Most junk car sellers don’t say yes on the first call. They want to check one more price, ask a spouse, or find the title. The buyer who follows up, politely and on a schedule, gets a lot of those cars back. The buyer who doesn’t never hears from them again.
Texting is the best way to follow up. Sellers read texts when they won’t answer a call, and a text puts your offer in writing.
- Only text sellers who agreed to it, or who texted you first. Always honor STOP.
- Text at reasonable hours: 8 AM to 8 PM in the seller’s time zone is a safe rule.
- Follow up on a schedule: same day, next day, day 3, day 7, day 10.
- Keep texts short, say who you are, and put the number in every one.
- Stop when they reply. Then it’s a conversation, not a sequence.
First, the rules
Texting a seller about their car isn’t the same as sending a stranger a sales pitch, but the same laws apply to both. In the US, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and many state laws limit marketing texts sent without permission, and the penalties are per text.
- Get consent. A seller who calls you about their car, texts you first, or ticks a box agreeing to texts on your form has given you a reason to text them about it. A number you found online has not.
- Say who you are in every text.
- Honor STOP right away, and don’t text again.
- Keep to daytime hours in the seller’s time zone. Some states set their own hours for these messages; 8 AM to 8 PM keeps you inside the common ones.
- Talk to a lawyer if you’re building anything automatic at scale.
The follow-up schedule
| When | What it does |
|---|---|
| Right after the call | Puts the offer in writing with your number |
| Next day | A friendly check-in while they're still deciding |
| Day 3 | Answers the question they didn't ask: title, tow, payment |
| Day 7 | Reminds them the offer is still there |
| Day 10 | The last one. Leaves the door open |
The moment they reply, stop the schedule and talk to them like a person.
Templates
Fill in the parts in brackets. Each one is short enough to fit in one text.
Right after you make an offer
Hi [Name], it's [Your name] with [Business]. As promised: $[Offer] for your [Year Make Model], free pickup, paid when we pick it up. Reply here or call this number when you're ready.
Next day
Hi [Name], [Your name] from [Business] again. Any questions about the $[Offer] for your [Model]? We can usually pick up within a day.
Day 3: answer the hidden question
Hi [Name], quick note on your [Model]: the tow is free and you're paid at pickup. All you need is the title and your ID. Want me to hold a time for you this week?
Day 7
Hi [Name], still have your [Year Make Model]? My $[Offer] offer still stands. Just reply YES and I'll set up a pickup.
Day 10: the last one
Hi [Name], last check-in from [Business] about your [Model]. If you've sold it, congrats. If not, our offer is here whenever you need it. Reply STOP to opt out.
When they said yes but need to find the title
Hi [Name], no rush on the title. Once you have it, text me and we'll come the same week. Need a replacement? Your state's title office can help, and I can tell you what to bring.
When they asked for more
Hi [Name], I looked again at your [Model]. The best I can do is $[New offer], tow included, paid at pickup. Want me to book it?
Day before pickup
Hi [Name], reminder: we're picking up your [Model] tomorrow between [Window]. Please have the title and keys ready. Reply if anything changes.
Driver on the way
Hi [Name], [Driver] from [Business] is on the way for your [Model], about [Minutes] minutes out.
After pickup: ask for a review
Thanks for selling us your [Model], [Name]. If we did right by you, a quick Google review would mean a lot: [Review link]
Ask every seller for a review, not only the ones you think were happy. Google doesn’t allow picking who to ask.
Tips that make texts work
- Use their name and their car. “Your 2009 Camry” gets read. “Your vehicle” looks like spam.
- Keep it under 160 characters when you can. Long texts split into several messages, and some phones show them out of order.
- Skip links in the first text unless the seller is expecting one.
- Send from the number they called. A text from a different number is a stranger.
Let the follow-up run itself
Doing all this by hand for every seller is a lot. On Clunqr Leads, once your offer is logged, we text the seller for you for up to 10 days, from the number they called. The follow-ups stop for a day whenever the seller texts back, so they never talk over your conversation, and you can pause them longer from the lead. Sellers who say yes but are waiting on a title get nudged on days 2, 5, 9 and 14 until they’re ready. See how it works.
Clunqr Leads sends junk car sellers in your area to you and nobody else, $30 a lead, with an app that texts sellers, follows up on your offers and puts missed calls first. See how it works or apply for your area.
