View Car First Or Negotiate First?

For the last two weeks that I had my Corolla up for sale, most callers are south Asians, and the more serious ones all tried to negotiate a price before even making appointments to see the car. I figured usually one would see the car, then start haggling when he decides to go for it.

What would you do, or had you done when you buy a used car privately?

Oddly enough this has happened to me also. I don't waste my time with those who try to negotiate on the 1st phone call, and just hang up on them.

I set the price based on the Kelly Blue Book price and how the condition appears.

Make it a little higher than you want to get and be willing to negotiate.

People buying a car like to feel that they are getting a bargain and negotiating gives them a winning feeling.

Even brand new cars have some flexibility on the price and people will haggle with the dealerships.

Same thing goes with used cars. Get a fair price by being willing to compromise (have a definite minimum in mind as a reserve amount).

If they want to do it on the phone - talk up the good points of the car and gradually work out a price which will entice them to come see it.

I am sure not everyone agrees with this, but I love to negotiate and talk sellers down. I hate set amounts and fixed prices.

In foreign countries it is acceptable (and expected) to barter.

It would seem to me that when people try to negotiate a price for a vehicle, sight unseen, they are attempting to take advantage of the seller. Let's say the car you're selling is in great condition, has low mileage, and is well-maintained. If the prospective buyer has a price negotiated before he ever shows up in your driveway to look at the car, then you have already limited your own bargaining power over his desire to own the car. He may then look the car over, take a test drive, then pull out a cashier's check or cash for the already agreed-upon price, even though it may be less than you wanted, and could have achieved had a more customary selling procedure been followed. Of course, it could also work to your favor if the car is a POS you're trying to unload quickly.

Assuming the car is really worth the asking price I established, I would insist that the buyer see and drive the car before we began haggling.

I don't think I would ever be able to sell my car. I could never deal with the morons disecting ever little scratch and issue they can find with my car. My car is perfect to me. Anyone's got a problem with Nazanin, we can settle it at the tracks

I sold a motorcycle today. The buyer lives 50 miles away and saw my add on www.craigslist.com,

He wanted to buy it just from the pictures. I insisted he come look and ride, before he decide.

He came over, gave me the full asking price (should have haggled, could have got for less) and took a quick ride.

He rode away with it.

I had others who wanted me to bring it to them, 2 hours away. I politely asked them to come look at it, and if they liked it, I would deliver it. I had no intention of driving it two hours away, only to have them decide not to buy it.

I had a minimum amount I would take for it and some people tried to negotiate it for less. I liked the negotiating part, but when I reached my lowest amount, they wanted me to sell for even less. They call that kind of buyer a "Low Baller". People who ask to buy for an unreasonably low amount. A waste of time for the seller.

I would never sell a car without the buyer coming to look and drive the car first.

The only exception is selling on e-Bay. There the buyer goes by the pictures and the description and gets whatever he/she gets. It is understood that the vehicle is "as is". The price is usually so low that anything wrong with the car can be fixed and still the car would cost less than a local car purchase, or a dealer retail amount.

If someone wants to negotiate the price over the phone, my reply is "come over and take a look and then we can work out a good price". If they are unwilling to do that, then I don't need to sell to them.

View the car first, then settle on a price. All others are just trying to get something for less. Tell those folks to piss off....

If they want a lowest price over the phone - tell them what you are willing to accept.

never tell them less than you want. If they are interested, they will come see it.

If they come over and want to haggle, stick to what you told them on the phone was the price.

You do not have to sell it to anyone you do not want to. You are not obligated to sell it at all.

Give them a fair price and if they don't like it, let them go away. If they want it, they will come back.