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Real Buyers? …. So annoying!

Flyinspanner

Flyinspanner

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 1, 2015
Messages
2,512
Location
Ruislip
Car
A209 320CLK (CL500 & W168 sold)
Just want to vent a bit, what is it with people who phone you up about an advert, (whether it’s cars on AT, or small stuff on marketplace) who discuss the item, arrange a time to visit, then take your address, then just don’t turn up 🤬.

Are they just sad sacks who get their jollies doing it, or just so rude and self obsessed that it’s beneath them to send a text saying “sorry I won’t be coming /found another/ changed my mind”.

It’s just so annoying hanging around. Or washing a car in the cold 🥶.

Rant over……

PS anyone wanna CLK convertible before the spring rush 😎
 
Flyinspanner said:
Just want to vent a bit, what is it with people who phone you up about an advert, (whether it’s cars on AT, or small stuff on marketplace) who discuss the item, arrange a time to visit, then take your address, then just don’t turn up
Click to expand...

They're probably showing up but not telling you that they have, My suggestion is not to give them your address but instead agree on meeting somewhere nearby like a B&Q or somewhere else with a big car park and tell them to call you when they get here or close by. TBH, I won't even answer the door if I don't expect anyone. It's bad business.
 
This why I sold my previous MB to youbuyanycar as did two of our children. We got the price we wanted without the hassle of deadbeats

So many timewasters around.

you've been lucky they did not turn uo - about 20 years ago sell son's year old first 2 door with 2.5k on the clock, one owner etc - I made sure I was at home during my lunch break from work (son worked in the city so hardly used the car) - the idiots turned up a husband I suspect his wife and two little one about 2 and 3 years old respectively. They sat in the car and said "too small."

I thought you little... time wasting bunch of.... You would have assumed they had an idea of the car size by checking one out at a dealer.

Many more webuy... buyers out there now.
 
alabbasi said:
They're probably showing up but not telling you that they have, My suggestion is not to give them your address but instead agree on meeting somewhere nearby like a B&Q or somewhere else with a big car park and tell them to call you when they get here or close by. TBH, I won't even answer the door if I don't expect anyone. It's bad business.
Click to expand...

If I telephoned someone in response to an advert for a car (or indeed anything else) and the seller refused to give me their address and instead wanted to meet me in a car park somewhere then my interest in that item would come to an immediate end.
 
I'd agree.
Seeing the sellers house gives me a secondary perspective on the seller and how they may have looked after the car.
I took that on board when buying the SLK55 last year to validate the emigrating story.

I traded in all the last few cars apart from a cheap Corsa. Sold that to an ex Copper, but it was still stressful

It costs me 10-15%, perhaps 20% I'd guess, but worth it
 
Scott_F said:
If I telephoned someone in response to an advert for a car (or indeed anything else) and the seller refused to give me their address and instead wanted to meet me in a car park somewhere then my interest in that item would come to an immediate end.
Click to expand...
It's a bit of a tough call between having a van load of undesirables arriving at your home to "view" your car and immediately removing a large group of prospective buyers by not giving them your address as above.
You'd hope that if they came to view they would be interested in buying but sadly that's not today's world.
 
I would not buy from anyone who did not meet me at their house and who didn't have the owners doc in their hand that matched their home address. You are asking for a world of pain asking to meet elsewhere... which us just what the villains want.
 
Scott_F said:
If I telephoned someone in response to an advert for a car (or indeed anything else) and the seller refused to give me their address and instead wanted to meet me in a car park somewhere then my interest in that item would come to an immediate end.
Click to expand...

Yeah I guess it's a matter of perspective. The OP seems to be getting plenty of calls from people who he doesnt know that now know where he lives which to me is not a good thing. If a buyer has the money, i'm happy to take them back to the house to finalize the transaction. I don't see any reason otherwise as I'm selling a car and not showing a house. Inviting strangers to it is a hassle I don't need.
 
My hair dresser best mate had an Audi V8 ( 2 door sports car ) and put a local address in the paper.

Had a few inquires but mainly no shows but I man did appear , test drove the car , left a small cash deposite and said he would collect the car in the morning.He collected the car in the middle of the night !
 
Flyinspanner said:
Just want to vent a bit, what is it with people who phone you up about an advert, (whether it’s cars on AT, or small stuff on marketplace) who discuss the item, arrange a time to visit, then take your address, then just don’t turn up 🤬.

Are they just sad sacks who get their jollies doing it, or just so rude and self obsessed that it’s beneath them to send a text saying “sorry I won’t be coming /found another/ changed my mind”.

It’s just so annoying hanging around. Or washing a car in the cold 🥶.

Rant over……

PS anyone wanna CLK convertible before the spring rush 😎
Click to expand...
Wait until May.

You’re hissing into the wind trying to sell any car in January, but especially a convertible.

Private buyers come out to play after the Clocks Spring forward, and the days grow longer and warmer.
 
In general, whether buying or selling, you need to suss out who’s on the phone. Some simple conversation will show who you’re dealing with and how serious they are. There are a lot of people out there trying to work out what’s available and what prices to expect.

And, from the buyers’ side they need to work out if you’re someone that they trust to buy from, and whether there are little issues which the advert didn’t quite mention.
 
I have never used Facecloth or Gumball, but have sold many cars privately using the more car focused AutoTrader.
AudoTrader is a little more expensive up front, (about £50 from memory) but its viewers do tend to be looking for a car in my experience.
For my part, I always do my homework on pricing and so try to be realistic without giving the car away. Whilst I'm not a great photographer, I do try and take decent pictures and ensure the cars are forensically clean, properly described and presented.
As has been suggested, it's normally possible in an initial phone call, to weed out those who are serious about buying.
So, in the last 4 years I have sold 6 cars ranging from £2.5k to £25k, to the very first person to come and view the car.
I guess I must just have been lucky.:dk:
 
MSG2004 said:
This why I sold my previous MB to youbuyanycar as did two of our children. We got the price we wanted without the hassle of deadbeats

So many timewasters around.

you've been lucky they did not turn uo - about 20 years ago sell son's year old first 2 door with 2.5k on the clock, one owner etc - I made sure I was at home during my lunch break from work (son worked in the city so hardly used the car) - the idiots turned up a husband I suspect his wife and two little one about 2 and 3 years old respectively. They sat in the car and said "too small."

I thought you little... time wasting bunch of.... You would have assumed they had an idea of the car size by checking one out at a dealer.

Many more webuy... buyers out there now.
Click to expand...
They move amongst us. I used to work at a car dealership where it wasn't particularly rare for people to come to view a car, take it out for a test drive, ask lots of questions, then say it was the wrong colour!
 
Mactech said:
So, in the last 4 years I have sold 6 cars ranging from £2.5k to £25k, to the very first person to come and view the car.
I guess I must just have been lucky.:dk:
Click to expand...
Image.jpeg
 
MikeInWimbledon said:
Ah, but you don't know how long he took to reduce his price to the level that inspired people to come out to look.
Click to expand...
Never taken more than a couple of weeks to sell a car and never reduced an advertised price.
But have been selective with the time of year and I'm with you on the fact that Spring is a good time.
I've learnt you can go as early as March with an MX-5 as people can sense the longer days approaching.....;)
 
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