Stupid Craigslister (Rant)

Hey Moron! You can't ask $150 for a used exhaust that sells for $148 new from Mazdaspeed. Yes, they only sell to people with competition licenses, but it's easy enough to find a Spec Miata racer willing to order a part for someone else.

Of course, I couldn't even tell it was the part I was looking for because you wouldn't send pictures of anything, or provide any descriptions of the part. Telling someone "show me the money" is jackass. Show me the part first.

You've been trying to part out this Miata for months, and still haven't been able to sell the top. There's a reason parts aren't moving...

I'll sell you an exhaust for $20!

It's a 26-year-old stock RX-7 exhaust, though it was in surprisingly good shape (hence I held onto it).

P71 wrote: I'll sell you an exhaust for $20! It's a 26-year-old stock RX-7 exhaust, though it was in surprisingly good shape (hence I held onto it).

Hahaha! Do you ship for free? Nah, I could find a stock Miata exhaust for roughly that same price locally. I'm thinking I'll just go the route of paying a friend of mine to do some repairs and modifications to what I have available.

I was just hoping to get this one as a bolt-on that would also make maybe a bit more power, for about the same price of having mine welded.

I've just dealt with this guy before. He's been trying to part out this Miata for months. He's been frustrating to deal with via e-mail in the past.

He also had a stock exhaust. He was asking $100 for that. Yeah, right.

I dunno about the cheap RX7 exhaust. When i parted out the two first gens I had, I stuck an ad on rx7club.com and listed 'two stock 1st gen exhausts, make offer'. Wow. I got a zillion messages from guys in states where they had to have stock exhaust to make emissions. I sold them complete from manifold to tailpipes (including the cats) for $125 each plus shipping. One went to New York state, IIRC the other went to Illinois.

Then there was the complete RB system with headers etc, I got, IIRC, $100 for that. Nobody wanted it because they are pretty common and it won't pass emissions so they are only legal for street use in non emissions states.

Mine has a catless mid but is otherwise complete and nice. No rust, no leaks, no smushes. I put it on CL for $20 and got 1 bite (well so far, it's only been a few hours).

I've seen some creative wording, some bald-faced lies, and some ridiculous asking prices based on dubious claims on Craigslist, but this one may take the cake.

http://columbiamo.craigslist.org/cto/1153822535.html

Douchebag said: There were less than 177,000 made so they are pretty rare.

Try rx7 club. You'll get more bites but you may have to ship.

On the subject of Craigslist rants (from the seller's side), when I put "Negotiable, but no low ball offers, no trades, and no payments, please" in the ad, your e-mail that only says "$X cash" where X is nowhere near my asking price doesn't impress me (or do anything other than piss me off, really).

For starters, "cash" is all I'll take. That's what I mean by "no trades and no payments." Second, if you're not literally waving the Ben Franklins in front of me, your offer is not particularly alluring, especially when you send me this "offer" by e-mail with out so much as a real name or phone number. Third, it's a car for Pete's sake. You've got to come look at it, or at least ask me a few intelligent questions before I'll take anything you have to say seriously. Even then, your offer should at least be the same order of magnitude as my asking price.

Dumbasses.

/rant

Personal experience with this one, Billy. In March I sold a '93 Toyota Pickup with a bad motor, along with a rolled '92 4-runner with a good motor as a package deal. I listed it on CL for $1700, said I was "pretty firm" on the price (by the response I got, I think I underpriced them). This was the first email I got, and the ensuing exchange. Mind you that every question he asked was spelled out in the initial ad.

Dumbass said: are your sure the 4 runner runs . How many miles are on it? would like to know what motor the 4 runner has? And what is your bottom cash dollar. Thanks for your time

Reply:

1) Yes, I am sure the 4runner runs. I drove it before i pulled the engine out. 2) The 4runner has 184k miles. I don't know if the engine has been rebuilt or not, but it did run good, no smoke, good oil pressure and no death rattles. 3) The 4runner had a V6 engine, just like the truck. It has been pulled. That's a picture of it in the ad. 3) I'm not going to tell you my bottom cash dollar without an offer. Do I have stupid written on my forehead?

Dumbass said: I dont like pricing peoples stuff. Iam just asking if I show up with a hand full of CASH how much is going to take. Plus the cost of having to haul both of them to my how house.

