PCARMARKET and how it went...
09-14-2020, 07:45 PM
#1
Pro
Thread Starter
PCARMARKET and how it went...
This is going to be a long story but 'll make it short...
To all those that don't know how those "online auction" platforms work - their goal is to turn a profit, which is understandable. But, they will pretty much dictate your asking price in order to do so! Doesn't matter how you feel about this deal - you either agree and they list your car, or else. They don't care! Simple as that!! I was just very persistent and tried to haggle - this helped but not a whole lot...
Now to the auction. You will have a "dashboard" where you will be able to control the reserve price, and the auction. In my case, pcarmarket initially "valued" my car at $42-43K which is ridiculous. I was able to establish a reserve of $45 hoping it would go higher. When the auction went live the dashboard reflected the correct reserve price, but the recommended sales price was set at $40K. $3K below what was said originally! A few minutes before the auction came to end pcarmarked called me on the phone at work (they set the auction to end at 3:30 EST - smart). Already a nervous wreck this I didn't need, and I told them on he phone. "Hey, it's just a few more minutes - we are together in this...!!" All right - every time a bid came in they like "oh, you are now at $39K - you can use your dashboard to lower your reserve! Me: "hell no!". This type of behavior kept going on - every time a bid came in they pushed me to lower my reserve. Very unprofessional, not asked for and borderline harassment! The fun really began when $42k was reached - this time another dude got involved. "Hey, we did a good job representing you car. You need to lower your reserve...! Me: "I am not goin to lower my reserve". That's when he hung up! Got mad hung up like 40 seconds before the auction was over because I didn't agree to lower my reserve price! Well, they lowered the reserve price anyway...
Found this out after getting an email from the buyer, and checking my auction again. Sold for $42K!!!
Story is not over yet, received a phone call later "Congratulations, you sold your car". They claimed I gave them permission on the phone to lower the reserve which I never agreed to. They called me at the house as well later this evening - had to deal with three (3!) different guys for almost an hour. Tried to convince me again...
All this happened last week Thursday and I had plenty of time to think about this before making the decision to post this on Rennlist. My wife, who listened to all this on the phone claims this was a scam, and I can see where she is coming from:
1) Their reserve price - not mine - was established at $42k. All bidding stopped at $42K. Pcarmarket made the statement "see we told you wouldn't be able to get more than $42K so we were right!"
2) The "buyer" I talked to on the phone also made the statement "I'm not going to pay more than $42K..." He wanted to contact Pcarmarket and get back with me but never did...
3) Thirdly what the dude said that hung up on me "I have a car dealership - I know the market". So, he got a car dealership...
Not saying this was a scam but it certainly made me think. Still thinking about this experience today... To me - these guys are just unprofessional. They don't care about you as a seller and try to maximize their profit. At auction end they call you at the worst possible time trying to push you into a fire sale. I could imagine that has worked in the past - someone that is unable to stand the constant pressure he's getting on the phone from these guys! And then, the "after sales" phone calls later after the car is "sold" trying to convince you that this is good money. "How would it feel to have $42K in your hands - cash money?!". They are excellent in "brain washing" you as a seller, and will do anything they can just to manipulate you I have give them credit for that!
So, should you decide to sell your P-car on Pcarmarket - stand your ground and be persistent. Don't let them manipulate you - they will try!
To all those that don't know how those "online auction" platforms work - their goal is to turn a profit, which is understandable. But, they will pretty much dictate your asking price in order to do so! Doesn't matter how you feel about this deal - you either agree and they list your car, or else. They don't care! Simple as that!! I was just very persistent and tried to haggle - this helped but not a whole lot...
Now to the auction. You will have a "dashboard" where you will be able to control the reserve price, and the auction. In my case, pcarmarket initially "valued" my car at $42-43K which is ridiculous. I was able to establish a reserve of $45 hoping it would go higher. When the auction went live the dashboard reflected the correct reserve price, but the recommended sales price was set at $40K. $3K below what was said originally! A few minutes before the auction came to end pcarmarked called me on the phone at work (they set the auction to end at 3:30 EST - smart). Already a nervous wreck this I didn't need, and I told them on he phone. "Hey, it's just a few more minutes - we are together in this...!!" All right - every time a bid came in they like "oh, you are now at $39K - you can use your dashboard to lower your reserve! Me: "hell no!". This type of behavior kept going on - every time a bid came in they pushed me to lower my reserve. Very unprofessional, not asked for and borderline harassment! The fun really began when $42k was reached - this time another dude got involved. "Hey, we did a good job representing you car. You need to lower your reserve...! Me: "I am not goin to lower my reserve". That's when he hung up! Got mad hung up like 40 seconds before the auction was over because I didn't agree to lower my reserve price! Well, they lowered the reserve price anyway...
Found this out after getting an email from the buyer, and checking my auction again. Sold for $42K!!!
Story is not over yet, received a phone call later "Congratulations, you sold your car". They claimed I gave them permission on the phone to lower the reserve which I never agreed to. They called me at the house as well later this evening - had to deal with three (3!) different guys for almost an hour. Tried to convince me again...
