Lightning for resale on Cars&Bids

[Pilot2022]

As with in a court of law, intent is meaningful in this discussion. If you purchase something to use it for its intended purpose and then decide at a later date not to use it anymore, that is different than buying to flip. Flipping is a pandemic that is loved by a niche of people and hated by many. Toilet paper, baby formula, sneakers, video game consoles, etc. Nothing is safe from flipping. The issue with people buying with the sole intent to flip is they add no value, they are a detrimental drain on society. A flipper makes nothing, has no real skill, and adds a nonsensical markup to a product. In this regard flippers are actually worse than dealers with ADM, because at least a dealer adds some value.

Dealers provide a place to view and test drive stock (they have floor plan loans and overhead for their building/lot), a dealership is a place where repairs can be done, they hire a variety of people, and good ones share some expertise with buyers. Even though some dealers are scummy, may trick people into bad loans and add-ons, and ADM sucks; at least there are some genuine pros to acknowledge for dealers existing. A reseller adds no value to a transaction.

I don’t like flippers especially for life critical items such as baby formula, sanitizer etc don’t have much problem with folks flipping luxury items like an $70k niche product (say Lightning).
Don’t agree with your comment that flippers have no skills. They look for opportunities and take the risk… I see it as a reward on their risk.

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[LightningShow]

The hate is because there are thousands of people out there who want a Lightning to drive for themselves. Not only do these people need to fight against dealer ADM, but they need to try to get in line before resellers or have to pay flipper prices.

The world has been built on exploitation, so I suppose it's natural to question why some people might be against the practice, but unbelievably there are still some good and honest people out there not trying to take advantage of their fellow man.

Who do you imagine is being exploited in this scenario?

 

[FordLightningMan]

Who do you imagine is being exploited in this scenario?

Exploit: Make full use of and derive benefit from.

A reseller is making full use and deriving benefit from the buyer in the transaction. It's the dictionary definition of exploiting.

If you are making a product, selling a useful service, or adding value to this society.... go ahead, get rich. I have no issues with becoming wealthy or earning a good living, when done in a reasonable fashion. There are certainly unseemly ways to make a living, taking advantage of people is one of them.

 

[LightningShow]

Again, who is being exploited? And what’s “unreasonable” about selling a commodity at market value?

 

[theblunden]

95k

 

[MickeyAO]

95k

Not near enough to entice me to sell my vehicle once I finally get it. However, if someone offers me $160k shortly after I take delivery...

 

[Postman]

A black Lariat with 92 miles sold at Manheim Auction in Dallas yesterday for $116,250. Another Lariat sold on eBay earlier this week for $112,000.

 

[Wsh68]

As with in a court of law, intent is meaningful in this discussion. If you purchase something to use it for its intended purpose and then decide at a later date not to use it anymore, that is different than buying to flip. Flipping is a pandemic that is loved by a niche of people and hated by many. Toilet paper, baby formula, sneakers, video game consoles, etc. Nothing is safe from flipping. The issue with people buying with the sole intent to flip is they add no value, they are a detrimental drain on society. A flipper makes nothing, has no real skill, and adds a nonsensical markup to a product. In this regard flippers are actually worse than dealers with ADM, because at least a dealer adds some value.

Dealers provide a place to view and test drive stock (they have floor plan loans and overhead for their building/lot), a dealership is a place where repairs can be done, they hire a variety of people, and good ones share some expertise with buyers. Even though some dealers are scummy, may trick people into bad loans and add-ons, and ADM sucks; at least there are some genuine pros to acknowledge for dealers existing. A reseller adds no value to a transaction.

Well thought-out and articulated Response. I appreciate your response and pretty much agree with you. I do however truly believe in free markets and in my experience, people that attempt to flip, scalp or turn an easy buck usually get the $hit end of the stick in time. I do not see this on the same level as hoarding medicine, food or fuel that people depend on to survive. No one gets harmed by someone flipping a truck for $30k profit in a week. These $80k+ trucks are the toys of first-world upper middle class big boys and girls and we are swapping them like baseball cards on the playground. I don‘t really see anyone suffering as a result of these financial transactions. Now, where I do harbor some guilt is the fact that my truck will contain enough batteries to propel 4 smaller family sedans (like a Leaf) probably 125 miles each. By us simply buying these trucks we are depriving hard working people access to supply Constrained commodities and the ability to own an inexpensive EV and escape the oil cartels’ choke hold on their transportation costs. That is a reality. I believe somewhere down the road (pun intended) someone will shame me for driving such a battery hog the way that people shamed Excursion or Hummer drivers in the past. I’m very excited for my F150 (7.25.22 build) but also my R1S (who knows….) my Cybertruck(s) (the wild card here), and maybe even that Silverado (probably give the reservation to a friend) I reserved. I Will only keep one but while I experience each of these new vehicles, I hope I can trade In and out of the other ones and suffer Minor financial damage, break even or heck, even make a decent little profit.

