Author Topic: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?  (Read 16484 times)

toincoss

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Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« on: May 21, 2015, 12:28:03 PM »
I'm trying to buy a car on craigslist and made a few inquiries on some of the cars I liked through email. One of them replied and I submitted a low ball offer. This was a 2009 Toyota Camry with 90k miles and I offered 7000. The seller accepted my offer and I shot them back an email requesting more information like VIN info, carfax, etc. I got back a scathing email saying "how I could possibly ask more questions even after accepting this low offer."

Is this normal craiglist behavior? Do others face these type of replies when transacting on craigslist? Did I approach my offer incorrectly? Do you have any tips on how I can approach negotiations without having the seller feel like I disrespected them?

norabird

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2015, 12:32:15 PM »
If they felt the offer was low, they should have countered. It's not on you at all.

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2015, 12:35:00 PM »
I'd ask all that first, then make the offer- personally. I mean, don't you need to know that before you determine the value?  If you have already determined the value, what do you need the information for? I can see why the seller is a bit annoyed.

As for dealing with rejection- most people on the internet are crazy.  Just shake it off and move forward.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2015, 12:58:26 PM by iowajes »

Slam

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2015, 12:49:25 PM »
I am with the seller on this one.  You made an offer, it was accepted.  Give them money and take the car.  You can read the VIN while your new car is sitting in your driveway.

If you weren't willing to pay that amount for the car, why did you make the offer?  You definitely should have asked all those questions before making an offer.

forummm

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2015, 01:21:47 PM »
You made an offer to buy a car without seeing it? Perhaps ask if the amount is in their consideration zone before doing more due diligence, if you're worried about wasting your time. Maybe I'm just more cautious, but I couldn't determine what a car was worth, or even if I was willing to buy it at all, without seeing it, driving it, getting it checked out, etc.

Eric

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2015, 01:49:13 PM »
Is this normal craiglist behavior?

Everything is normal CraigsList behavior.  Nothing would surprise me anymore.  Just filter out the crazies and move on.

MikeBear

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2015, 01:59:34 PM »
Some of those Craigslist ads for cars are scams, and the cars don't exist. So, that might be the case for you, and he's just a scammer waiting for your money, and then he'll vanish...

Do NOT send money without going to see the car, in ANY case for ANY car on Craigslist.

toincoss

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2015, 02:05:39 PM »
You made an offer to buy a car without seeing it? Perhaps ask if the amount is in their consideration zone before doing more due diligence, if you're worried about wasting your time. Maybe I'm just more cautious, but I couldn't determine what a car was worth, or even if I was willing to buy it at all, without seeing it, driving it, getting it checked out, etc.

I think this is a great suggestion. I'm part of this "lazy generation," so I see no value in wasting everyone's time by seeing the car/testing driving and then failing to agree to a fair offer. There's a "sunk cost" feeling I get when I've wasted so much time testing driving and then not able to come a fair offer. Many of the asking prices on craigslist are homerun asking prices, which I think aren't genuinely fair. My intention was to agree on a price, check the car out, and then, I reserve the right to change my offer based on the cars condition.

AlexK

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2015, 02:13:29 PM »
I sell a lot on craigslist and I never consider an offer from someone who has not seen the vehicle. 99% of the time they are just lowballers that send a low offer to everybody hoping to find someone desperate. I price my stuff on the low side to get it sold though.

Paul der Krake

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2015, 02:15:40 PM »
Yeah it's all about the wording. When in doubt, it's best to spell out that your offer is valid if and only if X, Y, and Z check out. Always err on the side of extreme clarity when doing deals by email.

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2015, 03:15:01 PM »
Lots of good replies so far.  Not my standard order of operations either (offer and acceptance before viewing/test driving), but his abrupt answer would raise a red flag in my mind and just make me want the information that much more before closing the deal.  Although, he may just be tired of requests to ship the car to Abu Dhabi. 

sisto

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2015, 04:38:19 PM »
I sell a lot on craigslist and I never consider an offer from someone who has not seen the vehicle. 99% of the time they are just lowballers that send a low offer to everybody hoping to find someone desperate. I price my stuff on the low side to get it sold though.
I always say "why don't you come take a look and then we can talk price".

