Selling your car privately can seem like the fastest way to get the most money. But if you’ve ever listed on Marketplace or Gumtree, or other online fast car sale sites, you know how quickly things can go downhill when you come across one (or usually many) of these people: The tyre-kicker. The serial time-waster. The buyer who swears they’re interested — then is never heard from again.
In the world of private car sales, tyre-kickers can cost you serious time, delay your plans, and turn a simple transaction into a drawn-out drama. If you're trying to make a fast car sale or looking for cash for cars in Brisbane, spotting the warning signs early can save you the hassle.
Here’s how to tell when a “buyer” is more trouble than they’re worth.
It’s the number one red flag. If a buyer sends a one-liner such as “Still available?” and then ghosts, chances are they’re messaging every car listing under the sun with no real intention to follow through.
While not every quick message is a problem, experienced sellers know that genuine buyers ask specific questions or offer to inspect the vehicle straight away.
Sure, negotiation is part of the process. But if someone lowballs you before they’ve even seen the car, the worst-case scenario is that they’re wasting your time. Best case? They just want to purchase the cheapest car they can find. And neither of these scenarios provides the outcome you want.
Common messages might include:
These are signs the buyer isn’t interested in a fair deal — they’re hoping you’re desperate enough to cave.
You agree on a time. Then they cancel. Then they “get stuck at work.” Then they no-show completely.
Whether it's genuine or not, repeated reschedules are a strong sign you're dealing with someone who’s not serious — or worse, trying to wear you down so you’ll drop the price just to get it over with.
If you’re trying to make a fast car sale, these delays can set you back days or even weeks.
Once they arrive, some tyre-kickers switch tactics. Once they arrive, some tyre-kickers switch tactics entirely. Suddenly, they're not here to buy your car; they’re here to audit it. They’ll inspect your car with a magnifying glass, call out every tiny flaw, such as minor scratches, scuffed bumpers, slightly worn tyres, even dusty floor mats, and use those to justify a lowball offer.
They’ll say, “Didn’t realise the tyres were that worn," or "Oh, this scratch wasn’t in the photos." Even if your car is in great condition, they’ll hunt for imperfections to use as leverage, hoping you’ll feel cornered into lowering the price just to move things along.
This is a classic negotiation tactic, and it works best when sellers don’t know what their car is actually worth. That’s why it’s smart to get a professional valuation before listing, or skip the performance entirely by selling through a trusted buyer like We Buy Cars.
It’s ironic. The loudest “cash buyers” are often the least prepared. They’ll message saying, “Can bring cash today,” but show up empty-handed, ask to pay in instalments, or try to renegotiate once they’re standing in your driveway.
In some cases, they’ll offer to go to an ATM after the inspection, meaning you’re now stuck either driving a stranger around town or sitting awkwardly in a car park waiting for them to withdraw cash (if they even can). It’s uncomfortable at best, and at worst, unsafe.
If you're looking for cash for cars in Brisbane, this isn’t the fast, stress-free experience you're hoping for. These kinds of encounters are a red flag, and a big reason why many sellers now prefer safer, more secure options like We Buy Cars.
Selling your car privately means playing the tyre-kicker lottery. It might work out. Or it might waste weeks of your time.
Selling your car should feel like progress, not like taking two steps backwards. If you're stuck fielding messages, chasing flaky buyers, and dodging lowballers, it's easy to feel like you're going nowhere fast.
At We Buy Cars, we’ve stripped the drama from the process. You get a fair price based on real market data, no listings, no no-shows, and no need to haggle. We’ll even take care of the paperwork — and if your car’s under finance, we’ll handle the loan payout too.
If you're ready for a fast car sale, skip the drama and get it done the easy way. Whether you're selling a ute, SUV, hatchback or family car, we'll make you a fair offer backed by local market data, and handle everything from valuation to handover. Fill out our enquiry form or call us on 07 2113 5271 today, and one of our buyers will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
For further reading, check out 3 Reasons an instant sale could be the best way to sell your car and Cash sale vs dealer trade-in: what’s the best way to sell your car?