 

[GunRack]

The real question is where the line is between flipping and selling at a profit. Certainly it comes down to intent. 3 days, no miles. Hard to believe flipping wasn't the intent. But 3 months with miles, I could believe it wasn't a flip.

I don't think we're going to see the craziness of the Rivian or Hummer flips with the Lightning. Sure there will be a few early ones. But they're thankfully going to make a ton more Lightnings.

I tried to buy a MoonSwatch on launch day. Though it was a fun almost throw away thing I'd daily and beat up for a bit. I naively thought that would be possible. Flippers took that $280 watch to $1200 and it just killed it for me. I wouldn't even want one at retail now because of the association it has with flippers and people overpaying. So in that way, flippers did real damage to the product. At least for me.

 

[LightningShow]

There's a Rivian up on Cars & Bids as well. Currently $105k.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/KVpzzYp6/2022-rivian-r1t-launch-edition

 

[BoreBrotherBore]

I don’t blame scalpers….. but I hate scalpers…..

That is my truck and not a scalper, farthest thing from it.

 

[theblunden]

That is my truck and not a scalper, farthest thing from it.

I read your previous post back when you posted it about having to possibly to sell it. I was hoping this wasn't your truck sorry to hear you had to sell the truck.

 

[BoreBrotherBore]

I shouldn't have to defend myself, but I will anyways.

I never intended to sell this. If I did I wouldn't have traded in my Tesla for it.
I was not expecting the truck until the end of June or early July, but for some reason Ford thought I should be one of the first to get it. It came in on June 1st and I bought it on the second.

I had just gotten out of a week stay at a VA Psych ward as new meds for my TBI made me super suicidal and I had to commit myself. Now I'm on medical leave from work (not being paid) and I have just my DoD retirement and VA disability money coming in from my side. Which granted is not insignificant amount of money, but right now we are missing about 5k a month in added income from my job.

My brother is the Sales manager at this dealership and made sure I got the best deal I could, but 900$ a month is another house payment. Even that little sticker I put on it. I have been saving that for 2 years waiting for this truck so I could put it on (Burt from Sesame Street flying an A-10 going BRRRTTT, how great is that?).

I'm scared that I may not be able to get back to work for another month or more. It's too much of a risk to have that high of a truck payment for my family. So I put it up on Cars and Bids, hoping to get at least enough out of it to cover all the Taxes. Honestly I was just hoping to break even, but anything on top of that will help out my family while I get my meds straightened back out and I'm on the level again.

Good enough?

 

[BoreBrotherBore]

I read your previous post back when you posted it about having to possibly to sell it. I was hoping this wasn't your truck sorry to hear you had to sell the truck.

Thank you, I really appreciate it. I know people are going to automatically assume the worst in others, but I have never taken 'advantage' of anyone and never plan to.

It is mentally draining to keep up with all the Trolls and their comments on CarsandBids. They all assume the same as everyone here.

 

[theblunden]

Thank you, I really appreciate it. I know people are going to automatically assume the worst in others, but I have never taken 'advantage' of anyone and never plan to.

It is mentally draining to keep up with all the Trolls and their comments on CarsandBids. They all assume the same as everyone here.

As OP on this thread I wasn't feeding the trolls but I'm keeping a watchful eye on the price on Cars & Bids.

I don't get the hype with the GMC Hummer and that selling for 100k over on the same site other than GM has terrible production numbers and as a previous Silverado owner there is no way I'll buy ANY GM products. I had electrical issues on a ICE Silverado that consistent of at least 25 components that Chevy refused to recall that left me unable to renew my tags/license plate before resolving the CEL.

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