Fun with Craigslist 2nd Edition - Craigslist is the People of Walmart of the internet.

Fun with Craigslist 2nd Edition

Here are a few more postings from Facebook over the past couple months. These were the most popular as I had done screen shots of the interactions with these people. Enjoy!

August 3 2016

More fun with Craigslist car buyers text. Today's riddle as shown here. The struggle is real.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, this is the famous 3rall text!

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August 3 2016

  Another screen shot:

Notice how there was no response after. This happens a lot.

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August 4, 2016

Today’s installment of Fun with Craigslist - The following was a conversation that just happened on the phone with very broken English:

Me - Hello, This is JT

Caller - Where you located?

Me - What are you calling on?

Caller - You have car?

Me - Yes, I have several advertised. Which vehicle were you interested in?

Caller - What is the address?

Me - Which car are you interested in? They are in different locations.

Caller - Oh. I am interested in the one you have on Craigslist.

Me - They are all on Craigslist. Which one are you inquiring about?

Caller - Lexus

Me - OK, thank you. When would you like to see it?

Caller - No I just need address.

Me - I am not at that location all the time. I will have to meet you there. When would you like to come?

Caller - I only need the address.

Me - If I give you the address and you come without anyone knowing you are only go to a locked secured fenced lot. You won’t be able to get in and you will waste your trip. So you need to let me know when you would like to come so I can meet you there.

Caller - I can't just come to look?

Me - No. The lot has security cameras, an alarm, and guard dogs. I need to be there if you want to see the SUV.

Caller - Oh. I need the address because I bring tow truck to get it home. I need to know how much it cost.

Me - The Lexus is at a towing yard. Where do you want the truck delivered? I can get a price quote for you.

Caller - No I bring truck.

Me - Oh so you have your own tow truck or have someone already?

Caller - No, I need to get one.

Me - I can help you with that.

Caller - All I need is address.

At this point I know we are going in circles so I gave him the address of the old lot because I do not want this guy snooping around. This will give him a general idea of location to get a price if he winds up being a real buyer, which I highly doubt. (edit: guy never called back)

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August 5, 2016

Today’s Fun with Craigslist:

Now this isn't as bad as some of the fools that I get but still I thought it was an interesting call.

I get a phone call from a lady on a 1999 Mercedes ML320 SUV I am selling. It has 170k miles, it runs but has a throttle issue, or lack thereof. This is another impound car I am selling. Retail on these is around $3500-4000. Wholesale $1,500-$2k. I have it listed for $950.00 because of the work that it needs, which is specified in the ad. I also said it needs to be towed to a mechanic to be repaired before you drive it.

So she asks "can I drive this home?"

I said "no, it is not in drivable condition and will need to be repaired before you can drive it reliably”

Her – So I can’t drive it? What does it need?

Me – I don’t know. When you give it gas, it does nothing. It’s at a towing company. They don’t do repairs. I sell their impounded cars as/is.

Her – I only have $900 to spend on a car including tax and motor vehicle. I need a reliable car. I’m a new mother and I don’t want to miss work.

Me – When do you need a car by?

Her – 3 pm today my shift starts.

Me – Oh, that’s not a lot of time. That’s going to be tough.

Her – My other car died a month ago. I need a car ASAP. I need the overtime.

Me – I am not sure I have anything for you but let me give you a couple phone numbers for dealers I know who do Buy Her Pay Here.

So I give her a couple numbers for the dealers and then tell her this might be the route for her because for the $900 she has, she can put down on a better car she can make payments on, even if her credit is not good. Let’s be honest, $900 does not get you a gem of a car. Especially if she has limited funds, I said a Mercedes is NOT the vehicle for her. The repair costs will certainly exceed her pay scale. So being that she is going to be driving with her baby, I don’t want to see her break down in some POS because she didn’t have a lot to spend.

Sometimes it’s not about making the sale but helping people out and looking out for their needs.

