craigsslist calls

[gearman]

I have my convert on craigslist and have had at least ten calls from people wanting me to let them list in on various sites.I listened to one fast talking guy for five minutes to the point where he was going to switch me over to the person that takes my money. I cut him off and asked how much it would cost. He said in the fastest way possible  "no more than 395''dollars.  I hung up. My question is, Is there a wording that I can use in my ad to let them know that I don't want their help?I have seen that in some ads but do not know whether that works.It is warm in New Orleans so I thought people would still be interested.

[JohninVT]

You can say you don't want help selling your bike in your listing but you'll still get calls.  Just hang up on them as soon as you realize they're not interested in buying the bike. 

[indian]

If it takes a long time for them to answer when they call and most of the time you hear garble in the back ground. Just hang up.

[fotoguzzi]

Why in the world would you ever list your phone number?   Say in the listing for them to send YOU a number.

[cliffrod]

Why in the world would you ever list your phone number?   Say in the listing for them to send YOU a number.

Yup. "Include phone number in reply or I will delete."  Then do it. 

Even if you only communicate via C/l email for the first couple of rounds, just requiring a phone number eliminates a lot of the undesirables.

[gearman]

Why in the world would you ever list your phone number?   Say in the listing for them to send YOU a number.

Does that work ? I am thinking that I don't contact people unless I can call them.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Does that work ? I am thinking that I don't contact people unless I can call them.

Yes, that works.

[CT Dharma]

Why in the world would you ever list your phone number?   Say in the listing for them to send YOU a number.

Exactly what I do and it definitely weeds out a lot of the bothersome responses.

[fotoguzzi]

Does that work ? I am thinking that I don't contact people unless I can call them.

It only works for someone who really is interested.

[kballowe]

I always put my phone number in the ad.

Just have to weed thru the SPAM and the scammers.

Have sold two bikes without even speaking to the buyer.  They bought via text messages.  Yes it was a bit strange, but they showed up with cash.
 

[Mike Tashjian]

Easier for me to use my cell phone number and I only give it after initial contact thru the Craig's list email relay.  I give the option of text or call and lately everything has been text.  It seems to be working good so far.  Have sold a lot of items in the last couple of years on Craig's list and I feel lucky to have had only a couple of dud buyers.   Mike

[gearman]

Easier for me to use my cell phone number and I only give it after initial contact thru the Craig's list email relay.  I give the option of text or call and lately everything has been text.  It seems to be working good so far.  Have sold a lot of items in the last couple of years on Craig's list and I feel lucky to have had only a couple of dud buyers.   Mike

But using the cl relay do you still get these wanna be relisters that I have been getting?

[bpreynolds]

I've done both in the past (list my telephone and not).  I've probably sold 25 or more bikes in the last 15 years and honestly, I don't really find it that big of a deal to manage the scammers but I do understand they can be annoying.   This being said, either by phone or email, it generally takes about 5-10 seconds for me to recognize them and I just hang up on them and block the number or their email.  I usually price bikes to sell quickly so maybe it would understandably start getting on my nerves more the longer the ad was up.

I too think - and experience has shown me - these days it pays to keep all lines of communication open.  There are buyers out there now who all prefer some form of exchange over another.  There are buyers who will only contact you if a number is listed, and then I also think there are buyers out there these days - and I've experienced this - who only want to first communicate via text. 

For me, and especially when selling Guzzis, more annoying are the NFL wanna be kickers who see a Guzzi, dunno what it is, and waste my time and theirs when they start swinging for the goal posts from their own 35    Even when I have "firm price" or "priced nicely, don't offer lower", there will still be a guy or two who do offer you a LOT lower.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all about dealing but there's always at least one or two with some gonzo testicular goals who think you can still get something for nothing.  They are way more annoying to me than the scammers.

[twowheeladdict]

I always put my phone number in the ad.

Just have to weed thru the SPAM and the scammers.

Have sold two bikes without even speaking to the buyer.  They bought via text messages.  Yes it was a bit strange, but they showed up with cash.
 

People have lost the ability to communicate via verbal interaction.  My last few facebook encounters have also taken place at local businesses due to peoples aversion to meeting on the seller's property.

[blackcat]

They bought via text messages.  Yes it was a bit strange, but they showed up with cash.
 

I purchased my last car via text. Went to the dealer, test drove the car, talked to the salesman, then his boss and left with his phone number. Contacted him the following day and negotiated the price via text which took the emotion out of the game. It saved me money and I didn't have to deal with the guy until I came back the following day with my check.

