No time wasters.

[les]

It never ceases to amaze me, what does that actually mean ? To my mind, I feel what the seller is saying is, unless you buy whatever is being sold, that’s what you are. I for one would not respond to someone who is that confrontational.
The art of selling is to accommodate all types not to put them off !

[rocco]

A time waster is usually someone who is not serious about buying, sometimes called a "test pilot" who just wants to drive your car for free and waste your time.

I was stung by such an oik once, when selling a Camaro, and I could have battered him. Putting "no timewasters" in my advert would have achieved precisely nothing but people do it just to hopefully put off the test pilots.

Doubtful it would affect anyone selling a moggy but it might just be a habit of the seller. There are some real, genuine, authentic and fully qualified timewasters out there.

[les]

There are some real, genuine, authentic and fully qualified timewasters out there.

—— and there are quite a few sincere people who would be put off by such an intimidating statement. It’s all part of selling, no need to be like that.

[rocco]

As someone who is not a timewaster, I'm not put off in the slightest if I read such a thing in an advert. I will merely expect to meet a seller who has been turned over buy an unscruptulous buyer in the past. I try not to judge too early but if a seller is aggressive then I walk away.

[unclealec]

Nobody is sticking up for timewasters.
I am a timewaster and feel that I must put our case.
How else are we going to try out cars that we always fantasised about without actually buying one?
The adrenalin rush that comes from pretending that you can afford something that in reality you can't is beyond price.
The opportunity to foul up a stranger's plans cannot be turned down.
Advertisers surely cannot think that the only people to respond will be people interested in buying their product! Come on, where have you been for the past 50 years?
I hope I have convinced you.
Now, don't get me started about tyre kickers!

[firedrake1942]

A 'time waster' (noun) is the individual who says ' Can you hold. it for me I am coming down to visit my parents on the 31st and will pick it up around 1.30...I will pay in cash'..... It came and went with a 'no-show.' ( a synonym for 'time waster.') It certainly wasted my time and the blatant lie, when I contacted them on the number supplied, compounded the offence - 'Not me guv'!

Untrustworthy as well as downright rude!

[michael4]

Is a 'tyre kicker' better or worse than a 'time waster'?

[les]

I appreciate there are personal views on this, however I’m surprised that someone is proud to be a time waster I wonder what excuse not to buy, would be good enough for the seller not to feel his time had been wasted.

[mike1864]

I appreciate there are personal views on this, however I’m surprised that someone is proud to be a time waster I wonder what excuse not to buy, would be good enough for the seller not to feel his time had been wasted.

I took unclealec's post not as a genuine advocacy for time-wasters, but as an ironic joke, ie a plonker-puller
Or was Les carrying on the irony?

[jaekl]

Another commonly used ineffective phrase is "to a good home." Whether for a pet or anything does anyone acknowledges they are not a good home? It's something like "5 out of 5 people think the other 4 or idiots.

[mrs.smith2012]

There are some real, genuine, authentic and fully qualified timewasters out there.

—— and there are quite a few sincere people who would be put off by such an intimidating statement. It’s all part of selling, no need to be like that.

I must admit when I first started looking I was put off by any ads that stated ‘no time wasters’ as although I was serious about wanting a Morris Minor I am also very green and really didn’t want the added pressure of having to look at a car and feeling like I had to make a decision on it straight away. That said I can appreciate it why people include it in their ads as it must be frustrating having people come to look at your car with absolutely zero intention of buying!

[stuffedpike20]

Years ago I was selling a house.
An elderly man arranged to view it. He came and looked round each room for a long time, and told me that his daughter was a nurse, working up North and was being transfered back to our town.
He told me that the house was perfect for her. He said he was going to offer the asking price to the estate agent. He seemed very pleased.
When he had gone, I phoned my partner at work and told her that I had sold the house.

We never heard from him again.

[mrs.smith2012]

Years ago I was selling a house.
An elderly man arranged to view it. He came and looked round each room for a long time, and told me that his daughter was a nurse, working up North and was being transfered back to our town.
He told me that the house was perfect for her. He said he was going to offer the asking price to the estate agent. He seemed very pleased.
When he had gone, I phoned my partner at work and told her that I had sold the house.

We never heard from him again.