Syonyk

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2015, 05:19:46 PM »
I sell a lot on craigslist and I never consider an offer from someone who has not seen the vehicle. 99% of the time they are just lowballers that send a low offer to everybody hoping to find someone desperate. I price my stuff on the low side to get it sold though.

HAY I REELLY WANT UR CAR BUT I DONT HAVE THE MONEY WILL U TAKE PAYMENTS FRUM ME I PROMISE IM GOOD FOR IT!!!11111

Can't Wait

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2015, 05:38:07 PM »
I've had some pretty good luck with Craigslist and have been able to snag some pretty good deals. Some sellers piss me off though because they list things then don't respond to texts/calls or take a few days to respond to an email. At least you got a response haha.

Letj

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2015, 05:58:51 PM »
Be very careful with Craigslist. There's been several murders associated with buying cars on Craigslist. Do not transact in cash (use only cashier's check) and do the transaction in a public place like a Walmart parking lot or the closest police station. Many many posters on Craigslist are scammers. Ebay is another place with a lot of scammers. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

SunshineAZ

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #15 on: May 21, 2015, 06:06:26 PM »
When I tried selling my car on Craigslist, a 10 year old Miata with less than 30K miles, in mint condition, I got a really rude insulting email from some jerk insinuating I was an idiot and my asking price was way too high (it was $1K below blue book) and that I would never sell it for that price and offering me like $2K below that.  You could just tell the the guy was an all around abusive jerk.  I didn't even bother to reply, I just decided I didn't want to deal with abusive jerks, removed the listing and ended up selling it for more at the local consignment lot in less than 2 weeks.  *sniff* I still miss that car.  :(   After that experience, I don't think I would consider using Craigslist to sell a car again. 

p.s.  I do understand the concept of trying to get a better deal, and I expected some of that, but he obviously failed charm school. 

Cpa Cat

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #16 on: May 21, 2015, 06:21:58 PM »
I just went through selling a freezer on Craigslist.

I dealt two no-shows for scheduled appointments to come purchase it. Then one person who was SUPER INTERESTED but had to suddenly leave town, so they would immediately send a Certified Check, sight-unseen so that I would hold it for them - because that sounded totally legit. Multiple low-balls.

The guy who finally arrived with money in his hand, was probably weirded out by how happy I was to see him take my freezer away.

You need the patience of a saint to deal with Craigslist.

Ysera

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #17 on: May 21, 2015, 06:23:09 PM »
I think it is good to be asking for the VIN before you go see it. You can run it online for free and make sure it's not stolen or salvaged (NICB.org) and then verify that the number is correct when you go see it. Maybe the guy is upset because he doesn't want to shell out for the Carfax.

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #18 on: May 21, 2015, 06:29:47 PM »
I just went through selling a freezer on Craigslist.

I dealt two no-shows for scheduled appointments to come purchase it. Then one person who was SUPER INTERESTED but had to suddenly leave town, so they would immediately send a Certified Check, sight-unseen so that I would hold it for them - because that sounded totally legit. Multiple low-balls.

The guy who finally arrived with money in his hand, was probably weirded out by how happy I was to see him take my freezer away.

You need the patience of a saint to deal with Craigslist.

Patience!  Totally

The best deals are found on CL.....period!

Syonyk

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #19 on: May 21, 2015, 06:32:09 PM »
The best deals are found on CL.....period!

If your time is worth nothing.

CL is horrible, but it's better than sending something heavy to the dump.  Though after a few times selling things on CL, I sometimes think the dump would be better.

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #20 on: May 21, 2015, 08:15:57 PM »
The best deals are found on CL.....period!

If your time is worth nothing.

CL is horrible, but it's better than sending something heavy to the dump.  Though after a few times selling things on CL, I sometimes think the dump would be better.

Sorry.... I was talking about buying, not selling.   didnt make myself clear
« Last Edit: May 21, 2015, 08:17:51 PM by surfhb »

Knapptyme

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #21 on: May 21, 2015, 11:47:52 PM »
The best deals are found on CL.....period!

If your time is worth nothing.

CL is horrible, but it's better than sending something heavy to the dump.  Though after a few times selling things on CL, I sometimes think the dump would be better.

There's always the free section (with the best deals), and people will haul your stuff away wherever they intend to take it for free. The dump should be a distant 3rd option. I find value in CL for the sheer conservation of resources purpose. The money is a pleasant surprise. (I recently sold my grandma's old bowling shoes on CL for $10, who knew?)