All this happened last week Thursday and I had plenty of time to think about this before making the decision to post this on Rennlist. My wife, who listened to all this on the phone claims this was a scam, and I can see where she is coming from:
1) Their reserve price - not mine - was established at $42k. All bidding stopped at $42K. Pcarmarket made the statement "see we told you wouldn't be able to get more than $42K so we were right!"
2) The "buyer" I talked to on the phone also made the statement "I'm not going to pay more than $42K..." He wanted to contact Pcarmarket and get back with me but never did...
3) Thirdly what the dude said that hung up on me "I have a car dealership - I know the market". So, he got a car dealership...
Not saying this was a scam but it certainly made me think. Still thinking about this experience today... To me - these guys are just unprofessional. They don't care about you as a seller and try to maximize their profit. At auction end they call you at the worst possible time trying to push you into a fire sale. I could imagine that has worked in the past - someone that is unable to stand the constant pressure he's getting on the phone from these guys! And then, the "after sales" phone calls later after the car is "sold" trying to convince you that this is good money. "How would it feel to have $42K in your hands - cash money?!". They are excellent in "brain washing" you as a seller, and will do anything they can just to manipulate you I have give them credit for that!
So, should you decide to sell your P-car on Pcarmarket - stand your ground and be persistent. Don't let them manipulate you - they will try!
Last edited by Holytin; 09-14-2020 at 09:23 PM. Reason: typo
The following 9 users liked this post by Holytin:
911LeeN (09-16-2020),
Gdub (09-14-2020),
Jon Overton (11-17-2023),
kertong (05-03-2021),
L39E (09-15-2020),
and 4 others liked this post.
Popular Reply
09-18-2020, 05:39 PM
After winning a bid on a car that didn't hit reserve...I swore I'd never buy or sell from that site...they were rude and unprofessional. I've bought many cars in my life and frankly I found them to be the most rude I've ever experienced. Maybe they are under a lot of pressure to bring in the capital who knows...but they are going about it the wrong way and lost me forever.
I bid on a car having decided to sell one of my others, and I was high bid when the auction ended. I refreshed the page, and it said Unsold. I moved on. Shortly after, I took a drive in the car I had previously decided to sell, during which I thought better about selling. I got back from the drive to a Congratulations e-mail, which was sent 17 minutes after the close of the auction (Note: bid confirmation emails are immediate, as was the credit card charge after the Congrats email).
That night, I emailed and explained that I had moved on after it was RNM and suggested selling to the next in line if that party was still interested. I even offered to pick up the difference in bids to be cool about it, despite feeling that too much time had elapsed from auction close to Congrats to be on the hook at all. They would have none of it, despite acknowledging that their site will show Unsold for a period of time while results are finalized (17 minutes?!). I’m pretty sure that only applies to RNM situations and means until they can convince the seller to lower the reserve or they decide to make up the difference with their fees. In a subsequent emails, they insisted that the auction met reserve. The seller, who was understanding and said he had no problem if I wanted out, confirmed that the auction, in fact, did not meet reserve but that they offered to make up the difference with their fees. Frankly, I would’ve been fine with this if it were immediate (it’s easy to code into their site the fee absorption, too). But, what if I had been waiting for that auction to close before committing to another car I had seen (don’t we all have multiples under consideration at one time?), or what if I had gone on to bid on another car (their site or otherwise)? My scenario was that I recommitted to a car I was planning to sell. They should have offered me the option to close the deal, not unilaterally closed it after a non-zero amount of time.
Throughout, I was direct and factual, polite, and open to an amicable resolution that would allow a relationship to continue. They would not hear anything that threatened their fees, and they became insulting and demeaning in their communication (in addition to lying). I finally indicated that I was prepared to dispute the charges with my cc company. Immediately they closed my account and heaped on more insults.
In the end, I decided to take the car and canceled the cc dispute because I ultimately felt that I could put the car to use. I also didn’t want to have nothing to show in the off chance the cc company were to deny my claim. Once I released the dispute, they wanted to play nice. I told them that they shouldn’t have gone down the road of insulting me, that they got the fees they were after, but they won’t get more from me (I have connection to several cars that need sold).
I appreciate how hard it is to start something. I appreciate hustle. I don’t appreciate how these guys get there, and I fully believe the OP’s experience.
09-14-2020, 08:15 PM
#3
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Long Beach, CA & Alexandria, EGYPT
Posts: 1,549
Received 320 Likes
on
160 Posts
BaT is a totally different story, they never harass you or bother you. Pcar market harrases me with phone calls & emails whenver i even post a car for sale on any platform even after asking them to STOP many times over, and i'm ont the only one.
As for your car, you agreed to a price, it sold for it, whats the problem? no one put a gun to your head, your other option was to sell it and market yourself or sell for a little lower but easy simple dealer deal..so overall you actually did just fine in the end (but w a headache)
As for your car, you agreed to a price, it sold for it, whats the problem? no one put a gun to your head, your other option was to sell it and market yourself or sell for a little lower but easy simple dealer deal..so overall you actually did just fine in the end (but w a headache)
The following users liked this post:
Jon Overton (11-17-2023)
09-14-2020, 08:23 PM
#4
Pro
Thread Starter
BaT is a totally different story, they never harass you or bother you. Pcar market harrases me with phone calls & emails whenver i even post a car for sale on any platform even after asking them to STOP many times over, and i'm ont the only one.
