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WHY ALL THE QUESTIONS

L

lenray

Well-known Member
I buy quite a few tractors on Craigs and after a few months for varied reasons I decide to sell and try to get most of my money back.
I run a good ad with all the info. possible.
Some potential buyers will never give you a call--they prefer to write and ask many questions--if you let them they would write 15-20 emails.
I have NEVER sold an item to those who just plain won't call and discuss the item................
 
while i never buy a tractor that i cant start and drive and kick the tires on in person, i would imagine one reason would be that in this sue crazy age if you send an email back with some claims in writing about the equipment and then the buyer finds that it isnt so, then they think they have you over a barrel, some people specialize in finding ways to sue other people over the silliest things, its how they make their money
 
I'll answer a couple questions and then put in my reply if they're interested in the item to call me and I give them my number any additional emails from that person I just ignore them.
 
lenray- What I have found is....(I know I am gonna upset some people on here)....

Mostly, those e-mails came from a Home-Bound or Nursing Home, etc, type of person. They may have a lot of knowledge about your piece of equipment for sale but, they have no intentions on buying it. They are just reaching out to find someone to 'talk' to.

If, you have someone sending '15-20 e-mails'....they are not tire kickers, they just want someone to talk to.

HTH
 
For some reason, it seems that some people don't recognize what is right in front of them. My daughter has been selling a variety of items on a local Facebook "yard sale" that someone started. She posts a photo with complete description and asking price, and the first question most people ask is, "How much is it?" And lenray, I will bet that after you answer all those questions, they still want you to give it to them and deliver it! LOL.
 
Communication seems to be changing. People seem less comfortable with actually speaking to each other. Also, it seems that people are more fond of "multi-tasking". They don't want to quit what they are doing in order to actually talk. They can text/email while still watching another screen.
All of this seems to be especially true of people in their early thirties and younger.

The one I can't figure out is all the people that say, "yes I'll buy it, be there _____ day. Will call for directions" (many of these are actual conversations on the phone) and then they never show up. Seems that most things I sell on craigslist anymore I sell 3 or 4 times before someone actually shows up to take/pay for it.
 
I'll just add one point and emphasize another:

1. I MUCH prefer email because I'm more than a little hard of hearing and phone conversations are difficult for me. ESPECIALLY if the person on the other end is on a #($ing cell phone with one bar.

2. A written record is always good. Don't hold a drop of water legally, but tends to help keep people honest.

Having said that, I've also been on the receiving end of the 20 questions via email game and have developed a pretty good sense of when someone is just blowing smoke and has no intention of buying.
 

I will not call with questions, I don't play phone tag guessing when people are around and more importantly, email is easier for me since I can send and reply on my own time.
 
I never cared for the ads that had e-mail only! I call leave a message saying what I am looking for and a good time to call back, so I know to have my phone on me!
 
Len you feel same as I, same results for me. Try this: answer one email then give them you phone. Very few will call those that do are interested. Also you will get the want pictures crowd, all kind of them. For me one or two is about it. Then come look at it.
 
Well using the email function is a sure fire way to get contacted from scammers. I put my phone number in the ad only but make sure you spell out one number. This weeds out the scammers. I still get a few of the buyers who act all interested jew you down on the phone ask for address and then you never hear from them again. Many times it takes awhile to get a buyer. Sure is weird. I had something on there for months with no calls. Then the other day had a message on the answering machine. I called him back and he could not come this weekend maybe will contact next week ? Then a few hours later someone else called from the same area code which is an hour away. This guy came down that night and bought it ! It's hit or miss.
About every time I try to contact someone who only takes emails I never hear from them. This is even for those putting in WANTED ads ! More often than not if you do not have a phone number listed I will not buy your item and I move on to the next seller who has a phone number.
 
I agree. I have had very good luck with people who text. I have done several deals this way. It is a very efficient use of everyone's time. Anytime you are selling, you will get people with good intentions who change their mind and tons of scammers. Anyone who asks you to respond to a g mail address, you delete. Many Craig's list people respond very quickly and then back out if it doesn't sell right away. If you tell buyers that you will hold an item for someone to look at and the looker doesn't buy it, they will back out because they think something is wrong with it. Over all, I still meet the greatest people on earth buying and selling tractors.
 
I agree...I prefer email or even texting to a phone call. That way neither one of us is interrupted at a bad time, or playing phone tag. I shoot you a message when I have time, you respond when you have time. I usually don't rack up 15 of 20 emails, but have before becuase you get the seller that only answers one question at a time, when I just sent him an email with 5 different questions in it.

I also like to have all the information down in front of me to look at and go over.

Lastly, sometimes it is very hard to understand people on the phone, whether it be bad service, they talk too fast or quiet or just their accent.
 
