Outcome update for - Selling vehicle on Craigslist?

[MnD]

I've sold several but it has been a few years and this one is a bit more valuable than my previous sales ($13.5K versus $5K-8K typically) .
I provide a lot of information, many pictures, price fairly and my past sales have all been quick and painless.

Any new scams to be aware of or any new things "not to do"?
I plan to accept cash. Or a cashiers check only if I receive it personally handed to me from an employee at their bank or credit union.

I've always provided my cell to text or call - using just Craigslist relay messenger often leads to dead ends for me on sales in my experience.
Craigslist suggests only using their relay messenger.
I'm familiar with various text scams (send me code I sent, out of state buyers etc.)

I've never had a request for a mechanics inspection - not sure how to handle that.

I've had very little luck with Facebook marketplace for lower value items, but I've not tried selling a car through it.

Thoughts or tips?

[baconavocado]

I posted this almost a couple years ago:
viewtopic.php?t=394495

[runner3081]

I've never had a request for a mechanics inspection - not sure how to handle that.

I required one from the seller when I bought off of CL last year. Went down like this.

I picked a local garage, set up the appointment time, he dropped it off, I paid and then after the service was done, I received the comprehensive email report on the car, he picked it up.

We then discussed and negotiated on the price and made a deal. I brought a cashier's check to him and grabbed the car.

[samsoes]

Cash can be much more easily counterfeited these days than in the past. I suggest that you only accept cash handed to you by a bank teller also.

Although I eschew no-recourse peer to peer payment services like the plague, a friend recently sold a car privately and accepted by either Venmo or Zelle (don't remember which). She was able to confirm receipt of the funds on the spot, and then she handed the paperwork to the buyer. This was all done in public, a busy supermarket's parking lot. (The buyer, who had a ride to the site, slapped-on out of state plates and drove away. Of course, the plates weren't registered to that car!)

[AllMostThere]

You seem to have a good grasp of how to stay safe. One additional thing, I would recommend is to get a burner phone (i.e. Tracfone, etc.) and use this number for communications, if needed. No need to give one-time business relationships your real cell information. I keep a Tracfone number for this exact purpose - selling, buying, contractors, etc.

[indexfundfan]

I bought an used EV from an out-of-state seller on Facebook marketplace. I think compared to Craigslist, Facebook has the advantage that you can check the history and how long the other party has been on Facebook. I ignore any user who joined Facebook only in the last few years.

We used KeySavvy to handle the transaction, and it allowed me to claim the used EV tax incentive.

[Parkinglotracer]

I sold a 13K car and 23K boat on FB marketplace in last few years. If I was concerned I would exchange funds at their bank. Good luck.

[Jack FFR1846]

Have you gotten quotes from Car Max, Carvana, etc? I've sold literally dozens of cars and many on Craigslist over the years. The scams these days are just too scary. With the newish hundred dollar bills, I've become pretty concerned every time I get one. I literally drive the 5 miles to my credit union and deposit them immediately. They use one of those counters that verify the bills.

For me, going forward, if the amount is more than envelopes of 20's isn't practical, I'll be trading in the car or bringing it to Car Max.

[stan1]

+1 on Carmax. Under 2 hours and done. Fair pricing to avoid the hassles and risks of selling it yourself to strangers.

[Auream]

I just sold my car privately a month or so ago (listed on both FB Marketplace and Craigslist). Here's what I found:
- Do not list your phone number in the ad, even using a burner number (Google voice in my case). Basically 100% scams from people who text you out of the blue. Better to only accept a message through the platform first, and give out your texting number only if they seem legitimate.
- Of the scammers, the #1 I got multiple times was the ubiquitous "VIN Check" scam: https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotfor ... -your-car/
- I was able to get both CarFAX and Autocheck reports via someone selling them for dirt cheap (I think like $3 for both) on etsy.
- Since I was selling a PHEV under $25K, I was able to use KeySavvy to allow the buyer to take advantage of the $4K tax credit. Taking into account the credit, they got an amazing deal (and I almost certainly underpriced the car/left money on the table). But I still got more than any dealer or Carvana/Carmax were offering.
- Overall the process ended up being pretty painless once I pulled the phone number off the ads. Got a few hundred more than Carvana or Carmax were offering. It was worth it for me, but it is hard to beat the convenience of Carvana.

