Hard to sell Parts these days...

I want to list a car and say "No original parts"

Speaking of which... 

Thinking that it was just the compressor clutch and coil that went bad on my wife's car, I went out and bought a new setup from Mazda.  There's nothing available in the aftermarket for just a clutch and coil, so OEM from the dealer was the only option.  Cost me over $360.  Never got a chance to install it on the car before I realized that the problem was the compressor itself had locked up.  And you can't buy a compressor without a clutch attached.  So I've got this brand-new part that I can't use.  It's listed on marketplace for $350.  MSRP is $484, the local dealer has a decent discount.  I'm not looking to get rich, just to stem my loss a bit.  I'm always welcome to wheeling and dealing and if I got a decent offer, I'd absolutely consider it.  But this just came in:

Sorry, Mr. Walton.  You may need to take a little red wagon with you wherever you go to cart your big brass balls around, but if the absolute best that anyone in the world is willing to pay me for that is $50, I would actually rather just toss it in the Dumpster.  That is legitimately the first time I've ever felt that way about an offer.

Also, "accept" and "except" are two entirely different words with entirely different meanings, you knuckle-dragging, uneducated, slack-jawed yokel.

It takes 3 seconds to click the "yes are you interested" button, not really an excuse to not do that.  Don't gotta monitor it every second either.

Seems a lot of the perceived struggles come from people thinking their garbage is worth top dollar.  Just sold a generator yesterday, had it listed for 12 hours.  Nothing special 1600 watt old school non inverter style "use it once in a while" machine.  

Had it listed at 125, which felt fair for a machine that ran, but a used inverter machine thats better at everything is only $300.  

If I had it listed for $250, I would probably think the world is full of tire kickers and time wasters.   

93gsxturbo said:

Seems a lot of the perceived struggles come from people thinking their garbage is worth top dollar.  Just sold a generator yesterday, had it listed for 12 hours.  Nothing special 1600 watt old school non inverter style "use it once in a while" machine.  

Had it listed at 125, which felt fair for a machine that ran, but a used inverter machine thats better at everything is only $300.  

If I had it listed for $250, I would probably think the world is full of tire kickers and time wasters.   

IDK. No matter how reasonable my price I always get people coming in an offering half. Apparently it works often enough that its just SOP for FB marketplace shopping.

ShawnG said:

I want to list at car and say "No original parts"

The Car of Theseus. 

I don't get why anyone gets insulted or annoyed by low balls, ghosts, spam, trade offers, etc on free to sell sites. You aren't Amazon, this isn't retail, it's the equivalent of a third world open market. I expect most people are doom scrolling and offer on a whim. Then come to reality as the message is sent. Is what it is. 

I personally answer everything I can and expect absolutely nothing until the money is in hand. That's also means first person to give me the money gets it. I've had multiple people coming to get it at the same time, different offers, i do not care, "sorry it just sold" to anyone still on the way. No holding E36 M3 in the wild west. I expect the same. I send low ball offers on E36 M3 I'm mildly interested in and typically buy at ask for stuff I WANT. Only thing I don't do is ghost once agreed on price, but I get why it happens.

In reply to ztnedman1 :

To be clear, I wasn't insulted or annoyed as much as I am bewildered.  The more I think about it, the less I understand it and that's what annoys me.  The only possible reason to buy this thing would be if your own A/C clutch was not working.  It isn't worth much of anything in scrap value, it has no utility for any other use, it isn't collectible, it isn't unique, it's not artwork; it has no intrinsic value other than its use to repair an otherwise-functioning OEM compressor.  It's not something that is particularly in-demand, either, so it's not even a good option for resale.  If you were in that situation, you could buy a new aftermarket compressor for $200, the OEM compressor for $800+, or the OEM assembly for $480.  There isn't an option for "I've only got $50 to fix this".  So I just don't understand why you would make an offer like that.  Is this guy thinking that he could pay $50 now and sit on it for a couple years until someone wanders into his shop for this repair and he can charge them full MSRP?  I just don't understand!

Edit:  What actually offended me was his inability to understand the difference between "except" and "accept".

wae said:

Speaking of which... 

Thinking that it was just the compressor clutch and coil that went bad on my wife's car, I went out and bought a new setup from Mazda.  There's nothing available in the aftermarket for just a clutch and coil, so OEM from the dealer was the only option.  Cost me over $360.  Never got a chance to install it on the car before I realized that the problem was the compressor itself had locked up.  And you can't buy a compressor without a clutch attached.  So I've got this brand-new part that I can't use.  It's listed on marketplace for $350.  MSRP is $484, the local dealer has a decent discount.  I'm not looking to get rich, just to stem my loss a bit.  I'm always welcome to wheeling and dealing and if I got a decent offer, I'd absolutely consider it.  But this just came in:

Sorry, Mr. Walton.  You may need to take a little red wagon with you wherever you go to cart your big brass balls around, but if the absolute best that anyone in the world is willing to pay me for that is $50, I would actually rather just toss it in the Dumpster.  That is legitimately the first time I've ever felt that way about an offer.

Also, "accept" and "except" are two entirely different words with entirely different meanings, you knuckle-dragging, uneducated, slack-jawed yokel.

