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Advertising do's and do not's .....

Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse

Well-known Member
I thought I'd get some of the YT crowd's thoughts on personal ads that fall into the following categories ....

1) NO PRICE listed in the ad ...
2) PRICE IS FIRM .... so no negotiating
3) SERIOUS BUYERS ONLY NEED INQUIRE .....

Personally, I think a seller should list an asking price at least, and perhaps even say he is open to an offer. The last one about serious buyers really annoys me, it reeks of arrogance somehow.

What are your thoughts?
 
Usually if there are too many conditions in the add like those you listed, they dont really want to sell the their stuff. Just on a fishing trip to see if they can catch a sucker ! So I typically disregard such ads
 
First off, I feel that the three categories you listed have to remain separate and NOT used together in one ad. I personally will not reply to an ad without a price listed because you run the risk of violating the other two categories, i.e., you find out his price is too high, and firm and he then gets mad at you for wasting his time when you refuse to buy his item.
 
An ad with no price is ridiculous. If you have something to sell put a price on it and publicize it. Also crappy photo are really annoying. I just laugh when they take a photo of something and there's so much garbage around it you can't even tell what you're looking at. Also I love the ones where they just painted something and took a photo right where it was painted and you can see the overspray all over the ground. I understand most people are not professional remarketers but at least get a good picture or pictures with a decent background. Selling description is very important too. Some ads just have no description other than maybe make and model.
 
No price listed bugs me. I wont respond when I see that. The other items dont really bother me, but I dont like haggling.
 
I want a price so I am not wasting my time and the sellers. Its like going to an auction and you cant hear the caller, you dont bid just for something to do
 
I will not respond to add with no price or no pictures. The other 2 don't bother me. I'm going to make him an offer weather his add says firm or not. And finally if your selling an item just like I'm going to sell next spring, I'm serious about what shape yours is in so I know what to ask.
I guess I'm guilty of being one of the callers that annoy most of you.
 
(quoted from post at 10:11:03 02/27/22) I thought I'd get some of the YT crowd's thoughts on personal ads that fall into the following categories ....

1) NO PRICE listed in the ad ...
2) PRICE IS FIRM .... so no negotiating
3) SERIOUS BUYERS ONLY NEED INQUIRE .....

Personally, I think a seller should list an asking price at least, and perhaps even say he is open to an offer. The last one about serious buyers really annoys me, it reeks of arrogance somehow.

What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

Must see to appreciate annoys the heck out of me.
 
I dont like no price either, whats to say the seller has a different price every time. I always list above what I think I can get, almost no one will come in and pay list price without at least asking for a better price even if they think its worth double what your asking.
 
I like firm price phrase. I don't like to waste my time or the sellers and that phrase tells me where we are at before calling. If I don't like the price listed I just move on.
 
The paint sprayed all over the ground ticks me off. I would have paid more unpainted! Now I gotta get that crap off.
 
I just ride on by ads like that. And the ones with mud all over the vehicle and trash in it. If the seller is to lazy to clean it prior to selling it the care has been lacking all along.
 
No picture, no price, no response from me. Or they say leave contact for pics and price. Sheesh, you are the one placing the ad, get me interested dont make fish for info.
 
Personally, I HATE the no price/make me an offer ads.

They know what they want for it, they're just hoping someone doesn't know what it's worth and offers them more.

I don't play that game. Give me a starting number or I'll just keep on looking. Occasionally I'm tempted to make some ridiculously low offer just to see their reaction.
 
I've been selling stuff all my life.It used to be that if you advertised something you might get some offers,and say yes or no.The internet has opened up a whole new crop of idiots that have no problem wasting your time.i had some guys spend 4 hours looking over a 34 Ford coupe,they offered $2000.Then they were mad when I wouldn't take it,and madder when I sold it a couple hours later for $22,000.I have pretty much gone to firm price on everything.I make it very clear on the phone before they come over,you will not be making any offers.Most important to me is price,location,and I need to TALK to you.I'm not going to typewrite back and forth to get something across that could happen with a 40 second phone call.I had to have the texting service blocked on my phone because it got so bad.
 