My time is wasted (enjoyed?) on the internet anyway. CL is just one of the places I frequently visit.

To the OP, I side with the people who have come to expect anything and any response on CL and with the oddity of an offer needing to be validated further without clarity. CL is quirky sometimes, but so is dealing with people in general.

stlbrah

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #22 on: May 22, 2015, 12:27:01 AM »
to me, craigslist is only for things not worth putting on ebay. Such as old funiture, heavy items etc

I use autotrader for cars

Otsog

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #23 on: May 22, 2015, 12:32:25 AM »
I am with the seller on this one.  You made an offer, it was accepted.  Give them money and take the car.  You can read the VIN while your new car is sitting in your driveway.

If you weren't willing to pay that amount for the car, why did you make the offer?  You definitely should have asked all those questions before making an offer.

Due diligence after an accepted offer is perfectly normal before the deal is executed.

Pooja Sharma

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #24 on: May 22, 2015, 06:31:19 AM »
It's not on you, negotiations always happens when it comes to buying or selling. Sometimes you win, sometime you loose. Its all about luck and urgency of seller on how badly he/she needs money. I'd recommend you to go for offers that have "Urgent" or similar words in their post. Those gigs are looking for money any how and they might get you good deal too ;)

toincoss

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #25 on: May 22, 2015, 09:06:06 AM »
For the people who prefer the test drive and then negotiate route, do you feel you wasted your time when a deal falls through? Or do deals actually close more frequently? (Maybe because everyone has invested their time into a deal...I dunno?) As a general theory to selling things, I can understand why you want a face to face with the buyer (basically so you can put the hard-sell on them). But everyone's time is valuable too. I'm basically complaining that there's a huge inefficiency to buying and selling used cars...someone fix it!

Slam

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #26 on: May 22, 2015, 09:14:54 AM »
Perhaps your initial contact could say something along the lines of, "Hey I am interested in looking at your car but I only have $7,000 to spend.  I don't want to waste your time, so let me know if you could let it go for that much and I would love to come check it out."

I have only ever owned two cars, the first one was totaled, so I don't sell cars on Craigslist.  But I have sold a number of bikes on there, and I have found that when someone is standing in front of you and really does want to make the purchase, the terms can typically be negotiated.

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #27 on: May 22, 2015, 11:27:07 AM »
I just went through selling a freezer on Craigslist.

I dealt two no-shows for scheduled appointments to come purchase it. Then one person who was SUPER INTERESTED but had to suddenly leave town, so they would immediately send a Certified Check, sight-unseen so that I would hold it for them - because that sounded totally legit. Multiple low-balls.

The guy who finally arrived with money in his hand, was probably weirded out by how happy I was to see him take my freezer away.

You need the patience of a saint to deal with Craigslist.
I have very little Craigslist experience - but several years ago I bought a mini-fridge sight unseen from a college girl. She's been using it as a "bar fridge".  Sent my husband over with the $50.  Went smoothly.  Been storing my lunch at the office there for years.

Jouer

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #28 on: May 22, 2015, 01:21:48 PM »
Quote
For the people who prefer the test drive and then negotiate route, do you feel you wasted your time when a deal falls through? Or do deals actually close more frequently? (Maybe because everyone has invested their time into a deal...I dunno?) As a general theory to selling things, I can understand why you want a face to face with the buyer (basically so you can put the hard-sell on them). But everyone's time is valuable too. I'm basically complaining that there's a huge inefficiency to buying and selling used cars...someone fix it!

My gawd no!! This is not wasted time. At worst it is learning for next time. At best it saved you from buying a piece of shit car.

An intelligent consumer does the appropriate amount of research prior to a purchase. For a pack of gum: little-to-no research. For a car costing several thousand dollars: a shit ton of research. That may be online research looking up value of makes/models and certainly means test driving the damn thing. That's the bare minimum.

Hvillian

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #29 on: May 22, 2015, 04:06:02 PM »
HAY I REELLY WANT UR CAR BUT I DONT HAVE THE MONEY WILL U TAKE PAYMENTS FRUM ME I PROMISE IM GOOD FOR IT!!!11111

Ha - I had that exact conversation the last time I sold a car on CL (for <$3,000).  But that was back before I took up texting, so I had to do it over the phone and listen to how hard it was to get a loan while only working part time at the movie theater.  However, even that story ended with a smooth sale to some nice people after minimal interaction with crazies and lowballers.

