Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

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Steve M Ross
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Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#1 Post by Steve M Ross »

NOW, I remember why I hate selling cars and bikes so much. What an awful experience. I currently have my '58 Speedster in the classified section and the only responses I'm getting are from trolls and inconsiderate people. In the ad I wrote in caps, SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY, but that obviously has no affect on who responds.

I know this sounds like a case of, "Would you like some cheese with that whine" but I need to vent and maybe in the future people will treat each other with a little more common courtesy. I don't want to sell this car but I'm doing it in order to get something that my whole family can enjoy. So, once you decide that the car has to go you prepare yourself and you want to make it happen. Recently, a club member emailed me and asked if he could call me the following day to discuss my car (this was after my reply to his want ad). I replied in the affirmative and I waited with anticipation the entire day for a call that never came. OK, fine; that happens all the time. The next day I emailed this guy just to ask if he had any interest, no pressure either way, and I never received a response. How hard would it have been to write, "sorry, found something else. GLWS"? It's just common courtesy.

Another response I received was, "Car available? Condition? Best price?" I don't know if any of you have read the ad, but it rivals
"War & Peace" for it's length. It contains a detailed description of the car's condition and I believe the price is shown two or three times with the word, "firm" following the price each time. Seriously?

I've inquired about vehicles that I haven't bought but I'll email or call the seller telling them I'm passing and, almost to a person, they'll thank me for letting them know.

Thanks for the bandwidth; I needed to get that off my chest.

Best,

SM Ross

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Adam Wright
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#2 Post by Adam Wright »

The "Best Price" guys I'm pretty sure send out about 1000 emails a day. I think they are hoping for the desperate guys who need to sell today. Once they hook a fish they start beating it with a club, and get the price down. I normally ignore those guys. My favorite is when people ask questions that were clearly answered in the description. Some of my favorites.
1. "Is it matching numbers?" The car didn't have a motor
2. "Can I fly in and drive it back to Vegas?" The car was in a million pieces and the motor was out.
3. "Do you have a clear title?" 1st line in the ad was clear title in hand.

But yes selling cars is really no fun sometimes.
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Check out my Barn Find column in the Registry magazine, always looking for good stories.

Jeffrey Leeds
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#3 Post by Jeffrey Leeds »

You just defined a new take on "Artificial Intelligence" Adam.
< Jeff >

Registry Member Since 1978
1963 356B T-6 Super 90 Coupe
2009 997.2 Carrera S
2015 958 Cayenne diesel-1 & 2015 958 Cayenne diesel-2

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Sebastian Gaeta
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#4 Post by Sebastian Gaeta »

I sold cars for my in laws at their new car dealerships for 22 years before embarking my own adventure a couple of years ago. For those out there that only do this eveyonce in a while, you have now discovered why there is such a big difference between the retail and the wholesale price of a car. Everything that's been said here is actually pretty mild and is something that sales people go through every day. When you've been doing it for a while, you let it roll off your back. I do understand that this is a club and that members should be more considerate of each other, but even then you're asking for a lot from human beings.

If you want retail for your car, you better be prepared to deal with inconsiderate people, club members or not. If you don't want to deal with that then you call someone who sells cars for a living and take the lower price.

I'll put my car selling skills up against anyone's, including Adam. But recently when I came into three cars that I just didn't want to take the time to sell, I called Adam, took the lower price and was happy for it because then he got to deal with the knuckleheads.

Harsh, perhaps, but it's the truth.
Sebastian Gaeta
www.arbormotion.com

Registry #8339

'65 C coupe
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-------
2014 Boxster 981
2005 997 C2 Cab
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1966 Ducati Cafe Racer
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Doug McDonnell
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#5 Post by Doug McDonnell »

Everyone wants the deal of a lifetime, whether it is a Speedster or a non matching numbers coupe. Having helped Newbies find their 1st 356 as something to do in retirement without compensation It is also hard to get a feel for what many buyers actually want. One however is very happy with the car I found that he bought from Sebastian at what I thought was a very fair price.
1965 356C 2000 BMW 740i Sport 1967 Honda CL77 There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over.