[FreeLunch]

I bought an used EV from an out-of-state seller on Facebook marketplace. I think compared to Craigslist, Facebook has the advantage that you can check the history and how long the other party has been on Facebook. I ignore any user who joined Facebook only in the last few years.

We used KeySavvy to handle the transaction, and it allowed me to claim the used EV tax incentive.

I never knew about KeySavvy before. This looks like a great way to buy/sell a car for a very reasonable fee. $99 for buyer / $99 for seller; seems like a good way to protect yourself if you're the buyer or seller.

[MGBMartin]

I tried selling a car on Craigslist a few months ago.
Most of the responses I got were from folks a long way away with some tale to tell about not being able to view the car for awhile, or needing to wait until some money comes in or something to do with their brother. I also got a few very lowball offers.
After about a week I sold the car to Carvana for about what I was expecting to get; I had sold another car to them a few months before. The Carvana experience was very easy and much less annoying than trying a private sale via Craigslist.

[Carguy85]

I wouldn’t…..simply no way to have any idea of who you are dealing with unlike eBay or Facebook. BTW, a family friend just bought a vehicle for nearly $30k that turned out to be stolen…they swapped out the vin tag and got a duplicate title off a 2019 and not until he took it in to the dealer did he figure out that it was actually a 2021. It initially fooled him and the police that did the vin check. Very bad deal and of course he paid the guy in cash…really no need to deal in cash. I’ve always preferred a cashiers check and then keep insurance on the vehicle for a few weeks until it clears.

[hoofaman]

Why subject yourself to a private sale when CarMax will probably offer you more than a private seller would agree to pay? Last time I tried private sale I had a bunch of tire kickers wasting my time, and CarMax gave me more than my asking price

[barnaclebob]

Sold a $750 car on Craigslist, after one shady guy came, spouted some BS to me about a coolant leak and blue exhaust smoke (it was just water vapor), he declined to make an offer. Next guy to show up paid cash and was on his way, easy to deal with.

Sold a $17k boat. After we agreed on price, we happened to use the same credit union so we met there and the credit union transferred the funds directly to my account.

So with that being said given the value of your vehicle, I agree with the meet at the bank suggestions. That way nobody is carrying large amounts of cash and you are both protected.

[Tabulator]

Answers to questions in the original post depend partly on the "curb appeal" or popularity of the car being offered. If it's the kind of car -- and ad -- that generates a lot of interest, then one can get away with being simple and straightforward and only using mail relay until making arrangements to meet someone, at which point phone numbers are exchanged. I even suspect that mail relay automatically filters out some people one doesn't want to deal with in the first place. Providing a phone number in the ad has no such effect. Someday I might sell a car with only mail relay from start to finish.

craigslist also has a new chat function I haven't tried yet.

Buyers have every right to an inspection at their expense. As a seller, I never insinuate that inspection is unnecessary or inconvenient. Smart buyers should also know instinctively that the logistics of inspection may cause someone else to get the car first, if that "someone else" isn't requesting an inspection.

As a seller, I use the description exclusively to provide details about the car (and maybe precious few points about the transaction). Contact information does not belong in the description -- ever. The same goes for unnecessary remarks about avoiding scams and unwanted behaviors. If one isn't smart enough to feel people out via mail relay and phone, then one shouldn't sell on craigslist. I personally can't stand looking at ads that are littered with the most moronic comments such as: "I don't need help selling."

As a seller, I lack skill in luring the buyer into a bank branch to get the cash checked out. Ideally, that helps to avoid counterfeits, but I've always found my buyers to lack enough patience for visiting a bank. So I've always accepted cash on the spot.