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August 7, 2016

Fun with Craigslist, Sunday bicycle edition. I had a couple extra bikes lying around that I used to ride around the Englishtown Raceway Park swap meet. If they went missing during the night no big deal since I usually got them cheap or free and fixed them up for my use. I'm trying to eliminate the extra clutter and hopefully pick up some spending cash to boot.

So the following conversation is from today followed by a picture of the mountain bike we were talking about.

Again, notice no response after. What are people thinking?

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August 9, 2016

Today’s Fun with Craigslist installment:

Yesterday, 11:30 am, I speak (barely understanding him) to a guy who is from Irvington who wants to come and buy a Lexus I have listed from the impound lot. He talks price over the phone, which I really hate to do but we come to a fair price. He calls me back and said I will come first thing in the morning. I say I'll meet him at the yard at 9am but he needs to call or text me when he is leaving so I don't waste my time. He then calls me back 30 mins later to confirm he will be there at 9am. At 7:03 am this morning he calls, leaves a message, and says he is already on his way. I didn't listen to the message until 7:23 because I was still sleeping at the time. Figuring the time it takes to go from Irvington to Neptune, which puts him at the yard a little past 8:00 am. I have to get my ass moving now. I leave him a message saying I was expecting him at 9 but will get ready to leave and meet him there between 8:15-8:30am. At 7:36 he calls and says he is on RT 18 and only 20 minutes away but has to "U-turn" and head back. I asked why, he says he got a call, possibly an emergency, but he still will buy it today. It’s now 1:30 pm. No contact since.

(Edit: the guy did come a couple days later and bought the car but he was being a real scumbag. We agree on a price and once he gets there he is tearing up the Lexus trying to make it sound worse than it was to get it cheaper. This isn’t my first rodeo and I know the game he is playing. I said to the guy “Well if is this much of a piece of shit, what do you still want it?” He was sticking to his price so I told him “I guess you wasted your time” and I was showing him to the gate to leave.  Tensions calmed down and we got a deal done. It sold for less than what I really wanted to be at but more than his insulting offer. A sold unit is a sold unit. Time to move onto the next one)

Buyer #2. Guy calls on a 2003 Grand Cherokee I have listed. Very nice guy on the phone, asks a few questions, consults with the wife, and said we want to come tomorrow maybe 11 or 12. I said let’s do 11. He agrees and I send him the address on where to go. I also told him please call me when you are on your way because I will be at the other location and will have to meet him there. He said "No problem, I'll call you when we are on our way. If we can't make it, I'll let you know too." So today at 10:30 am I send him a text message that asks if he is still on schedule for 11 am? No text or call to confirm our appointment. Again, 1:30 pm and no contact.

I really have a feeling that mental hospitals allow their patients to surf Craigslist and give them a phone to randomly call people. Because every other website I use gives me quality serious buyers. Honestly there is 1 out of 30 calls/text that I get that are true buyers. But I still sell cars with it so it’s worth it to put them on there but after a while it burns you out.

Craigslist is the People of Walmart of the internet.

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August 16, 2016

More Craigslist text messaging fun. Behold the spelling champ of this week.

 The famous PIRAYS text!

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September 4, 2016 9:30am.

Craigslist fun Labor Day weekend edition. Three quick stories.

1. Got a kid who emailed me on a $20 bicycle - "Hi, I'm really interested in buying the blue bike you listed on Craigslist. I'm a student in New Brunswick who doesn't have a car, but I'd be able to give you $15 extra bucks if you'd be willing to deliver. Let me know if you're interested!"

WOW, a whole $15 extra bucks!!!! Yeah sure, I'll drive from Brick to New Brunswick and back to deliver a $20 bike for $15. Seriously? That's not even minimum wage plus expenses for a two hour round trip. Apparently this kid never took an economics class. I do appreciate his enthusiasm though by using an exclamation point asking if I'm interested in his proposal.

