craigslist and car dealers practices

[olasek]

Just this piece of entertainment ...

If you find some advertising practices by car dealers pretty obnoxious on craigslist (like repeating the same posting every day to be "at the top") then consider the same car which is being simultaneosly advertised for vastly different prices.

This is their $21988 version:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ctd/3345238512.html

and this is their $17880 version:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/ctd/3348372141.html

If you think that the dealer somehow decided generously to lower the price and stick with it to generate sale this is not the case since if you follow repeated daily ads for this car the price went up again 2 days later .... By the way, I have seen already different prices for this car between the $17 and $22 K. If you wonder what the true value of this car - probably around $14 K. By the way if you think all this craigslist garbage is generated by some redneck used car dealer in the boondocks, no - a rather large Lexus/Infiniti dealership (with WORLD CLASS SERVICE) is behind all this crap.

 

[Arbiter419]

Hmm, I think I see the problem...it's automatic and it's not a volkswagen

 

[RJM62]

Just this piece of entertainment ...

If you find some advertising practices by car dealers pretty obnoxious on craigslist (like repeating the same posting every day to be "at the top") then consider the same car which is being simultaneosly advertised for vastly different prices.

This is their $21988 version:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ctd/3345238512.html

and this is their $17880 version:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/ctd/3348372141.html

If you think that the dealer somehow decided generously to lower the price and stick with it to generate sale this is not the case since if you follow repeated daily ads for this car the price went up again 2 days later .... By the way, I have seen already different prices for this car between the $17 and $22 K. If you wonder what the true value of this car - probably around $14 K. By the way if you think all this craigslist garbage is generated by some redneck used car dealer in the boondocks, no - a rather large Lexus/Infiniti dealership (with WORLD CLASS SERVICE) is behind all this crap.

You have something against rednecks?

-Rich

 

[AggieMike88]

Actually, it appears if you live in South Bay, they are giving you a discount (check out the blue links at the very top to see what I'm pointing out).


I got that exact car, but with a tan interior hit in the front back in February. Purchased for $2500. Quickly made $4200-ish in sales via eBay (including the gas cap for $40 and a/c knobs for $30) in 7 weeks.

Still have engine, 5spd trans, and final drive. Those items don't break and I'm about to push the prices to bargain basement fire sale level to get the final cash for the next one.

Not a fan of owning Z3's. But i'll happily go nuts selling their parts on eBay.

 

[olasek]

if you live in South Bay, they are giving you a discount (check out the blue links at the very top to see what I'm pointing out).

South Bay, blue links, discount, huh????

 

[marcoseddi]

Dealers are a joke none the less a dealer on craigslist

 

[AggieMike88]

South Bay, blue links, discount, huh????

See attachments.

Reduced price was listed in the South Bay section, not San Fancisco

SF bay area craigslist > south bay > for sale/wanted > cars & trucks by dealer​

.

 

[olasek]

Reduced price was listed in the South Bay section, not San Fancisco

But this was the whole point of my original posting - I don't consider it a "discount" rather generating a lot garbage/noise and even dishonest advertising. This so called "discount" is still thousands above the fair price of this car. Wait another month or two and you will see what's going to happen to this crappy "discount" price. (By the way, Livermore is not part of the South Bay and $17880 price was advertised in the Livermore area, interesting concept to have different prices for different individual towns...)

Nothing against rednecks, even like them.

 

[N747JB]

You have something against rednecks?

-Rich

I feel really insulted, as a redneck and a car dealer!!
There are services that post cars for dealers on Craigslist, I think the one we use is called Cargigi ? They have to change the ad everyday, you can't post the same ad repeatedly. To eliminate the dealer ads, you can opt to search "by owner".
As a dealer, my experience with Craigslist is that low end cars seem to sell, but they have to be pretty cheap, we don't get a lot of calls on what I would call retail pieces, 2007 and newer with under 100K miles. But get an old beater with a odd colored fender and the phone lights up.

 

[AggieMike88]

sorry... was trying to make a snarky comment about his geographic pricing practices....

 

[Ted]

Hey Mike, do you have any 3000GT VR4s in stock? I might relieve you of a few items if you do...