[MnD]

I posted this almost a couple years ago:
viewtopic.php?t=394495

Thank you! And all others for the input.

I think I'm going to follow the steps in this particular post in your thread with a couple minor modifications.
viewtopic.php?p=7297812#p7297812

It's a bit of a hard-core approach but the supply of older Tacomas in excellent shape my metro area is almost non-existent and dealer prices are ridiculous.

[baconavocado]

I posted this almost a couple years ago:
viewtopic.php?t=394495

Thank you! And all others for the input.

I think I'm going to follow the steps in this particular post in your thread with a couple minor modifications.
viewtopic.php?p=7297812#p7297812

It's a bit of a hard-core approach but the supply of older Tacomas in excellent shape my metro area is almost non-existent and dealer prices are ridiculous.

Please post a follow up to tell us how the sale went.

IMO, the problem with the method you referenced is that a firm price was not advertised which invites buyers to bargain with the seller. I noticed that the poster said he sold to the first person who showed up each time. It's likely that the buyer was a private dealer who determined by talking to the seller that he could get a good deal, that he would be the first appointment, and that he guessed he would be more skilled at price negotiation than the seller.

[snic]

I'm surprised by the contention that Carvana is competitive with selling the car privately. That hasn't been my experience at all. Carvana offers close to what a dealer would offer (maybe slightly more), but that's typically much less than what you can sell a car for via CL and the like. It does take more effort - you have to detail the car, take photos, write a listing, and deal with the inquiries - but if you know your car's value and have the fortitude to reject lowball offers and ignore scammers, you'll come out ahead vs Carvana.

My suggestion to the OP is to list the car on a site such as Autotrader that provides you with a free link to the Carfax report. You can then post the link in the CL ad and wherever else you market the car.

$13k in cash is a lot. I'd probably simply ask to meet the buyer at his bank, then stand there while the teller issues a cashiers check, then conclude the sale right there in the bank or in the parking lot outside. Then immediately go to your bank and deposit the check.

[Auream]

$13k in cash is a lot. I'd probably simply ask to meet the buyer at his bank, then stand there while the teller issues a cashiers check, then conclude the sale right there in the bank or in the parking lot outside. Then immediately go to your bank and deposit the check.

Yes, this is the way. No idea why as a buyer you’d want to be driving around with around thousands in cash, or as a seller you’d want to risk counterfeit bills or a fake cashiers check. I did this for the previous car I sold (prior to the one I just described above where I used KeySavvy). As an added bonus, the bank should be able to notarize the title for you.

[RickBoglehead]

I'd probably simply ask to meet the buyer at his bank, then stand there while the teller issues a cashiers check, then conclude the sale right there in the bank or in the parking lot outside. Then immediately go to your bank and deposit the check.

Agree except deposit it via bank app after it is handed to you, THEN sign over title.

I most recently sold a boat for $29,000 this way, and then dropped it on buyer's driveway. Numerous vehicles via CL. One was a few grand. Cash, so met at bank, teller puts in machine to count and verify bills, then sign title.

Make a bill of sale stating no warranty, sold as is, signed duplicates. And keep copy of signed over title in case buyer never goes to Sec of State.

[Bobby206]

I stopped using CL many years ago. It seems to me ALL scammers. FB marketplace is preferred though still many scammers.

For cars I think selling to CarMax, Carvana, Vroom, Autonation, etc.... The latter 3 take 5-10 minutes each online to see what they'll pay. WAY easier than selling private and you'll be surprised with the payment. It's not worth selling private anymore in my opinion.

[snic]

I'd probably simply ask to meet the buyer at his bank, then stand there while the teller issues a cashiers check, then conclude the sale right there in the bank or in the parking lot outside. Then immediately go to your bank and deposit the check.

Agree except deposit it via bank app after it is handed to you, THEN sign over title.

Some banks limit the amount that can be deposited via app. I think it's something like $6k for my bank, so I'd have to physically deposit a $13k check. I wouldn't be too concerned about accepting up to $6k in cash, provided that the transaction were done in a public place (like my bank's parking lot, so I can go directly inside and deposit the money).