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Adam Wright
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#6 Post by Adam Wright »

Doug McDonnell wrote:Everyone wants the deal of a lifetime, whether it is a Speedster or a non matching numbers coupe. Having helped Newbies find there 1st 356 as something to do in retirement without compensation It is also hard to get a feel for what many buyers actually want. One however is very happy with the car I found that he bought from Sebastian at what I thought was a very fair price.
Best rule I can teach people is if you want the "deal of a lifetime" you will never find it on the internet, and if you think you have, you haven't. Now if you are pumping gas in your Porsche and an old dude walks up and says his brother has one of them Porch's in his chicken coop, you may be on to something, but staying up late at night searching the dark corners of the internet is not going to find you anything.
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Steven Murray
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#7 Post by Steven Murray »

I didn't bother Steve as a Speedster is over my budget but I find it nerve racking to be a buyer. For years I was searching for a 2nd 1983 to 85 Audi Quattro - a car I am knowledgeable about. Upon arriving at the vehicle, sellers seem to be out of patience immediately telling me how many people have already wasted their time. I work around not wasting my time or theirs so I just inspect the vehicle sitting there for 30 minutes. Many had serious rust issues. Then I'd talk price before considering a test drive to see if any common ground existed. With a 356 I would not be so knowledgeable about the car or its value. I guess this means I'm not a serious buyer. We'll I'd like to be. Maybe I'll attend Adam's Sept 2 open house to get some knowledge. It's going to take a patient seller to reel me in though. Selling to a Newbie's are going to be more work than wholesaling that 356. I didn't start reading R&T till late 1966, so I am one of those youngsters.

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Adam Wright
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#8 Post by Adam Wright »

Steven Murray wrote:I didn't bother Steve as a Speedster is over my budget but I find it nerve racking to be a buyer. For years I was searching for a 2nd 1983 to 85 Audi Quattro - a car I am knowledgeable about. Upon arriving at the vehicle, sellers seem to be out of patience immediately telling me how many people have already wasted their time. I work around not wasting my time or theirs so I just inspect the vehicle sitting there for 30 minutes. Many had serious rust issues. Then I'd talk price before considering a test drive to see if any common ground existed. With a 356 I would not be so knowledgeable about the car or its value. I guess this means I'm not a serious buyer. We'll I'd like to be. Maybe I'll attend Adam's Sept 2 open house to get some knowledge. It's going to take a patient seller to reel me in though. Selling to a Newbie's are going to be more work than wholesaling that 356. I didn't start reading R&T till late 1966, so I am one of those youngsters.
Steven is on the right track, go to events like my open house, if you're looking for a car, there will be lots of guys bringing their cars, and they might sell them. The best cars never see the open market, they just pass amongst Porsche guys. I know of a Speedster outside of Philly, it's had 5 owners and has never left a 20 square mile area.
The best part about getting involved is that you learn about the cars and make friends so when you do find your car, you have lots of friends to share it with.
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Check out my Barn Find column in the Registry magazine, always looking for good stories.

Alex Finigan
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#9 Post by Alex Finigan »

Steve,
Welcome to my world!
I get calls all the time asking questions that are clearly answered in the ads.
Unfortunately the internet has made it too easy for trolls to sit in their basement and torture you.
Good luck with the sale, i know it must be hard for you.
All the Best,
Alex

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Sebastian Gaeta
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#10 Post by Sebastian Gaeta »

Steve,

Alex would be a great person to consider selling your car for you. As a professional with years and years worth of connections, he may very well net you enough for the car that you are happy with and you would not have to deal with the sales process.
Sebastian Gaeta
www.arbormotion.com

Registry #8339

'65 C coupe
'64 C cab

-------
2014 Boxster 981
2005 997 C2 Cab
1967 Karmann Ghia Convertible
1966 VW Single Cab
1966 Ducati Cafe Racer
1964 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1963 Beetle

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David Jones
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#11 Post by David Jones »

I have the ultimate answer as I too hate selling cars for two reasons. All those mentioned previously plus I just don't want to sell any of my cars so my answer is to let them be sold after my expiration date. That way I will never know and also will not care.
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
Cymru am byth
David Jones #9715

Steven Murray
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#12 Post by Steven Murray »

