Nope. A Mint Fiat Panda 4x4 is not worth BaT....

"Flavien Vidal" (flyingfrenchy)
07/18/2017 at 18:28 • Filed to: None

I don’t get it and I’m a bit pissed to be honest... Here is the email I got the morning:

“Hi Flavien,

We do not feel that your 1990 Fiat Panda 4x4 IE is a good fit for our site and audience at this time. We are very selective, and the most common reasons cars are not accepted to BaT Auctions are the following:

Unreasonable reserve expectations

Common models with many similar cars available

Many same or similar models recently accepted

We appreciate that you considered BaT Auctions and wish you best of luck with the sale. Please let us know if you have any other vehicles you would like us to consider.

Thanks,

The Bring a Trailer Team”

Unreasonnable reserve expectations?? It was set at a heavy loss for me at $3500, shipping to anywhere in the world included. Yes, $3500, shipping ot your local Ro-Ro. That was the reserve. So obviously, the unreasonnable reserve expectation isn’t the reason there. BaT is a good tool for me to find new customers, so I don’t mind sacrifying a car there and taking a loss... Up until now, every car I’ve sold there has gotten me new customers looking for other cars and ending buying from me.

Common model with many similar cars available? If you’re in Italy or France, there are some left in good shape. Not common by any mean, but yeah, sure, not rare either. In the US, it’s rare enough that I have never seen one for sale before, nor have I ever seen in one in the streets after spending 12+ years in the US and Canada.

Now many models recently accepted?? They have never offered one at auction on BaT either. They did an article on one back in November 2016 though, called “First we’ve seen in the US: 1987 Fiat Panda 4x4" with the car being listed at an insane $12900...Not to mention that in the past 30 days, they’ve had “5" E39 M5 offered on auction... FIVE! So obviously offering too much of the same car is not really an excuse for anyone.

And how is a Fiat Panda 4x4 “not a good fit” for BaT?? Isn’t it for this specific kind of rare, affordable and quirky car that BaT was originally created?

Yeah, that’s all for my rant now... I’m kind of pissed lol.

DISCUSSION (60)

Aaron James > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:34

I think the commission off 3500 just wasn’t enticing enough for them.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:35

Maybe your reserve price was too low? I’m suggesting that seriously. Maybe they figured it wasn’t worth much since you’re not gunning for a higher price?

I’ve no idea what a Fiat Panda is worth myself, and having never seen one in person feel you’ve got a solid point. I’m just trying to armchair analyze the reasoning.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:36

Do they charge a flat fee or a percentage? They may have decided the commission on a ~$5k sale isn’t enough to be worth it.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:39

Same for S4s and Rs4s. There’s been one every time I check, I don’t get the requirements.

Honeybunchesofgoats > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:40

For what it’s worth, when I read the title, I thought this would be you were objecting that there was a Panda listed for sale on BaT and I was prepared to silently judge you.

Flavien Vidal > Aaron James
07/18/2017 at 18:41

They’d get a total of 275$ for it IF it were to sell for this cheap... Certainly enough to pay the guy who will spend 30 minutes writing a quick description of the car. If they list Porsche 944, Boxters or 924, I don’t see how they’d mind only making this...

benjrblant > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:43

“We are very selective”

Really? Selective enough to sell stuff like a 2013 wrangler http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2013-jeep-wrangler/

Flavien Vidal > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
07/18/2017 at 18:48

Well, that’s the point of a reserve. Low reserve and no reserve are the stuff they should be aiming for... That way they are sure to make money. If they considered the 12900$ for a Fiat Panda was in anyway realistic and worth writing an article about, they’d be certain it would sell and they’d be certain to make money on it...

Flavien Vidal > Honeybunchesofgoats
07/18/2017 at 18:49

haha. No they’ve neer had one before at all...

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:49

but yet they’re ok with cars like this

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-mitsubishi-eclipse-gsx/

Flavien Vidal > benjrblant
07/18/2017 at 18:50

$1700 commission... :(

Flavien Vidal > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
07/18/2017 at 18:50

100$ for me to list the car + 5% of the final auction charged to the buyer.

Flavien Vidal > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
07/18/2017 at 18:52

I honestly don’t get it either... I guess they don’t want cheaper cars anymore and aim for higher fees kind of car... Maybe worth for them to change their name into BringAnExpensiveVehicleToUsOrWeWontAuctionIt.com

benjrblant > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:52

Kinja'd!!!

