Negotiating with private seller without blowing the deal

ToAdventure · Apr 1, 2015

Thanks! This is all REALLY good advice!
I've been emailing back and forth with him and his responses have been very quick and detailed. In his Ad, He said he "wasn't in a hurry to sell" because .. as you mentioned "It's bike season". But, I was honest with him. Our schedules don't really align so I offered to come see it one night after work. He said he that if anyone else wanted to see it, he would have them come after my appointment first.

I'm not looking to charm him into giving me a good deal.. In fact I think it would be a lot easier for me to be earnest and say "I want it..these are my circumstances.. ( Have bank loan... can give you supplemental cash for the additional amount we have agreed on... etc)

I just don't

Want to buy a bike that is incredibly over inflated in value ( Don't think it is ... but hey..what do I know?)

Want to give the impression that I'm : Unreasonable or too much of a hassle to sell the bike to.

The Ad has been up for 2 weeks.. and it hasn't sold yet.. don't know exactly what that means but... could work in my favor?

He did say he wasn't in a hurry to sell it.. so maybe a little trip to the bank isn't a big deal if he can sell it for close to what he thinks its worth?

catch2otwo · Apr 1, 2015

ToAdventure said:
I don't want him to feel like I am low balling him and then get pissed and not want to sell me the bike.

You absolutely can not negotiate a good deal on your behalf with this attitude. Be fair, be firm with what you are willing to pay, do your home work, but if it doesn't work out just walk away and hit craigslist again. Chances are you will find another one in 24hrs or less.

This is SF, there are a TON of used bikes on the market here. Don't be afraid to not buy a bike especially if its already priced high to begin with. The high moto population works in your favor.

Like others have already stated, be prepared with your cash. It goes a long way when the buyer knows you are serious. The number of tire kickers on CL far outweighs the number of serious buyers, so when a seller sees you are ready to buy, their ears perk up and the ball starts rolling in your favor.

aminalmutha · Apr 1, 2015

RickM said:
+1

$4k for the 250 is too high imo.

Broseph probably thinks the exhaust adds value even tho it doesn't.

NTron3000 · Apr 1, 2015

Don't assume the seller should not make any effort to sell the bike. You want to accommodate within reason but having him come into a bank to complete the sale is totally reasonable. If he balks at that then you can walk cause that's shady and would be a red flag for me that they are trying to get over on something.

And while negotiating in person is good I think the advice of don't email anything first is off. If you know you can't go over 3,500$ why waste your time and the sellers time going to check it out? Email and say I dig the bike and am interested but I have a hard budget. If they ignore then fine you would not have paid the high price anyway. I've had a number of successful purchases by contacting first with what I honestly have. Obviously it was not from Stan. :twofinger

Of course if you budget is not hard then go in person and then bring up 'is the price flexible? would you take 3.5?'...

ToAdventure · Apr 1, 2015

Ah.. man.. some of those CL bikes look damn good.
I work as a personal assistant and spend part of my time in Los Angeles. I won't be back to the bay until he moves his operation back in Mid October.

Is the pricing for the bay a lot different than LA?

aminalmutha · Apr 1, 2015

ToAdventure said:
Thanks! This is all REALLY good advice!
I've been emailing back and forth with him and his responses have been very quick and detailed. In his Ad, He said he "wasn't in a hurry to sell" because .. as you mentioned "It's bike season". But, I was honest with him. Our schedules don't really align so I offered to come see it one night after work. He said he that if anyone else wanted to see it, he would have them come after my appointment first.

I'm not looking to charm him into giving me a good deal.. In fact I think it would be a lot easier for me to be earnest and say "I want it..these are my circumstances.. ( Have bank loan... can give you supplemental cash for the additional amount we have agreed on... etc)

I just don't

Want to buy a bike that is incredibly over inflated in value ( Don't think it is ... but hey..what do I know?)

Want to give the impression that I'm : Unreasonable or too much of a hassle to sell the bike to.

The Ad has been up for 2 weeks.. and it hasn't sold yet.. don't know exactly what that means but... could work in my favor?