2. Last night at around 11:00 pm my phone rings with a guy who's interested in one of my dealer cars. As I mentioned before all my ads state no calls past 9pm in the first sentence. The guy says call me back ASAP. Have people really lost all sense of respect and courtesy that it doesn't occur to them that calling someone at 11pm is not acceptable? I'm going to take my time returning his call, maybe at 4:30am and see how he likes it. (edit: I never called him back)

3. I spoke with a buyer several times on a Toyota I'm selling. He wanted to meet on Friday I wasn’t able to meet that day so I told him Saturday we can meet. Yesterday morning he calls at 9am and said can we meet at 10am? I said 11 am is the earliest I can get there. The guy says great I'll see you then. I show up at the yard and wait, and wait, and wait. Guess what? He didn't show up. No call, won't return my calls. What the hell? Again, Craigslist lack of courtesy and respect.

I don't know if there's just something about Craigslist that attracts the bottom of the barrel but I don't have many issues like this with other sites I advertise on. 

Fun with Craigslist Buyers - 1st Edition

Fun with Craigslist Buyers - 1st Edition

  This is my newest topic for my blog. Fun with Craigslist. As a car broker and dealer, I list many vehicles on Craigslist because it is a popular place for people to search for cars. Along the way, I get some real strange and annoying "customers" so I've compiled some of the crazy stories I get when dealing with Craigslist buyers every week. As I was posting these on Facebook to rant, I was getting a lot of positive feedback on the amusement factor. So I took some of the best stories and will start reposting them here for everyone to read. 

 My misery is your entertainment! 

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July 19^th 2016

<craigslist rant>

What the hell is wrong with people? Do people in this society have their head so far up their ass and self-absorbed they can't comprehend what is decent anymore? I can't even blame a new generation, this issue spans several. Core values are disappearing. This isn't in reference to police shootings, the presidential race, or terrorist attacks. Nope, those are major issues my FB page can't not solve. But if you wish to interact with the lowest form of the public, just place an ad on Cragislist and see who contacts you. I swear I am going to start a new page/site called the People of Craigslist and post screen shots of my text messages. Granted there are good people out there too but 9/10 Craigstlist users suck. So here's the story/rant of the day.

I have many ads online for impounded vehicles that I am marketing for a towing company. My ad it states "Please, no text or calls past 9pm". I also state that if they are reading the ad, it’s still available and no need to ask if it’s for sale. The reason for this is I get 5-10 text a day from scammers asking this very question so I just delete the text to avoid their BS. Last night I get a text at 11:20pm asking "Hey, is your car still for sale" - Obviously he either didn't bother reading or just doesn't give a crap. 

This morning I text him back, "Thank you for your interest, as stated in the ad it is still available." The buyer says "do you really think you are going to sell your car being an asshole like this?" Wait? What? I'm the asshole? So I point out that it was very disrespectful to send a message at almost midnight when I politely asked not to. In which he replied "what difference does it make what time I text you? If I want to buy the car, you should sell it to me, even if it’s in the middle of the night. That's what's wrong with society, people are too fuckin lazy and no one wants to work anymore. I drive people around at 2am to god knows where and if I want to text you at midnight I goddamn will" I don't know what driving people around a 2 am has to do with any of this but OK? Maybe he's signed up with UberPissed?

I just reply "What is wrong with society is people like yourself have a sense of entitlement and no common respect for other people"

I then just block his number because arguing on the internet is like playing chess with a pigeon. Even if you think you've won, the pigeon is just going to strut all over the board shitting on everything.

WTF!

</craigslist rant>

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July 20, 2016

More Craigslist ranting.

I have determined that this BS I posted yesterday and today will go on my blog (This one)  I haven't updated in a while. I will then post the link by the weekend. Humanity is on a fiery spiraling downhill, I will report its demise.

Saturday, I was supposed to help my Bro-in-law move but three people wanted to come at 9am to buy cars. So I agree to meet everyone at the lot and hopefully I would be out of there by 11 to go into moving mode. I'm not going to turn down income.

