Porsche 911 "buyers"

I've had my car on CL for a reasonable price, maybe a bit higher than most. I've had five contacts, the last one was about an hour ago. First guy sounded sincere. We chatted a bit, he ask a few of the important questions. There was talk of a test drive, I told him I would be happy to give him a ride. He then wanted to talk about price. I told him the price is listed in the ad. He wants to negotiate now, on the phone. I told him no thanks. Come and see it, if you like we'll go for a drive, and then we can discuss price. I'm not in a large population center, so it's a bit of drive from downtown. He wants me to bring the car closer to him. I decline, he says he'll call back maybe. Second call, guy speaks very little English. I think he's from SE Asia, but I'm trying to get info to him. He asks 'what is your lowest best price?' I say the price is in the ad. He says something like 'you must go lower price'. I know it's not his native language so I tell him he can negotiate after he sees the quality of the car. He gives up. Third caller, I'm sure is a car dealer. He asks all the RIGHT questions, says he's not a car dealer. Tells me he has '$17,000 CASH RIGHT NOW!' I now know he's a car dealer. I tell him he can have it for $22k RIGHT NOW! He says it's too high,and I say he should shop for cheaper cars with defects. Fourth guy wants to come out soon, but again - he's got this 'what is your best, lowest price for sale' bit? I hang up. Fifth guy just called. He asks a few questions, not really related to 911s. Says he has $15,000 he can give me, and I should take it because he's got an offer in on another 911 and the guy may call him back any time. I tell him to buy the other car. Jeezalou, it's like I'm trying to sell a 1983 Yugo. I don't want to edit my ad and be a complete equine posterior. Cheap 911 shoppers are like the plague.

i can feel you on that , outer then my 996 i have turbo m3 for sale the calles i'm getting to trade for 92 civic , buyer will come along just have to wait for the right one ! ppl see too much gas monkey they think if they have 2k they can buy 20k car !

Posting on Craigslist is a horrible place to try and move a car. Tire kickers and African royalty

CL has never been good but its the absolute worse place to sell or buy anything, other then "offer up". Might as well not waste your time writing a description b/c you will get people contacting you asking all the questions answered in your ad and asking to trade garbage and low ball you even after you spell out in bold print "no trades or low *****". Besides countless scams both sites are full of dumb rude teenagers and ********. My favorite one was when some dumbass asked me to trade a perfectly good bmw for a pos dodge truck plus some (stolen) stereo equipment and video games. wtf? Anyways, hang in there and if anyone knows a better place besides autotrader or bring a trailer pls post it.

I bought my 997 a few months ago on CL. I thought the whole thing went pretty well. Hope the seller feels the same. I've sold plenty there too. You need to ignore the noise and look for the right buyer.

I bought mine about a year and a half ago off CL. I can understand some buyers thinking your asking price may be a little high, even if the car is as nice as the description, and they want to get a feel for your willingness to negotiate. I have seen some cars in the past that were 5k over market, and it would be a waste of my time to look if they weren't going to negotiate. In addition, most cars advertised aren't as nice as the description. ​​​​​​​There are a lot of people that will waste your time with low ball offers and "what's your best price" before they even look at it. I would assume that no one is going to buy the car sight unseen

I played the same games for 4 months and decided to remove all my listings. People were looking for a bargain, they were told these undesirable 996s could be had for CHEAP! Which is partially true, but I'm not selling a neglected 996 with 6 owners and 3 accidents - yes the miles are high but the car is well cared for and maintained with logs and receipts. I frankly got sick of the deadbeat buyers asking for extra pics and video and would just disappear into oblivion.

OP that was my exact experience trying to sell my 996. I had it advertised on CL, Rennlist, Cars.com, etc. The only callers are people who want you to lower the price, by thousands, even though they have never laid eyes on the car. I did exactly what you did, I told them to go buy another car, this ain't the 996 you are looking for. I love the ones who quote KBB value or Edmunds value. Thankfully I don't actually "need" to sell the 996 but I just got a brand new Audi SQ5 and it's really hard not to drive that as my first choice.