He did say he wasn't in a hurry to sell it.. so maybe a little trip to the bank isn't a big deal if he can sell it for close to what he thinks its worth?

I'm not so sure I'd even continue communicating with the guy based on the ads I posted above. 2012 with fewer miles for $3500, plus a whole slew of other bikes right up your alley for less. I would not offer the guy more than $3k. He's simply asking too much.

RickM · Apr 1, 2015

ToAdventure said:
Thanks! This is all REALLY good advice!
I've been emailing back and forth with him and his responses have been very quick and detailed. In his Ad, He said he "wasn't in a hurry to sell" because .. as you mentioned "It's bike season". But, I was honest with him. Our schedules don't really align so I offered to come see it one night after work. He said he that if anyone else wanted to see it, he would have them come after my appointment first.

I'm not looking to charm him into giving me a good deal.. In fact I think it would be a lot easier for me to be earnest and say "I want it..these are my circumstances.. ( Have bank loan... can give you supplemental cash for the additional amount we have agreed on... etc)

I just don't

Want to buy a bike that is incredibly over inflated in value ( Don't think it is ... but hey..what do I know?)

Want to give the impression that I'm : Unreasonable or too much of a hassle to sell the bike to.

The Ad has been up for 2 weeks.. and it hasn't sold yet.. don't know exactly what that means but... could work in my favor?

He did say he wasn't in a hurry to sell it.. so maybe a little trip to the bank isn't a big deal if he can sell it for close to what he thinks its worth?

Don't over think it. See the bike, explain the loan situation and offer what you are willing to buy that bike for. If he doesn't take it, walk away. There are more bikes. You will find one. Remember, you won't lose money on something that you don't buy. So don't be afraid of making a reasonable offer, fearing the seller won't sell to you on that accord.
You only lose money if you buy something and overpay.

2 weeks on the market and not sold doesn't mean much for a lot of people. I have had my bikes stay on market for 2-3 months and doesn't bother me. But then again, I list a firm price and in most cases the first person who comes to see it, buys it and I avoid the hassle of negotiating (I suck at it). So I am not wasting time showing the bike to someone who didn't buy.

aminalmutha · Apr 1, 2015

nebulous · Apr 1, 2015

Ninja 250s are temporary

There is a reason for low mi Nj250 are all over craigslist; buyers quickly find there is not enough engine. I would consider it a temporary buy, great for learning, but anyone with just a little testosterone will outgrow it quickly. Shop for a 2007, they can be had occasionally for $2000 and start saving for your next bike.

Cincinnatus · Apr 1, 2015

If you get a bike up here in the BA and can't ride it home, I can transport it for you on my hitch carrier. :thumbup

SFSV650 · Apr 1, 2015

russ69 said:
P.S. Concentrate on your training, bikes can come later.

How do you train without a bike?

CurveSurfer · Apr 1, 2015

Like Stan, I've bought/sold many, many bikes.

One lesson as a buyer: be patient and stick to your budget. Unless it's something truly rare and unique, force yourself to be disciplined.

This is particularly true for your first bike. You may find riding isn't for you. You may want to try a different bike in 6 months. You may damage it. These would hurt a lot more, financially, if you pay more for a bike than it's worth or you budgeted for.

It's exciting to get a new bike. But you hopefully have a long riding career ahead of you and another few weeks or months won't make a big difference.

edit: as a seller I've never been insulted by low but genuine offers if I get a good vibe from the buyer. doesn't mean I'll come down as low as they want.

and if the buyer genuinely can't pay what i want, it really doesn't matter if I'm insulted or not.

S1KGSXR600 · Apr 1, 2015

Right now bikes are selling like crack, I got rid of mine super fast. Just show that your prepared, with the full amount, and that your serious. Pick a time to meet, ask all your questions, and then if something isnt adding up like they said, or you want to try to save a couple hundred, then offer a slightly lower price and say that you have it ready in cash.... and theyll probably take it unless theyre sticking to their price...

