Why do people do things like this? (lowball offers)

[triple_green]

I got a call a work today from my son. Two young guys were at my house (univited) and wanted to buy my Charger and Challenger. Said they had a bunch of cash. We live down a private road that deadends into a lake after the next house. People don't just drive by. The cars are under the structure of the house in three sided carports.

It turns out one of these guys had followed me home when I had the 69 R/T SE for sale last May and seen my other cars. Anyway everything has it's price, so I told him to tell them $32K for the Charger and $65K for the Chally Vert (BB car with a 15K mile  1969 426 hemi transplant).

Anyway the guy immediately offers $20K for the Charger. So I had my son show him the end of the driveway. Why do people do thing like this? Does $20K sound anywhere near $32K to you?

I have a 55 YO Boeing Engineer at our summer swim club who has been trying to buy the car for $30K for the last two years.

What is with these BoZos

[Charger-Bodie]

Ill give ya 22k  Just kiddin.

Some people just dont get it, but I suppose it didnt cost them much to try 

[69charger2002]

yeah on one hand you can't blame them for trying. but on the other(more important hand) it is so annoying. all they basically did today was WASTE YOUR TIME
trav

[Charger1973]

I always quote a ridiculous price, if someone really wants to give me $50,000 for my car id be more than willing to sell.   

[kylem4711]

not too ridiculous to me

[moparstuart]

I got a call a work today from my son. Two young guys were at my house (univited) and wanted to buy my Charger and Challenger. Said they had a bunch of cash. We live down a private road that deadends into a lake after the next house. People don't just drive by. The cars are under the structure of the house in three sided carports.

It turns out one of these guys had followed me home when I had the 69 R/T SE for sale last May and seen my other cars. Anyway everything has it's price, so I told him to tell them $32K for the Charger and $65K for the Chally Vert (BB car with a 15K mile  1969 426 hemi transplant).

Anyway the guy immediately offers $20K for the Charger. So I had my son show him the end of the driveway. Why do people do thing like this? Does $20K sound anywhere near $32K to you?

I have a 55 YO Boeing Engineer at our summer swim club who has been trying to buy the car for $30K for the last two years.

What is with these BoZos

thats way cheap for the challenger

[69bronzeT5]

Yea, some people just dont get it. Theres been a few threads like this. I remember back in 2003, my car was worth atleast $5k and this guy offered $800 for it because he wanted to cut the rear clip off of it for his wrecked '69. When we told him it was worth $5k, he said yea right. We showed him to the street and he left

[NMike]

because once in a while you find a guy that is about to divorce his wife. cash talks big words sometimes.

i bought my XR650 that way. guy wanted $7000, i offered $4500, and he took it on condition i didn't mention it to his soon to be Ex-Wife.

[70charginglizard]

I don't even mess with them anymore.

They get the "not for sale" speech from me. and then the See ya.

[Rolling_Thunder]

I'm usually open to offers...      but then again i still own my charger   

[BMOTOXSTAR]

On the flip side, if you are in financial dire straits you can sell that investment quick if you need to.
Sometimes a buyer may be thinking that you may need the money and make a low ball offer.
You never know until you ask. There is a difference between stupidity and low balling on an offer. There is however a fine line.
That is what happened to me. A unnamed person purchased my 73' SE from me, the person knew for years that I owned the Charger, I was in a super huge financial jam. It was loose a bigger investment that I still have now or sell my Charger.
I could have got about 5,000 more I believe , if I would have advertised the Charger, however I needed  $8,000 fast to keep my bigger investment.
The person hit me up at the right time and as much as I miss that Charger ( I have to see it for sale for $14,00 every time I go to the MOPARTS.COM B Body for sale section) in the long run I gained 2 Mopars and kept my other investment.
But it sounds like you do not need the money so I guess my comment really does not pertain to you but that is why people low ball, find someone in a tight spot at the right time.

[hemihead]

Look at the other threads on this forum like " Why doesn't this guy sell it for $2000 to me instead of letting it sit " or " I saw this Charger sitting and how do ask about buying it " . Usually the guys that are bothered by people asking to buy their cars and low ball offers are the same guys doing it to someone else . Like the old saying , What goes around comes around . Now everyone can get mad at me again .

