Tips for selling used tow trucks!

[TowZone]

Topic Originally Created on Tow411 in January of 2013:

 

I look thru this site and many other's selling trucks! If you are going to sell a truck..at least show a clean picture of the truck. Also, if seat is torn/worn buy a seat cover or have a new/used seat installed, as well as..a couple of spray bombs of black paint hides a lot.. and have the McDonald cups and other trash  cleaned up...

 

Just some helpful tips..Ian Tomei  

 

wreckmster  said:

From my experience the keynote would be Pictures, Pictures, Pictures. Plus a clear description of the truck. I cruise the for sale ads and I always wind up asking myself the same questions..what's the wheelbase, what does it weight, what is the mileage, engine size, transmission size, type of suspension ETC.. You wont believe how many sellers leave this critical information out. If I was buying a truck, I would want every piece of information on the truck that is available. I dont want to call to get information. I'll know from the description whether or not i'm interested. I only want to call if It's something I'm looking for..I dont mind calling for a price, I just hate calling for information that should be in the description.

I sold all of my trucks rather quickly and I feel it was because each ad had 20 or so (clear and visible)images and a full and complete description with a fair price.
My advice is to put a little thought into your listing and you will sell it. Answer the questions you would ask if you were buying a truck and your listing will be successful.

 

wreckerman05 said:

a price also helps----

 

Tom Jr said:

Pictures, mileage, price.

 

TowZone said:

Not Buyer to Buyer, Unit to Unit. A good description sometimes makes understanding why the unit in the listing is more than another unit which happens to be bear bones or cookie cutter. Had a member write me upset because he went to pick up a new unit and there was nothing on it, not even a light bar. How do you buy a new unit and not know that the light bar is an option, as are chains, straps, jumper cables etc. When I asked which of our Sponsors he purchased the unit from, the answer was I purchase it off eBay and the dealer was not a Tow411 Sponsor. When you are buying on price, make sure you have in writing everything that comes with the unit. The other unit may have been a better deal as the dealer may have loaded it up and priced the accessories in at his cost to make it ready to work.

If the member that this happened to wants to comment that would be fine. However, I do not think outing the dealer is appropriate since they actually did not wrong. There was no misrepresentation, they simply sold a base unit for less than most dealers.

Almost forgot, even though it is not a requirement to list the price or even place pictures in an equipment listing here on Tow411. Those who do list the Price, Millage and have more than a couple images do qualify from a possible featured topic.

 

someotherplace said:

I believe the main reason for not listing a price is to avoid being beat up by the peanut gallery, in other words people that were never a serious player on your equipment yet feel the need to comment about your price. At least that's how it seems to work on most forums. If you're even halfway serious, having to call or email to get the price won't stop you.

Personally, I prefer to list the price, that way you don't end up answering a lot of calls or emails from people that turn out to not be interested once they hear the price.

Richard

 

JTC Towing said:

Agree.. List the price if i think it is reasonable im calling you... I wish people were a little more honest.. I flew to St Louis over the summer to buy a truck.. 1500.00 for my buddy and i to fly there.. Guy tells me how nice this truck is spotless. The same old saying the owner drove this himself. ya know kinda like it was my grandma's she only drove it on Sunday in the car market.. Flew out there people didn't come out in the lot to talk with me or nothing..

 

I'm young i think this was the biggest problem.. I do know they lost a sale or any future sale with me.. I flew back home that day after getting in this spectacular POS wouldn't build air felt like i smoked 2 cartons of cigarettes standing beside it..put the side puller down the left wheel was about to fall off. i wouldn't let someone test drive it.. the steering wheel was sideways when it was going straight..Must add this was a 62,000 truck.. yea it was used had some problems not what i wanted.. but i would have considered something else they had with a little customer satisfaction..

 

I flew home ordered my new KW off Matheney Motors.. Long story short if you treat someone right talk with them show them you are interested in selling them something it will happen.. I was never so dissatisfied  with a company in all my life.. The sales man didn't come out in the lot all day to talk with me offer something else to drive nothing.. Until i had to tell him " look bud i didn't spend all this money to fly out here and kick tires" they were to take care of my cab from the airport that didn't happen.. What an awful experience!!!! to say the least..

 

TowZone said:

I hear that story at least a couple of times a month throughout the course of a year. I even have those dealers look to list equipment on here. While I do not base the decision to deny sponsorship on one instance, I do look at a pattern of such events. Now, I have found in a few instances that it was the sales and not the dealer. In a few cases the salesman was not even an employee, but a broker seeking a commission.

 

So, buyer beware and I will do my best to maintain the highest level of dealers in the industry as Sponsors. For those who venture out of our network, I feel your pain. However, there is nothing I can do about your situation. I am certainly not going to attempt to make contact with an out of network vendor to find out what went wrong.

 

JTC Towing said:

I will add i haven't seen this company on here!! thanks for looking out for the members on the forum..

