this is great advice...

[RD]

though i am sure it will fall on deaf ears when listing on craigslist

http://ksu.craigslist.org/cto/1327311988.html

[68coronetGLwannabe]

 

[moparstuart]

To those selling vehicles

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Date: 2009-08-17, 8:31AM CDT
Reply to: sale-pce5z-1327311988@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

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Please do yourselves a favor. If you really want to sell the vehicle, do a few things to help.

Post a picture or pictures of the vehicle you are selling.

Keep the photos simple. Don't tilt the picture sideways.

Take pictures in the daylight. There are lots of things in this world that look really good at night that are down right scary in the morning.

DON'T post generic company pictures.

DON'T post " it could look like this " pictures. With enough money & plastic surgery invested, I "could look like" Brad Pitt.

DON'T take cell phone pictures. Unless you have a rather high end cell phone, the pictures are poor. Even cheapo kids digital cameras take better pictures.

DON'T list needed repairs as "cheap" or "easy". If they were so cheap and easy, you would have already done it.

State the mileage. List the ACTUAL milage if it is different than what shows on the odometer- it's the law.

Give your phone number. Unless you really don't want to sell.

Just a few simple steps could make the vehicle sell.

Thanks for your time.

A potential buyer

[bull]

Good advice that too few will choose to follow. I don't even bother looking at CL ads w/o pics.

[89MOPAR]

  He's right on
I've sold a couple of cars listed on craigslist.  i put in 4 pics , covering all sides of car
  front grille + right side,  left side, rear end, interior.
With a good description, of what is the true condition of the car. What maintenance it's had lately, what it may need in the near future [ if it's going to need brakes i will say so] , what approx percentage is left on the tires, where there is a rip in the interior, etc.etc.
  I figure why waste time,  the buyer and the sellers time.  I don't want to sit around waiting for a guy to show up, only to have him not buy the car because i left out some major problem.
True milage #'s, # of prior owners, etc.
All the cars sold within a week !  So either I price too aggresively and I cost myself money - or it is a good deal for both seller and buyer.  I will not turn away an offer over 100$ difference.
   Cash in hand ,is better, than  a hopefull cash amount in your mind.

[Old Moparz]

Yeah, good points that will go unread because it requires "reading" them. 

I also remember a thread somewhere about "selling tips" for cars, I had added a comment on photos that show the inside of the trunk or the passenger compartment filled with all kinds of crap. Why go through the trouble of even taking the photo if you aren't going to empty out the car? The whole idea behind that type of photo is to see the inside or the floors, or lack of floors. I have no interest in seeing all the s**t you've managed to accumulate, like wet cardboard boxes, McD's wrappers, dirty clothes, or rusty Camaro parts. 

[Blown70]

To those selling vehicles


Take pictures in the daylight. There are lots of things in this world that look really good at night that are down right scary in the morning.



DON'T post " it could look like this " pictures. With enough money & plastic surgery invested, I "could look like" Brad Pitt.


DON'T list needed repairs as "cheap" or "easy". If they were so cheap and easy, you would have already done it.

State the mileage. List the ACTUAL milage if it is different than what shows on the odometer- it's the law.

Give your phone number. Unless you really don't want to sell.

Just a few simple steps could make the vehicle sell.

Thanks for your time.

A potential buyer

THESE made me LAUGH VERY HARD....      but very true

[terrible one]

DON'T list needed repairs as "cheap" or "easy". If they were so cheap and easy, you would have already done it.

Haha that's my favorite.

[b5blue]

Having sold cars a few years for an independent dealer I can tell you for certain it's important to clean the car up as much as you can, even if it's a POS! Not just take your crap out clean the glass, wipe down the inside and vac it. A bath for the out side even if it's nasty helps soooo much! 

[ITSA426]

Take pictures in the daylight. There are lots of things in this world that look really good at night that are down right scary in the morning.

I've had those moments without cars.

[RD]

 

Take pictures in the daylight. There are lots of things in this world that look really good at night that are down right scary in the morning.

I've had those moments without cars.

[Silver R/T]

I agree for the most part. Except about phone number. No way Id be giving away phone number. There's so many scammers/tire kickers/sales people on there

[Landonsrt]

I wonder what happened to push him over the edge to write all that? All good points. Ive never had any luck with selling on craigs list.

[LeadfootBob]

"DON'T post " it could look like this " pictures. With enough money & plastic surgery invested, I "could look like" Brad Pitt."
Annoys the hell out of me when it happens (frequently).

An amendment of my own:
DO NOT take pictures of your car while it is still soaked after washing it with the garden hose... You're not fooling anybody with that trick!