[snic]

I stopped using CL many years ago. It seems to me ALL scammers. FB marketplace is preferred though still many scammers.

For cars I think selling to CarMax, Carvana, Vroom, Autonation, etc.... The latter 3 take 5-10 minutes each online to see what they'll pay. WAY easier than selling private and you'll be surprised with the payment. It's not worth selling private anymore in my opinion.

A couple of years ago I sold an old car for $3000. I don't remember exactly what CarMax/Carvana/<whatever service I got a quote from> was willing to buy it for, but it was far less. Certainly no more than $2k. Yes, my CL posting resulted in a lot of scammers, but they were easy to detect and ignore. I had to show the car 3 or 4 times until I got a fair offer, and it took maybe 2 weeks from posting the ad to sale. To me, that was a pretty easy $1k.

[hoofaman]

I stopped using CL many years ago. It seems to me ALL scammers. FB marketplace is preferred though still many scammers.

For cars I think selling to CarMax, Carvana, Vroom, Autonation, etc.... The latter 3 take 5-10 minutes each online to see what they'll pay. WAY easier than selling private and you'll be surprised with the payment. It's not worth selling private anymore in my opinion.

A couple of years ago I sold an old car for $3000. I don't remember exactly what CarMax/Carvana/<whatever service I got a quote from> was willing to buy it for, but it was far less. Certainly no more than $2k. Yes, my CL posting resulted in a lot of scammers, but they were easy to detect and ignore. I had to show the car 3 or 4 times until I got a fair offer, and it took maybe 2 weeks from posting the ad to sale. To me, that was a pretty easy $1k.

A lot of times the buyers of $3,000 cars cant afford any potential issues that may arise with the vehicle, despite it being an "as is" sale. Some people don't want to have to deal with that as a seller

[Sprucebark]

Cash can be much more easily counterfeited these days than in the past. I suggest that you only accept cash handed to you by a bank teller also.

Although I eschew no-recourse peer to peer payment services like the plague, a friend recently sold a car privately and accepted by either Venmo or Zelle (don't remember which). She was able to confirm receipt of the funds on the spot, and then she handed the paperwork to the buyer. This was all done in public, a busy supermarket's parking lot. (The buyer, who had a ride to the site, slapped-on out of state plates and drove away. Of course, the plates weren't registered to that car!)

What’s wrong with peer to peer payments? I’ve purchased a vehicle that way. Seems like the risk is lower than bringing a bag of cash. Of course this is for cheap vehicles that fit into the transfer limits. For a $30k purchase, Zelle simply isn’t going to work unless you plan on making payments over many multiple days.

[MnD]

Ad is up. Within 1 minute got two emailed "cash this morning" offers for $2.2K and $2.7K less than the $13.7K asking price.
I am enjoying not providing my phone number for calls or texts.
Even the instant offers were polite and didn't follow up when I replied no.

I was silent on the cash terms. When someone is at the point of wanting to buy the car I will meet at their bank and receive cash or a cashiers check from a bank employee.

Regarding people saying immediately deposit the check. I have read numerous times that banks will cash fake cashiers checks and then days or even weeks later withdraw or debit the funds from your account and you are SOL. Apparently accepting a cashiers check for deposit does not move the liability from the presenter to the bank.

[samsoes]

Cash can be much more easily counterfeited these days than in the past. I suggest that you only accept cash handed to you by a bank teller also.

Although I eschew no-recourse peer to peer payment services like the plague, a friend recently sold a car privately and accepted by either Venmo or Zelle (don't remember which). She was able to confirm receipt of the funds on the spot, and then she handed the paperwork to the buyer. This was all done in public, a busy supermarket's parking lot. (The buyer, who had a ride to the site, slapped-on out of state plates and drove away. Of course, the plates weren't registered to that car!)