You hit the button with all the bad 996 press uneducated dealers and buyers think we just want to give our cars away to get rid of them. Funny these same dealers post cars for sale way above market value and talk about owning a "PORSCHE" with all the marque's history. I try to educate serious buyers about the strengths and weaknesses of the 996 a truly interested buyer has an appreciation for the info and discussion i blow off anyone who's first question is a low price offer not my definition of a serious buyer. Rich

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Yup, I was hoping to get one out of four or five that was legit. So far, a complete bust. I buy and sell things on C regularly, and have had pretty good luck with most stuff. This is just annoying with a 996.

That�s how car sales work these days. 996 or 991.2, doesn�t matter.

Soooo...what's your best price? Seriously, when I bought mine from a private party he got to sharing horror stories of his experience. Example: one guy called, allegedly, from California and wanted to trade him for a house boat. A house boat for God's sake! We live in NE!

I listed my previous weekend toy (a triple black �02 C5 Corvette) and sold it to the 4th person who contacted me. It took less than two weeks. One suggestion: Patiently wait for the prospective buyer who asks about your 996�s story, and for whom the care, maintenance, etc. matters. There will be a buyer who wants what you have eventually, and this is the time of year when the demand is good. PS, if you have some room on your price then when asked for your best price, tell the person that you feel like you priced it fairly, but if a buyer has cash in hand and has already driven the car and arranged for a PPI, there is going to be some room for negotiation. This way you don�t come across as inflexible or unfair.

I have sold couple of cars on CL and a few other items. I don't think I ever listed my phone number. I "screen" potential buyer through emails and how they come across. If they mention negotiating price without asking any other question, or not even list their names in the email, I don't bother responding. I've also bought things off of CL and do not ask about room for negotiation on the price until I've gotten enough questions answered, first.

Always screen CL ads via their e mail system. I never give my phone number or e mail until I know I have a semi serious potential buyer. The real buyers are bidding on bringatrailer and paying a premium to do so. Doc, I think your car may appeal to BaT, and you may even get your price there. I know I considered your car but bought one from CO in a PCA ad.

I may go the way of BaT. Not getting any satisfaction from CL for sure. Never done a BaT before, will be new for me.

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If you want to meet up over lunch and discuss the process, I can show you all the e mails etc. I used for my '78 Vette. All in it was $99 and 3 weeks from initial contact to vehicle sold. If you are really determined to sell, and they like your car, it is a good way to go. I was worried I'd face the same issues you are facing with my '78 and end up going through it over and over for 3 or more months. At least the BaT crowd seems to be mostly automotively educated and serious with their bids. I know some deals fall through, but I think the completion rate overall is very high. My '78 was actually sold locally to a guy that came and saw it in person via the BaT system.

Hey docmirror post a link to your CL ad would like to read it Rich

I have 17k for you right now!

Try renting a house on CL...real eye opener!

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https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/ct...595763199.html It's a nice car. I'm now looking to add sport seats and an aero kit to mine.... some days I wish I'd have just bought doc's car for the options, but I did get a good deal and I like the black interior a bit better than the tan. I think doc's car also has hollow spoke wheels too, which are worth a pretty penny.

I went through this with my last car. There are 2 BIG red flags that tell you a buyer isn't serious 1) They ask what your lowest price is at the beginning of the conversation, before they've ever had a chance to properly vet what they're talking about buying 2) If they want you to bring the car to them or meet them half way Just remember what it was like when you were seriously car shopping. Did you bat an eye at the prospect of driving 4-5 hours to look at one you wanted to buy? I sure as hell didn't. Especially with cars like this, some people shop for months or years to find the right car - and when they do, they aren't going to sweat driving or flying across the country. Every time I've sold one of my cars, the prospective buyer has called - asked a few questions - setup a time to see it, gone for a quick ride, and then made an offer. The people that haggle about price rather than come see it (unless they're out of state), try to talk to you about trades, ask if you can come to them or meet them, etc just aren't serious and a waste of time. So my advice, just play the long game, be patient and trust the right buyer will come along. I'd also recommend listing your car for sale on here (if it isn't already) as well as AutoTrader with an unlimited listing option. Craigslist is very local and with 911s, the buyer pool is much more geographically spread out.