9am: First guy shows up, tries to chop me $800 on an $1800 vehicle. I declined and very nicely said that's not going to do it. So we come to a price everyone was happy with. He then tells me that he was just going to put plates off his other truck on the Toyota 4Runner I was selling him and drive it back to Philly. I tell him I cannot allow him to do that. So he gets mad that I won't let him drive illegally. Hello? This is how cars wind up at the impound yard to begin with. He leaves and said he may come back on Thursday with a trailer. I'm not holding my breath. (edit: I never heard from the guy again) 

Customer 2: Shows up for a 96 F150 pickup. Truck isn't perfect but it runs and drives and cheap. Guy takes his time, looks at it, we go for a drive around the block, he buys, and all is good.

Customer 3: Confirms he is on his way but at 12:30 still does arrive or return my calls/text. I leave, annoyed but at least one vehicle sold.

Sunday: More "customers". Guy says I have cash and I will meet you there at noon. I leave my house, go to the lot, wait, they never show up.

Monday: Two people "on my way see you soon". I go up, both were ghosts.

Tuesday: Guy has been hounding me to buy this 4Runner says he is coming from Philly, is a dealer and an exporter and wants to buy the truck and maybe something else while he is there. I can tell by the way he talks he is half full of shit but I'll take the gamble. He says he will be there by 2pm. So I do what I have to in the morning, hop on the motorcycle and ride up to the shop. Guy confirms yes I'm on my way. I wait an hour for the guy. No show. I leave and go home. But I take the slow road back by the beach through Spring Lake, Sea Girt, and Manasquan on the motorcycle.

2 more people call me after I get home "I want to come tonight for your car" - I tell both of them contact me when you are 10 mins away. I'm not going to go all the way back to the yard in Asbury Park for nothing again. One guy never contacts me, the other was kind enough to let me know he can't get a ride down and will have to reschedule.

Now if I was at the lot all day, it would be much different because at least I am there already and I can do busy work but I am an independent contractor selling vehicles for multiple people. When I go to Asbury Park to meet someone, that's 40+ minutes round trip from Brick, plus the time I spend waiting for them that is completely wasted. It also throws off the tempo of the day. I explain to these people that I am not in the office but I will meet them there if they are seriously coming down. People just lost all respect for other people. I grew up that when you give your word on something, you do it. If you make an appointment, you show up. Don't make people wait for you when you have no intentions on not going.

I swear sometimes I think I am going to change careers and become a Kayaking Guide. (I’ve only kayaked once in my life)

Sometimes it’s About The Chase

Sometimes it’s About The Chase 

  

  I am constantly searching for my next purchase.  Sometimes it’s for resale, sometimes it’s for myself, and sometimes it’s both. When I search for BMW’s I tend to seek out round headlight cars from the 1960’s-1990 and lately expanding to the e46, e38’s and e39’s when I don’t find any early cars that catch my interest. Mostly I find 2002’s and e30’s, but with the prices of those in decent condition climbing, most are out of the budget I set. So I have been focused on my first love, the e21, and something I never owned before, the e28. The latter will be the subject of this column, a 1986 528e that needed rescue. 

1986 BMW 528e

 My first contact was made back in September 22, 2015. The initial sighting was during a late night search at 10:50PM after I got home from O’Fest. I felt inspired and needed to buy something. The ad was vague with a minimal description and one photo from the front. The e28 looked like it was sitting behind a warehouse.  I sent an email requesting more information and if possible more pictures.  The seller responded the next day saying this is a car for a mechanic, it doesn’t run, and he doesn’t know what’s wrong with it. Plus he didn’t have any further pictures.  Not a good start. 

 I responded with an email saying that I was 140 miles away from the seller as he was located in Bridgeport Connecticut. I was a BMW enthusiast, club member, and have saved many cars in the past. This was my hobby and profession. Additional pictures will help me decide if the car was worth a day on the road to see the car or not. Plus the expense of fuel and tolls while dragging a trailer behind me. I was hoping this plea would convince him take more pictures for me. If not, I was moving onto my next quest.  

