How to Sell Your Car the Wrong Way

I saw this ad while surfing the web this morning (I left all the errors in for dramatic effect):

Craigslist –> Palm Beach Co –> Cars + Trucks:

1970 mercury cougar htp (delray beach)

Reply to: sale-xxxxxxxxx@craigslist.org

Date: 2008-xx-xx, 6:xx AM EDTfor sale or trade. runs and drives,

needs to be completed. call mike @561-xxx-xxxx if youare interested

and want to finish a rare muscle car

First off, my personal opinion of this particular car is pretty low. It was a crappy model from the end of the “muscle car” era. The ad states that it was rare; maybe due to its declining sales!

This ad was really shooting its creator in the foot:

First, this “mike” character didn’t even hint at a price. I hope he’s not expecting anyone to call, because they’re not going to — mainly because this model is only of interest to a very small pool of potential buyers (I don’t know who they are). As a frequent buyer of older vehicles, I find it’s safer to completely avoid buying from non-collectors. They tend to know bo diddly when it comes to selling.

Secondly, when shopping for anything of value, I look for details that show both the seller knows what they are talking about, and that they have described the flaws as well as the pluses. A seller who hasn’t done this is either down-right incompetent at selling or is deliberately hiding something. I walk away from these kinds of “offers” — this way I am guaranteed never to get burnt. Describing imperfections might not turn me off, but hiding them certainly will!

Also: “mike” should have included a picture of this rare beauty. This was certainly a deal breaker for me. Most people (myself included) feel that if you don’t include a picture of the car, then you are trying to hide something. Note: don’t use a picture from the manufacturer’s website. It’s dishonest, and buyers will eventually see the real car anyways!

Side note: this ad was posted everyday for four weeks — another thing to watch out for. This is considered spamming, and is not only annoying but extremely rude as well. A single post should be sufficient if you’re selling a valuable item. If you feel that you are, and no one’s biting, please wait until your 45 days are up on your ad before you repost. This is proper Craigslist etiquette and it shows people you know what you’re doing!

Watching out for scammers like “mike” will always pay in the end (less grief, more money in your account). So, when you’re ready to sell your own vehicle, learning from his mistakes will get you a lot more potential buyers, and a little less time being the butt of a joke. And one more thing before I go: “mike” should really learn to capitalize his own name — it will make him look like he passed the third grade!