I have somewhat of a different view. I've sold several cars on CL, one higher dollar car and generally had good luck with it. As far as someone asking what your lowest price is, I don't think that always means he is not serious or a red flag as some have said. Now it certainly could be, but I can appreciate someone who doesn't want to waste either of our time if they have budget constraints. In some situations it could simply be they have "x" to spend on the car...any car, and if you would be willing to work with them then it is worth the time to come look etc. However if you put off the vibe as not being willing to work on the price much or at all, then they simply are saving themselves and you from a bunch of wasted time if they come out, like the car and then find out you won't take an offer inside their budget. I'm actually going through this with a vintage Ducati Superbike. I have people low balling on it, but that just saves me the trouble of taking the time to show it to them. I see it both ways, but I actually don't mind when someone asks me for a bottom dollar price, I give it and that is the end of it, just my .02. What bothers me most is the people that nitpick every little thing regardless of price. I won't sell to those people even if they paid a lot more than my asking price.

The ad pictures are terrible and the description is worse. The car looks likes it�s sitting in the rear of used car lot like an abandoned afterthought. Take it somewhere scenic and take shots of the WHOLE car, not a few with the bumpers chopped off. Let the buyer imagine himself/herself driving to those locations in their car. Members of this forum recognize the sport seats and aero package but a non-996 saavy buyer may not. Write a description why this makes the car special and why the preventative maintenance done on it makes it ready to drive from the get go. You are narrowing your buyer pool with the way this ad is set up and inviting low ballers and scammers because the car looks half way abandoned. The problem is not the car, it�s the ad. That�s one advantage BaT has in that the detail is unparalleled and the photos are all encompassing. Do a mini version of that for Craigslist and I�m betting your traffic will improve. Just my opinion .....

And take the water bottle off the seat before you expect people to shell out 22K for a toy. Cmon man.

Delete

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Agreed. The ad could definitely use some higher quality photos and a better description. Especially if you are going to price your car towards the top of the market. If a potential buyer senses that you don't have the time or inclination to put up a decent ad, this may cause red flags to go up regarding maintenance, care, etc.

Yeah. The add isn't the greatest. Better photos and better copy will bring in better buyers.

I agree with the others. Not trying to be critical, only constructive, but it will sound critical. Take much better photos with much better backgrounds. The car looks like it is on ramps being repaired with a wheel chock and the door ajar. The description could be much better also. Rather than showing a picture of the IMS, indicate how many miles ago it was done in the listing and flesh out some of the vagaries of other stuff that you hinted at in the ad. Also, I'm not sure showing a pic of the car going 92 mph sends the right message, nor is having two dash pictures when other views (engine, frunk, etc.) aren't there and when the only "full view" picture has the front and rear of the car clipped out of the photo. CL brings all kinds, so you will get some ridiculous low-ballers no matter what you do, but your ad being an afterthought makes that worse. It is normal for CL respondents to ask about flexibility on price -- it requires an investment of their time also to go see your car and it is a very reasonable question. Asking for an absolute price sight unseen is too far, but it's normal to ask about flexibility. I was a very willing full price buyer for my car, but I still asked about price flexibility in the first phone call. If you really don't want any price negotiation, clearly state that the price is firm in the ad (you may get fewer callers, but probably those who do call will be higher quality (some will still try to lowball you though)). CL is a mixed bag -- gets a lot of response, some of it will not be great. You reap what you sow, however, and you have stacked the deck against yourself with that ad.

How about the buyer's view? I am looking for a 911. Maybe 996, maybe 997. I care more about condition. Today's foray was a 1999 996. Been on Kijij (like Craigslist in Canada) for about a week. Low mileage. 4 pics of car. At used car dealership whose website focuses on the detailing part of the business. Ok, send business and email. 3 questions: 1. Service History, 2. Accidents 3. IMS. Guys response is that it will be at his sight tomorrow. WTF. Why is it advertised if not available? I also get really turned off by cars for sale that are not what is advertised. Went to go see a 997. Original paint supposedly. This is at a high end used car dealership. 2 curb rashed wheels, obvious some blown in paint, broken license plate holder. Was on lot for 6 months. Would not lower price. Went to go see another 997. Probably the one I should have bought. Super clean. Dead battery. Their boosters are all dead. I go get my booster. Car still didn't start. My comment is that it is hard for both buyers and sellers.