[Mike Tashjian]

My area seems to have less of the scammers and more of the low ballers.  For a free ad service, I still find Craig's list a pretty good way to move stuff out.  Mike

[larrys]

I've sold a bunch of different stuff on CL. I do include my phone number. I state in the ad NO TEXTS OR EMAILS. Eliminates most of the spammers. Stupid bastiges will still text me, though. I'll text back something rude and then block the number. If they don't want to speak to me on the phone, I am not interested in doing business with them. Am I a dinosaur? So be it.
Larry

[gearman]

I've sold a bunch of different stuff on CL. I do include my phone number. I state in the ad NO TEXTS OR EMAILS. Eliminates most of the spammers. Stupid bastiges will still text me, though. I'll text back something rude and then block the number. If they don't want to speak to me on the phone, I am not interested in doing business with them. Am I a dinosaur? So be it.
Larry

What hurts me in New orleans is I have only seen two Guzzis in twenty years around here,so people arn't looking to buy them. I love them though.

[oldbike54]

 Before the internet when we bought and sold using classified ads in newspapers and maybe in Walnecks , it was necessary to list a phone number . That resulted in a few nuisance calls also , don't really understand what all the consternation is about .

 Dusty

[Mike Tashjian]

Market is everything when it's time to sell things.  If my area doesn't have enough buyers I usually go bigger with a friend who likes to do E bay.  He can write an ad that appeals to people like no one else.  He loves to take pictures and has a great sense of advertising.  One thing that seems to work well is delivering a bike within X number of miles from your location for X dollars as an option.  His ads gets people interested and they bid.   Mike

[Jimy]

I usually just give my email.  And then give them a call or give them my number if they prefer.  Worse than the spam (which I generally recognize), I get really annoyed with people trying to talk the price down by phone, email or text.  I don't mind a simple offer, but not a repeated negotiation.  For a used (higher priced) item, neither makes a bit of sense to me (except for non local buyers).  Just come look at it and make an offer after you inspect it. And if I do accept an offer by phone, don't lower it when you see the item (unless something is misrepresented). 

I find most of my sales end up being from straight shooters who say "I'll take it", then arrive on time, look over the item for a few seconds, and hand me cash.  Sometimes I won't even count the money until after they have left.

Jim

[Lannis]

I find most of my sales end up being from straight shooters who say "I'll take it", then arrive on time, look over the item for a few seconds, and hand me cash.  Sometimes I won't even count the money until after they have left.

Jim

Although I have no objection to people making me an offer, or making an offer myself for something I want, I never do that over the phone or Email.   Offers lower than the asking price only work if you've got the cash in your hand while you make it, and your truck is outside.

And although I'm a pretty trusting type myself, I always count the cash (or wait for the seller to count mine) while we're standing there.   Anyone can make a mistake, and it's best to get it sorted while you're both standing there.   Just good business, not an "I don't trust you" thing ....

Lannis

[KenB]

What hurts me in New orleans is I have only seen two Guzzis in twenty years around here,so people arn't looking to buy them. I love them though.

Yep, we're a small club!  The white V7 is me!!

[sign216]

For selling, also try Evilbay.  I know it doesn't make sense, but some people check that and don't go onto craigslist. 

[Bulldog9]

I only use the CL email function in the ad. Once the person is established as a truly interested party, we exchange phone numbers. Usually with me asking for theirs.

I don't have time for spammers, and my wife gets mad when I am mean to them 

[bpreynolds]

Although I have no objection to people making me an offer, or making an offer myself for something I want, I never do that over the phone or Email.   

Lannis

Similar but different, I generally don't respond or respond in a negative way to folks who the first text or email I get is someone asking, "How low can you go?" Or, "If I offered you X, would you sell it to me today?"   In all my years and bikes sold, I have never had one single one of these jokers buy a bike from me even when I called deal on their so called offers.  I have sold bikes to guys who did contact me and first say things like, "If you can take X for the bike I will buy it" or something similar, but the jokers who call and say "if" this or "could you" that, never once and I learned a while back to just ignore them or not play along. 

[Lannis]

Similar but different, I generally don't respond or respond in a negative way to folks who the first text or email I get is someone asking, "How low can you go?" Or, "If I offered you X, would you sell it to me today?"   In all my years and bikes sold, I have never had one single one of these jokers buy a bike from me even when I called deal on their so called offers.  I have sold bikes to guys who did contact me and first say things like, "If you can take X for the bike I will buy it" or something similar, but the jokers who call and say "if" this or "could you" that, never once and I learned a while back to just ignore them or not play along.

Actually I'm exactly the same.   Don't listen to or respond to "offer" questions unless I can see the color of the money and the trailer that will haul the goods away if I take it ....

Lannis