CurveSurfer · Apr 1, 2015

SFSV650 said:
How do you train without a bike?

OP is in flight school. more important than getting in debt for a toy.

Sticka · Apr 1, 2015

SFSV650 said:
How do you train without a bike?

lol Read much?

moto-rama · Apr 1, 2015

Don't feel bad if the seller walks away from a reasonable offer. Just because they want XXXX for the bike doesn't mean that you have to meet their terms.

I'd do it like this.

Obtain all cash, divide in to 500 increments. Put 2000 in YOUR pocket, give the rest to your BF.

Let the seller talk himself down by remaining silent as he talks and talks and talks.
If he does all the "Not talking" then ask him what his lowest acceptable price is. No Matter What He says, act like he just stabbed your dog. If you can cry on demand, do it.
I guarantee that the price will come down then.

If not...then:
Pull 2000 out of your pocket and say something like "I saved for years for a bike just like this....this is all I can afford.
Wait for him to make another offer.
Whatever that offer is, tell him all you have is 2000...wait for seller to reply.
If necessary have BF offer to "Loan" you 500, for a total of 2500.

etc etc. etc

have fun! It's only a motorcycle deal

Roadstergal · Apr 1, 2015

aminalmutha said:
Well, unfortunately, Ninja 250's are highly over rated and therefore over-priced on the used market.

Yep.

aminalmutha said:
I know people will call me all sorts of names, but you don't HAVE to start on a 250. I wouldn't recommend a CBR600RR or anything like that, but a GS500 or something like that would probably be fine.

GS500, EX500, EX650 - all great n00b bikes.

SFSV650 said:
How do you train without a bike?

Go up to Prairie City and take a Brok/GWR/Ken Hill school and rent a bike. Great training. I'm sure they have some training with rental bikes somewhere in SoCal.

aminalmutha · Apr 1, 2015

rebekahlynn · Apr 1, 2015

2009 for $3,200, 10k miles, nice mods if you care about that, looks decent. Probably can get it for $3k easy. Clean title. Keep looking

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/mcy/4952641354.html

Also, remember 08-12 are all the same bike, so don't get caught up in the "this bike is only 4 years old vs 7"

aminalmutha · Apr 1, 2015

moto-rama said:
Don't feel bad if the seller walks away from a reasonable offer. Just because they want XXXX for the bike doesn't mean that you have to meet their terms.

I'd do it like this.

Obtain all cash, divide in to 500 increments. Put 2000 in YOUR pocket, give the rest to your BF.

Let the seller talk himself down by remaining silent as he talks and talks and talks.
If he does all the "Not talking" then ask him what his lowest acceptable price is. No Matter What He says, act like he just stabbed your dog. If you can cry on demand, do it.
I guarantee that the price will come down then.

If not...then:
Pull 2000 out of your pocket and say something like "I saved for years for a bike just like this....this is all I can afford.
Wait for him to make another offer.
Whatever that offer is, tell him all you have is 2000...wait for seller to reply.
If necessary have BF offer to "Loan" you 500, for a total of 2500.

etc etc. etc

have fun! It's only a motorcycle deal

That kinda shit doesn't work with me. I don't care if your neighbor's dog had fleas and you collected and sold them on the black market to China for the past 8 years to raise cash for your bike. I don't care who in your family is dying of what or whatever sob story you come up with. I've heard it before and it doesn't work on me. This is my price, I'm willing to haggle a little and if you super low ball me, you can take a walk.

Difference is, I ask fair prices. OP's bike in question is not fairly priced, in my opinion. There are too many other options out there to waste time on it.

Edit... seriously, I chuckle when I think back on the times I heard "but I only have $XXXX". Who fuckin' cares? It ain't enough.

Negotiating with private seller without blowing the deal

New member

Active member

New member

When in doubt...

New member

New member

Active member

New member

New member

Former Army SNCO

The Slowest Sprotbike™

New member

New member

New member

I am the Stig

Well-known member

Sergeant Jackrum

New member

racer x

New member