I am generally in the camp that really likes craigslist.  I usually stick to the listings in the more affluent areas, and also ignore adds if the seller seems like a flake (post is incoherent or missing obviously necessary information - like a bike without even a remote guess on the size).

My wife once agreed to buy a stroller, had the seller agree to the price and time to pick it up, and then never respond to repeated requests to send us a location to meet.   The funny part is that I could trace her email address back to her university, and she had her home address as well as home, work and cell phone numbers listed on the alumni directory.  My wife would not let me call her.  I just wanted to have one very friendly but incredibly awkward phone conversation on her work line.  My wife is too nice, and made me just let it go.

To the OP, if you have enough information to make an offer, then the deal should be closed if I accept the offer.  I have never had anyone object to contingent offers ("I'll take it for $X, assuming it runs and doesn't have cats living in it").

pagoconcheques

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #30 on: May 22, 2015, 04:46:46 PM »
My craigslist ads always say "call or text only".  I don't even check the email responses.  Serious buyers call (or, nowadays, text).  Period.  When I get an offer I say that I only consider offers from people standing in front of me with money in their hands. 

I also price stuff right so as to not waste my time.  In a big market (I'm in DC Metro) a car that doesn't sell on craigslist in two weekends is overpriced. 

So, if you want a good deal as a buyer, have your money ready and know what you want.  Call, don't e-mail.  Show up and look over the car.  Test drive if it's worth your time (or else walk).  If you like it, make your cash offer.  If you are nervous about the location, insist on meeting in a parking lot of a place with lots of people that has security cameras.  If cash transactions make you nervous, bring deposit money and do the transaction in the lobby of your bank, they are happy to offer that courtesy. 

FIRE me

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #31 on: May 23, 2015, 08:14:24 PM »
I'm trying to buy a car on craigslist and made a few inquiries on some of the cars I liked through email. One of them replied and I submitted a low ball offer. This was a 2009 Toyota Camry with 90k miles and I offered 7000. The seller accepted my offer and I shot them back an email requesting more information like VIN info, carfax, etc. I got back a scathing email saying "how I could possibly ask more questions even after accepting this low offer."

Is this normal craiglist behavior? Do others face these type of replies when transacting on craigslist? Did I approach my offer incorrectly? Do you have any tips on how I can approach negotiations without having the seller feel like I disrespected them?

I'll second what Slam said. You made an offer and it was accepted. The time for questions is past. Except for asking when and where to consummate the sale. You should have asked questions before you made an offer.

Additional hint: If you don't want the seller to feel like you disrespected them, don't make low ball offers.

Syonyk

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #32 on: May 23, 2015, 09:41:55 PM »
Additional hint: If you don't want the seller to feel like you disrespected them, don't make low ball offers.

Yeah, but lowball offers to buyers who need cash today are the best deals! :D

"How about X?  I've got cash.  No?  Ok, well, here's my # - call me if you change your mind."

About 15% of the time, come 7 or 8 PM, I've got a deal.

Merrie

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #33 on: May 23, 2015, 09:59:49 PM »
I think there are a lot of morons on CL as there are in the world in general. I don't think your request was out of line. I would consider "Hey, I'll give you 7k for it" in light of a conditional offer. An email/text message containing that information isn't a legal binding contract if you run Carfax and discover it has a salvage title, or show up to realize that the seller's ex attacked it with a golf club last week.

Shane

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #34 on: May 24, 2015, 01:49:02 AM »
Perhaps your initial contact could say something along the lines of, "Hey I am interested in looking at your car but I only have $7,000 to spend.  I don't want to waste your time, so let me know if you could let it go for that much and I would love to come check it out."

This sounds like a good strategy to me.

Recently I've been selling LOTS of stuff on CL, and as others have said above, you get some weirdos, but there are also many good people who are just looking for a better deal than they can get in a store.

A month or so ago I had a nice bed listed on CL for $850. At least 6 people contacted me during the first week I had it listed, and they all "definitely" wanted to buy the bed because they loved they way it looked in the photos. When I talked with the people on the phone they asked me questions like, "Is the bed comfy?" or "What kind of mattress is it?" But, none of them asked important practical questions like, "What are the dimensions of the bed?" (huge) or "How much does it weigh?" (heavy) or "Can the frame be disassembled?" (NO!) Which were the most important questions to ask if you were actually thinking of the logistics of buying and transportiung this giant, solid, massive bed made entirely of super heavy tropical hardwoods.

