Identifying non-genuine buyers

julio arca

Hi Guys,

Currently going through the process of selling the wife's car privately on both Adverts & Donedeal.

Shameless plug attached:

https://www.adverts.ie/car/ford/fiesta/2011-ford-fiesta-2-year-nct/19062439.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2011-ford-fiesta-1-6d-new-2-year-nct/23263402

(mods please remove links if necessary)

On more than one occasion now i have facilitated viewings for potential buyers only to be ghosted. No answer to call's texts etc. Obviously this can get frustrating especially if taking time from work etc.

Question is how do I spot a non genuine bidder to save me wasting my time?

jim-mcdee

julio arca wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Currently going through the process of selling the wife's car privately on both Adverts & Donedeal.

Shameless plug attached:

https://www.adverts.ie/car/ford/fiesta/2011-ford-fiesta-2-year-nct/19062439.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2011-ford-fiesta-1-6d-new-2-year-nct/23263402

(mods please remove links if necessary)

On more than one occasion now i have facilitated viewings for potential buyers only to be ghosted. No answer to call's texts etc. Obviously this can get frustrating especially if taking time from work etc.

Question is how do I spot a non genuine bidder to save me wasting my time?

No idea. Is the price a little high for an 8 near 9 year old car? Maybe a more realistic price would work better for you.

Isambard

i find I get phone calls at pub chucking out time, guys come home ,fire up donedeal and have pipedreams. What can you do? Genuine buyers looks exactly the same!

spillcoe

Anyone who asks for best price before anything else!

dave1982

Adverts check their feedback but it's hard to tell who's genuine. You just gotta play along and see who shows up I sold few cars most are messes tbh just bored

Mad_Mike

Never entertain last price merchants...regardless of what price you give these guys, they never buy
Tell anyone interested that there is room to deal on price, but only for people who turn up to see it, never over the phone
Always arrange a viewing time that suits you and not them
This is a simple one, but sorts out time missed from work or similar for people who never arrive

Always be open to offers. I learned this myself recently when I fixed the price at my rock bottom and saying absolutely no offers
Don't price at your sale price and say no offers unless its a total bargain, or a car in huge demand
Always price above it, and be clear that you are open to genuine realistic offers when buyer comes to see the car

Your price seems a bit too low to me to be honest
With the mileage on your car, and with a new 2 year NCT, I'd be listing it around 4,500 and saying open to sensible offers
The car looks good, and I'm sure it will sell, but sometimes it's just a matter of holding on for the right buyer

enricoh

I had a 2011 1.6d focus up this time last year for e4750, then e4500, 4250, then 4000. Still had no joy, a few texts about best price, will u take e3000 etc.
Car was perfect but 160k miles. Ended up keeping it, instead of giving it away. Its a buyers market out there

terrydel

dave1982 wrote: »

Adverts check their feedback but it's hard to tell who's genuine. You just gotta play along and see who shows up I sold few cars most are messes tbh just bored

Adverts is like the samaritans, somewhere to talk.

julio arca

enricoh wrote: »

I had a 2011 1.6d focus up this time last year for e4750, then e4500, 4250, then 4000. Still had no joy, a few texts about best price, will u take e3000 etc.
Car was perfect but 160k miles. Ended up keeping it, instead of giving it away. Its a buyers market out there

I get the impression I will end up going down this route myself. Adverts etc seem to only attract buyers around the €2k - €3k mark from what I can see.

Mad_Mike

OP, one thing I can add here, but not sure if others have had similar experiences...

Facebook Marketplace...
People kept telling me to try it, but I wouldn't, as the amount of absolute ****e on there is unreal!

Anyway, I put up a few bits on it over the last 6 months, including my wifes car she had for 2 and a half years, my own which I had for 2 years, a couple of old mobile phones etc, and lo and behold, almost everything I listed on Adverts, Donedeal and Facebook, all sold, with most of the sales being made through Facebook!

I was shocked to be honest, but it opened my eyes and just want to share it if it helps you move the car on

is_that_so

terrydel wrote: »

Adverts is like the samaritans, somewhere to talk.

I don't give out my numbers and do it all through text tool onsite. More control that way IMO. My attitude is the person who hands me the money gets the deal! OP should give them a time limit after which they move on to the next potential buyer. Don't take it personally at all.

Pekarirska

The Donedeal add is not Greenlight Verified.
You're saying 0 previous owners but MotorCheck tells that the car is a UK import. Did you import new?
The tax disc holder is peeling off - was the car given proper care as required?
In the description of the car you're repeating yourself. It has already been established that it has new NCT, it's diesel, 2011, and mileage. Very clean - Regularly serviced - is all info that's on offer.
NCT expiry on the front page is manually altered. I might not be even clicking into the pictures after the above to see the new NCT.

You might be turning away genuine buyers and attracting whatever is left.

Mad_maxx

Anyone who texts you is a time waster

standardg60

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Anyone who texts you is a time waster

Agree, I always state texts will be ignored in my ads, one lad (who bought the car at the time) eventually rang after i ignored three of his texts.

Never go out of your way to arrange a viewing, a genuine buyer will (as they should) agree to your time and place, this also gives the impression that you're not desperate to get rid and are happy to wait because you know the car is genuine and will be a good buy for someone.