Poll: Do you read descriptions?

I just like lots of exclamation points. The more the better.

Also, I like it when the dealer describes every vehicle in his inventory as MINT!!!

 

I get a little tired of wading through the whole Wikipedia, cut-and-paste model history ("In 1967, at the Paris auto show model XXXX GT was unveiled.....") which is usually about 3/4 of the car's description. I'm pretty sure that if you're in the market for a certain model, you've done a bit of research already. I'd at least hope, anyway.

It's fine for the very first time you've looked at that particular car but after about the 5th Hemmings ad with the same "filler" it just becomes tedious.

I'm sure I've glossed over some very important facts about the featured car in the ad only because I'm trying to get to the meat of the description.

Just my take on descriptions. Your experience may vary......

 

100% agree with this.

 

Occupational hazard of being a scientist, I want to know it all!
We train ourselves to sift through turgid prose for the important nuggets.
Oh, and lots of pics!
T

 

I can't agree more with Back'n'Black. I detest clicking on a listing and seeing 5 paragraphs telling me all about the model, ending with "Offered at $X." If I want to know all about the model, I can find that info elsewhere. Talking more about the model, and less about the specific car for sale, makes me wonder what they're hiding. It's like sellers want the buyer to be enamored with heritage so they'll overlook deferred maintenance.

Bullet points are great - I want to know everything, quick & concise. Don't use trite phrases such as "This one won't last long." (If the car won't last long, why would I want it?) Don't ever show pics of the model; show pics of the actual car. Pictures of trophies don't impress me; pictures of the clean engine bay and rocker panels impress me.

And ALWAYS include the price. I won't waste 10 seconds of my life firing off an email or phone call for someone to give me that information. If you want my money, give me the basic initial courtesy of telling me how much you wish for me to part with.

 

I'm a bit different. If it's being offer by a dealer, I want bullet points. The dealer sale/premium would assume that the car is ready-to-go and have support post sale if anything was found after the fact. For private sellers, I want paragraphs. I want to know how well they know their car, and what they have done to it. I want to know there is at least SOME amount of emotional attachment to it, not just a flipper that fixes it cheap just to make a buck.

 

I hate it when an ad states that a belt service was done in the last 5,000 miles but conveniently leaves out that was 10 years ago.

Scott

 

I agree with those that said they want the facts about that specific car for sale, as most of us have done our research.
My #1 peeve is when they advertise it as a manual trans and when you look at the interior you don't see the shifter or third pedal. I called one dealer on a car I would have bought in an instant had it been a gated manual, and the salesperson insisted it was a manual even when I told her to look at the pictures they had posted that clearly showed the shift buttons.

 

This a huge pet peeve for me as well. I have been searching for a manual transmission Cayenne GTS for the last 18 months. When one comes up for sale I get alerted but when I go to check out the ad the pictures almost always show it with an automatic.

 

I find this annoying as well. I realize it's a tactic designed to not leave a trail of how much or how many times an asking price has been adjusted......but this ALWAYS drops a listing to the bottom of my priority list. And then your email address is out there waiting to be "carpet bombed" with nuisance emails. You'll be punished for your mild curiosity.

 

As others have said, dealer ads should be detailed, accurate bullet points with any unique/ interesting additions in sentences. And very detailed pics for knowledgeable searchers to confirm said points! I prefer private party ads to be the same but also include personal info (where purchased, how long owned, club member)...all to get a feel for honesty and trust in the sale.


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I was looking at 458 ads today and most of them provided nothing that knowledge of the model itself doesn’t already tell you (other than mileage and year). The pics are the only way to see what options they actually have. Seems crazy. ***************** excepted! [emoji13]


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The best descriptions list facts such as options (and associated prices), maintenance items, warranty, modifications, original MSRP, accessories, etc.

I personally place no value in buzz words such as "garage kept, only 25,000 miles, retired dentist owned, never tracked, meticulously detailed every 2nd Saturday and full moon" because too many people simply lie about these unfortunately.

The worst descriptions are those rip something straight out of a magazine, or try to go full marketing style. "Roll up to the valet and they will want to park it out front" or "The Scuderia is the most engaging car on the planet, you won't want to drive anything else" are sentences that literally add no value to the listing and just clutter up the description. These descriptions are for mass market cars where the buyer views a car no different than he views his washing machine at home. A buyer of an enthusiast oriented car does not need to be told what that model in general is like.

 

I totally agree with everything said here. No model history, lots of bullets, price and location.

 

This is good free market research lol