[Mike DC]

 
There's never any set price for anything in this hobby, some people are just totally uninformed, and people's bargaining styles can be drastically different. 

So I never mind listening to the crazy-low buying offers, at least not initially.  As long as they don't get too rude and pestering about it.

-----------------------------------------------------------
   
Try leaving a note on the dashboard (visible through the windshield) saying:

"Sorry, not for sale.  You can find similiar Chargers on Ebay for about $______ if you're serious about buying one." 

That covers all the bases.  It states your position, it demonstrates that you know exactly what the car is really worth, and shows you've got a good reason not to take their lowball offer.

  

[nakita7]

Bought vehicles over the years. I ALWAYS offer 1/2 to 2/3 asking price, and take it from there, because (surprisingly) most people are usually trying to make a profit when they sell their cars. That's how it works.

[Charger1973]

Ive tried the not for sale sign on my dash too.  It works somewhat but theres always someone...

[TheGhost]

Had a guy offer me $500 for the Barracuda a few months ago.  Considering how I just bought an 8 3/4 for $500, I refused the oh so generous offer.

[dukeboy_318]

it happens, yes its annoying, but id do it too, never know if the owner needs/wants to sell it bad, get the best deal possible. on the other hand, when you tell someone what you bottom dollar is and they keep pestering or try to debate with you, thats when they crossed the line in my opinion    had a guy that kept asking to buy my 74 for  several weeks, seen it one day at work.  offerd me 600 bucks for it, i told him 3k and he gets it, i bought the car for 800, rebuilt the entire brake system, new tires, new suspension(polygraphite), new deck lid and reupholstered interior, he never got the point, said he could go get one from a junkyard for 600, i told him to go ahead and get one then, i just wanted the 3k i had in the car.  I didnt mind the lowball offer, it was the pestering that ticked me off especially when they pull the "I know where i can get one for $_______" line. 

[280bb0]

Just the cop in me but next time get a plate Number of the car they are driving just in case your cars end up missing NO Reason for people to tress pass if they liked the car that much then leave a note or mail it  to set up a meeting.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Just the cop in me but next time get a plate Number of the car they are driving just in case your cars end up missing NO Reason for people to tress pass if they liked the car that much then leave a note or mail it  to set up a meeting.

[hutch]

not too ridiculous to me

I always go low. Sometimes you get lucky with low.

[BEAPARTS]

What has really worked well for me to separate the buyers from the dreamers is to say, "Yea, I would considered selling one of my cars, except, I really don't need the money" wether you do or not.  Never act like a motivative seller no mater what.  If you are truly selling a car and a price has been set I'll tell the prospective buyer long before he arrives exactly how the deal will work.  First and foremost you tell them "I don't need the money" then I'll say the price is what it is and if any negotiation the deals off and you can leave.  It's very simple, you bring money and look at my car and it's a yes and the car leaves with you or no and you leave by yourself.  If it's a car that needs trailered and the buyer doesn't show up with one then they don't get in.

[triple_green]

Did I mention this guy did the same thing last May? Maybe becuase I have four kids he thinks I need money 

I don't think my house and neighborhood would lead him to believe I would need a "fire sale".

Anyway, just remind me to get to work and finish up the last few things on the Challenger.

3X

[41husk]

I don't think offering 10k less than what you are asking is to bad 15-20 k is a little hard to swallow,  They probably wanted you to try to meet them in the middle or don't have any money and couldn't buy it if you said 15k.  I guess $2,500 for the both won't fly?

[triple_green]

Can I offer you $3,000 for your $15,000 car. It is the same thing......

[41husk]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't blame you for having your son show him the end of the driveway.  If some one offered me $5k for any of my cars I would just say NO, and that would let them know they are not even in the ball park.  I have always bought projects, and firmly believe I could have saved a lot of money, time and bloody knuckles forking out 30k for a finished car rather than sinking several years and 20-30k gathering parts and finishing a project myself.  I do have many memories I wouldn't have had if I had not started from the project stage. (and some of those memories are good)