So Sick of These Ads! I have $235 cash, and this is advertised for $228.

"AdverseMartyr" (ewilliamson)
08/29/2015 at 22:52 • Filed to: None

I get so ticked at these guys. It’s the same stealership dealership every time. He’s advertising this car with a price of $228. I’m getting very tempted to drive in there with about $250 in cash and ask to buy the car since it is advertised for that price, and save the Craigslist ad as evidence. When I video them refusing to sell it to me I want to go visit a lawyer and see if he will take the case as it is false advertising. Does Steve Lehto have any advice on these sort of things?

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DISCUSSION (18)

roflcopter > AdverseMartyr
08/29/2015 at 22:56

They probably would get away with saying they want $228 per month, which is probably not too far off, and have a bunch of fineprint about proper credit scores and crap.

PS9 > AdverseMartyr
08/29/2015 at 22:58

Not worth it. Taking down a scam artist on Craigslist is like killing a cockroach. Sure, that one you just saw is dead, but planet earth is home to billions upon billions of others you’ll never get to. Even if you manage to extract some kind of result, another one will pop up with a scammy ad before the bloody ink on the check you write to the lawyer dries.

Steve in Manhattan > AdverseMartyr
08/29/2015 at 22:59

Or it’s a misprint - should be $2,280? Too cheap for that car?

TheOnelectronic > AdverseMartyr
08/29/2015 at 23:01

My guess is it’s a “Oh, well you have to qualify for the ‘Mars Colonist’ rebate”

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > AdverseMartyr
08/29/2015 at 23:19

The UCC and contract law could cause problems for you with the whole offer and acceptance issuea.

dogisbadob > AdverseMartyr
08/29/2015 at 23:22

Flag them, and encourage others in the area to flag as well (non-local flags don’t count). Then, send an email to abuse@craigslist.org with a links to some of the ads, and explain that the price advertised isn’t the real price. You could even tell them the price is too good to be true, and that the car isn’t really $228.

They will remove the ad within a few days.

Then, put a minimum in the price field, something that will be obviously higher than that.

Frenchlicker > Steve in Manhattan
08/30/2015 at 00:15

Click the link, the problem is more than just that.

Steve in Manhattan > Frenchlicker
08/30/2015 at 00:23

Yeah - they seem to offer everything to everyone. And this lawyer used to know the law of offer and acceptance, and I think it works for this guy, but only just. Lehto should weigh in.

KatzManDu > AdverseMartyr
08/30/2015 at 04:37

They’ll come back with that being an “estimated monthly payment” or some way to weasel out.

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > AdverseMartyr
08/30/2015 at 07:39

You get the car for the price of $xxx pee month. It's shitty advertising.

AdverseMartyr > KatzManDu
08/30/2015 at 15:39

That doesn’t matter. It only lists one number and it doesn’t say that is simply one monthly payment. A reasonable individual can only assume that is the asking price of the car. Now that price may not include the tax and paperwork cost, but that can’t be more than a few hundred more.

AdverseMartyr > PS9
08/30/2015 at 15:48

This is a large dealer on the island, not some little used car place.

AdverseMartyr > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
08/30/2015 at 15:49

Explain more, please?

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > AdverseMartyr
08/30/2015 at 16:43

The ELIA5 version: if you could prove or build an argument that supports their $228 to be an offer of sale, then you could legitimately walk in and accept the offer.

Problem is, in contract law, advertisements aren’t always seen as offers of sale, merely an invitation to negotiate a sale.

AdverseMartyr > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
08/30/2015 at 23:10

Well, see that’s the thing - how does your statement about advertising apply to CL? CL is a website specifically to list items for sale, not for running advertisements. It’s got this nifty little box that is for saying how much you want to sell the item for. Which happens to be that number of $228 in this ad.
I’m not saying you are wrong, but a normal reasonable person wouldn’t see it that way.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > AdverseMartyr
08/30/2015 at 23:48

Well, there was some case law I studied where someone tried to use that same line of thinking but instead of CL, it was a newspaper. Honestly, it wouldn’t be worth the legal fees.

Plus, the reasonable person test is a double edged sword. Just think, would someone really be selling a car worth $XXXX for $228?

brianbrannon > AdverseMartyr
08/31/2015 at 07:03

In Ohio you can file a small claims case for false advertising and get 100 dollar judgment

AdverseMartyr > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
08/31/2015 at 18:46

Someone wouldn’t, but a business would for marketing. A reasonable person would believe that a business will offer a crazy deal on one or two items to bring in crowds hoping to be the person who scores the insane deal. Black Friday is a thing after all.

And while I can believe people use it as a defense, but defending your illegal actions by saying no one would take it seriously shouldn’t stand up in court. “I can ignore the law because no one will believe I’m serious” is just holding our society in contempt.