 

[AggieMike88]

Hey Mike, do you have any 3000GT VR4s in stock? I might relieve you of a few items if you do...

No. But email shopping list (link in profile works) and I can see what I can round up. Include VIN# of your vehicle if possible.

 

[RJM62]

I feel really insulted, as a redneck and a car dealer!!
There are services that post cars for dealers on Craigslist, I think the one we use is called Cargigi ? They have to change the ad everyday, you can't post the same ad repeatedly. To eliminate the dealer ads, you can opt to search "by owner".
As a dealer, my experience with Craigslist is that low end cars seem to sell, but they have to be pretty cheap, we don't get a lot of calls on what I would call retail pieces, 2007 and newer with under 100K miles. But get an old beater with a odd colored fender and the phone lights up.

I've purchased a few very decent, but old cars (including my current one) off Craigslist, from dealers. I think the old beaters sell better in that medium just because the old beaters can be better deals. I suspect that a lot of times they were trade-ins that the dealer mainly wants off his lot and isn't marking up very much.

I'm not a big believer in buying new cars, especially where I live and considering the kind of lifestyle I live. Between the roads, the winters, the animals walking on the cars at night, and my penchant for driving long trips on dirt roads to very remote places to photograph things like 100+ year-old abandoned railroad bridges, old cars just seem a better choice for me.

Also, I can pay cash for old cars, which saves me on my insurance. I currently pay $33.36/month for car insurance, which is considered ridiculously low in NY.

-Rich

 

[N801BH]

...., the animals walking on the cars at night.

-Rich

 

[RJM62]

Raccoons, squirrels, possums... I have no idea why they walk all over the cars, but I find their footprints in the morning, and sometimes they scratch the paint. The bears will also try to get inside if you make the mistake of leaving any kind of food in the car at all.

-Rich

 

[olasek]

They have to change the ad everyday, you can't post the same ad repeatedly.

That contradicts my experience, I see the same exact ad, the same price, reposted practically every day by the same dealer.

To eliminate the dealer ads, you can opt to search "by owner".

This is not my intention, I have bought couple cars from small used car dealers who advertised on Craigslist and their advertising was honest, price was right and there was none of this flooding of Craigslist with your ads every day. Plus they did not post different prices depending on the neighborhood or did not hide the same car behind different titles so you could not easily find this discrepancy between prices. I guess what I am finding which is probably counterintuitive that it is the big new-car dealers who's methods I find obnoxious.

 

[denverpilot]

Anyone left who actually takes automotive advertised prices seriously? They can put whatever they want as a price on Craigslist, I'll be faxing over an offer of my choosing.

Which is exactly how we bought the VW new. Called dealers, found out where the two vehicles with options and color Karen wanted were. Faxed written offer to both.

Fax gets dumped on fleet manager's desk, because no one knows what to do with a fax. Fleet manager calls 30 minutes later and says he needs $80 more to make deal.

I laugh at piddly $80 difference and say "Sure... See you on Saturday to pick it up and finish paperwork."

Screwing around with salesmen or car ads on a new car, is a waste of time. Used... You have to go see it.

 

[Marauder]

No. But email shopping list (link in profile works) and I can see what I can round up. Include VIN# of your vehicle if possible.

You have any suggestions on moving my mid life crisis car (loaded 2004 Corvette, 6,890 miles and never seen rain)? I am looking for a fair offer so I can apply it towards an avionics upgrade.

I just don't tons of tire kickers or wannabes showing up at my house. And since I'm not looking to trade it in, I would think most dealers have no interest (my guess).

 

[AggieMike88]

You have any suggestions on moving my mid life crisis car (loaded 2004 Corvette, 6,890 miles and never seen rain)? I am looking for a fair offer so I can apply it towards an avionics upgrade.

I just don't tons of tire kickers or wannabes showing up at my house. And since I'm not looking to trade it in, I would think most dealers have no interest (my guess).

www.copartdirect.com is one venue.

www.autotrader.com, use disposable email and cell phone to protect main and personal contact info.

