Was I in the wrong? Selling car on Craigslist...

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Huie83

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I Posted a vehicle on craigslist last Tuesday. That night and over the next day I emailed back and forth with a guy that seemed interested and he offered me a price contingent on him coming to take a look at the vehicle and it checking out per my description. I gave him some days I was open for showings, he couldn't make it until the following Tuesday evening as he is a few hours away. We set a time for Tuesday.

Yesterday someone local contacted me and showed up a few hours later cash in hand. I sold them the vehicle.

I contacted the guy that was scheduled to come look on Tuesday and he was REALLY ticked off. He expressed that he thought we had a deal and how i'm not a man of my word etc, etc. I explained to him that Craigslist is very competitive and you have to be ready cash in hand to see a car. No seller is going to hold a car over a email conversation hoping that the person actually shows up. I also explained that I gave him a earlier chance to come look a the car as I was actively showing it, but he was out of town at a family event...

I don't think I did anything wrong, he didn't put money down to hold it and I never said I would, but I wanted to get some outside opinions from you guys/gals, Opinions?
 
Move on and don't second guess yourself, but if selling in the future, put in a disclaimer on the ad that item will be sold to 1st buyer with cash in hand.
 
I think you were in the wrong. It sounds like he feels you agreed on a price, contingent on his inspection. And you set a date for that inspection.

I understand where you are coming from. All my Craigslist dealings include the disclaimer that I don't negotiate price till you are here, and the first person at my door with money in hand gets the item. Too many buyers are flakes. But it doesn't sound like you conveyed this to him, and he thought the item was his. My 2 cents.
 
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I like to do things to the T- that said I disagree. If he really cared enough he would have been there real fast.
Sounds to me that if he did show up low balling and foolishness would have ensued. I only say this from being the patient seller and getting done over.

If you really want it, get it!

Originally Posted By: TWG1572
I think you were in the wrong. It sounds like he feels you agreed on a price, contingent on his inspection. And you set a date for that inspection.

I understand where you are coming from. All my Craigslist dealings include the disclaimer that I don't negotiate price till you are here, and the first person at my door with money in hand gets the item. Too many buyers are flakes. But it doesn't sound like you conveyed this to him, and he thought the item was his. My 2 cents.
 
It's an unwritten rule on Craigslist that the first guy to show up in person with the cash gets it. I would wait a few hours for someone who said they were already on their way, but not days.
 
Didn't really do anything wrong, other than I would have told original guy you would continue trying to sell the car in the meantime and if somebody produced the cash, they would get the car. That really should have been understood by the buyer though, that's SOP. I've bought a couple things that way, where someone else was "interested" but I was first with the money. Happens all the time. It wasn't like he even agreed to buy the car, it would have been ridiculous to hold it.
 
I have been in many Craigslist situations where the potential buyers and I made a deal only for them not showing up on me. Recently, this dude made a deal w me to buy and pick up some wheels and tires from me at 700pm, come 745 ish, he still a no show and no response to my texts. another buyer wants them, shows up and buys them around 830pm. I text the 1St buyer and told him, it's been sold. He got up set and said, "we had a deal, you said I can have the wheels and tires". I replied, "you also said you were gonna pick them up at 7". It's Craigslist, You are good to go.
 
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I don't think Mr. Tuesday had anything to complain about. If you hadn't told him about the sale and he had shown up to inspect a vehicle that wasn't there anymore, yes, then he would have a right to be ticked.
He didn't give you a deposit or any reassurance that there would really be a sale...he could have rejected the vehicle for any reason and you would have been left in the lurch if you hadn't been entertaining other offers before his arrival.
Put it this way...I'm sure the guy would have had no qualms about picking up a similar vehicle that was closer to him and/or cheaper than yours and then cancelling the appointment with you. The guy was just mad because he didn't get what he wanted, you have no reason to feel guilty.
 
Originally Posted By: Huie83
I Posted a vehicle on craigslist last Tuesday. That night and over the next day I emailed back and forth with a guy that seemed interested and he offered me a price contingent on him coming to take a look at the vehicle and it checking out per my description. I gave him some days I was open for showings, he couldn't make it until the following Tuesday evening as he is a few hours away. We set a time for Tuesday.

Yesterday someone local contacted me and showed up a few hours later cash in hand. I sold them the vehicle.

I contacted the guy that was scheduled to come look on Tuesday and he was REALLY ticked off. He expressed that he thought we had a deal and how i'm not a man of my word etc, etc. I explained to him that Craigslist is very competitive and you have to be ready cash in hand to see a car. No seller is going to hold a car over a email conversation hoping that the person actually shows up. I also explained that I gave him a earlier chance to come look a the car as I was actively showing it, but he was out of town at a family event...

I don't think I did anything wrong, he didn't put money down to hold it and I never said I would, but I wanted to get some outside opinions from you guys/gals, Opinions?


Money talks and B_S walks. No deposit, no deal. I can go on and on. What would have happened if you turned the cash sale away, he buys another car, and the other person decided not to buy the car? You'd be SOL! You would have been wrong only if you didn't contact the guy you made the appointment with and had him come when the car was sold.

