Are Damaged Photos Ok?
We have been taking dealership merchandise photography for years. And for years, we have been given cars to photograph that have pretty severe damage. So the age old question is asked, to photograph or not to photograph [the damage].
Obviously, showing damage on a car is not the prettiest sight for your potential customers to look at. It brings up questions like, "How deep does this damage go?" A picture is often painted that the car has not been well taken care of, and nobody wants to waste their time and money on a horribly abused, possibly wrecked/salvaged, hunk of junk.
However, let's for a moment think of the used car lot as an animal shelter. Sure most people come in looking for that preciously adorable little puppy with a rich soft coat and "not a lot of miles", but there is always the less frequent shopper who needs the tired, old, lazy dog to keep them company in an empty house. They have a soft spot knowing the dog may have been abused and just want to give it a good home for the few years it has left.
Now, if you had trouble making the connections in this rant I don't blame you. Basically what we are trying to say is, there is a buyer out there for every car, regardless of the condition. There is no problem showing the true appearance of how a car will be sold off the lot. After all, one man's junk is another man's perfectly drivable companion.
Simple rules to follow:
If the damage is going to be repaired before the customer sees, omit the photos. After the damage is corrected go back and capture the missed photos to repost.
If the damage is not worth repairing, and you are going to sell the car as-is, let the customer know! People don’t appreciate their time being wasted. Let them see what exactly they should expect before making the trip onto the lot.
If you think the damage needs some extra time in front of the camera, utilize our new “imperfections” check box before taking photos. It will add additional photo slides, so you can be upfront about any other damage you might want to show.