This Ebay buyer turned out to be a nightmare!! Never again!

I tried to sell this car with a known fault listed on Ebay but the buyer turned out to be a massive pain!

[alphaomega]

I've learnt an important lesson as an IT consultant: the lower the price, the less they respect you and the more they pay the more they love you. I'd take those bangers, do all the necessary work and make them as close to 100% and sell them at a premium.

Been watching your channel a while and you're a top bloke. You need to make any vehicle that leaves your yard a top vehicle to align with your ethics.
Don't muddy your name by dealing at the low end of the market and then go out of your way to help them. They won't respect you but rather just abuse you BECAUSE THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE CUSTOMER AT THAT END OF THE MARKET.

That help and service must be part of the price they pay in the premium of the vehicles price.

Believe me, your market is not the ebay Muppets. Your brand must become one that is aligned with top quality vehicles, no quibble returns. And this all comes at a price because convenience is not free.

When a vehicle is sold as a CG vehicle, it has 4 decent tyres, no fluid leaks, all fluids renewed, no leaking shocks, all seals good, current MOT, no MILs or idiot lights on, and it's priced at 15-20%% above market because it is in such condition.

You can make your profit on volume or markup. If you remain focused on small markup by selling at the low end, you'll always have to ensure volume to make decent money. If you create a brand that allows for decent markup and that brand then becomes synonymous with quality and decent ethics in a market of sharks, you can then begin to make a profit on both volume and markup.

Focus on your quality. I think most viewers of your channel will agree that watching you deal with these awful, expectant, cheap ( in every sense) customers is killing your mojo. Align your product with your values.

[Rose.Of.Hizaki]

Having worked in retail, I can tell you that people can be the worst kind of people but not actually know it themselves, Although there are some that put on a show deliberately because they are arrogant or narcissistic like that.

I left retail and never looked back. I dont want a job where im constantly having to deal with people like that. Lifes too short.

[timhancock]

When I worked in the motor trade a fairly senior manager at Ford U K said to me. " There are plenty of rogues in the motor trade, but the biggest rogue of all is the general public. However, you should never say anything to a customer you are not prepared to repeat on mainstream TV. You are in effect speaking for Ford in all your dealings ". It was good advice and made me hold my tongue on a good few occasions 😂😂

[cardude]

I've said it before James. I don't even bother selling bangers. The people are nightmares.

[richardtodd]

James I am a small independent caravan dealer & had loads of trouble with eBay in the past, TIP, ONLY ADVERTISE A CLASSIFIED ADD, then let the people come & view & test to a degree, SET THE PRICE WITH A LITTLE WIGGLE-ROOM, thanks sorry about the caps mate, keep the great vlogs coming

[martin]

I feel your pain James, I've had loads of idiots lately and people seem to be getting worse and more demanding. I'm like you and try and accommodate them and do what I can but it gets to the point when enough is enough, a couple of days ago I gave someone their deposit back and said I'm not selling you the car due to their ridiculous demands and wanting to re negotiate the price at the point of collection, funnily enough they soon changed their attitude and wanted to deal with me in a sensible way. People try it on and want it all their own way, we can't be too soft with them!

[johndilloway]

Why buy a spares or repair car when they clearly do not know what spares or repair means, I sold a car on ebay 2 years ago, the guy turned up saying he was £300 short of the price, and was surprised when I would not let him have it cheaper than his bid, and told him to F*** **f, then got messages for a week saying he was getting the money together, even though I had told him the car was sold to somebody else now, I was then told I was dishonest for letting someone else have his car, people are really amazing

[Robhalifax]

I'm a 10k feedback seller on ebay (not cars). Ive had every variety of timewaster so I feel your pain. Its probably knocked a couple of years off my life.

[tbertieblue]

She’s already on cloud 9! In all my years dealing with motors, I’m still amazed that people cannot read an advert. Madness!

[Brian-omhh]

It's always the same, isn't it? They want an unblemished, problem free car for a few hundred quid.... And yes, the customer is always right. Often misguided and misinformed, but never Chops, you need the same little sign on your wall my old boss had 25 years ago. It said "Everyone brings joy to this office - some when they enter, others when they He once had to deal with a very obnoxious bloke, who got really shirty over the slightest thing. The guy shouted " I'm *never* coming back here again". My boss just looked over the top of his glasses at him, and said quietly "then perhaps that'll suit us both?" The one consolation in your case James, is that for 98% of the time things are your customers appreciate you for it. I live in the North of England, but if lived locally to you I wouldn't hesitate to buy a car from you, given your work ethic and the level of service you And yes, I think you'll be seeing that Red Daihatsu again with a few phone calls or emails thrown

[speedbird]

I've tried to sell a few cars privately on eBay. Never seen so many time wasters in my life. People winning auctions and not following up after, stupid questions, etc. Never again lol.

[iantill]

Really interesting video, James. As a non-trader member of the public, I must be in the minority as it wouldn't even cross my mind to ask any questions after bidding and, having flown to Glasgow (from South of London) to buy a terribly misleadingly described mk2 Astra GTE 16V, I realise some need to think carefully before bidding. I would have zero issue with buying on a spares or repairs basis and have been happily driving around in a very tidy mk5 Astra that I bought for £150 over 4 years ago. For all the reasons you give in the video, I just can't get to see these cars, which is a shame.

I hope your buyer respects the deal and doesn't come back to you, but if she does, don't give an inch. By rights, she should probably have brought a trailer and expected the gearbox to fall out while being winched on, let alone driving it back to London. That type of sale really is a zero comeback thing.

[SA-zoom]

I have bought and sold many a car on ebay. Never had an issue. Reason? Simple. Classified ad not auction. Same as autotrader but bigger audience and much cheaper.

[lindsaymerritt]

The cheaper end *always* brings out a different class of buyer, those with bugger all money. Because they’re broke, any purchase stretches them, so any problem with the car *really* hurts them. They’re trying to get guarantees from you because that purchase means *everything* to them. I couldn’t deal with low-end clients in my business, they’d run me ragged and there ended up to be no real profit because of time required to hold their hand.

[tonyworrall]

When the winning bidder asks if the car is petrol or diesel you know you are on to a winner...lol, anyway you are one of the most honest traders in the UK and I have enjoyed watching your fun and games.

[philtasker]

I work daily with the public and I agree James they always expect more and as an engineer they want you to say it won't breakdown but there are so many unknowns it's impossible to say that you are the most honest guy keep doing what you do

[bobskinner]

Very interesting my father 30 years ago use to wheel and deal used cars and he ended up like you with the same approach. The only ones he retailed were the cream with full service history. The rest he would trade to other dealers that specialised in that brand. i.e. Buy a Ford at the auction and then trade it to a Ford dealer or Ford specialist.
Good Work Chops!!!!

[unclejoe]

Having been in the car business for a long time you're correct. The cheaper the car the more difficult the buyer. At least the car shortage has buyers acting somewhat normal.

[Jez]

This is why I'd rather scrap my old cars than try and sell them on because you just get inundated with stupid questions and expectations. I do feel guilty sometimes that I've sent a half decent car to scrap but at least there's no comeback on them! Fair play to you for not pulling that sale straight away, many others would have!

[jasonhimpson]

Ebay is a nightmare for selling cars, so many timewasters it's unreal.
I sold a Mk2 Golf and the 'buyer' just refused to respond to my emails about collecting the car. I had to relist it but it didn't make the same amount of money the second time around as people probably thought it wasn't a good car as it had sold previously.
Ebay does nothing to punish those that mess sellers around, perhaps they should get their account shut down when they do so.