After a week of talking, texting and emailing with all of these really "nice" people who didn't have a clue, I got a text from a guy who said, "Hey, your bed looks great. I'd love to buy it, but our budget is only $500. If you'd be willing to consider accepting that much for your bed, please let me know." We texted back and forth a few times. I told him if he actually showed up at my house with a truck ready to load the bed up and take it away, I'd gladly accept his $500. This guy asked all the right questions. He wanted to know the exact dimensions, so that he could measure his home doorways and make sure the bed would fit into the bedroom where he planned to put it. Less than 24 hours later the guy showed up at my house with $500 cash in hand. I helped him load the bed onto his truck and he drove it off. I was more than happy to accept a lot less for the bed than I'd initially asked, just because the guy showed up and had the cash.

I don't agree with the advice above to, "Not make low ball offers on CL." When I put something up for sale on CL, I want to sell it. If I think a fair price for something is $100, I'll usually ask around $120. Sometimes people just pay the $120, and I end up with a little more than I thought I'd get. Usually people will want to negotiate a little bit, so I'm fine to drop the price a little bit down to $100, and then I end up with the amount that I thought it was worth to begin with. But, sometimes I put something on CL, and I think it's worth $100, but I don't get any offers, so I drop the price, drop the price again, and again. In the end, I've taken $10 for stuff that I originally asked $100 for, but I don't care. I'm not offended. The price of anything you sell on CL is whatever the market will bear. If no one's interested in whatever you have for sale, then it's worth $0. I don't care what Kelly Blue Book or anyone else says.

PawPrint53

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #35 on: May 24, 2015, 12:48:40 PM »
So if you're offering $7k or more, do you pay in cash? I thought there was some weird stuff about cashier's checks. Or should buyer and seller go to the bank together to the buyer's bank so the seller can see the buyer getting the cashier's check? Also, how do you take a CL car to your mechanic to have it checked out? My 13 year old car will need replacing at some pint, so I'm curious about buying a car on CL.

Hvillian

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #36 on: May 25, 2015, 09:30:51 PM »
So if you're offering $7k or more, do you pay in cash? I thought there was some weird stuff about cashier's checks. Or should buyer and seller go to the bank together to the buyer's bank so the seller can see the buyer getting the cashier's check? Also, how do you take a CL car to your mechanic to have it checked out? My 13 year old car will need replacing at some pint, so I'm curious about buying a car on CL.
I would think it mostly depends on the situation, and may even vary regionally.  My experience for what it's worth:
- For buying cars, just tell the person you want to take it to the mechanic.  if you seem legit, they should help you figure out how.  I once had a person want to ride along, but the other few times the person just treated it like part of the test drive.  They held onto my driver's license while I took the car for a drive to the mechanic.
- I bought a car for just under $7k, and I think I paid him with a bank check.
- I sold a car for about $3,000, and I accepted a personal check because the people were nice, older, and buying a car they could clearly afford for their grandson.
- I bought a piano for $3,500, and that person asked for money orders.  Annoying, but not really too inconvenient.  He got seven $500 money orders.

Quote from: Craigslist
Don't accept cashier/certified checks or money orders - banks cash fakes, then hold you responsible.
I did just look it up and craigslist does say not to accept cashier's checks.  I think you just need to decide how comfortable you feel with the situation.  You can always pay in cash, if needed.

Shane

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #37 on: May 26, 2015, 12:15:22 PM »
So if you're offering $7k or more, do you pay in cash? I thought there was some weird stuff about cashier's checks. Or should buyer and seller go to the bank together to the buyer's bank so the seller can see the buyer getting the cashier's check? Also, how do you take a CL car to your mechanic to have it checked out? My 13 year old car will need replacing at some pint, so I'm curious about buying a car on CL.

If I were the one selling the car, I would prefer cash to a cashier's check for payment, but as the buyer maybe paying by cashier's check or money order gives you more safety as you then have a "receipt" that shows you paid for something.