Reply:

Right. $1700 cash will buy the trucks.

Dumbass said: give u 1000

Reply (by now I'm starting to get more than a little annoyed...in the interim I'd had three offers to buy the trucks sight unseen, including they guy who gave me my asking price that night):

Man, you're kinda dense, eh? Guess you'll be walking.

Dumbass said: nope dont think I will be walking any time soon I have 4 chevys NOW I WILL GIVE YOU 900 how bad do you want to sell it

Reply:

How bad do I want to sell it? Well, let's see. I posted the truck 24 hours ago, which was my first time attempting to sell it. .I've had seven responses in 24 hours...all of whom except for you have actually wanted to COME LOOK at the truck before they lowballed me. If I really needed to sell it, I would have jumped at the $1200 I just got offered for it. BUT I DIDN'T...because the trucks are worth more.

So, Mr. "I don't understand economics"....are you going to lower your offer yet again? Do I hear $800? Ooh, I know, offer me $700! I'm sure to take that!

Dumbass said: 450 for smart ass

At this point, I just gave up and prayed that his parents didn't pollute the gene pool any further...although I was tempted to email him back a couple weeks later with an "all the deals fell through, and I really need the cash....I'll take the $450" email, heavy on the humble pie. And then give him a bogus address way the berkeley out in the sticks.

CL is overrun with scammers etc., you just have to rise above the muck.

There's been plenty of people who have called and Emailed me with BS lowball offers. I reply once with 'I won't entertain any offers till you see the item in person' and if they reply with another stupid offer I just ignore it.

Jensenman wrote: CL is overrun with scammers etc., you just have to rise above the muck. There's been plenty of people who have called and Emailed me with BS lowball offers. I reply once with 'I won't entertain any offers till you see the item in person' and if they reply with another stupid offer I just ignore it.

I'm the same, I politely tell them the item is costing me nothing to own and for their offer i would prefer to keep it. If you let them get to you, the terrorist are winning.

Mental wrote:

Jensenman wrote: CL is overrun with scammers etc., you just have to rise above the muck. There's been plenty of people who have called and Emailed me with BS lowball offers. I reply once with 'I won't entertain any offers till you see the item in person' and if they reply with another stupid offer I just ignore it.

I'm the same, I politely tell them the item is costing me nothing to own and for their offer i would prefer to keep it. If you let them get to you, the man-made overseas interventionists are winning.

Fixed.

psteav wrote a bunch of stuff: 450 for smart ass

Ok...now I'm going to have fun with the next thing you list on Columbia CL ;)

J/K ;)

I've dished and received from both ends on CL. Heck...a guy threatened legal and libelous action against me. Something to the effect of "Ask [real estate agency in town] about how I handle people who try to cheat me."

Right...over a misunderstanding about a miata hard top...sure.

Clem

You don't need a competition license to buy from Mazdaspeed. You only need to compete in 2 motorsports events (autocross, rallycross, etc.) a year to become a member. You just need to fax in 2 results sheets with your name on it and you could probably even forge them. They are strict about what you buy, though. If they suspect you're ebaying new parts you'll get blacklisted.

ClemSparks wrote:

psteav wrote a bunch of stuff: 450 for smart ass

Ok...now I'm going to have fun with the next thing you list on Columbia CL ;) J/K ;) I've dished and received from both ends on CL. Heck...a guy threatened legal and libelous action against me. Something to the effect of "Ask [real estate agency in town] about how I handle people who try to cheat me." Right...over a misunderstanding about a miata hard top...sure. Clem

Don't mess with me, boy. I'm still holding your moped seat hostage. (Yeah, I found it, it fell out in my driveway).

In other news, I think I may try to buy one of that guy who threatened you's Miatas. (That may be the most awkward sentence I've ever written.) He's apparently getting out of the car hobby for health reasons. Probably a heart condition brought on by thinking everyone is out to screw him.

psteav wrote: In other news, I think I may try to buy one of that guy who threatened you's Miatas. (That may be the most awkward sentence I've ever written.) He's apparently getting out of the car hobby for health reasons. Probably a heart condition brought on by thinking everyone is out to screw him.

Lol!

Make him sign something along with the title that says that he won't sue me ;).