 

I think you should have answered YES to the question as written.  You would, in fact, except that offer.

wae said:

In reply to ztnedman1 :

To be clear, I wasn't insulted or annoyed as much as I am bewildered.  The more I think about it, the less I understand it and that's what annoys me.  The only possible reason to buy this thing would be if your own A/C clutch was not working.  It isn't worth much of anything in scrap value, it has no utility for any other use, it isn't collectible, it isn't unique, it's not artwork; it has no intrinsic value other than its use to repair an otherwise-functioning OEM compressor.  It's not something that is particularly in-demand, either, so it's not even a good option for resale.  If you were in that situation, you could buy a new aftermarket compressor for $200, the OEM compressor for $800+, or the OEM assembly for $480.  There isn't an option for "I've only got $50 to fix this".  So I just don't understand why you would make an offer like that.  Is this guy thinking that he could pay $50 now and sit on it for a couple years until someone wanders into his shop for this repair and he can charge them full MSRP?  I just don't understand!

 

Edit:  What actually offended me was his inability to understand the difference between "except" and "accept".

You know the part, you know yourself, and you are being honest. NONE of this is known by the guy offering to buy. As you described it's a really random difficult part to just want on a whim...so who is selling an actual good one like this? Smells fishy, but worth the risk at the right price vs new.

So yea, $50 to take the gamble of being ripped off vs spending $200 on an aftermarket one, because that's the Max value of this part. $200, because 200 gets me a retail part that comes with the ability to ship back, albeit with tax and shipping to get it. Aftermarket or not is irrelevant for this situation.

In reply to ztnedman1 :

IMO you are part of the problem. Anonymous internet dealings have enabled people to operate without having to feel the burden of not acting like a tool in face-to-face interactions. If I was at a swap meet and had my motorcycle with me for sale, with a sign on it asking $4000 (and $4000 was a reasonable price), i would bet all the money i have that not a single person would come up to me and offer $1500 for it. Because they know 1) i wouldnt take it and 2) they would be a douchebag for asking. But on FB marketplace, where someone can make an offer like that and then just dissappear, it happens 3x a day.

In reply to budget_bandit :

HUGE difference in seeing the item/person vs making blind offers. Assume the Internet is a dark alley, not an organized motorcycle swap meet and all of a sudden things make more sense.

In reply to wae :

I bet he was hoping to resell it. Buy it for $50, list on eBay for $200, take whatever offer comes along. 

It's been mixed selling car stuff, at the same time I've decided to answer all those "is this available" type responses, as I've actually had a few lead to sales so I chalk it up to at least answer and be up front. But selling non car items like film cameras has been much better than car parts. 

But getting rid of stuff cheap its still tough with the tire kickers. I don't know if I want to try selling some of the more expensive and rarer Honda parts I have, like it is almost not worth the effort if I can't even sell good and usable condition parts for 20-50 bucks

budget_bandit said:

In reply to ztnedman1 :

IMO you are part of the problem. Anonymous internet dealings have enabled people to operate without having to feel the burden of not acting like a tool in face-to-face interactions. If I was at a swap meet and had my motorcycle with me for sale, with a sign on it asking $4000 (and $4000 was a reasonable price), i would bet all the money i have that not a single person would come up to me and offer $1500 for it. Because they know 1) i wouldnt take it and 2) they would be a douchebag for asking. But on FB marketplace, where someone can make an offer like that and then just dissappear, it happens 3x a day.

Apparently you have never been 3/4 in the bag at a swap meet before.  Dude had a ditchwitch and a TL1000R for sale, think he wanted $6500 on the ditchwitch and like $4k on the tiller.  I was checking out the TLR because I have always been a sucker for them, and my dad had a trenching project.  Offered the dude $4500 for the pair, he took it.  

And that was how I ended up with a ditchwitch.  

As far as the questionable OEM part - maybe used, maybe not, maybe broke and hosed down with brake cleaner, may have been energized and popped... $50 is a pretty fair offer for something that is obscure, low demand, and no real easy way to validate its any good.  I can't imagine its a 20 minute job to swap one, so for me I would buy new unless its so cheap I can afford to throw it out when it doesn't work.  Ain't no way I am spending $350 on a part with no warranty from some dude when a new one is only $480.  

ztnedman1 said:

In reply to budget_bandit :

HUGE difference in seeing the item/person vs making blind offers. Assume the Internet is a dark alley, not an organized motorcycle swap meet and all of a sudden things make more sense.

So being an shiny happy person on the internet doesn't count?

I'm amazed at the mouth-breathers on marketplace selling cars:

$3500 firm, runs but i don't have a battery for it.

Why not put a cheapo, $60, reconditioned battery in it so you can actually get what you're asking? Otherwise I'm going to assume the engine is locked up.

ShawnG said:

I'm amazed at the mouth-breathers on marketplace selling cars:

$3500 firm, runs but i don't have a battery for it.

Why not put a cheapo, $60, reconditioned battery in it so you can actually get what you're asking? Otherwise I'm going to assume the engine is locked up.

Hey, I got a 66 C-10 for $700, "just needs fuel pump, I have a new one in the box". On that truck it's 2 bolts to change fuel pump. So I rolled my eyes and didn't even bother messing at guys house, just pushed it on the trailer assuming it was proper berkeleyed and fuel pump was best lie he had. 

Got home and installed the included fuel pump, and sure enough... Just needed a fuel pump.