Mr. Tuesday needs to get a life, and learn how business is done.
 
I don't think you were wrong. I think it is generally understood that the first person who shows up with cash gets the item. This guy didn't even offer a deposit for you to hold it for him.

I recently bought a car on craigslist. I was out of town when I talked to the guy who was selling it. He had a good enough price that I was willing to take it with out even seeing it in person. I told him I could show up the following day with his asking price in cash. I also told him that I could have a family member drive to him immediately to give him a cash deposit, but he said that was not necessary.

I believe that most of the people who say they are interested in an item end up not showing up anyway.
 
He didn't make a very firm effort to come and check out the item. Making someone wait for a week or so without $$$ down is pretty non committal. I have offered businesses a credit card to hold an item. If he was on the road and driving to see it and you sold it I would say he was right to be [censored] off. I have changed postings to reflect that I was having someone come and would state to those responding when and if they were interested if party is a no show or declines I could get back to them.
I sold my Jeep in 20 minutes and they had a hour and half drive and they made it in 2 as they had to rob a ATM. My postings are pretty well photo detailed.
 
First, I think it's very respectable that you're seeking other opinions on what happened.

We were in a similar situation years ago with a puppy. My wife found this puppy on Craigslist and contacted the seller early in the week. She couldn't meet until Thursday, so we set a time on Friday to come see it. She told us Thursday night that she sold the puppy. Our kids were devastated. Everyone got over it, but it was an emotional event for them.

I'm not suggesting that selling a vehicle is the same as a pet, but I do think the right thing to do, since you and the first potential buyer had a verbal understanding/agreement to meet on a future date and did not have a "but I might sell it before you get here" understanding, would have been to tell the second buyer that you would notify him if the first sale falls through.

I agree that Craigslist is competitive. I also think it has a personal element, though, since you're dealing one-on-one with people. We know that if you see a car on a car lot that it might be gone the next day. It's understood that unless you put down a deposit with the lot, that the car could be sold. I'm not sure the same understanding is universal about private sales, though, especially when you have a personal exchange of communication with someone, and a commitment, or at least an agreement, to show the product on a certain date to a certain individual.

I probably would have been upset also if I were the first potential buyer, if the understanding you two had is as presented in this thread. I think it's very respectable, though, that you felt like you wanted to get input from others on this. I'm sure reaction will be mixed, as it appears to be so far. More evidence that the "right thing" isn't always all that clear.

Have a great day!
 
Years ago I had a Chevy Caprice I listed on CL. I got a lot of tire kickers, and no buyers. I decided it was priced wrong, too low, so I raised it. After I raised it I got a call from someone who remembered the first price complaining that he wanted the car for the price it was originally listed for. I told him if he wanted it he was going to pay the new asking price, non-negotiable and not to bother coming over unless he understood that. I wasn't going to waste his time, or have him waste mine. I was polite and did most of the selling on the phone. He checked the car out and bought it at the asking price.
 
How would a big-time dealership handle this? I'm pretty sure that, unless if a deposit is made, they are going to sell to the first person with cash. A verbal "I'll take it" might garner a 24 hour hold, at best. This being CL... a 100% deposit is required to hold anything.

I see the guys point, but ultimately it's CL. First with cash wins.

From now I guess you just need to put that into the ad; and if this situation ever repeats, state that up front.
 
Thanks for all the input, some good take-away's have been pointed out. It looks like the general consensus is that I wasn't necessarily in the wrong, but to add a little more detailed disclaimer language to my future adds which makes sense.
 
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Originally Posted By: Huie83
I Posted a vehicle on craigslist last Tuesday. That night and over the next day I emailed back and forth with a guy that seemed interested and he offered me a price contingent on him coming to take a look at the vehicle and it checking out per my description. I gave him some days I was open for showings, he couldn't make it until the following Tuesday evening as he is a few hours away. We set a time for Tuesday.

Yesterday someone local contacted me and showed up a few hours later cash in hand. I sold them the vehicle.

I contacted the guy that was scheduled to come look on Tuesday and he was REALLY ticked off. He expressed that he thought we had a deal and how i'm not a man of my word etc, etc. I explained to him that Craigslist is very competitive and you have to be ready cash in hand to see a car. No seller is going to hold a car over a email conversation hoping that the person actually shows up. I also explained that I gave him a earlier chance to come look a the car as I was actively showing it, but he was out of town at a family event...

I don't think I did anything wrong, he didn't put money down to hold it and I never said I would, but I wanted to get some outside opinions from you guys/gals, Opinions?


Done similar. I will always make arrangements with someone I think is serious like that BUT they have to understand that cash talks. You did nothing wrong. The only way you would be wrong is if a deposit was involved and you sold it anyway. CL is known for broken promises and [censored]'ers who waste your time so you have to take a real offer when it presents itself.
 
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I would of said I am not holding the car for anyone. Maybe you should of said, you can see the car next tuesday but I cant guarantee the car will still be for sale...
 
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