What’s wrong with peer to peer payments? I’ve purchased a vehicle that way. Seems like the risk is lower than bringing a bag of cash. Of course this is for cheap vehicles that fit into the transfer limits. For a $30k purchase, Zelle simply isn’t going to work unless you plan on making payments over many multiple days.

These services don't have robust consumer protection. If one of them is hacked and your bank account is drained, your bank isn't going to make you whole since you authorized debits from your account when you signed up for the service. But let's not hijack the thread.

[snic]

I stopped using CL many years ago. It seems to me ALL scammers. FB marketplace is preferred though still many scammers.

For cars I think selling to CarMax, Carvana, Vroom, Autonation, etc.... The latter 3 take 5-10 minutes each online to see what they'll pay. WAY easier than selling private and you'll be surprised with the payment. It's not worth selling private anymore in my opinion.

A couple of years ago I sold an old car for $3000. I don't remember exactly what CarMax/Carvana/<whatever service I got a quote from> was willing to buy it for, but it was far less. Certainly no more than $2k. Yes, my CL posting resulted in a lot of scammers, but they were easy to detect and ignore. I had to show the car 3 or 4 times until I got a fair offer, and it took maybe 2 weeks from posting the ad to sale. To me, that was a pretty easy $1k.

A lot of times the buyers of $3,000 cars cant afford any potential issues that may arise with the vehicle, despite it being an "as is" sale. Some people don't want to have to deal with that as a seller

Deal with what, specifically? They bought the car, it's their problem.

[Jeepergeo]

Have you gotten quotes from Car Max, Carvana, etc? I've sold literally dozens of cars and many on Craigslist over the years. The scams these days are just too scary. With the newish hundred dollar bills, I've become pretty concerned every time I get one. I literally drive the 5 miles to my credit union and deposit them immediately. They use one of those counters that verify the bills.

For me, going forward, if the amount is more than envelopes of 20's isn't practical, I'll be trading in the car or bringing it to Car Max.

Once the $100s are in your hands, it won't matter whether your credit union or bank is 5 miles or 50 miles away. If the bills are bad, they are bad, and good luck going back to the buyer. And the bank and police might want to have a word with you regarding passing fake currency.

The suggestions from others above about transacting directly with the bank would help mitigate some of these concerns.

[samsoes]

I stopped using CL many years ago. It seems to me ALL scammers. FB marketplace is preferred though still many scammers.

For cars I think selling to CarMax, Carvana, Vroom, Autonation, etc.... The latter 3 take 5-10 minutes each online to see what they'll pay. WAY easier than selling private and you'll be surprised with the payment. It's not worth selling private anymore in my opinion.

A couple of years ago I sold an old car for $3000. I don't remember exactly what CarMax/Carvana/<whatever service I got a quote from> was willing to buy it for, but it was far less. Certainly no more than $2k. Yes, my CL posting resulted in a lot of scammers, but they were easy to detect and ignore. I had to show the car 3 or 4 times until I got a fair offer, and it took maybe 2 weeks from posting the ad to sale. To me, that was a pretty easy $1k.

A lot of times the buyers of $3,000 cars cant afford any potential issues that may arise with the vehicle, despite it being an "as is" sale. Some people don't want to have to deal with that as a seller

Deal with what, specifically? They bought the car, it's their problem.

Yes, but there can be incessant phone calls, etc., about every little squeak or other problem. And if they have buyers remorse and aren't the most law abiding, they know where you live even if you met them somewhere else in public.

[London]

Have you gotten quotes from Car Max, Carvana, etc? I've sold literally dozens of cars and many on Craigslist over the years. The scams these days are just too scary. With the newish hundred dollar bills, I've become pretty concerned every time I get one. I literally drive the 5 miles to my credit union and deposit them immediately. They use one of those counters that verify the bills.

For me, going forward, if the amount is more than envelopes of 20's isn't practical, I'll be trading in the car or bringing it to Car Max.

Once the $100s are in your hands, it won't matter whether your credit union or bank is 5 miles or 50 miles away. If the bills are bad, they are bad, and good luck going back to the buyer. And the bank and police might want to have a word with you regarding passing fake currency.

