Used Car Ad Phrases You Just Don't Get

[bob w]

"Lot drives" meaning anything over 10 MPH is deadly.

 

[Skip]

“Must see to appreciate”

I’m not sure if the big list helps or not, I like to put just enough out there to tease to get people to come and look.

You may well be right, lazarat. Being a retired technical writer, it is challenging. But I should know better, as nobody reads the manual unless there is no way around it. Myself included at times.

 

[pacrat1]

"Ran, when parked". Call me with any questions. I have not seen the vehicle, selling for a friend.

 

[redidbull]

"Serious offers only". If I give you an offer I'm serious. Just because you are selling an $1800 dollar car for 4k doesn't mean I'm not serious. Maybe the 4K isn't serious. Jim

 

[05snopro440]

"Serious offers only". If I give you an offer I'm serious. Just because you are selling an $1800 dollar car for 4k doesn't mean I'm not serious. Maybe the 4K isn't serious. Jim

I was always told that an offer more than 10% below asking could be seen as an insult. You could offer lower, but don't be surprised when the seller gets upset or annoyed.

I actually understand this one. With today's online culture, people want to get a deal regardless of condition and before even seeing the vehicle/item/etc. in person. If the price isn't good enough for you to see it in person before offering 50% of asking, just move on.

 

[Old Iron]

If I feel the seller is just too high on price, I ask them if I can make an offer without aggravating them. If at that point they seem a little peeved, I just say we're too far apart to make the offer and leave.

 

[05snopro440]

If I feel the seller is just too high on price, I ask them if I can make an offer without aggravating them. If at that point they seem a little peeved, I just say we're too far apart to make the offer and leave.

That's a much nicer way to conduct business.

Offers without seeing the condition in person are generally just someone being a cheapskate, in my opinion.

 

[Neto]

I was always told that an offer more than 10% below asking could be seen as an insult. You could offer lower, but don't be surprised when the seller gets upset or annoyed.

I actually understand this one. With today's online culture, people want to get a deal regardless of condition and before even seeing the vehicle/item/etc. in person. If the price isn't good enough for you to see it in person before offering 50% of asking, just move on.

The figure I've often heard is 20%. That is, if you cannot see paying 80% of their asking price, then just walk away.

But a friend of mine, who was interested in buying the house next door to ours, later told me that he & his wife had looked at it, but couldn't see paying very close to the asking price, and so they didn't make an offer. But then they later heard that a lower offer was accepted, and then the specific features of the house that they really liked were taken out (at considerable more cost to the buyer, I'm sure).
I have found that at least sometimes no offense is taken if one says, "It may well be worth more than this, but I can only afford to offer so-and-so much." This doesn't attack their price as "unreasonable", and may actually help the seller, because it gives them a firm offer to tell those who really try to low-ball them. And, they may just end up coming back to you with a counter offer that you can still manage or at least "rationalize".

 

[05snopro440]

The figure I've often heard is 20%. That is, if you cannot see paying 80% of their asking price, then just walk away.

But a friend of mine, who was interested in buying the house next door to ours, later told me that he & his wife had looked at it, but couldn't see paying very close to the asking price, and so they didn't make an offer. But then they later heard that a lower offer was accepted, and then the specific features of the house that they really liked were taken out (at considerable more cost to the buyer, I'm sure).
I have found that at least sometimes no offense is taken if one says, "It may well be worth more than this, but I can only afford to offer so-and-so much." This doesn't attack their price as "unreasonable", and may actually help the seller, because it gives them a firm offer to tell those who really try to low-ball them. And, they may just end up coming back to you with a counter offer that you can still manage or at least "rationalize".

The problem is that people use it as a dishonest way of trying to get a deal now.

 

[Sam_Fear]

"Chop's done, just needs glass!"

RUN AWAY!

 

[05snopro440]

"Chop's done, just needs glass!"

RUN AWAY!

No kidding! I've lost count of how many I've seen that have stated that. It's truly terrifying.

It's funny when someone says a project is "Easy to finish". If it was so easy, why didn't they finish it themselves?