 

Brian Bell said:

JTC That sounds exactly like my story from 6 years ago... Same Town Too... I flew up there and found a bent inner boom, wheel lift that looked twisted & a hyd. tank with no cap on it... Oh yeah it was pouring down rain... Maybe that's why the Salesman didn't come out until I went and found him.

I flew home and ordered my new bed / used chassis and had it built by Tex-Star (Coker Wrecker Sales)

 

someotherplace said:

I've even gone after used cars like that, where the seller wouldn't come out, even an individual not a car lot. Only thing I can figure is maybe they were hoping some yokel looking guy would show up they think they can run a scam on, and when you arrive and appear to be walking upright and not dragging your jaw or knuckles, they fear that the line of B.S. they've been feeding you is going to fall apart quickly.

One guy many years ago...jeez I had driven several hours with a tow dolly to pick up an old Chevy panel truck project. Was described as "straight and complete" (except engine/trans). When I got there it had been hacked with custom van windows in the sides, front clip was sitting on the ground, roof looked like a few 300lb kids had been dancing on it, and the rear 1/4's were caved in. Mind you this was before the web and email so I couldn't ask him for pictures ahead of time. Anyway when the guy finally bothered to come out I asked him point blank, this is your idea of straight? He hemmed and hawed a little and says, "Well it's not so bad...what'll you give me for it?" I told him I'd given away $#!t that looked better than that and he was lucky he lived in a small town, because I knew if I punched him out for wasting my time and fuel the cops would likely catch me before I could make it past the city limits. He didn't say another word as I left.
 

JTC Towing said:

What blows my mind is why would you want that confrontation?  What got me Brian they knew what day i was coming for a week, do you think they would even wash the truck? No H*** no.. Oh and i would aslo add "this truck came from one of our good customers" local just up the road actually... Well i hope next time they use this line they would remove the Wisconsin tags since they are in MI.. After going there i have herd this same story again and again about the same place!!! how do they sell trucks???

 

someotherplace said:

¡No hay credito, no problemas! ¡Financiamos!  ¡Tu trabajo es tu credito!

That's how... 

Richard

 

George Geissinger  said:

What about location ? I think wether you are selling or looking to buy posting your location should be mandatory . Why start asking then find out it is too far away to bother.

 

Concord Towing said:

I like pictures of damage or rust so you can see what you're getting into. Just a way to show you are being upfront about the damage and condition.

 

santiam01  said:

I hear horror stories about people buying trucks from "enthusiastic" sellers weekly. Enthusiasm is great-but it does nothing for you sitting along the roadside in a broken down used truck you just purchased. Used trucks are all hand grenades with the pin pulled, you just don't know when the pin was pulled.......

 

Wade200 said:

I understand the reason to not list price from a sellers standpoint, but I do get tired of asking people for a price. Usually I'm just looking aka"tire kicking" and don't want to bother people. If they expect me to call...even worse. I just like keeping up with prices because any day I may need a truck, you never know.

Daniel Wade

 

Moremph  said:

I buy lots of trucks and equipment that i was not looking for every year based on price. Your price might be something that sparks my intrest. No price i automatically assume you think its worth to much and dont bother unless its something i just got to have,, You have 100% more chance of selling to me if a price is included

Thanks Travis

 

BOROTOW   said:

I like to see a price solely so I don't waste anybody's time. I do however see why some dealers hide the price. Sometimes if they have a good customer who buys numerous units they can give them a better deal, as they should for dedicated customers. I prefer not to waste anyones time I don't know looking for a price. The last unit we bought off here had a price listed, it was a little out of my comfort zone, a short while later the price was dropped and now I own that unit. Had it not listed a price I would have never looked into it any farther. But thats just me.....................

Al Campbell
Boro Collision & Towing
WreckMaster 67A

 

LSChicago said:

Having what the buyer wants (spec'd right) helps a lot too. I did a walk around video of my truck, shown to serious buyers.
http://www.LEDandSafety.com

 

JTC Towing said:

Lloyd that truck was absolutely perfect.. I may have traded the ol lady for it if only i would cook.. I purchased a f-550 twin line the same day you posted that came home and seen that and was in tears.. But im very happy with the one i purchased.. When i stated enthusiastic.. I ment a little motivation to call you back give you information and put you on to leads of other trucks.. This is what builds a relationship with a salesman to me.. A big one for me is clean the truck up for pictures.. i seen this earlier in the post..trash all over the truck and dirty just means thats how this truck was all its life.. But there is fine line there i like to see it in its normaly life style too..

 

 

[DrDieselUSA]

Like many others have posted above, I like to see the price as to not bother anyone. Also I usually assume that the reason you are not listing the price is because you are asking more than what it is worth. Clean the truck up and make it presentable and most importantly fix all the little faults. If I can see that you are too lazy or too cheap to fix a broken or burned out marker light, a torn mudflap, ect.... I am going to wonder how well the truck was maintained. That is a huge red flag for me.