A different sort of dealer rant

Kinja'd!!! "Dsscats" (dsscats)
08/15/2017 at 14:55 • Filed to: None

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Backstory: my summer project has been helping a former boss liquidate his car collection.

I posted the cars in a local Facebook group. I was contacted by 2 different dealership workers, here’s the story of each.

1. Guy contacts me about a CLK63 Black Series. The car is listed for $70,000. If you look at the local market, that’s a BEYOND fair price, trade in is $61,500-$68,000 and it’s a low mileage, very clean car. He calls me and says he’d be interested, but he knows they only go for around $58,000-$59,000 at dealer auctions for comparable cars. Keep in mind, there are 500 of these built and only 350 came to the US market. He then proceeds to say, “For me to buy it, I’d probably have to be in the car around $55,000.” He pretty much just wants to be able to dump it at auction and still make money or at least not lose any. Now I get it, you have to make your money, but the owner has his dealer license. He could send it to a dealer auction and get more than that. Hell, even listing it privately at $62,500 would probably sell it in a day! You yourself admitted that the car is worth at least $58,000 and a Mercedes dealer would happily take it on trade at $60,000 or maybe even more.

2. Guy contacts me about the CLK63 Black Series, a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale (pictured) and an F430 16M Scuderia. $70,000+$200,000+$340,000=$610,000 total for all three cars. He offers $420,000, saying “I can write you the check today” like that makes a difference and “Well it seems like a lot of dealers have been sitting on 16Ms for a while” (so don’t buy it?). Now once again, I understand that you’re in this to make a profit, but there’s a number where you can make your money and I can as well, but making an idiotically low offer like that is just wasting both of our time and downright disrespectful.

TL;DR: Dealers waste my time, nothing good comes from it.


DISCUSSION (17)


Kinja'd!!! StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 14:58

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Sounds quite annoying. Also, sounds like your boss has a very nice collection!


Kinja'd!!! WilliamsSW > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 15:09

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So, just like Craigslist, then?

I love the 2nd guy - ‘hey you don’t know me but pleez gib $190k’


Kinja'd!!! HammerheadFistpunch > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 15:12

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I feel like this is more offensive than the traditional low balling because everyone involved knows what story is on these cars... Or i mean you at least have to either assume that or assume it’s a scam/stolen.

Calling and working a deal on limited run vehicles like they were commodities just seems lazy.


Kinja'd!!! PatBateman > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 15:13

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“For me to buy it, I’d probably have to be in the car around $55,000.”

So I guess you’re not buying it. Thanks for calling, call back anytime that number gets into the high sixties.


Kinja'd!!! SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 15:21

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I’d say the three cars are priced right looking at recent ads on FChat. Keep to it and you’ll eventually find a private buyer in that ballpark. The 360 CS is one of my dream cars. There are typically two that come to my local cars and coffee and I ogle them every time. Good luck with the sale!

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Kinja'd!!! fintail > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 15:24

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If it’s a genuinely nice non-black unmodified Black Series, 55K would be a steal, never seen a non-questionable one that cheap. I’d try to round up the money/con the bank right now if that’s the price :)


Kinja'd!!! Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 15:34

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Well I guess if you send 1000 terrible offers out, someone is bound to take it. I assume some dealers are just looking for the most desparate and trying to maximize profit. But I would think volume sales and good relationships are more important to them in general. Meaning they should make good deals everywhere and just make lots of modest profits.


Kinja'd!!! Future next gen S2000 owner > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 15:44

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I’ve learned if a dealership is buying a car they are going to get it at a steal or not at all.


Kinja'd!!! Chariotoflove > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 16:07

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So how do you answer these people?


Kinja'd!!! Dsscats > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor
08/15/2017 at 18:05

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Thank you, I agree as well. I’ve already had a few offers on it, just waiting for the right person.


Kinja'd!!! Dsscats > fintail
08/15/2017 at 18:06

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I’d be happy to make an Oppo (s)deal on it as well. Clean title, 25,000 miles, no accidents or stories.


Kinja'd!!! Dsscats > Chariotoflove
08/15/2017 at 18:07

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Politely. No need to be a dick. I say something along the lines of “Well that offer isn’t fair given current market values. If the owner wanted to let it go that cheap it wouldn’t be listed where it is. Have a good day!”


Kinja'd!!! Chariotoflove > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 19:25

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That sounds perfect.


Kinja'd!!! fintail > Dsscats
08/15/2017 at 22:56

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I am more of a tire kicker at this point, but I have thought about one of these, as I think the depreciation floor will be ~50K for a good one, and in time, it will only be harder to find one that wasn’t messed with.

What are the colors/options/mods?


Kinja'd!!! Dsscats > fintail
08/16/2017 at 01:17

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They’ve already hit the depreciation floor and rebounded, you’ll be lucky to find one under $65k at this point that isn’t salvaged. There were only 350 for our market and there are only going to be fewer as time goes on, so I doubt it has a chance of depreciating further. Its silver, aftermarket wheels but all stock other than that.


Kinja'd!!! fintail > Dsscats
08/16/2017 at 11:43

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You’re probably right. The only one I have spotted for sale locally is 66K, and it has been modified. Does the owner still have the original wheels?


Kinja'd!!! Dsscats > fintail
08/20/2017 at 01:58

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Unfortunately they’re no longer with the car