Jay,
From a seller's standpoint: it's pretty easy from the safety of our
keyboard,as a potential buyer, to be highly critical and demanding of the
seller's ad's. I suspect that in a face to face situation the buyer's
wouldn't have the nerve to make the demands and really lame excuses for the
seller to change the pricing of a for sale car.
This list in particular is by far the worst. Most are not true buyers, most
are just curious and only hoping for a break because they feel some kinship
as "fellow enthusiasts" .This venue has made it far too easy to find
interesting stuff and has overloaded the system with tire kickers." For fee"
only ads would likewise limit the seller's only looking to get a feel for
what their item might possibly be sold for should they ever really get
serious.
Dave@Taos Garage Annex in Albuquerque
59 AH :{) 54 BN1
Click below for webpage:
http://ibelong.koz.com/ibn/Sprite
----- Original Message -----
From <type79 at ix.netcom.com>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2001 8:50 AM
Subject: Internet Car Ads was Re: Bugeye F/S
> For what it's worth, I'll relate my experience with internet car ads.
>
> I find that most sellers don't take internet ads and responses
> seriously. Maybe they post the ad and forget about it as the ad lingers
> on the net.
>
> I have responded to numerous on line ads and most sellers aren't
> prepared to send pics, provide details, or in some cases, the email
> address links to someone who posted the ad for a friend and therefore
> has no real info on the car.
>
> I recently contacted a seller of a Midget in Rhode Island. Car sounded
> like an extremely good car in the ad. Email responses took days or a
> week. Responses were very vague. Finally he informed me that he posted
> the ad for a friend in New Jersey. I contacted her and i guess she
> didn't know enough about the car to respond to me. I tried to arrange
> an appointment to go there to see the car but finally gave up due to her
> lack of response.
>
> I am familiar enough with Sprites that I can determine how solid and
> complete a Spridget may be if i'm given proper answers and pics of key
> areas. But most sellers that respond with pics, send 3/4 shots of the
> entire car from 15 feet. Most every car looks good from 15 feet.
>
> I usually don't tell sellers of my location so that they are not
> skeptical of my commitment to travel or ship the car. When I do inform
> them of the distance involved, I honestly tell them that distance is not
> a problem.
>
> As a seller, I posted an ad last year on the Hemmings site and while the
> eventual buyer wasn't a respondent to the internet ad, I found it a very
> efficient sales tool. I had one very serious prospect to whom I was able
> to send pics in response to his specific requests. He was 60 miles away
> and it was useful for both of us that he had a very good idea of what he
> was surveying before he made the trip.
>
> But again, I think that most sellers that post internet ads do so just
> for the hell of it. I will continue to investigate internet ads, but I
> think they are largely a waste of time for the buyer.
>
> I would be interested in hearing other listers experiences with internet
> car ads.
>
> Jay Fishbein
> Wallingford, CT
> Sprites & Innocentis
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