In addition, if the poster doesn't have a phone number listed I don't respond anymore even if it's something I likely would buy. A real turnoff is them wanting you to email your phone number and then they might at their whim or convenience.
 
Fordy lots of folks do that on CL because putting your phone number out there in the the open is
just going to get one a lot of junk calls. I sell a lot of stuff on CL and never have a problem if
someone is interested they will e mail me there phone number and I promptly call them back. Never
been a problem for me .
 
A firm price is fine with me.

No price I just scroll by.

Only serious buyers means they sell a lot on line and are frustrated with dumb buyers/ tire kickers. Thats ok I get it, but it tells me more about the seller than they might have wanted to tell me......

Paul
 
If you are willing to negotiate put OBO in the offer. If not state price is firm. I also add this as the last item of ads I post -

Cash only. If interested please call xxx-xxx-xxxx or put a contact telephone number in the reply. I only respond if there is a contact number.

zSpammers won't post a number and I ignore the response.
 
As a seller, what really gets me fuming is someone asking a bunch of questions that are already answered in the description. Craigslist and eBay buyers will call and they have not even read the description or viewed the photos. I have been selling for 50 years. I do many photos and describe properly because I have driven many miles to look at a piece of crap that seller said good shape. I do not want to put anyone thru that. Depending on my grumpy old mans mood that day, many times I just say Read the Description.
 
I can add a couple more.

#4 - Must take all. If there are several items, the seller wants you to take the trash with the treasure.

#5 - Not for (fill in the blanks). As in not for scrap, not for parts, or not for resale. Once I legitimately buy something, it is MINE to do with as I please. If I want to scrap it, then that is MY choice. If I decide to resell it, it is also MY choice. In any case, once it is mine, the seller has no further control of the item.

When a seller states that the price is firm, I decide if I am willing to pay that much BEFORE proceeding to call, visit, examine the item or even make a phone call. Any time one is selling something, it helps to be somewhat courteous and to be some sort of salesman. I have walked away from more than one item where I was told 'there it is, take it or leave it.' That attitude loses me every time.
 
I always put my phone number out to sell stuff,no problem yet as far as phone calls go.Texting has been a problem though.Before I blocked it on my phone I would sometimes get 30 or 40 a night.Mostly things like,take $20? for something I want $200.for.I can't put my phone number on FB,but I do put in the ads,respond and you will be given a number to call.Or,if you like send me a number and a time to call,and I will call you.Some people just refuse to communicate by any other way except typing.I had a guy message me 7 times about a Model A pickup I had.I responded 7 times,with the same polite answer,call me or give me a number to call you.His final response was,why should I have to dial a phone and talk to somebody just to buy something?
 
I always list the asking price.
It irks me when they don't.
Makes me want to post the ad here on YT and have a hundred of you call or email just to ask the price.
I always say: emails go nowhere. Calls or texts Only.
If they can't call or text they don't make contact. Simple.
I don't haggle the money on the phone.
Price is as stated.
If you come and look at it maybe? we'll talk a lower price.
If the item is still unsold after a week or so I will lower the price a little or add OBO.
I sold my power hacksaw this morning.
Fellow called a couple of days ago. Couldn't come till today. I was pretty sure he would buy it. I said I would leave the ad up. If someone else called I would tell them they were 2nd in line and I would call them.
No one called.
Nice fellow. I have a little office in my garage with coffee pot on. He paid full price then we BSed for most of an hour over coffee. Then loaded the saw.
The way craigslist should work.
 
Around here OfferUp is also a good source of items. As the name implies expect an offer. The ones who drive me nuts are when you make an offer and they never reply. eBay also on that. Just tied to buy an item that said make offer on EBay. It was $90. The most they would go down was $2. Why accept offers if thats all you will discount it. On OfferUp I have had 2 people accept my offer then sell it to someone one else. Never had that happen on Craigslist. And if you contact OfferUp they do nothing. At least EBay has tight rules on not completing a deal.
 