Find local specialty car dealer in your area, give him chase to look it over, then discuss either a fair spot offer, or a consignment deal with an incentive for better than full price and fast offer.

 

[Marauder]

www.copartdirect.com is one venue.

www.autotrader.com, use disposable email and cell phone to protect main and personal contact info.

Find local specialty car dealer in your area, give him chase to look it over, then discuss either a fair spot offer, or a consignment deal with an incentive for better than full price and fast offer.

Thank you sir!

 

[olasek]

You have any suggestions on moving my mid life crisis car (loaded 2004 Corvette, 6,890 miles and never seen rain)?

With such a nice low mileage car I would try a place that specializes only in Corvettes, there are number of them across the country and they will pay you cash for your car. Like this one:

http://www.sellmycorvette.net/default.aspx

 

[Marauder]

With such a nice low mileage car I would try a place that specializes only in Corvettes, there are number of them across the country and they will pay you cash for your car. Like this one:

http://www.sellmycorvette.net/default.aspx

Thanks for the lead. It is really a nice car, well maintained (changed oil on a regular basis even though I didn't drive it much). I had a company car assigned to me a couple months after buying it, so I never had a need to use it as a daily driver.

I'm hoping to get enough out to cover a portion of an Aspen/Garmin GPS upgrade in my panel.

 

[AggieMike88]

With such a nice low mileage car I would try a place that specializes only in Corvettes, there are number of them across the country and they will pay you cash for your car. Like this one:

http://www.sellmycorvette.net/default.aspx

There is a couple of places in Dallas area doing the same (model specialty) and a few near KADS that are all about the higher end motors.

 

[olasek]

Thanks for the lead. It is really a nice car, well maintained

And then there is the Mecum Auto Auction, who knows maybe I will watch your car being sold there on my HDTV cable. :wink2: I have seen countless very nice Corvettes hit the block.

 

[Marauder]

And then there is the Mecum Auto Auction, who knows maybe I will watch your car being sold there on my HDTV cable. :wink2: I have seen countless very nice Corvettes hit the block.

I can only hope I'm just looking for a good offer. Got to a point that I feel like my new Garmin is sitting in the garage and not in the airplane!

 

[olasek]

Just watching Mecum auction as we speak and an absolutely gorgeous 1967 Corvette Fuelie sold for a very round number - $100,000.

 

[N747JB]

That contradicts my experience, I see the same exact ad, the same price, reposted practically every day by the same dealer.
If it's the exact same ad, they are probably changing a word or two or using a different phone number, OR they have figured out a way to beat Craigslist at their own game.

This is not my intention, I have bought couple cars from small used car dealers who advertised on Craigslist and their advertising was honest, price was right and there was none of this flooding of Craigslist with your ads every day. Plus they did not post different prices depending on the neighborhood or did not hide the same car behind different titles so you could not easily find this discrepancy between prices. I guess what I am finding which is probably counterintuitive that it is the big new-car dealers who's methods I find obnoxious.

I have never heard of anyone posting the same car at vastly different prices like the example you posted. Seems like a waste of time to do it that way, they are only going to **** people off. Let's suppose you go in an buy the car at the higher price and get home and see it posted for $4K less.............all hell is going to break loose, right?
We do change prices on vehicles, usually downward if they haven't sold in a few weeks, occasionally up if the market jumps for some odd reason. But, we change the prices on ALL our web advertising at the same time, so if you see it on Auto trader for $19,500, it will be on cars.com at $19,500 as well. Posting vastly different prices would cause people to be suspictious of one's prices.
Craiglist is a decent place to buy and sell used cars, the cheaper the better, my son buys and sells motorcycles on there and has had pretty good luck with a couple of them. He also messes with stereo equipment, speakers, amps etc and it works well for that too.

 

[olasek]

We do change prices on vehicles, usually downward if they haven't sold in a few weeks,

As a car dealer what do you think about the KBB prices?
I find them way overinflated, I find NADA guides much more grounded in reality.
I bought 2 used cars in the last 7 months (one for my college son and one for myself) and spent ton of time researching cars/prices and found KBB prices a total joke at least in the car market segment I was interested in.