I have tried both ways, calls and mail.
One thing I don't understand is why do some people want you to email them at their address and not go through CL, even though you requested their phone number?
I never do cause I figure it is a scam.
 
thats exactly what i do---i don't carry a cell phone on me so end up with phone tag on the house phone--the email is there for you to read at your convenience and to reply
 
Its even more annoying when you are on the buying end of it. Talk to the seller arrange a time, bring $$$, possibly drive several hours only to find the place locked up tight with no one around. And now they don't answer the phone either.
 
Had a tractor once I was going to buy. Called the guy on it. Said I'd be there in 2 hours. Drove 60 miles. As I pulled in the driveway the tractor was leaving on a trailer. Guy never said a thing, just "already sold it". Never called or anything.
It seems to me that the level of honesty and responsibility has gotten to where it is difficult to do business.
 
I figure it's only people doing what they have been doing since man learned to talk. Turn on the tv any day to see what I'm talking about. They are just taking it to new levels. One example is caller ID. I got an answering machine and caller ID before they were common. Wrong number calls and obsene calls dried up pretty quick when they realized I could identify them and most likly find their address. Compare wrong numbers you recieve now to the quanity you got before caller ID. Some people simply injoy acting like a fool while people watch but there are many more that will only do it if they remain anomonus. Add to that that phones and the net reach all over the world. Kinda funny how some of us think even when we are serious about buying something. Right here in this conversation some refuse to email while others refuse to call while others refuse to text. A word of advice for those posting their phone number. If you pi$$ some people off they may post and ad of their own with your phone number saying call any time and you can't delete the thing. I usually tell the seller I will take it if the ad is 100% accurate but if I drive over there and find it's not accurate I will be looking for satisfaction. New engine and transmission but carburator and battery are missing indeed! My son in law will not responde to an ad unless there is a picture. I don't understand why he needs a picture of new items he's seen thousands of times.
 
You're gonna have the questions whether it's an e mail, phone call or in person. For the most part the questions aren't near as much about the item for sale as it is to get a feel for the person whose trying to sell it. Can't imagine a tractor jockey being opposed to it since he's gonna do it every time he buy's one.JMO
 
I buy and sell a lot on CL. Best seller tool I have ever had.
However, you must be careful! Many scumbags trying to beat you out of money.
I have learned, over the years, that you can get a pretty decent indicator of a persons character by their communication.
I never respond before talking to a person over the phone.
Most items priced right, don't last long so I give them a call or email (through CL system) and try to go immediately. I never go over a few miles at any price.
I had a guy call about a chainsaw I had listed. He asked me every question imaginable and said he would come next day by 9:00 AM.
He called at that time and said--"I don't really need a chainsaw, I only have three trees and live in town"!
Not too upset because he did call back but wasted a lot of my time.
I guess he was lonely?
Sold the saw that day to a local.
I will also add that I like to meet at a public place when possible and if not, I never let a buyer see inside my shop or home when possible.
 
I also only use email unless someone asks me to call them. Most of the day I am outside and we have poor cell phone coverage here, and in the evening I am in the shop and am often running power tools and wearing earmuffs so I can't hear the phone.
Zach
 
I've never so
D anything, bought a very few things through it.

I have a phone phobia. I just hate making a phone call, like some don't like heights or other fears. I just hate picking up a phone. I don't own a cell phone.

I find a lot of sellers complain a lot, but they are the ones in control, and seems they aren't any more honest than the buyers they run into.

Try buying a few times, and see how it feels to be treated like a buyer gets treated by CL sellers?

I guess what sets me off, clearly a jockey here, making money buying and selling, and complains about a free service he's getting to resell his stuff.

Whatever.

Paul
 
I am not a tractor jockey here. I am 70 and have some funds like anyone this age if they have made some good decisions. I have bought 3 tractors this year and have all of them and am trying to sell one of them.
Trying to sell a payloader that just isn't what I want.
DOES IT HAVE A HEATER
IS IT ELECTRIC START
DOES IT HAVE SPARE TIRES
HOW ARE THE BATTERIES
DOES IT Have air
and on and on they go---I answer the first time they ask questions, but ask in a kind way if they would just call so that we could cover all the questions.
CAN WE SEE MORE PICS--ANY MORE PICS---Not a jockey--have 6 tractors that I have had over 20 years..........................
 
(quoted from post at 21:09:33 11/14/15) I buy quite a few tractors on Craigs and after a few months for varied reasons I decide to sell and try to get most of my money back.
[b:23ae1bddbb][i:23ae1bddbb]I run a good ad with all the info. possible.[/b:23ae1bddbb][/i:23ae1bddbb]
Some potential buyers will never give you a call--they prefer to write and ask many questions--if you let them they would write 15-20 emails.
I have NEVER sold an item to those who just plain won't call and discuss the item................
Click to expand...

