goes, you just have to deal with them accordingly....
