Time wasters

29RPU

29RPU

Senior Member
So now, the general mindset of sellers of anything on the internet is 'If I send pictures, they better buy it'.

Whatever happened to getting to look at something and decide if you would like to buy it? I, for instance, am looking for a 37 Chevrolet truck dash. I've looked at a few, but when I pass, I get the feeling that I'm screwing somebody over. I have even been threatened with the phrase 'don't waste my time'. I see this in ads all the time...'no tire-kickers'...

I don't think it should be this way....do you? I've sold things before and I'm happy to send out pics. Usually when I have done so in the past, my item has sold relatively easily but so what if it doesn't?....so why am I, an online shopper, a time-waster simply because upon viewing something, I know it isn't for me?

I don't think there are an unusual amount of time-wasters out there, I just think people need to see something they are considering and when they see an item, it might not tickle their fancy. How many things do we look at when at at a swap meet? I have the item right in front of me and the decision is hard sometimes, so why the [long faces] when I don't jump at an online purchase.

This is just a random post, nothing happened lately that got me thinking specifically. But, remember the next time you send pictures to somebody, someone like you is on the other end, deciding if they want the item, not wasting your time.....

Big-time, time-waster Tom :)
 
Tom, Can't believe you wasted my time with this post. JUST KIDDING! Very well-stated. What I've found sometimes, is that I will send pics and then not hear anything back. Not a big issue(people are busy,etc.), but if something is wrong with the item or it is mislabeled(or overpriced), that's useful info.
Big fan of 'random thoughts' BTW.
Bruce
 
If I am looking to buy something and the ad states no tire kickers, no low ballers or what every fancy phrase they can come up with or they don't want to send pictures I just pass over the ad and move on
 
I have found the worst place for me to sell stuff is craigslist. Lots of picture collectors and armchair dreamers.When you get 40 or 50 emails offering $500.for a car you want $4500.for,or wanting a dozen pictures for them to compare to other cars they are looking at you kind of get sick of it.What has helped is to state,NO offers.Price is firm.I make it clear,if they want it that is the price,if not,they can drive away.I don't mind people not buying,I do tend to overdescribe so they get no surprises.If it is not for them,OK.Too much money,OK.Car too little,too big,too much work,too rusty,any reason,fine.I have found that if people actually call me,they are serious.I will take pictures so they can decide if they want to look or not,but I am not taking 40 pictures because they don't want to take a ride.Halfway across the country is different,but I get very little of that.I had a 95 LeBaron for sale.A $1000.car.A man wanted more pictures,I took another half dozen and sent them to him.Then he asked for almost 30 more.He wanted to see the tread on all 4 tires,the pedals,knobs,lug nuts,he actually wanted me to pull 2 wheels and take pictures of the brakes.I told him,no more pictures right now.I thought he was far away and I did not want to waste his time.Turns out he lived THREE miles from me,and he would rather I spend a couple hours taking pictures,loading them,and sending them to him than for him to take a 5 minute drive. I have also found that if I offer to trade stuff,in person people are not so apt to think you are stupid.I have a 37 Plymouth for sale or trade,and I actually had somebody try to trade me an 88 Cavalier.I doubt they would offer that to my face.Then you get the used car dealers that harvest off craigslist.I always put in a phone number,at least most of those guys will call and not just leave a stupid email offer.Those are the guys who are making $500.offers on a $4500.car.If I write,no lowballers,that does cut down on the stupid offers.I have sold some stuff to nice people on the internet,but they seem to be only one in 50.I have gone back to written classifieds,the response is much easier and better to deal with.
 
They do not want to waste there time posting pictures, I'll not waste mine asking.
This is not to say I will ask if offer to send pictures, but do not post them. I've been looking for the last year or so. Some of the cars I have looked at are still up for sale.

Meet a lot of good people along the way,but I'm finding my budget is out of wack for most drivers, let alone great cars.

I'll keep looking!!!
Ed
 
I especially don't like and don't respond to adds that don't include the asking price. I guess they're embarrased because they want more than it's worth.
 
craigslist Is the worst no contact number and you have to play e-mail tag I use it to find local parts so I can take a drive and see and feel what I'm buying.
 