As the buyer, you want to make really sure that the person you are giving $7K+ cash to is actually the owner of the vehicle you are buying, and you want to make sure that the vehicle you are looking at is actually the same vehicle on the title and other paperwork the seller has. Check the VIN# on the title, and make sure it matches, exactly, with the number on the vehicle you are buying. Also, it'd be a good idea to check the person who's selling you the vehicle's i.d. to make sure they are the same person whose name is on the title.

Some states require that transactions be handled by a notary and state tax be paid on the sale of the vehicle. Other states let you do it yourselves, without anyone official being involved. Once I bought a jeep from a guy who seemed kinda shady, so I asked him to go with me to the DMV. We both waited in line, and then we handed the title, registration, safety check paper work over to the person behind the counter, and she walked us through where to sign and how to properly fill everything out.

If you live in a state where it's possible to just sign over a vehicle title and do a cash transaction between a buyer and seller, be careful. It's possible to screw it up. Once, my wife and I were selling an older vehicle to a young couple for $500. I was at work, driving our other vehicle, and my wife met with the couple signed over a title, gave them the car and got the $500 payment. When I got home from work I looked in the filing cabinet and noticed that we still had the title for the car that my wife had sold that day. My wife was like, no that can't be. She said she'd signed over the title and given it to the couple who bought the car. After searching around through our files and thinking about it for a while, we figured out that my wife had actually signed over the title to the car we still had! The couple buying the car had not looked carefully at the paperwork. They hadn't noticed that the title they had gotten was for a completely different vehicle. So, we had accepted $500 cash for a vehicle that we actually still owned, and the vehicle that we were still driving was actually owned by some couple we'd only met twice. We had an address and a phone number for the couple, but it took us over a month to sort things out because the couple ended up being really flaky. They didn't return our multiple phone messages. At one point we drove to their house and left a note on their front door to try to get them to meet us and switch titles to the vehicles. Every day they were driving a vehicle that we owned and we were driving a vehicle that was owned by them... It was a nightmare. Be careful!

captainawesome

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #38 on: May 27, 2015, 10:43:53 AM »
When buying on CL, cash is definitely king, but I don't like carrying large amounts with me at one time. I have sold and bought car with certified checks, cash, and a combination of the two. For certified checks I do the transaction at my bank to make sure the check is good.  Large amounts of cash, same thing, although I just withdraw and do it at the bank.  Personal checks if you know the person (relative) but even that can get sketchy sometimes.

My most recent car purchase was "cash" from a dealer, but I simply cut them a check (after also putting some on a CC to get some points/cash back).

Other options include escrow accounts
http://www.dmv.org/articles/escrow-accounts-taking-the-stress-out-of-buyingselling-a-vehicle/

A little bit more involved, but ensures that you get what you are supposed to.  I could see this being a benefit of buying a car outside of the 5k window.

In terms of buying and selling, I use emails, text, and phone calls.  I have a general idea of the email spam games that get played, but after the second or third email, I can tell if someone is serious and give my number to call/text.  It is much easier to spam and delete someones junk email than get BS calls or texts at random times.

I try to price my items fair, but if I want to sell it quick, I will look for similar items, and price it lower. I sold a outdoor table and chairs on Monday in less than 4 hours from post until the person came to pick it up. Took good photos, explained what was good and bad, and set my price. The more pictures, the better. And Spellcheck. Always spellcheck.

Tenlha

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #39 on: May 27, 2015, 11:36:06 AM »
You could try your city's Craigslist group on Facebook, and/or a local "Buy Sell Trade *cityname*" group on there. It's better than CL, because first, the vast majority of people on there are using their real FB account, so it probably doesn't attract quite as many flakes/crazies. Second, multiple people can make offers on your post, and the others can see it. So, if someone lowballs, other people will make higher offers on the spot. This helped me sell quickly, while my CL posts had been up for days.

frugaliknowit

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #40 on: May 27, 2015, 11:49:02 AM »
I see no point in negotiating on a car before seeing it and test driving it (through all of the gears at high revs and hard acceleration and braking).  By then, the seller has more invested and is more motivated to do a deal.  By then, you, the buyer have a better idea of the condition and problems of the car.

justajane

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #41 on: May 27, 2015, 01:06:49 PM »
I prefer e-mail on CL, but based on some of this discussion, I must be missing out on sales and buys by preferring the more anonymous form of communication. Also, no way in hell am I listing my phone number on Craigslist.