I suspect the way the car is displayed in the photos is scaring off very people you actually want to speak with. Take the car somewhere picturesque half an hour before sunset and shoot some soft-core car pr0n. You're selling a 911, not a chainsaw. 996's may be cheap compared to other 911's, but it's still a 911. The car needs to appeal to the "I've always wanted a 911" crowd; your photos don't do this. The combination of being on a lift and having lots of other cars visible around the lot/yard make it look kind of sketchy. You're trying to get people to plunk down $22K for a toy that has been maligned online for years; nothing in the ad is going to make someone think "Aha! THIS is the 911 I've been looking for!" Your ad is also way too light on content. Uninformed buyers don't know anything about the 996, so include some detail. Include a photo of the window sticker if you have it; list the options if you don't.

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Don't go there. I have a bunch of rentals. We just about have to advertise on CL. I've tried many other sources. Nothing brings in applicants like CL. But - lotta frog kissing until the prince shows up. We've got a vacancy in Katy TX right now and we are getting desperate. If you live there, or want to move to Katy/W Houston, drop me a line. I have the perfect spot for quality tenants.

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Yeah, you are right. I'll redo it this wknd. My bad. Not staged well. I had a very long windy description and took it down. I'll redo that as well.

When I sell cars private-party and advertise on CL, I put together a web page with photos, all the text, etc. and link to it from the CL ad to avoid having to deal with the Craigslist photo manager. I think you definitely want to include the longwinded description - that's the kind of crap that reassures timid buyers. It seems obvious, but make mention of the aero. That's a major difference between your car and the majority of the 996's that were purchased as lease-spec (no-option) cars. RE: renting properties out on CL - no joke. I've interacted with some world-class whackjobs courtesy of CL. One moron listed his current landlord as a reference and turned out to have a full year left on his lease. If you want to be a POS and move out in the night to leave your landlord high and dry, I suppose that's your right...but maybe don't include said landlord as a personal reference.

I've had similar experiences and have pretty much decided to not renew the listings. My favorite is the text that says "Is your car still available. Call me". So I always respond with a text that says "Is your Mom available ?" Oddly enough I never get a response 😀 Mine is a 99 C2 listed for $21K including 2 sets of wheels, which I feel is a very fair price, but quite frankly the aggravation isn't worth it. I don't need to sell it, really like the car, but it's just not very practical with teenagers, etc... so I keep thinking why not try to sell it.

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+1.

A lot of good points in this tread. I have made enough money selling stuff on craigslist to buy myself a house, then pay ths entry fee for a 996. Salesmanship is not for the faint of heart. Salesmen in dealerships have the same stories. You have to have a thick skin, you have to put the efforf in. If you dont want to put the effort in, then yu trade it in and let smeone else make money putting the effort in. as others have stated, i would rather someone know up front that our price rang does not align with each other than waste my time, so please let them ask how negotiable i am? I am faily firm, but will knock off some at the point of sale. Or i price higher and tell them my "bottom price"

I�ve sold plenty of cars online with no problems. The secret is to put in the ad �please respond with phone number and I�ll call you, all others will be ignored�. Never put your number. The legit shoppers will follow your instructions.

Pictures and long description are key to selling the car online fast. Also, consider Ebay instead of CL. Much bigger exposure and you can filter out flakes with deposit requirement.