Flavien Vidal > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe
07/18/2017 at 18:53

That’s indeed quite a cheap regular car lol

Cé hé sin > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:54

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Don’t recall seeing any in France but they’re very much a thing in mountainous parts of Italy.

I saw two up on Vesuvius...

Aaron James > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 18:55

porsche bmw mercedes are their favorites. Are you in the US? if so I’m surprised too

Flavien Vidal > Aaron James
07/18/2017 at 18:57

No I,m in Japan, but I’ve sold cars through BaT before and it’s never been a problem...

Flavien Vidal > Cé hé sin
07/18/2017 at 18:58

I’m from Bretagne and there are a few from time to time... As I said, rare, but not uncommon.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 19:00

So for any sale over $2k there’s more money coming from a successful sale than from the listing fee, i.e. they maximise profit by maximising “probability of sale * value of sale”. They probably have some sort of “ how (relatively) low is the reserve, how many BaT readers are likely to want one, what’s the likely sell price ” metric, which the Panda fails by being a low price, niche interest vehicle, even with a low reserve.

interstate366, now In The Industry > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 19:03

Very off-topic, but what are JZX90 Cresta Super Lucents going for? A friend of mine is going to be in the market for one soon. His budget is fairly limited for now but he thinks he can afford a Super Lucent.

Flavien Vidal > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
07/18/2017 at 19:04

4x4 Panda have an impressive dedicated following and nice ones sell for really good money. Also niche market cars is litteraly what BaT built itself onto...

Flavien Vidal > interstate366, now In The Industry
07/18/2017 at 19:06

Manual? Also aren’t X90 cars from 1992 to 1998? If so, there won’t be many importable into the US right now...

interstate366, now In The Industry > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 19:08

No, he’s fine with automatic. The only thing he wants it to definitely have is a rear wiper.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 19:14

“ 4x4 Panda have an impressive dedicated following and nice ones sell for really good money. ”

Doesn’t help that you know that if they don’t, unfortunately. And I suspect that as they’ve grown, they have an increasing proportion of less knowledgeable people working behind the scenes.

“ Also niche market cars is litteraly what BaT built itself onto ”

..but they’ve been steadily moving more and more mainstream, as i think we’re all aware of and disappointed by. Nowadays there’s usually several cars on auction at any given time that I think “I could just go buy one of those from a dealer”.

Disappointing, but I guess beige is where the money is.

Flavien Vidal > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
07/18/2017 at 19:16

Yeah, or quick E39 M5 sales are where the money is I guess :(

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe
07/18/2017 at 19:18

Really? They sold that? LIST FLAVIEN’S PANDA NOW.

promoted by the color red > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 19:50

Many same or similar models recently accepted

I’m so glad BAT has this policy, because it’s not like they’re seemingly auctioning yet another 911 or E30 every week.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 19:55

Must be a few LHD M5s in Japan you could import :-)

shop-teacher > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 20:03

Someone at BaT fell into a Panda enclosure as a child, and was very traumatized... The obvious answer is obvious

Flavien Vidal > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
07/18/2017 at 20:16

Yeah and for a lot cheaper... I plan on getting one myself if I ever end up with something like a kid or an extra cat

Flavien Vidal > shop-teacher
07/18/2017 at 20:16

Has to be it yes :)

interstate366, now In The Industry > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 20:18

And yes, he’s aware of the years. He said early next year is most likely when he’ll be ready.

N51fanatic > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 20:25

From BaTs perspective, why waste a slot on a 4K car when they can put up another $50k Porsche

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 20:36

Kinja'd!!!

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 21:29

I don’t know, doesn’t have the same ring to it....

Berang > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 22:32

If the car were already in the U.S., they’d probably take it.

Flavien Vidal > Berang
07/18/2017 at 23:44

If that was the case, why don’t they just tell me then? I’ve asked to be given details as to why it was refused and the only answer I got back was that the auction manager didn’t think it would fit the site...

RallyWrench > Flavien Vidal
07/18/2017 at 23:48

That’s some BS, the Panda would seem to be right up their alley. Side note: the gray M635 currently listed there (ends tomorrow) is a from a client of mine, and apparently they insisted on a reserve thousands less than he wanted (and he’s very realistic, I think), drove him hard down on it. The reserve and his ideal result are both significantly less than he has in it, in any case.