The suggestions from others above about transacting directly with the bank would help mitigate some of these concerns.

If you sell a car and receive bad bills, you will likely be out the money but your point about the police/bank is alarmist at best. In reality, they will ask you where you got them and you will point them in the direction of the sale.

[Auream]

I stopped using CL many years ago. It seems to me ALL scammers. FB marketplace is preferred though still many scammers.

For cars I think selling to CarMax, Carvana, Vroom, Autonation, etc.... The latter 3 take 5-10 minutes each online to see what they'll pay. WAY easier than selling private and you'll be surprised with the payment. It's not worth selling private anymore in my opinion.

A couple of years ago I sold an old car for $3000. I don't remember exactly what CarMax/Carvana/<whatever service I got a quote from> was willing to buy it for, but it was far less. Certainly no more than $2k. Yes, my CL posting resulted in a lot of scammers, but they were easy to detect and ignore. I had to show the car 3 or 4 times until I got a fair offer, and it took maybe 2 weeks from posting the ad to sale. To me, that was a pretty easy $1k.

A lot of times the buyers of $3,000 cars cant afford any potential issues that may arise with the vehicle, despite it being an "as is" sale. Some people don't want to have to deal with that as a seller

Deal with what, specifically? They bought the car, it's their problem.

Yes, but there can be incessant phone calls, etc., about every little squeak or other problem. And if they have buyers remorse and aren't the most law abiding, they know where you live even if you met them somewhere else in public.

Seems a bit overblown. I was going to say that I’ve never heard anything like this happening, but I guess if you search around on the internet, there are stories like this: https://old.reddit.com/r/askcarsales/co ... _the_buyer

Wouldn’t deter me from selling to a private party personally, but granted I’ve never sold a “junk” car, only ones worth $5-10K in reasonable condition.

[investorpeter]

I’ve sold a car and other items on Craigslist 20+ years ago, when the only options were private sale or dealer trade-in. I wouldn’t do it today though because of the higher risk of scams and the ease of selling to Carvana or Carmax. Have heard too many stories of Craigslist deals turning into armed robberies. And you will have to sort through innumerable fake Craigslist responders / bots who are just trying out get your contact information for nefarious purposes. Facebook marketplace is a safer option to Craigslist.

[RickBoglehead]

Some banks limit the amount that can be deposited via app. I think it's something like $6k for my bank, so I'd have to physically deposit a $13k check. I wouldn't be too concerned about accepting up to $6k in cash, provided that the transaction were done in a public place (like my bank's parking lot, so I can go directly inside and deposit the money).

Ally is $50k. Vanguard is $500,000.

[MnD]

My Craigslist results!

30 hours from listing to sold for $13,700 in cash. I paid $27,400 for the truck in October of 2004 so 50% depreciation in 20 years.
$685 per year.

2005 Tacoma Double Cab SR5 6-foot bed 4WD, 165K miles, no accidents, original owner, a few hail dents on both hood and roof.

I looked up prices (all private party sale except where noted)
Kelly Blue Book $10,900
Edmunds $9,200
JD Power $8,800 (average of trade-in and dealer)
CarMax $8,000 (purchase offer)
CarFax $12,900 (a real outlier!)

The availability of older generation 2 tacomas (2005-2011) with miles under 200K was basically non-existent for private party sales and only a handful from dealers wanting around $15K. In a metro area of 3 million+ people.

I listed on Craigslist on Wednesday at 9am. $13,700 firm. First cash in hand buyer will get the truck.
Good bullets with description and 22 high quality pictures.

I had two instant cash offers within a minute or so from individuals who i assume are dealers. $11,000 and $11,300. Replied no thanks.

Over the next 24 hours I got craigslist relayed emailed from six interested buyers.
Two just had questions.
The other four wanted to talk to me on the phone and come see it that day (Thursday).
First of the four was 80 miles away and hemmed and hawed about when he could show up.
2nd of four asked a lot of questions then said he wanted to drive 60 miles to see it ASAP.

