Tag Archives: Car Sales

Researching versus Shopping

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I have been researching my next Cadillac purchase.  I was split between a 2007 Cadillac CTS-V or a 2008/2009 Cadillac STS-V.  Either car would be really interesting to me for the next 5 years, but I am starting to lean toward the STS-V.  So now it becomes an issue of finding the right car, at the right price.  Also I really need to go drive a 07 CTS-V and the 08 STS-V just to make sure there are no details that have escaped me.  I like the manual transmission in the CTS-V (my Wife would not), but the luxury features of the STS-V fit my concept of an ultimate Cadillac better.

I have a wide span of time that I can shop.  My 2005 Cadillac CTS is doing very well, and is under extended warranty for more than another year.  So my current car situation is stable.

The STS-V was made in limited quantities.  The engines were actually made by hand, by a single technician on each engine.  In 2008 around 458 STS-V’s were sold.  That makes them a bit more difficult to find & buy than some other models made in higher numbers.  On the bright side, with such a recent car lots of them are still on the road, and some are coming off lease, or their owners are trading in for newer cars now or will this summer.

In fact, prime V-shopping time may be this summer as the CTS Coupe and V-Coupe are released.  I suspect a lot of V-owners will want to update to the V-Coupe when it is available.  That will make a bit of a Buyer’s market for their current 1st Generation CTS-V or STS-Vs.

I would like to find a low mile STS-V at a very low price of course, but I am in the fortunate position to be able to wait for the prices to fall a bit until they reach my target range.   My plan is to purchase the STS-V, then put my CTS up for private sale locally, with all the drama & irritation that includes.

It is a good time to shop with the internet available.  I did learn a bit more about some oddities on eBay with bidding against a Reserve, and the ebay near-real time interface options.  Getting some of those details down may be important in grabbing the right car at the right price.

It might be fun to purchase the STS-V remotely and drive it home for the first trip out of the box — just depends on where the ‘right’ Cadillac is that fits in my price range.

If you have a 2008 Cadillac STS-V that you want to sell (very inexpensively) please let me know!  It will end up getting featured here on CaddyInfo quite a bit over the next 5 years.

Book Review: Help! I Gotta Sell My Car Now! @bayareacarguy

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I follow a variety of Automotive-related people on Twitter in order to stay tuned into Automotive News.  One of the people I follow is @bayareacarguy, Mr. L. James Johnson.

Help! I Gotta Sell my Car NOW!

James is a former Internet Sales Manager at an Automobile Dealership.  When a close friend called to ask his advice on how to sell his Cadillac online, James helped guide his friend to a successful sale.  He then took his advice and expanded it into this book, Help! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW!

This book is in Adobe acrobat format (pdf), and is available through e-Junkie, which means that it is easy to purchase online, and download safely.  The book itself contains 12 chapters spread across 138 pages of content, and appears to have been professionally edited.  The Author is using file header marking with the Buyer Name and email address.  This does not impact the reading experience, but does help discourage unauthorized distribution.

I found the text easy to follow, and persuasive.  The text is clearly written, and the Author uses frequent “Take-Away” boxes to ensure that the important points of each section are conveyed.

The book is largely text instruction and explanations, although the section on how to photograph your vehicle for the most effective online advertising contains example pictures and angles.  The book is written in an easy to understand format.

The book is supplemented by a variety of online links to the bayareacarguy.com site and other internet resources.

The chapters for the book are laid out in a logical fashion to walk you through the steps needed to successfully sell your vehicle online:

Chapter 1 – NEW RULES for Selling Vehicles Online — Even the Pros are Having Problems Figuring It Out
Chapter 2 – Getting Your Vehicle Ready — Common Sense Suggestions that will Put Money in Your Pocket
Chapter 3 – Pricing Your Vehicle — Learn from the Professionals.
Chapter 4 – Setting Yourself Apart — Use Your Natural Advantage when Competing against Car Dealers
Chapter 5 – Marketing for Free — Part I Craigslist
Chapter 6 – Marketing for Free — Part II Craigslist
Chapter 7 – Premium Websites — Posting Your Ad on AutoTrader and Cars.com
Chapter 8 – Matching Your Words to the Buyer’s Needs — Discover the Buying Criteria that Best Describes Your Vehicle
Chapter 9 – Photos – Photos – Photos — Take Effective Pictures that SELL Your Vehicle!
Chapter 10- The Video Walk Around — A Secret Weapon that Anyone Can Master
Chapter 11 – Handling Inquiries and Test Drives — How to Negotiate Like a Pro – And Be SAFE
Chapter 12 – Handling the Paperwork and Counting the Money — Be Confident – Be Safe

One of the things I like about this book is that the Author not only describes what to do, he also explains why you need to do that, and he explains HOW to do it.  This is not a glossy, quickly-written overview.  This Book is a step by step instruction manual on how to prepare your vehicle, how to get attention from customers, and how to get the best value when selling your used vehicle.

Read More about the Book and Purchase your Copy.

This video by the Author explains the topics covered in the book, and gives you a feel for the overall flavor of the Author’s approach:

Recommended Improvements:  I would include a link in the footer of each page back to the table of contents page.  I would also show the Chapter Number and Title in the Footer as aids to navigation.

Highlights: Well written and edited. Clean layout. To the point, step by step instructions on how to sell your used vehicle.

Disclosure: The Author sent me a free copy of the book to review.  Based on my review of the book, CaddyInfo has signed on as an affiliate for the book.  Sales of this book via the links provided benefit CaddyInfo (a portion of the sales price is returned to the site).