I put my phone number in craigslist ads.If I've had a particularly bad run of email idiots I will put in,phone calls only. I don't mind email,but I have found that with phone calls well over half are serious lookers,and with email,one out of ten might be.Maybe even one out of twenty.The thing that really gets me,as someone else mentioned,is how much will you take? They have not even looked at it,but want to make an offer.How can you make an offer on something you have not even seen?A few will say something like,will you take $1500? or whatever they have.Those few are asking because they just sold something,and have that much.If my bottom dollar is higher than that they want to know so they can move on.Those few usually explain that and I can understand it.They won't waste their time or mine if I want more money than they have.I sold a 65 Mustang last year like that.The guy called me,talked,and asked if I would sell it for $7500.if he liked it.I asked him how could he offer on a car he had not looked at.Turns out he had sold his hot rod that morning for $7500.If he waited a week to replace it his wife would turn the $7500.into $7000.And so forth.Then he asked for a couple of pictures to see if he wanted to make the 60 mile ride to look.I sent them,he liked it,came,looked,tried,and bought with his cash.
 
I can agree with Don on the lack of replies after a person has done their best. I would much rather be told no (and I don't need to know the reason), then to have no reply at all. Rod
 
All I do is have a draft email set up with a heap of pics, my price and terms and get ready. When ever I get an inquiry I just send the same email, takes 5 seconds max. Selling will always take some of your time. In the email I tell them if they want it to call me directly. Doesnt bother me if people dont get back to me and I'd rather do that then sit around waiting on "no shows" like used to happen a lot. Its funny I dont mind guys asking me my bottom price 1st up as they may only have a certain amount of $ to spend and it gets the issue resolved one way or the other.

When buying I only ever respond to an ad when I have the cash and its what I want. Im not going to waste my time or the sellers asking for pics. Im grateful that some sellers dont post pics, there might have been more interest in the 33 I bought if there had of been and I might have missed it. :)
 
Lots of good stuff in here. Keith True, if I had been asked for pictures of tread and brakes I'dof told the prospect to take a hike. That is what taking something to a mechanic for evaluation is meant for, and the responsibility of the buyer.

Anyway, I like all the perspectives here and Don has it right on....treat everyone as you would want to be treated. That covers all bases. Pretty interesting.

I prefer selling on the internet as opposed to selling in person. I have done some swap meets which is pretty good. What I don't like is having people come to my house and talk for 2hrs about cars to spend $15 on parts. That has happened more times in my life than I can count, and with the arrival of easy online sales, won't happen again. Personally, I prefer email. I don't even like leaving my number because that is another invitation for a 1hr converstion about everything I have or have ever had. Email is quick and easy and the socializing is short. Don't get me wrong, I like to talk cars, but at this point in my life, I just don't have the time.

Anybody ever have an irate buyer or seller?....(short version funny) we collect WWII military including German items. One time I asked a simple question about something I was interested in buying...maybe background info on it...I can't remember. This guy went off the deep end, calling me a whining liberal tree hugger, and that I should cry somewhere else with literally 50 or 60 personal slurs.. etc etc...I'm talking like 3 long paragraphs of irate typing. He was an absolute lunitic. It was pretty funny. I didn't buy from him...
 
I have responded to plenty of items on Craigslist with and without pictures. I will speak to the seller by phone before I look at the item. When I post on Craigslist I give the price and a picture. I Also place a warning to Scammers that they will be reported! This works! Lowballers,tire kickers,and how much will you take? Lowballers get a quick response "sorry but you cant afford this item!" TireKickers...
Are you Looking or Buying have cash? And the How much will you take? I tell them I dont discuss price untill after they look at the item. If the buyer will take the time to drive out and look at the item...Pull your cash out and Ill deal!
Nothing is Selling now anyway on Craigslist here in VA.
Times are even tighter now then when Gas was $4 a gallon....If your a buyer theres nothing like it! People are giving stuff away,auctions,flea markets,yardsales,swap meets...Im amazed what a Dollar will buy now!
Sorry for being long winded....Ill pass along a Hot Tip....Go to CRAIG LOOK You will love it!
Wick
 
