Craig's List Advice From Veteran Buyers?

So you're automobile shopping on Craig's List, find what you want, almost exactly, all features that are must haves, plus a lot, "that would be nice." The down side, it's the wrong color, and has almost 1/4 million miles on it. No price listed, you make contact, ask for a price, and the seller is WAY high.

What do you do? Wait him out, he's got your contact maybe he'll come back around after no one buys? Bug him daily/bi-daily/weekly so he doesn't forget you? Compile evidence to prove to him his price is out there and discreetly send it to him via anonymous email? Forget about it and move on, all the while hoping for the best? If it's still available in a week, shoot him another offer?

Also the "estimators" at KBB are on crack. There's a $1500 range between NADA, Edmunds, and KBB, so compiling evidence from a cough, cough, "valid" source wouldn't be easy unless you could justify averaging the price.

• Lee

You move on and wait for the next one.

^Yup. I'm getting incredibly good at walking away from cars and never looking back.

Move on, there is a perfect 550 spyder for sale on the local Craigslist. At market rate I would have snagged it 18 months ago. Its been up and down since then. Gave him a fair market offer in cash, he balked so its still for sale.

Just let it go

Yep. Move on, let it go. It might not be next week, it might not be next month, but there will be another one.

as everyone else said, move on. As a seller I've done my research and for whatever reason feel my price is fair, trying to convince me otherwise outside of a reasonable range will just ensure we cease communication. If the seller is off base the market will quickly show the light.

I guess I'm just anxious, I've been looking since February, most sellers don't know their head from a hole in the ground, and this is the first I've found that would require absolutely zero part swapping to get all of the features I want.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17QQcK4l6Yw

• Lee

NGTD wrote: You move on and wait for the next one.

Sellers will rarely be moved by things like logic or reason. The few times I've been able to talk someone off their unreasonable price, it's because I found something legitimately wrong with the car that the owner was unaware of.

calteg wrote:

NGTD wrote: You move on and wait for the next one.

Sellers will rarely be moved by things like logic or reason. The few times I've been able to talk someone off their unreasonable price, it's because I found something legitimately wrong with the car that the owner was unaware of.

The biggest problem I have encountered is that there is always some other idiot that will come along and pay them what they want.

I have seen guys post 10 year old WRX's with 120K miles and a blown motor for $6K and get it. I wont pay that kind of money for a car with a blown motor.

Bring a rape whistle.

Oh, this isn't a thread for advice concerning actually buying something?