What am I doing wrong?

[Pip]

Hi guys. I wanted your opinion on my car ad. I have gone through multiple ads trying to get attention/interest in the vehicle and did not understand how difficult it would be to sell a car. What am I doing wrong?

Here is my local ad.
http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?11210-FS-2005-BMW-330i-ZHP-AT-87k-(Sacramento-CA)-14-500-OBO

Craigslist:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/4184295167.html

I originally thought I might be providing too much data and scaring away buyers. I had listed all maintenance items that were taken care of and offering carfax, maintenance files, tons of photos, blemish areas trying to be the most transparent in the car sale as possible. I have remained transparent because I'm not out to screw anyone, but I've changed my strategy to offer only limited details about the car in the ad in hopes I don't scare away buyers.

I just changed my ad to say I'm firm at my price and willing to negotiate without mods so it will get the potential buyer thinking before chopping the price down 4-5k.

[ryankokesh]

Selling a car is weird, at least in my experience. You won't have a single response for two weeks, and then all of a sudden a random person will be interested.

Your ad looks great though. If you think the firm price is scaring people away, you might consider artificially upping it a bit, with the expectation of negotiating it down back to where you started. Makes people feel like they got a deal. (Or maybe that's what you already tried?)

Either way, good luck!


Sent from my iPhone

[mLuMaN83]

Maybe cuz it's an auto? Most people on CL are looking for a lowball ignorant deal so this is not in their ball park and most enthusiasts tend to shy away from auto.

Just my 2 cents. I would buy the shit outta that car if the auto trannies weren't failure prone. I originally wanted an auto cuz I was tired of shifting but I decided on MT due to the horror stories of autos.

[toddness]

I think it's because you don't really want to sell it and the gods' have your back...don't piss off the gods.

[ryankokesh]

I think it's because you don't really want to sell it and the gods' have your back...don't piss off the gods.

That.


Sent from my iPhone

[Johal E32]

Just be patient. The CL ad looks good.

[HokieZHP]

I listed mine and got a lot of flakey buyers then ended up selling mine to Matt through the guy who I bought my current car from. Tell your friends that you car is for sale and maybe one of their friends are looking for one!

[KevinC]

CL has lowbrow clientele.. you should absolutely put it on autotrader.com and perhaps cars.com as well (AT is #1, if you only do one, that's the first choice). If you have a clean CarFax, pay the fee to let prospective buyers pull up the report for free. The up-charge isn't bad and if you have a positive report, it's worth flaunting, IMHO. GLWS!

[JupiterBMW]

Honestly man, and I hate to say this, but here's the biggest issue. The ZHP is getting old. Its probably nothing against your car or your ad, but its just the market. The enthusiasts that want an E46 are buying M3s (look at the recent trend on here lately!). Otherwise, people are moving into newer platforms.

I had roughly the same issue with my car. Granted, I had my car priced higher than 99% of other ZHPs, but still, it was about as clean and rare a ZHP you can find. I will say, your car has the AT thing against it, but still, if its priced right, it should sell.

As for Craigslist, don't plan on getting ANY good response from it. Use it simply as a tool to get visibility. Your best bet is to blow up the forums, post the car on EVERY BMW forum there is. Also, if you are a CCA member, post it there. I got the most and best response from the CCA classifieds...

Either way, good luck.

[ELCID86]

CL has lowbrow clientele.. you should absolutely put it on autotrader.com and perhaps cars.com as well (AT is #1, if you only do one, that's the first choice). If you have a clean CarFax, pay the fee to let prospective buyers pull up the report for free. The up-charge isn't bad and if you have a positive report, it's worth flaunting, IMHO. GLWS!

I agree with this and with Joop's comments. I do think AT is a detractor for many, but there are some of us who want it due to physical issues or traffic, etc. (despite the rumors of maintenance issues).

Another free source: http://www.zhpregistry.net/forsale/

BTW, CL listing is dead. Assume you removed it.

Also, the moderators never updated your title with the lower price on this site.

[Avetiso]

CL is 99% phonies. Don't let it get to you, just keep on listing it. You know the car is worth the money, it's just a matter of time until someone buys it.

[jsfbmw]

Car looks great. Ad looks good too. Given that, to reach a focused group you may want to join BMW CCA and post an ad (both on the club's website and in the Roundel). Granted this requires a $48 membership fee. Or, contact your local CCA chapter since you may be able to post on chapter's website. GLWS

[Yass_ZHP]

The car looks awesome, customers will come around!

[fredo]

I hear cars sell faster by the end of December and in January (due to tax refunds). Plz be patient.

[Pip]

Thanks for the comments guys. I'll be more patient. I really don't mind dealing with the people who are genuinely interested because they are great to talk to (enthusiasts themselves), but those that are just trying to screw you = no fun.

[Junior2552]

Also, keep in mind that a lot of people looking to buy an E46 have no idea what a ZHP is. All they know are the terms, "M3." or "S54."

If you go on KBB, NADA, or any of the price-averaging websites, a lot of them don't account for the rarity of your car. The ZHP game is much slimmer than the M3 one, so keep in mind that you're selling to a very limited market of enthusiasts. The only people in my area that want to buy my convertible are either trying to look cool, or in my local car club, and know how well I care for the car. That, and they drive sedans and would like a vert with a manual gear box.

Keep your chin up, man. The fight ain't over.

[Lanister]

Sean,

To add to everyone's comments, I'd say it's also a pretty bad time of the year. People are blowing their money on families with upcoming holidays. Buying a BMW is not something that people will be doing for others. It's an esoteric toy that certain people are looking to get for themselves. As others have pointed out, come January, people will start to turn attention back to their own needs and wants. Craigslist is not a lost cause; I found my zhp there; but it does come with a solid portion of cheapskates that you have to comb through. It is a matter of time, no doubt about it.