I think a lot of people prefer the internet for selling,not because it is easier,but because they grew up with it.That is what they know,going back and forth by email is nothing for them,and they think nothing of the spam and scammers.They know how to run the delete button without bitching about it.I tell people to call me,if they won't do that then they probably are not too interested.I will email directions,that is a nice thing about the computer.I started selling stuff when I was a kid,to finance tinkering on my A,and never stopped.It is more a way of life than making money.I can count the irate buyers on one hand that I have met up with.I always tell what I know about junk,and make sure that they know that it is old,and what you see is what you get,and what you don't see you get anyway.If it is a car for sale I usually show it,tell what I know,then turn them loose to look at it without me hovering over them.They can climb under,over,and all around it and pick it apart with their friends.If it is a runner and the lift is free I will offer to put it up for them to look at.I still prefer in-person meetings,there are dozens of people I have met that way and still trade with now.The new crop of young fellows building cars may be doing it a different way,and they do tend to spend a lot of time talking about it,but I can usually keep working while they do.The old guys do that too and the middle guys come in and out as they are always in a hurry.We have some used car dealers that seem to have all grown up together.They act alike,talk alike,no matter where they are from.They do call though,not play email tag.They seem to have magical powers too.What you have is worth very little,more so in the bad times.Once they pay for it things change.It becomes rare,and the value skyrockets.Some are shameless,they will pay for it,then bring a buyer to look at it in your yard hoping to sell it before they have to haul it.I laugh about it,but if I got my price I don't care if they get ten times what they paid.
 
that happened to a friend of mine. He sold his '57 Bel Air 2 Dr hardtop on Thursday @ Hot August Nites & Friday, it was in the auction with the reserve $7K higher than he sold it for!!!
 
Cool Hand Lurker said:
You can add to that the guys who call on an ad then the first thing they ask is "what is the lowest you would take?"
Click to expand...

Oh I love them! My standard response is "Now I've made my offer, What's your's?" This usually brings things back into perspective! Since few people want to commit to a price for something unseen. I've found the usual followup to the question is the buyer then comes over to look at and hits with a even lower price. I call this "The double chisel" First he gets you on the phone (e-mail), then he gets you again in person!
Terry
 
With Craigslist, there's good and bad news! I've sold some stuff on CL but it's been collectibles, lawn equipt, and antiques, I've had zero sales of mod A , or any other auto parts. E-bay is just a PITA with nickel and diming you. I haven't sold on E-bay in years. You have to include your email address in the ad. My computer is not compatable with their email. Trouble is you get pestered with a lot of spam whiuch can't be distinguished from real responses. One more thing..... sigh
Terry
 
Craig's list in general: great for selling heavy things that are impractical to ship, terrific for freebie stuff that has no cash value but is too nice for the garbage man. we have bought a few things successfully there.

Craig's list for Model As & parts: everything I've seen so far is laughably overpriced, but I keep looking.

eBay in general: LOVE it, even though the morons who run it seem determined to tinker with it until it fails.

eBay for cars: bought '37 Plymouth, sold '89 Volvo. listed 2 different Model As once apiece & the '37 Plymouth twice without success. sold the Plymouth in Hemmings, 1 Model A on line the other by word of mouth.

eBay for Parts: very good for selling. buying, I found it very good for Plymouth parts and terrible for Model A parts.

print classifieds: get real. I still read the newspaper every morning, most people do not.

tire kickers, lowballers and other horses' asses: a conspicuous minority in all buying & selling media. sometimes I engage them until they loose their entertainment value, other times I just decline to play. :p

photos: essential in any ad, so I don't mind providing a reasonable number. anyone should be able look at 6 photos and make a decision to proceed. if they want 30, they better come over & take the darn things themselves.
 
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I don't mind in the least sending requested photo's. I would just appreciate at least an acknowledgment of photos being received. I don't consider sending pic's an acceptance of a deal, but a thanks for giving me a look would be nice.
James.
 
If I post an ad, I will either post photos or offer to send photos. I won't respond to any add that doesn't have a phone # either. If I have questions I want a quick response. Playing e-mail tag is not my thing. If someone says will you take X amount for the item, and I think there way off, my simple answer is NO sorry. No harm done. I'm sure there are allot of people out there that are trying to score something from people who just might know what it is that they got. Good luck to them. It is too bad that there are people out there like that, but I know that there are allot of honest people out there also. I only got burned once. Beat me out of $100 bucks. But it was a lesson learned.
 
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