Craigslist Weirdness

[Skyco]

Not sure if Craig's List was involved but I had a friend lose a car he was selling, potential buyer came to look at it, he let the man test drive it and he never came back...leaving his old car there, which turned out to also be stolen.
This guy was leapfrogging his way cross country, by swapping his last stolen car at each stop he was allowed to drive another one at. Probably picked ones with plenty of gas in them too...
I don't let anyone test drive with out me going along...and I'm always carrying when we go

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I haven't sold any cars, but I'll let people test drive my lawn mowers I'm selling without me going along. (As long as it's my lawn they're mowing)

What I won't do is finance or take payments. I've made a lot of good trades with people who don't have the cash, but I won't take payments. I've found that if a guy doesn't have the cash today, he probably won't have it next week either.

 

[beppington]

What I won't do is finance or take payments. I've made a lot of good trades with people who don't have the cash, but I won't take payments. I've found that if a guy doesn't have the cash today, he probably won't have it next week either.

Repo!

 

[BigBoyinMS]

I have a small truck that I'm selling on CL right now. I get a text last night with a lowball offer which I MAY have accepted... but he wanted me to deliver it 50 miles to him at a specific time. Yeah, CL brings out the nuts.

 

[Travelover]

I cut down a tree this week and cut and stacked it into 16" lengths on my parking pad, advertised on CL for free. Guy says he wants it and shows up in a compact car. He tells me he thought it would be split and now he can't take it because he doesn't own an axe. :confused2:

 

[sawduster98]

I answered a CL ad for stall mats, brand new and half price. The owner said she had 8 available and I asker her to hold 4 for me and I'd be there the next morning. When I arrived she showed me the stack. I asked how many of the others she had sold and she replied that she had 15 calls and told everyone that I had first pick of however many I wanted. Only after I took mine would she sell the rest. I wish all sellers were as classy as her. Oh yeah...I took all of them.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I answered a CL ad for stall mats, brand new and half price. The owner said she had 8 available and I asker her to hold 4 for me and I'd be there the next morning. When I arrived she showed me the stack. I asked how many of the others she had sold and she replied that she had 15 calls and told everyone that I had first pick of however many I wanted. Only after I took mine would she sell the rest. I wish all sellers were as classy as her. Oh yeah...I took all of them.

I'm starting to learn how to tell who's legit and who is just trolling. If someone seems legitimate and serious, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Worst case scenario, I'll just list the item again.

I was selling a boat once. I had something like 12 callers. I had 9 come out and look at it, but none took it for what I was asking. Sometimes what I'm selling is just not what people want to buy, and I have to accept that. I finally traded the boat a few months later for a small SUV.

 

[charlz]

Worst case scenario, I'll just list the item again.

That is the nice thing, at least it is free... not like you are paying the crazy newspaper rates AND getting your time wasted by no-shows and tire kickers. I love the lowballers who call and ask if they can pay you half of what you are asking if they come right now and take it off your hands :confused2:

 

[beppington]

My dad put his old boat for sale out by the road. Man stops to look at it, looking in/ out/ all around, himmin' & hawwin', talking about this problem & that, I'm sure leading to a low-ball offer, for 15-20 minutes.

While he was at it, comtemplatin', etc, another man stops & tells my dad, "I'll take it".

First man, "Now wait just a minute, I was here first. I'll take it."

 

[Iplayfarmer]

My dad put his old boat for sale out by the road. Man stops to look at it, looking in/ out/ all around, himmin' & hawwin', talking about this problem & that, I'm sure leading to a low-ball offer, for 15-20 minutes.

While he was at it, comtemplatin', etc, another man stops & tells my dad, "I'll take it".

First man, "Now wait just a minute, I was here first. I'll take it."

I've been on the other side of that situation where I show up to look at something and someone else is already there. It's a little awkward. I don't want to start a bidding war, but I don't want the seller to give in to a lowball offer either.

I have been know to call a seller and give them an offer that I know is low, but tell them the offer stands for X number of days. That way if the guy can sell it for more he will. If no one wants it more than me I can get the item for my price.