Look at it this way, the longer you own the ZHP, the less miles you on the ///3 :)

[BRGcoopahS]

Put it on auto trader.

[illirep]

I think it's because you don't really want to sell it and the gods' have your back...don't piss off the gods.

hilarious

I think there is a legit value gap between manual and auto transmission ZHP's - to a majority of shoppers. That said, there is an ass for every seat. Your car looks extremely clean and well cared for, with some very nice upgrades. Someone will desire the steptronic over the manual. And I don't think most people are aware of the value differential, which will work in your favor.

Craigslist is a waste of time unless you are willing to negotiate $5k from your asking price, no matter what your asking price is. If you were asking $8k, someone would offer you $3k. I actually find that for niche cars like ZHP's, ebay is your best bet. You get 6 free auto ads per year. Give it a shot!

[ELCID86]

hilarious

I think there is a legit value gap between manual and auto transmission ZHP's - to a majority of shoppers. That said, there is an ass for every seat. Your car looks extremely clean and well cared for, with some very nice upgrades. Someone will desire the steptronic over the manual. And I don't think most people are aware of the value differential, which will work in your favor.

Craigslist is a waste of time unless you are willing to negotiate $5k from your asking price, no matter what your asking price is. If you were asking $8k, someone would offer you $3k. I actually find that for niche cars like ZHP's, ebay is your best bet. You get 6 free auto ads per year. Give it a shot!

How do you set the ebay auction? Reserve? Buy it now, make an offer?

[Smolck]

I really don't mind dealing with the people who are genuinely interested because they are great to talk to (enthusiasts themselves), but those that are just trying to screw you = no fun.

Sales 101: You simply need to add a qualifying question as your first sentence to a potential buyer.

I'd say "Mr. Buyer, do you know what ZHP means?"
Buyer responds "yes, but their not special"
You say "most certainly not special, however let me show you some of the wonderful features of this vehicle"

If they respond with "a ZH what?"
You say "I sold it, good day"

You have a very clean and low mileage car, hang tight, it will sell (even with the autotragic)

[fredo]

Bump.

[UdubBadger]

Sean it's a solid car, try not to focus more on the minor details that need work over the great things about the cars condition/features.

People expect a few small things and being upfront about them is great but if you shine a spotlight on them it's all they're gonna see.

First impressions are the biggest so let those minor things be included in the 2nd or 3rd email exchange - let the car shine in the listing.


Goin' HAM mobile

[kayger12]

Sean it's a solid car, try not to focus more on the minor details that need work over the great things about the cars condition/features.

People expect a few small things and being upfront about them is great but if you shine a spotlight on them it's all they're gonna see.

First impressions are the biggest so let those minor things be included in the 2nd or 3rd email exchange - let the car shine in the listing.


Goin' HAM mobile

This.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Junior2552]

Sales 101: You simply need to add a qualifying question as your first sentence to a potential buyer.

I'd say "Mr. Buyer, do you know what ZHP means?"
Buyer responds "yes, but their not special"
You say "most certainly not special, however let me show you some of the wonderful features of this vehicle"

If they respond with "a ZH what?"
You say "I sold it, good day"

You have a very clean and low mileage car, hang tight, it will sell (even with the autotragic)

Anybody that discredits the ZHP needs to choke on a bag of extremities.

I chose my ZHP over the E46 M3 coupe that it sat next to. It had lower miles, cinnamon interior, and it was fun.

My ZHP FELT more fun. The M3 got me going far too fast, but I didn't even realize it happened. The ZHP (my vert) had something different about it. It was simpler, and it just packed a better "punch" feeling than the M3 did, IMHO. So, any jackwagon that doesn't think the ZHP is special needs to get out of your driveway, haha. The performance package is more of a rarity than an M badge.

[johnrando]

Junior, maybe you hadn't seen this video in post #1.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?983-Nough-Said-My-BMW-330-ZHP-Is-Not-Special-%28a-video-by-Kayger12%29

[kayger12]

Sad that Xtra Normal no longer exists.

I had one more video left in me...

[danewilson77]

Sad that Xtra Normal no longer exists.

I had one more video left in me...

There should be another provider?

Sent from my S4 > Mason, OH

[kayger12]

There is but it's $$$.

[johnrando]

Mafia investment... worth another video! :)

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

[Junior2552]

Mafia investment... worth another video! :)

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

Haha, no, I hadn't seen the video before. In regards to Xtra Normal, we use it as a project resource at the high school I teach at...er, the high school that I'm currently sitting in trolling forums... It's my planning period, don't judge me.

I should ask them for a grant to extend our funding to ZHPMafia. Show of hands, who thinks I'll lose my job? Haha.

[kayger12]

Haha, no, I hadn't seen the video before. In regards to Xtra Normal, we use it as a project resource at the high school I teach at...er, the high school that I'm currently sitting in trolling forums... It's my planning period, don't judge me.

I should ask them for a grant to extend our funding to ZHPMafia. Show of hands, who thinks I'll lose my job? Haha.

You still have access to it?

I thought I read that they went out of business and closed down the site.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

[Imola.ZHP]

Selling a car is weird, at least in my experience. You won't have a single response for two weeks, and then all of a sudden a random person will be interested.


This...

When I sold my Nissan Titan (what I had before my ZHP) I had it in a truck-trader for nearly 6 months before someone finally bit. Ended up being a guy that lived less than two miles from me too.

Patience is key, this isn't the best time of the year to be selling a vehicle. Your ad looks great, but usually people are focused on spending time with family and buying Christmas presents at this time of year. I bet it will go sometime in February or March when people start getting their tax returns and start looking to make big purchases.