I used to follow the tip of year 2001 published 356 book by James Schrager to buy the first decent car that you come across to use it as a tool to learn how to buy a better one in the future. That doesn't work anymore with a huge sales tax bill on any 356. That means you have to be five times more certain that this it he car you want, leaving more sellers disappointed about uber cautious buyers. It's harder to just JUMP IN. It is possible to avoid this sales tax hit on an upgrade by going through a dealer who will let you trade-in your 356 but I'm pretty sure their retail price will wipe out that savings. Since I never even sat in a 356 I don't have the buy bug in a bad way. I just have the little bug to buy, and since I'd hate to pay $5000 in sales tax - paying over $60K would get real painful. Seems like a coupe is it although I'm hoping prices will drop a bit. For your average Joe it's tough being a buyer. I mentioned having a 83 Audi quattro - I've seen that world turn a bit sour when prices of these tripled recently. There were profits to be made against those who weren't hip to how the value of the cars jumped. There was a greed fest going on with many cars being shipped to Europe. I imagine that's a force in the 356 market too, forged engine #s and data plates and that whole mess.

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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#13 Post by Alex Finigan »

Sebastian Gaeta wrote:Steve,

Alex would be a great person to consider selling your car for you. As a professional with years and years worth of connections, he may very well net you enough for the car that you are happy with and you would not have to deal with the sales process.
Steve is a friend, and I sold the car to him 15 (yikes!) years ago.
Another thing is that now i would not want someone coming to my house to buy a car of this value.
We were almost scammed last year by a band of gypsies, really!!
They arrived at the shop, 2 male adults and 3 teenage boys, wanted to buy a 300SL, but didn't want to drive it, or negotiate the price.
They had this BS story about inheriting some money, and wanted their family to restore it with these boys.
A deposit check was left and they were going to return the next after wiring us the balance.
Fortunately, through the internet, a friend in the business, saw it on Craigslist in LA, and recognized our shop in the photos, and called me.
We then checked CL, and it was listed in LA, Phoenix, and Atlanta, all with the same photos, but different names and phone numbers.
I don't know how they intended to scam us, or maybe just collect deposits from potential buyers, but it scared the hell out of us.
One of the guys in the shop googled their name, and a bunch of police reports popped up from around the country, with all different types of similar scams, including real estate.
We confronted them the next day, they denied any wrong doing, but quickly hopped in the van and took off, but not before us photographing the out of state license plate.
It's a different world out there guys, please be very careful.

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Adam Wright
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#14 Post by Adam Wright »

Alex Finigan wrote:
Sebastian Gaeta wrote:Steve,

Alex would be a great person to consider selling your car for you. As a professional with years and years worth of connections, he may very well net you enough for the car that you are happy with and you would not have to deal with the sales process.
Steve is a friend, and I sold the car to him 15 (yikes!) years ago.
Another thing is that now i would not want someone coming to my house to buy a car of this value.
We were almost scammed last year by a band of gypsies, really!!
They arrived at the shop, 2 male adults and 3 teenage boys, wanted to buy a 300SL, but didn't want to drive it, or negotiate the price.
They had this BS story about inheriting some money, and wanted their family to restore it with these boys.
A deposit check was left and they were going to return the next after wiring us the balance.
Fortunately, through the internet, a friend in the business, saw it on Craigslist in LA, and recognized our shop in the photos, and called me.
We then checked CL, and it was listed in LA, Phoenix, and Atlanta, all with the same photos, but different names and phone numbers.
I don't know how they intended to scam us, or maybe just collect deposits from potential buyers, but it scared the hell out of us.
One of the guys in the shop googled their name, and a bunch of police reports popped up from around the country, with all different types of similar scams, including real estate.
We confronted them the next day, they denied any wrong doing, but quickly hopped in the van and took off, but not before us photographing the out of state license plate.
It's a different world out there guys, please be very careful.
My rule is usually no pics taken of cars at my shop, and if they insist I grab a magnet. If they don't want the magnet on there, you have your answer.
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Ron LaDow
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Re: Selling Cars-Rant/Vent

#15 Post by Ron LaDow »

Sebastian Gaeta wrote:Steve,
Alex would be a great person to consider selling your car for you. As a professional with years and years worth of connections, he may very well net you enough for the car that you are happy with and you would not have to deal with the sales process.
I've had Fantasy Junction (right around the corner from EASY Jim) sell every 'collector' car I've parted with for the last 20 years. Maybe I didn't get the max dollar, but I also didn't get time yacking with tire-kickers, people I don't know traipsing through my garage, Saturdays and Sundays waiting for someone who promised to show up by X:XX, and so forth.
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz

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