We set an appointment for 2 hours out. He showed up on time with his wife, 2 young kids and $13,700 in cash.
Took about 10 minutes looking at it, a 10 minute test drive and said he wanted it.
20 minutes to count the cash, do the paperwork, hand over all the miscellaneous stuff I had for the vehicle.
Cash was in the bank 30 minutes later.

I emailed the other two that wanted in-person inspections that day (Thursday). They were very bummed and said they would have bought it for that price.

[denovo]

My Craigslist results!

30 hours from listing to sold for $13,700 in cash. I paid $27,400 for the truck in October of 2004 so 50% depreciation in 20 years.
$685 per year.

2005 Tacoma Double Cab SR5 6-foot bed 4WD, 165K miles, no accidents, original owner, a few hail dents on both hood and roof.

I looked up prices (all private party sale except where noted)
Kelly Blue Book $10,900
Edmunds $9,200
JD Power $8,800 (average of trade-in and dealer)
CarMax $8,000 (purchase offer)
CarFax $12,900 (a real outlier!)

Pays to sell your own car and not sell it to a dealer or carmax. You made 5 grand for two day's work. I congratulate you are on your effort.

[michaelingp]

Personally, I'm with the "take it to CarMax" folks, but I'm very hassle-averse. My daughter on the other hand... I just wanted to mention the mechanics inspection. Her buyer wanted an inspection. We asked him where, and we took the car there, the buyer paid for the inspection (around $100 I think). We picked the car up and gave the buyer the report. I'm always tickled to report that in this case, a Honda dealer, the only "problem" they found was they claimed the brakes had been repaired with "non-OEM" pads (probably not even true since all her service was at a dealer). I mean, if that's all a dealer can find wrong with a car, you know it's in pretty good shape!

[AllMostThere]

We set an appointment for 2 hours out. He showed up on time with his wife, 2 young kids and $13,700 in cash.
Took about 10 minutes looking at it, a 10 minute test drive and said he wanted it.
20 minutes to count the cash, do the paperwork, hand over all the miscellaneous stuff I had for the vehicle.
Cash was in the bank 30 minutes later.

Congratulations on a positive outcome. It pays to do your homework when either selling or buying. Win-Win for both of you. I am curious where you conducted the business transaction??? Your sale story leads me to believe it was conducted at your residence. Can you please elaborate a little more?

[baconavocado]

Just took a quick look at this. One slight correction is that 2004 dollars are different than 2024 dollars, so looks more like 70% depreciation over 20 years.

Other than that I would say that accepting that much cash seems a bit risky, and the sale seems a little too quick, although I'm not familiar with the value of these trucks so I can't say if it was maybe a little under priced.

[baconavocado]

The other comment I have is that these offers from commercial dealers like Carvana and Carmax are really just numbers in the air, probably intended to get sellers to come in and haggle with their professional hagglers. I mentioned that I received several of those when I listed on Craigslist and I gave them about as much attention as I gave the private dealers. IOW, I ignored them.

As far as these other value estimates on kbb.com and other web sites, I have my doubts about the accuracy of those too. They can only be based on commercial sales since I think most private sales are either not reported or reported inaccurately. My buyer told me he was going to report a lower sales price so his tax would be less.

For sales of things like cars and homes, to get the highest price, I like to have something on the market a minimum amount of time. I want my house to be on the market at least 30 days and preferably 60 days so enough people have time to see it. For a car, I like a few weeks. I want a few buyers to tell me it's overpriced and then one to tell me the price is OK.

But you did great, you sold it yourself, you got the price you were looking for, and you didn't encounter any bad dudes. Congrats!

[MnD]

I've had almost universally bad luck with selling things on CL that languished for weeks. All required a significant price reductions to move.

Initial viewers think it's overpriced.
Later potential buyers see a stale ad and assume other people have inspected it and something is wrong with either it or the seller.
I also don't care for many days or weeks of having to be in sales mode.