No big deal to me if I want to answer an ad I do if not I go to the next ad.When I put an ad up if the person that answers sounds like someone I want to deal with I'll answer them back if not I just delete it.See no need to psychoanalyze everyone on CL or FB MP.
 
Boy, selling something through a want ad looks like something I will not attempt as I would surely offend several.
 
Most of the time that's how it goes for me.I either buy it,sell it,or pass on it.Any way it goes we wind up shootin the bull for an hour or two.About 25 years ago I called about a 1956 Volvo for sale.I talked to the owner quite a bit,and had a pretty good idea of what he had.He had a price,but said make me an offer.I told him I don't like pricing other people stuff,so just tell me your bottom line.He did,and I went down with the ramp truck,about 50 miles away.I looked at it,he had been honest,and I told him I would take it.He then changed his mind on the price,and wanted the original $2500.not the $2000.that he told me to bring.I told him I was going to pass on it.As I was driving out his wife caught me and asked why I was leaving without it.So I told her,long story short she told me to back up and pull it on,and she ordered him into the house and said stay there.She was thoroughly disgusted with what he tried to pull.
 
#1 - I never respond to an ad without an asking price.

#2 - Not a problem for me. If the price is attractive to me I will gladly pay the low asking price and both sides walk away happy after a very smooth transaction.

#3 - I don't like other people wasting my time, so I respect other peoples time too. If I'm serious about buying, I will respond to those ads.
 
The ads trying to sell a titled vehicle without a title are my pet peeve.
It means the vehicle is not yours, such as stolen.
Or the bank is looking for it.
Or your just too damn lazy to get a duplicate title.
 
A price in the ad is good when the item is online, especially if it is thousands of dollars under what you expect it should bring.Too good to be true price means just that.
 
If I say $500, that is what I want. If you offer less, then you are not a serious buyer. You are wasting my time. Get back in your truck and leave. You want to play games, go to a bar with a pocket full of quarters.
 
no price- if i have to ask I can't afford it. Screams crooked in my head, like the seller is going to size up the potential buyer and set the price based on what he thinks he can get out of that particular person.
price firm- I likely won't call, I get low balled constantly selling stuff just how it goes
serious buyers only, i get it, as a lot of dorks call with non sense questions then want you to set them up on a payment plan but let them have the item right away. Trouble is that it doesnt stop the nuisance calls and maybe ticks off some actual buyers.
 
How do you put a picture in a newspaper Ad? What gets me is just half of an add leaving out major information. Like on a tractor just listing make only and not model when it would not cost them a penny more to include that in the ad. And if I would be selling something I would want email and I say email only, no phone. I would do that because I have 60% hearing loss in my good ear and most peoople I could not make out what they are saying.
 
With old tractors and equipment I have to deal with lots of older hearing impaired folks.But,they always tell me right up front,and need to use the email.I have no problem with that,I will email all day in that situation.They will also keep it short,without silly questions.The typewriter addicts will want to go back and forth 30 or 40 times without really saying anything.I've dealt with a lot of poor english speaking people too.Email is better with some of them,but they use it as required,not to jibber-jabber.No problem with them either.
 
So here's a new one I've seen on Facebook:

Here's my 19XX Tractor for sale, leave your best price, highest bidder wins it.

Basically they are trying to get around ebay and real auctions and trying to start a bidding war (some how) or get someone to offer an offer that is above what its probably worth.

My one other favorite I've seen recently is the only reason I am selling is because I found something new so..... Here's my old tractor (worth $1200 - $1600) and I'm asking $4000 for it. (Cause that's how much my new toy is)
 
Soliciting bids is not allowed most places outside of ebay. If you see it, report it. Takes but a few seconds. Then you won't see the ad again.

99.9% of the time, the "reason for selling" is a load of horse manure. It's functional enough to fool most buyers until you get it home, then you find out the real reason it's for sale: It's broken.
 
(quoted from post at 17:31:27 02/27/22) Boy, selling something through a want ad looks like something I will not attempt as I would surely offend several.
Click to expand...

Take the advice, avoid the pitfalls, and you'll do fine.

If you insist on behaving like a jackwagon despite all this good advice, expect to retain possession of your item indefintely...
 
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