To the person above who gets annoyed when sellers don't respond, no response is a response. It means you won't get the item. I just sold a bed on CL for super cheap. I got 10 responses in a few hours. Why would I give 9 strangers my e-mail address by e-mailing them back to let them know the item is taken?

Someone also took me to task when I told her 3 hours later that the item was taken. I e-mailed her to tell her that it was still available and that she could come get it. I also asked her to text ASAP. I waited 45 minutes. No text, and another buyer had e-mailed three times to tell  me she wanted the bed. When I texted her she was there in 5 minutes. Squeaky wheel and all that. I felt bad for the other, now angry buyer, but for all I knew she was never going to reply back.

Hvillian

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #42 on: May 27, 2015, 02:51:58 PM »
To the person above who gets annoyed when sellers don't respond, no response is a response. It means you won't get the item. I just sold a bed on CL for super cheap. I got 10 responses in a few hours. Why would I give 9 strangers my e-mail address by e-mailing them back to let them know the item is taken?

I use gmail, and as long as the emails are sent in reply to the craiglist generated "@sale.craigslist.org" address, I have never seen the actual email address of the other person.  I think replying to let them know the item is gone is the polite thing to do (along with removing the ad).  I also have an alternate email address that doesn't have my name in it, so I can't really see a downside if some bed-buying craiglisters have it.

justajane

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #43 on: May 27, 2015, 03:09:21 PM »
To the person above who gets annoyed when sellers don't respond, no response is a response. It means you won't get the item. I just sold a bed on CL for super cheap. I got 10 responses in a few hours. Why would I give 9 strangers my e-mail address by e-mailing them back to let them know the item is taken?

I use gmail, and as long as the emails are sent in reply to the craiglist generated "@sale.craigslist.org" address, I have never seen the actual email address of the other person.  I think replying to let them know the item is gone is the polite thing to do (along with removing the ad).  I also have an alternate email address that doesn't have my name in it, so I can't really see a downside if some bed-buying craiglisters have it.

I see your point, but if you're like me and price things supercheap or free on Craigslist, you're going to get tons of e-mails. I've gotten over 30 e-mails once for an item I obviously underpriced. I'm a stickler for etiquette in "real life", but in the world of Craigslist, I'm not going to send 29 separate e-mails to strangers informing them that the item is taken. It's just not going to happen. I do, however, remove the listing immediately.

kite

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #44 on: May 27, 2015, 03:22:14 PM »
Craigslist is like any other marketplace.  I've had success with some deals, and others fell through.  But my absolute worst car buying negotiations were not CL related.  With dozens of successful buying and selling transactions in my past I got totally blindsighted by a close friend in a car sale.  It went so bad, it's hard to believe there had been a decades long friendship there at all.  Lesson learned:  people can be really shitty, don't be surprised if you encounter some on CL or anywhere else.

Paul der Krake

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #45 on: May 28, 2015, 05:25:12 AM »
If you live in a state where it's possible to just sign over a vehicle title and do a cash transaction between a buyer and seller, be careful. It's possible to screw it up. Once, my wife and I were selling an older vehicle to a young couple for $500. I was at work, driving our other vehicle, and my wife met with the couple signed over a title, gave them the car and got the $500 payment. When I got home from work I looked in the filing cabinet and noticed that we still had the title for the car that my wife had sold that day. My wife was like, no that can't be. She said she'd signed over the title and given it to the couple who bought the car. After searching around through our files and thinking about it for a while, we figured out that my wife had actually signed over the title to the car we still had! The couple buying the car had not looked carefully at the paperwork. They hadn't noticed that the title they had gotten was for a completely different vehicle.
That's hilarious, I am picturing you going around town attempting to locate the right paper and people, with the benny hill theme music playing in the background. Glad you got it sorted out though. Any lawyer want to chime in on what would have happened had the buying couple decided to go after your more expensive vehicle?

Bicycle_B

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #46 on: May 28, 2015, 08:15:59 AM »
+1 on Benny Hill theme music.  Nice touch!

willkp23

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Re: Craigslist - Dealing with Rejection - Suggestions?
« Reply #47 on: May 28, 2015, 08:35:09 AM »
Unfortunately, Buying or selling on Craigslist involves dealing with a lot of idiots and morons.   Be very careful and thorough when buying or selling.   Not your fault at all, he's probably a scammer.