I didn't get a huge response thanks to only using Craigslist relay for initial screening, but it shaped up to be a 24 hour race between 3 people (in a 4 million population area) as to who could come up with $13,700 in cash first and get over to see it.

The exception would be something of low demand but really specific application. I sold some ocean wave boards for asking price in a landlocked state after weeks of zero responses. To a President of a club that "surfs" on large standing waves in whitewater rivers. He was thrilled!

[MnD]

We set an appointment for 2 hours out. He showed up on time with his wife, 2 young kids and $13,700 in cash.
Took about 10 minutes looking at it, a 10 minute test drive and said he wanted it.
20 minutes to count the cash, do the paperwork, hand over all the miscellaneous stuff I had for the vehicle.
Cash was in the bank 30 minutes later.

Congratulations on a positive outcome. It pays to do your homework when either selling or buying. Win-Win for both of you. I am curious where you conducted the business transaction??? Your sale story leads me to believe it was conducted at your residence. Can you please elaborate a little more?

The prospective buyer used his business name, his full name and his business phone number. 1 minute of googling and a call to his business indicated he owned a significant very blue collar 24/7 mobile industrial service company that used a lot of trucks of various sizes and had 5 crews. A perfect fit for a guy that can come up with a lot of cash on short notice and isn't going to stress about a used truck deal.

I had no reservation about using my address.
It was helpful especially when he showed up with his SAHM wife, a baby and a three year old in a $100K SUV. They were 50 miles away and couldn't get day-care on zero notice. We had a nice shady porch and yard for Mom to wrangle the kids while doing the deal.

Of the four "finalists" I could glean tons of info on three of them (lots of social media info) just based on name, phone number and tiny bits of personal info they shared in calls or emails. Mainly Facebook and LinkedIn. And i was pretty sure I nailed the 4th one (unusual name and a LinkedIn profile).

I'm sure some motivated CL bandit could construct a fake profile with name, phone, personal info that all checks out, but at some point you just have to realize that the vast majority of CL transactions go just fine.

[Auream]

The other comment I have is that these offers from commercial dealers like Carvana and Carmax are really just numbers in the air, probably intended to get sellers to come in and haggle with their professional hagglers. I mentioned that I received several of those when I listed on Craigslist and I gave them about as much attention as I gave the private dealers. IOW, I ignored them.

Nope, the numbers from Carvana and Carmax are take-it-or-leave it offers. In theory, they could nickel and dime you if there’s additional undisclosed damange or missing keys or what have you, but in the vast majority of cases, the numbers they give you are what you’ll get.

[AllMostThere]

The prospective buyer used his business name, his full name and his business phone number. 1 minute of googling and a call to his business indicated he owned a significant very blue collar 24/7 mobile industrial service company that used a lot of trucks of various sizes and had 5 crews. A perfect fit for a guy that can come up with a lot of cash on short notice and isn't going to stress about a used truck deal.

I had no reservation about using my address.
It was helpful especially when he showed up with his SAHM wife, a baby and a three year old in a $100K SUV. They were 50 miles away and couldn't get day-care on zero notice. We had a nice shady porch and yard for Mom to wrangle the kids while doing the deal.

Of the four "finalists" I could glean tons of info on three of them (lots of social media info) just based on name, phone number and tiny bits of personal info they shared in calls or emails. Mainly Facebook and LinkedIn. And i was pretty sure I nailed the 4th one (unusual name and a LinkedIn profile).

I'm sure some motivated CL bandit could construct a fake profile with name, phone, personal info that all checks out, but at some point you just have to realize that the vast majority of CL transactions go just fine.

Thank you for the rest of the story. Your example with this thread is a case study on how to stay safe in today's digital age and will aid many future BHr's on how to stay safe when using CL or FB when selling items. Thanks again.

[hvaclorax]

Sad to see the level of corruption that requires these protective measures.
I live in a place where this doesn’t happen. Thank goodness.