I get the need to monetize the site, but I kind of miss the old BaT, when we were all just car dorks sharing stuff. The auctions have really changed that feeling, now it’s just a meat market.

Flavien Vidal > RallyWrench
07/19/2017 at 00:19

Sums up my thoughts fairly well sadly :(

Spoon II > Flavien Vidal
07/19/2017 at 00:32

Hopefully it was just some new employee who’s unfamiliar with the awesomeness that is the 4x4 Panda! Those things are amazing, and $3500 is a great deal!

Flavien Vidal > Spoon II
07/19/2017 at 00:52

Well I wouldn’t want to sell it this cheap, but if it only reached such low amount, I would have... BaT is useful for me to find new customers... I don’t really mind losing money on one car there if I can find people who would buy more cars thanks to this auction...

Jobjoris > Flavien Vidal
07/19/2017 at 04:27

Hahahaha. What? Hhahaahaha. I’m having a hard time understanding this?

Flavien Vidal > Jobjoris
07/19/2017 at 04:36

It’s not fit for BaT... I guess they should have called it Fiat Panda 911 to fit the site... :s

They have 11 on auction this week only...

Jobjoris > Flavien Vidal
07/19/2017 at 04:56

We’re just weird for lusting for these... I’m looking into my network for this little one. 3.5K for me as well to R’dam?

Flavien Vidal > Jobjoris
07/19/2017 at 05:04

Nah, I would have taken the hit for the advertising of it had sold this cheap... But I would have been at quite a loss with 3.5k$... direct sale, I’d need 5.5k$... and that’s quite firm unfortunately. Still cheap considering how good it is though... Near perfect.

Jobjoris > Flavien Vidal
07/19/2017 at 05:43

Ah, that would mean taxes and registering getting it in the 7k euro zone. Not that interesting if you can find ‘m here for about 5k.

Flavien Vidal > Jobjoris
07/19/2017 at 05:58

Damn, your taxes and registration aren’t cheap! But yeah, would be hard to sell it for less in such condition... I can’t sell everything at cost to friends haha

Jobjoris > Flavien Vidal
07/19/2017 at 07:06

Well, unless it’s a real low-mileage one. But here ’s an example, repainted.

Flavien Vidal > Jobjoris
07/19/2017 at 07:13

Fairly certain the pain is original on mine... Leather interior too. Mileage is a bit over that at 160.000km.

Jobjoris > Flavien Vidal
07/19/2017 at 09:09

Then getting it sold to a European probably isn’t really an option for $5.5k.

Flavien Vidal > Jobjoris
07/19/2017 at 09:12

Nah, never aimed to Europe in the first place with it... I’ll most certinly sell it in the US.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Flavien Vidal
07/19/2017 at 09:14

So your Fiat Panda is not a good fit for BAT? A car they previously described as “a super-cool 4×4 version, the world’s first such system employed on a small, transverse-engined car”? A car whose “honest, unpretentious feel is a big part of what makes them so fun”? And “these 4×4 cars are surprisingly good off-road thanks to a sub one-ton weight and good ground clearance”? That’s not a good fit for BAT? Then what the heck is a good fit?

Flavien Vidal > haveacarortwoorthree2
07/19/2017 at 09:29

A Porsche 911 would have been a good fit.

Spoon II > Flavien Vidal
07/19/2017 at 15:50

Yeah, makes perfect sense

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > Flavien Vidal
07/24/2017 at 11:18

hmmm, I thought I recognized this on their page this morning.... http://bringatrailer.com/2017/07/24/unusually-nice-w-factory-ac-1990-fiat-panda-4x4/

I think you might have the last laugh!

Flavien Vidal > DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By
07/24/2017 at 11:35

WTF... Seriously... WTF??

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > Flavien Vidal
07/24/2017 at 11:45

Free publicity??

Flavien Vidal > DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By
07/24/2017 at 11:48

Had they put the correct link, yeah... lol. And being a dealer I still pay to list on eBay, so it doesn’t really matter...

Spridget > Flavien Vidal
07/26/2017 at 09:24

“Common models with many similar cars available

Many same or similar models recently accepted”

Uhhh what? BaT is basically just a Porsche forum auction site now.