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Firm price is just you re not willing to wiggle, but when a buyer shows up and realize your car isn't worth the price you want. They will walk.
Best advice is to give yourself a little cushion and them make the offer.
People like to feel they got a good deal.
Chris V. --> Absolutely agree. Everything is negotiable. You will never receive what you don't ask for.
For those of you who are offended at lowball offers, all you are doing is selling a car, an inanimate object. It is just a business transaction. They are not insulting a member of your family or race, they just want to pay less for something that you own. No need to get personally insulted over an offer you deem low. This is my pet peeve. You either like their price or not. They will either come off of their lower number or not. It's a question of how motivated you are to sell. If you need to sell it tomorrow, then you may have to drop your price.
Most Craigslist private sellers over price their vehicles anyway. Or at least price them equivalent to dealers when everyone knows that buyers aren't going to pay the dealer's list price for the vehicle. In theory, the extra money you make over a trade-in price is your payment for the hassle of having to sell the vehicle on your own.
Growing up around the car business we always posted a price...
Folks were free to make an offer... we never listed Or Best Offer.
I've bought a number of cars that were Firm for less.
The think is not to be a jerk.
Look at the vehicle and offer what it is worth to you... no hard feelings.
Have cash, or a trailer if an antique like I buy... leave your number.
You would be surprised how often I would get a call on the way home or that night to come get my car.
Once the deal is made... be appreciative and don't be a jerk.
My Grandfather said no one ever comes in and writes a check for the sticker price... everyone expects to deal.
Still remember one seller... an older guy... he was firm... told his brother he was not going to sell for a penny less.
I liked the old Model T... it just was not worth as much as he was asking...
We talked price and I said we have a deal if he would include the spare engine and wire wheels... we struck a deal and he was able to tell his brother he didn't drop his price...
When you sell your personal used vehicle, do you list the price as "firm" or "obo"? or neither?
Is OBO an invitation for the non-serious buyers to take a test drive and then offer a ridiculously low price? (wasting your time)
I have bought and sold practically all of our cars in craigslist as of last 9 years.
Set price above your target number. Then simply negotiate it down.
Look around for other cars for sale like yours. Buyers always do same and if market is saturated with cars at lower cost, yours will sit stale.
I always tell in ad to not bother if you are not ready to buy and do not provide phone number for calls. I request texts or emails only. This is a slight deterrent, but saves you time and nerves talking to idiots and low ballers.
When I determine a serious buyer, I'll ask them straight - do you have funds to buy? Any "wiggling" in that response I simply tell them I have better customer and it was nice talking to them.
You'll drive yourself nuts chasing every call and "potential". Take only good buyers.
I have always listed OBO
Never been disappointed, because I set the price a few hundred more than what I actually want.
One time I had 2 separate people coming at roughly the same time......
That was interesting, because they both made me an offer, then from there it instantaneously
turned into a bidding war between them--I was highly amused
I actually made more than I was even originally asking, lol
I have bought and sold practically all of our cars in craigslist as of last 9 years.
Set price above your target number. Then simply negotiate it down.
Look around for other cars for sale like yours. Buyers always do same and if market is saturated with cars at lower cost, yours will sit stale.
I always tell in ad to not bother if you are not ready to buy and do not provide phone number for calls. I request texts or emails only. This is a slight deterrent, but saves you time and nerves talking to idiots and low ballers.
When I determine a serious buyer, I'll ask them straight - do you have funds to buy? Any "wiggling" in that response I simply tell them I have better customer and it was nice talking to them.
You'll drive yourself nuts chasing every call and "potential". Take only good buyers.
Now, there is a chance that in the back of their mind might have occurred that maybe you were going to hold them up if they showed up with the funds...
This. Trying to haggle a FIRM price is a pet peeve of mine that makes me .
Small story: A few years ago, I decided to sell my car for an already low $4000 FIRM (originally wanted $4,500). A member of a car club that I used to be in had a friend looking for my exact car. The guy came through one day for a test drive and liked it. Mind you, I told him I was not budging on the price. He said he would get back to me.
About a week later, the member called up again to inquire about the car for his friend. I already knew the sale wasn't going to happen after he asked me, "What did you say the price was again?" Despite my FIRM price, he tried making excuses as to why it wasn't worth the price: "(some person) has the same car with less mileage/more features than yours...he's selling it for $3500" and "c'mon man...you know the economy is bad." Firstly, if you're trying to haggle a price, I don't think it makes sense to insult the seller. Secondly, if that car is cheaper/better than mine, why doesn't your friend buy that one instead? Lastly, if the economy is so bad, why is he trying to buy a 6cyl instead of a 4cyl?
Less than a week later, my car sold for full price without having been on any classifieds.
that's all well and good but there is still no reason for someone not to try and get the car at the cheapest price they can
and from what i've seen usually when people say "firm" on a car price, they are asking for way more than the car is worth (not that you did)
I usually don't put either in the ad. "OBO" basically says "I know it's not worth what I'm asking for it." And "firm" is off-putting when I see it in an ad, even if the price is fair.
I usually bulid a little fluff into the price so people can feel like they've worked me over to get a good deal. And if someone wants to pay less they need to make an offer. When someone says "What's your bottom dollar?" I tell them I won't know until I sell it.
The last car I sold on CR and classified, I padded a little and had three people interested, first guy didn't like it, the second kept calling and never showed up, the third happened to be someone that was a distant acquaintance. They liked the car and then offered full price. Since I knew them and liked them, I LOWERED the price by $500(that was my bttm price anyway) and made the wife agree to take organ lessons from me for free. LOL I wanted to teach her and feel that way they can not complain that they over paid. BTW, it was a 03 Accord V6. I am always worried that the tranny will give way sometime we I am still teaching her. LOL
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