From a buyer's perspective (especially a buyer with a limited budget), it is perfectly acceptable to ask about price negotiation, which is the whole point the transaction. That way, the buyer can save both himself and the seller any time or expense otherwise misspent if the parties are just too far apart, and gauge the chances of suitable negotiation. Others have said to take good pictures in good light against an attractive background, such as scenic California Highway One or the Blue Ridge Parkway, etc., reminding the perspective buyer why he always wanted to buy a Porsche and where he wants to have fun with it. Avoid shots in your driveway or weed lot with the car up on blocks, which reminds the buyer where he doesn't want to be with his new toy... and how much all this may cost him while arguing with his wife about it. Take pics at ~10am and ~2pm sunlight, with the sun to your back and the car fully lit , so the internet observer can blow up the pics and see detail and color. Detail the car, such that the buyer can seen himself driving his girlfriend to the prom in it, "as is." Specifically address the IMS issue, or with a '99 explain why it may be a non-issue excluded from the class action lawsuit since IMS problems came along later. Address maintenance and damage history right up front in the ad, with pics. Some issues, such as scuffed seat leather, may be fixed very inexpensively, and your open disclosure of such defects tells the buyer you're being straight with them. Personally, I'd rather buy a cheaper car in good structural and cosmetic condition that has not had the IMS and RMS done, so I could save some money on purchase and then do the job myself and know exactly how and when the work was done, vs. just accepting a stranger's word and/or perhaps bogus maintenance records. It happens. Be unfailingly polite and professional in all communications, as the "CL flake" who asked a lot of pesky questions and then went silent, may be an otherwise serious buyer sidetracked with busy life demands and unable to follow up since first contact weeks ago, perhaps due to a sick child or work priorities. Be realistic about pricing: Edmunds, Kelly, NADA, etc. make it their business to know and report the market for cars, and if they all say ~$9K trade in value and ~$14K retail for a given Porsche description, that's not a misprint, so you'd better have some damn good market data and very convincing reasoning why your car @ $25K is several standard deviations higher. Such reasoning needs to convince seasoned car loan lenders, too, as even if your prospective buyer thinks $25K is a suitable price for what Kelly says is worth $10K less, that dog won't hunt at funding time and the deal will go south before closing. Ditto with insurance, as the buyer has to reconcile all this if he wants loan or insurance approvals. I made this pitch last winter with a local car dealer, who'd been asking $17K for a '99 silver 996 with 104K miles, taco spoiler, and aftermarket wheels which I didn't want. When I pointed out that they'd had that car on the lot for months at $17K with no takers, and gave them CL and BaT printouts of similar cars asking much less, they immediately dropped the asking price to $14K, and intimated that $12K might work (they probably gave ~$8K for trade in, which means they'd still make 50% markup, which markup I'm told is fairly standard). Keep in mind that dealer price is almost invariably more than a private party will fetch, as the dealer is set up to properly market the car, assumes much more liability on the sale than a private party, and is legally held to a higher standard. So, if dealers are getting $X for a given car, a private party will most likely not fetch that price: Consider Kelly and Edmonds numbers on private party sales as reality-based. With that sort of arithmetic out there, a buyer is a fool not to shop and negotiate, and a seller is a fool to expect any different. This is all explained by the economic theory called the principle of substitution, which holds that a knowledgeable buyer will pay no more than the cost of a suitable substitute. So, if others are trading apparently similar cars at much lower prices, then no knowledgeable buyer will pay any more.

how not to advertise a 911 https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/c...608318174.html

^^^^ haha. Concrete is a **** hole and the car is a TIP so...... ya, add the spray painted wheels and you have yourself a 10k car. I'd go look at it if it wasn't a TIP.

I have purchased and sold lots of cars on CL and eBay, and have sold thousands of parts as well. I don't mind people asking me up front if I have some room in the price, but I answer the question in a way that gives them context. Let's say I am selling a car listed for $20K. My reply when asked about price will be: "Once you come see it, I can move on price a bit. You're not going to get the car for $15K, but there is some room to move down." This let's the buyer know that I am flexible, but I'm not going to take a low-ball offer. If I am buying a car, and able to go look at it (I have purchased several cars sight unseen, including my 996), I just assume there is room to move on the price a bit and typically will not ask until I am there. Since I know I am not going to low ball, asking the question beforehand does not make sense. If I was going to look at a $20K car, I may offer $18,500 (which I don't think would be an insulting offer), and I would be prepared to pay somewhere between the $18,500 and the $20K. If I am buying the car without looking at it, you obviously have to talk price at some point, but I wait until after I have asked question, and if the seller is willing to let the car go for a PPI. Now, if I am looking for another car to part out. I will be the guy that ask what the bottom number is, or I will say if I show up with $2K cash and a trailer today, does that buy the car? This is because I do not want to waste my time or the seller's. Parting out the car has a purpose to make money, I typically do E36 M3s. I know if I can get any E36 M3 for $2-$3K, I will make money so I do not need to look at it first. I also know that no matter whay, I won't pay more than $3K, so if the seller will not budge, I don't waste my time. If the ad is still up after a couple weeks have passed, I will reach back out. Of course, it is getting much harder to find an E36 M3 for $2-3K that don't come from CoPart.

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He should have said, "Bring it by & I'll take a look at it!"

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Good one! I'll remember that one for the future.