Well, dispite what you say, you clearly [b:23ae1bddbb]cant[/b:23ae1bddbb] have all the info in the ad or they wouldnt be asking questions, would they?

As for why people dont just call, there are a million reasons: I can send an email while I am in a meeting but I cant call then, I would be fired. I can send an email when in a bad cell area, it goes off when its able to but I sure cant call from a bad cell area. I can email at midnight but thats not a good time to call. Heck, most of the times I call I get voicemail anyway, its like people dont even remember they have something on craigslist. If they dont reconize the number, they dont answer. What good is that?

You have to remember, any time you advertise something in the digital medium, you have to expect to communicate with people in that same digital medium. If you dont, you are closing the door to a large percentge of your petential customers. Thats not too smart in my opinion but its your stuff, sell it anyway you want.
 
I UNDERSTAND the need to ask questions---I am saying after the same person emails me 4 times or more asking more questions--I just wonder why we can't talk by phone and be finished with it.................
 
(quoted from post at 19:28:51 11/15/15) I UNDERSTAND the need to ask questions---I am saying after the same person emails me 4 times or more asking more questions--I just wonder why we can't talk by phone and be finished with it.................
Click to expand...

I dont think you do understand.... I gave you several reasons. Other people gave you several reasons. And you still dont get it? Why so slow on the up take? If you want only phone calls, put in your phone number and keep your email out of it, just keep in mind you are closing the door to a large percentage of buyers. But if that makes you happy, have at it.

When I sell, I try to cast as large of a net as I can to get a good buyer and a good price in as short of a time as possable. I usually have things priced well enough that there is a race with buyers to get what I have ASAP and I prefer it that way to cut down the time things are for sale (and it actually cuts down on the questions, people just WANT IT). I may not get top dollar but close enough for me.

Maybe you have a radio station in your area that has a "radio tradio" type program where you call in and tell them what you have for sale. Then you can give your phone number and they HAVE to call you, just like you want. Maybe that would work a little better for you...
 

This actually happened to me yesterday:

I had an ad for an item, pictures, dimensions, price and town it was in.

Q1: How big is it?

Q2: What do you want for it?

Q3: Where is it located? Is this in (insert town 2 hours away)?

Needless to say after 3rd question I no longer heard from the time waster.
 

This actually happened to me yesterday:

I had an ad for an item, pictures, dimensions, price and town it was in.

Q1: How big is it?

Q2: What do you want for it?

Q3: Where is it located? Is this in (insert town 2 hours away)?

Needless to say after 3rd question I no longer heard from the time waster.
 
(quoted from post at 11:57:08 11/15/15) I agree...I prefer email or even texting to a phone call. That way neither one of us is interrupted at a bad time, or playing phone tag. I shoot you a message when I have time, you respond when you have time. I usually don't rack up 15 of 20 emails, but have before becuase you get the seller that only answers one question at a time, when I just sent him an email with 5 different questions in it.

I also like to have all the information down in front of me to look at and go over.

Lastly, sometimes it is very hard to understand people on the phone, whether it be bad service, they talk too fast or quiet or just their accent.
Click to expand...

This right here!

Plus, you don't get drunken phone calls late at night, if the emailer is drunk, by the time you reply he will likely have sobered up.

I've been buying/selling/trading stuff for years using email only to weed out the fools and time wasters. I never post my phone number and have never gotten a scam email, I have gotten scam phone calls though.

After a few emails you get a pretty good idea of who you are dealing with and then can move on to a phone conversation.
 

Oh, yes, if I am buying I definately want lots of pictures of the item, especially if it is any distance away. I always post plenty of pictures of whatever I am selling too.


Why can't we edit here anymore? Very annoying.
 
I find email to be ideal too. Not only is email more flexible time wise but I can easily/quickly check my email at work and not interrupt anyone, I can't just use my phone during the day.

I ask questions. Not ones that are answered by reading the add but I like some details. So many adds are lacking in details. One of my pet peeves on Craigs List is "Contact me for pictures". IF YOU HAVE THEM, POST THEM.

Good ads speak for them selves, as do good buyers. I have no problem answering questions when I'm selling something. What I don't have time for is someone emailing me a price they want to pay that's half of what I'm asking, never seeing the item in question and then get mad when I decline.

K
 
"Well, dispite what you say, you clearly cant have all the info in the ad or they wouldnt be asking questions, would they?"

Actually, yes, they would.
I've had people ask ten or more questions that were all in the ad already.

I don't post my phone number either, but I give buyers that option.
Check out Google Voice. Free phone number that forwards to yours.
 
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