Anyway...I'll play nice for the jean-seat! My buddy has the 'ped now and will be excited to know it's in existence.

Clem

Jensenman wrote: IIRC the other went to Illinois.

Probably. Our emission laws suck. Of course, I'm not going to complain, its not nearly as bad as California

I think I've got a flake right now, well we'll see come this evening, it is frustrating to say the least.

Well I guess I spoke too soon, the guy is on the way to buy my bike. I honestly expected to have to relist it. Have any of you ever experienced a no haggle transaction on CL? I just did.

wherethefmi wrote: Well I guess I spoke too soon, the guy is on the way to buy my bike. I honestly expected to have to relist it. Have any of you ever experienced a no haggle transaction on CL? I just did.

Kinda. Listed a truck for 4500 OBO, and would have accepted 3000. The first guy to reply offered 3500 after a few phone calls, deal was done. It was a great experience.

I hate all of you. I sell a lot of stuff on craigslist. I've sold a lot of stuff on a lot of forums. I've bought and sold LOTS AND LOTS of stuff at flea markets, junk yards, in third world countries, and yard sales. AND at flea markets in third world countries.

There is a bit of an art to it. There is a lot of patience involved. When you put something out there for sale, youre putting it out for sale to pretty much the whole world. That includes a lot of idiots... idiots who can either piss you off, or buy your item. If you don't want to deal with them, sell it via some other method where you don't have to deal with people. Pay someone else to sell it for you.

I hate people like the miata guy that post parts but are too self important to accurately price them or to give out basic information, but I also hate ever seller who expects a "no haggle" transaction. If I list something as OBO, I'm damned sure whoever buys it is going to give me their best shot at getting it cheaper. I compensate for this for pricing things a little higher than I really HAVE to get out of them when I price things OBO (or it just means I'm desperate for the cash and will take the first reasonable offer.. this happens sometimes).

I know its frustrating to put information up only to have people ask you basic things that aren't covered in the ad, but a smart ass response to the dumbass who asks them anyway isn't going to get the item sold. Making you feel better won't put money in your pocket.

In summary- if you list it online for free, be prepared to deal with people who read free online listings. If you arrange for people to contact with the click of a mouse, be prepared for people to contact you with basically nothing to say at all. Its all part of the game. If you don't like it, sell your stuff somewhere else.

mtn wrote:

Jensenman wrote: IIRC the other went to Illinois.

Probably. Our emission laws suck. Of course, I'm not going to complain, its not nearly as bad as California

are you referring to Illinois's emission laws?
I think they are some of the most logical out there. Nothing under 96 is tested. Anything newer than 96 is OBDII and all they do is a once a year plug into the port before your plates are renewed.

andrave wrote: I know its frustrating to put information up only to have people ask you basic things that aren't covered in the ad, but a smart ass response to the dumbass who asks them anyway isn't going to get the item sold. Making you feel better won't put money in your pocket. In summary- if you list it online for free, be prepared to deal with people who read free online listings. If you arrange for people to contact with the click of a mouse, be prepared for people to contact you with basically nothing to say at all. Its all part of the game. If you don't like it, sell your stuff somewhere else.

Jeez, dude. Chill out, eh? I didn't (and don't) expect a "hassle free" transaction when I post something on craigslist. But just as an example, that truck deal was haggle free. I got my asking price after 24 hours, no fuss, no muss. I have no qualms telling people who clearly are not going to buy my stuff to piss off. The guy offered me $700 less than I asked when I had already said my price was firm. I posted it as an example of stupidity that was mildly irritating to me, not something that was keeping me up at night....I think the other posters here are in the same boat.

Well you guys are going to hate this story. (:D ) So I buy this bike for 2900, get 450 in rebates and a 660 dollar "gas card/gift card". Sold the bike today for 3000

All with no haggeling!!!!!!!

The last few cars I've sold on craigslist went quite well.

04 cavalier for $3,500. Base, 5 spd, wife crunched the fender on a basketball pole and I didn't feel like fixing it. First guy that looked at it bought it for my quite fair asking price.

86 Bronco II. Asking $150. After tons of lowball offers (yeah, you can get lowballs on a $150 truck) a guy finally showed up with a trailer and cash.

96 Chevy work van. Asked $1000. Sold it to the first guy that actually showed up to see it for $700.