 He responded the following day with this email: “Most people on Craigslist are wondering how long they can drive it before doing any work, and I don’t have the time or patience for their lack of reading or mechanical comprehension. You are the type of guy the car is waiting for. It’s a good candidate for more years on the road. I’ll get some more photos.”

  It wasn’t until the 26^th that the pictures arrived.  To my surprise the seller took 24 amazingly detailed pictures showing the entire exterior, interior, door jams, engine compartment etc. Even the tire tread. It appeared to be very solid and worth saving. He also informed me his mother was the second owner from 1989. Mileage is 148,000 but that’s not much for this car. I made the decision to try and buy it. But with the distance in the way, finding a day to go up was going to be challenging.

  

 It took multiple times of rescheduling before I made it up there.  It seemed like every day I chose to take the trip, something came up. Whether it was doing auction runs for a couple used car dealers, or a new car dealer swap in New Hampshire, or picking up a rare Riley Elf racecar in Ohio, each week had its own challenges.

 As the holidays approached and the ad expired I lost track of his phone number my interest waned but I still kept it in my thoughts. Then late in December the owner shot me an email to say he was down south for the Holidays and is back. If I am still interested, we can finally make arrangements. January 7^th was the magic day I went to CT to pick up my new restoration project.

 The day was fantastic, almost in the 60’s, the traffic was light and it seemed like everything was going too well. We had agreed on 11:00 am to meet up. I was running slightly behind schedule but only by a few minutes. I called to let him know my location. He informed me I was only 20 minutes away and gave me easy directions once I got off I95. When he told me what to look for my red flag went up. I was to look for an abandoned house that was burned down. WAIT WHAT? This doesn’t sound too safe. The neighborhood was not nice and as I went down the block, it was getting scarier. Then I pull up to a shell of what used to be a house but now is condemned. There is a pickup truck in the street with a car trailer attached with Tennessee plates and a man standing in the back of the yard by a huge concrete garage waiting.

 OK let’s add this up.  Out of state plates, trailer, burned out house, and murder scene location. Sounds perfectly safe. But there was a Bronzit Beige 528e sitting next to the garage, which was the building I had seen in the original pictures. Putting my faith in society, I stepped out of my truck and walked towards the seller who greeted me with a smile and a handshake. Not an axe murderer after all. He explained the home was in his family for years and recently burned down. He bought property in TN and once this place sold he was moving down there permanently which is the reason why he was selling the car.

 The e28 was everything he said it was. It was filthy from sitting since 2010 but surprisingly in very good shape for a northeast car. Solid underside, no rot, no major dings, leather interior was intact, and even had the selling paper work from the original owner who took European delivery! It even had a dealer installed radar detector under the dash with the manual in the glove box. WOW! These are the little things I like to see.  After some stiff negotiation (he didn’t want to budge) the money was exchanged and the car was hand winched onto the trailer. (A side note, I really need to install that electric winch Sandy got me for Christmas several years ago.) - (edit: Since then I have installed the winch and its everything I hoped it would be. My back thanks me too)

 On the way home I stopped for road food at the rest area and gave the car another once over. I was really happy I bought this 528e. It’s not my favorite color, it’s an automatic, and it hasn’t been on the road in 6 years but it was just too good of a car to let it sit any longer. So far I’ve only managed to get it off the trailer, put a battery in it and diagnose the main fuel pump to be faulty.  Parts will be ordered soon but I need to find time to actually work on the car. Hopefully it won’t turn into a Bavarian lawn ornament. 

 So stay tuned, the adventure is just beginning. Lucky for me it didn’t end inside a charred 3 story home several states away never to be found again.

- Update 9/12/2016 - The car hasn't moved since it was unloaded from the trailer in January. I do have plans on getting it running within the next month but with all the other cars I had to prepare for resale since the beginning of the year, this one was pushed off to the back burner. -