As for your car, you agreed to a price, it sold for it, whats the problem? no one put a gun to your head, your other option was to sell it and market yourself or sell for a little lower but easy simple dealer deal..so overall you actually did just fine in the end (but w a headache)
As for your car, you agreed to a price, it sold for it, whats the problem? no one put a gun to your head, your other option was to sell it and market yourself or sell for a little lower but easy simple dealer deal..so overall you actually did just fine in the end (but w a headache)
09-14-2020, 08:33 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
Funny enough I got an unsolicited call today from this outfit to 'assist' me sell my car. No thanks.
I wonder how many of the cars they promote end up on used car dealership forecourts?
I wonder how many of the cars they promote end up on used car dealership forecourts?
09-14-2020, 08:38 PM
#6
Pro
Thread Starter
09-14-2020, 08:55 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
PCarMarket has solicited my for sale ads and also several belonging to a friend.
He blocked their number after repeatedly telling them not to bother him.
I put a “do not solicit” statement on the ad similar to what I’ve read on other sites.
I found PcarMarket to be obnoxious and aggressive.
I've complained to PCA National that their advertiser and sponsor solicits their members which should be strongly discouraged by PCA. Fell on deaf ears. I would never do business with Pcarmarket based on their high pressure tactics.
Sounds like a scam that they successfully pull on folks who succumb to the pressure.
Sorry you had the experience and thanks for sharing. There’s another similar thread outlining someone else’s negative experience. It’s a shame PCA supports this organization.
He blocked their number after repeatedly telling them not to bother him.
I put a “do not solicit” statement on the ad similar to what I’ve read on other sites.
I found PcarMarket to be obnoxious and aggressive.
I've complained to PCA National that their advertiser and sponsor solicits their members which should be strongly discouraged by PCA. Fell on deaf ears. I would never do business with Pcarmarket based on their high pressure tactics.
Sounds like a scam that they successfully pull on folks who succumb to the pressure.
Sorry you had the experience and thanks for sharing. There’s another similar thread outlining someone else’s negative experience. It’s a shame PCA supports this organization.
Last edited by needmoregarage; 09-14-2020 at 08:56 PM.
The following 3 users liked this post by needmoregarage:
Trending Topics
09-14-2020, 08:55 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
09-14-2020, 09:00 PM
#9
Burning Brakes
You and/or they and the rest of us might insist on recording those phone calls, as long as both parties agree. Lesson going forward. Sorry to hear about your hassles.
It seems the 993 market is stronger? Only 14-cars in the current Panorama, 1/2 of them cabs, all fewer than the 30-35-or so listings earlier in the year.
It seems the 993 market is stronger? Only 14-cars in the current Panorama, 1/2 of them cabs, all fewer than the 30-35-or so listings earlier in the year.
09-14-2020, 09:04 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
Holytin, thanks for this thread. I'm going to copy your first post to the Buyer and Seller Feedback forum to serve as a warning to any sellers who are considering doing business with Pcarmarket.
09-14-2020, 09:20 PM
#11
Pro
Thread Starter
My pleasure, and thank you for taking this up a notch! Exactly what needs to happen...
09-14-2020, 09:28 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
That's a sizable discount on your original asking price for a low mileage 96 Cab 6MT in great condition.
https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1202685
https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1202685
Last edited by CorrdoBrit; 09-14-2020 at 09:32 PM.
09-14-2020, 09:33 PM
#13
Rennlist Member
You and/or they and the rest of us might insist on recording those phone calls, as long as both parties agree. Lesson going forward. Sorry to hear about your hassles.
It seems the 993 market is stronger? Only 14-cars in the current Panorama, 1/2 of them cabs, all fewer than the 30-35-or so listings earlier in the year.
It seems the 993 market is stronger? Only 14-cars in the current Panorama, 1/2 of them cabs, all fewer than the 30-35-or so listings earlier in the year.
Check your local laws.
And Holytin, thanks for the very informative post.
The following users liked this post:
Sagres74 (09-17-2020)
09-14-2020, 09:40 PM
#14
Pro
Thread Starter
That's a sizable discount on your original asking price for a low mileage 96 Cab 6MT in great condition.
https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1202685
https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1202685
09-14-2020, 10:13 PM
#15
Rennlist Member
PCar Market called me a number of times (unsolicited) when I was selling my C4 GTS. I got a sales pitch each time that I found annoying and off-putting. I couldn't imagine listing with them. I have bought and sold on BaT and it was great each time. I've bid on a few cars on PCar but I personally get a weird feeling about the site. I feel like there are shills trying to run up the bids. Not sure if that's true just my personal feeling from bidding and how a few names always run bids up but then drop off. Those usernames have never won anything but place bids on multiple cars and often simultaneously. Just strange and not something I see on BaT.