Ouch

[unclealec]

I have removed my tongue from my cheek, but I am still making a case for timewasters. Of a sort.
There must be many instances of people wanting to view Morris Minors or indeed any classic car who don't know if they want to buy any Morris Minor, let alone the advertiser's one.
To make my point clearer, that Riley RM I advertised on here and elsewhere recently. The firt two people who came to view it had no experience of Rileys; their classic journeys had started much later than mine. To put it another way, they were a lot younger than me.
They were eager and keen, but the conversations hadn't run far before it became aware to me that my car was not the best one for them.
In one case the young chap was in love with the idea of a classy older car but was shocked at the difference in driving experience. I took him for a drive, he had a go, was grateful for the opportunity and the advice, and off he went in his very nice VW Golf. Never heard from him again.
The second viewer was older, just into retirement, and had the brilliant idea of occupying himself in classic car ownership and social enjoyment. He had fallen in love with the appearance of Riley RMs and saw mine advertised on Facebook.
He viewed it, we went for a drive, he fell more and more in love with the model, so much so that the test drive went via his house for his wife to see it in the flesh.
She too liked the styling; but she asked him how much he was intending to pay me. Her reaction surprised me - "Wow! That's a fraction of what we agreed as a budget!".
He had formed an idea of the average retail price by browsing trade adverts. As he had not become immersed in the classic car scene, in particular the clubs scene, he was not aware that usually cars change hands at way below dealer prices.
Don't get me wrong, my car was sound, rebuilt, and totally well sorted for everyday use. But top notch it was not. There was a myriad of cosmetic imperfections that meant it would never make a prizewinner. Hence the sub-£5k price.
I told him of several similar cars that were available still well within his budget that were in my opinion a much better car for his intended uses. He/they took my point, I returned home, and later he got back to me to say that he had bought one of my suggestions.

These two were examples of potential recruits who needed the experience of long-term owners to advise what was best for them; I was happy to give them the benefit of my experience, and pleased that at least one of them is now enjoying this grand hobby. Neither of them were timewasters, but in theory my time was wasted.
I knew that I had priced my Riley to sell; the third enquirer had looked round it at our club stand at the NEC, so bought it over the phone and had it shipped to the West Country.

Apologies for this diatribe; I will refrain from posting for a few years as a penance.

[mrs.smith2012]

Now you’re the sort of person I’d be happy to buy a car from! I was quite lucky with Nellie’s previous owner that he was much the same. Not in a particular rush to sell, he was well aware that I was completely new to the classic car scene so he didn’t push me into a decision, in fact he encouraged me to go and look at other cars before I made my choice as Nell was the first car I’d viewed.
I didn’t end up looking at anything else as nothing matched Nellie in terms of price and condition, so two weeks later I went back and put a deposit down!

[unclealec]

Yes, one can benefit the classic car scene by being open, friendly, avuncular, and thus signing up a new recruit, even though it may not result in a sale.

I have identified another type of time waster this morning.
A Morris Minor is being advertised by someone living near me; the price has recently been reduced "due to loads of timewasters".
I viewed the car in question. It is extensively and amateurishly patch-welded underneath. I didn't get any further than that in my examination. It was so bad that I had no further interest in this particular example. I quickly left after saying I had no further interest in it, politely of course.
Thus I suspect that I became one of the timewasters; in this instance the definition would seem to be "anybody who doesn't buy my car".

Right. Back to my years of posting exile.

[les]

Are we now saying that I was right all along, for suggesting putting ‘ no time wasters’ in an advert is counterproductive as well as uncalled for, ———and yes, maybe denying the prospect of a ‘new recruit’

[mrs.smith2012]

I think if I see ‘no time wasters’ on an ad, particularly if it’s all in caps.. it gives me the impression of someone who has been let down and mucked about and is fed up with the whole selling business.. so personally makes me reluctant to actually view the car in case I can’t make up my mind straight away and am viewed as another ‘time waster!’

[Dryad]

What is worse is ads that say 'first to see will buy'. It sounds like you will be entering into a verbal contract to buy the car whether you like it or not! I know it's not meant that way, obviously, but I do find it offputting.

The other thing I find annoying is people who blank out the numberplates in the belief that their car's identity can be stolen that way. This is particularly annoying if you're buying a modern car because it means you can't check its MOT history beforehand. To steal a car's identity you would at the vey least need a VIN/chassis number as well, surely?

[simmitc]

To take the identity fully, yes. However, if you simply want to stick false plates on a car to avoid parking charges, speeding fines etc, then knowing the number of another car of the same model and colour can be useful. The number says that it's a white Ford Fiesta or whatever, and the car matches that description. Yes, you can get a number by walking around a car park, but how much easier to search for the right model and colour online. Therefore, whilst agreeing that the practice is annoying, I can understand why people do it.