Secondhand car price crash? (Vol. 2)
Discussion
Deep Thought said:
123DWA said:
Mojooo said:
The main benefit of using a dealer is paying by credit card and getting section 75 protection. Because as you say their warranty could be pointless.
Be wary of a dealer that doesn't take CC - even if they say its because of the fees.
I think you'd be doing well to find a dealer that takes CC these days. I don't & all of the other dealers I speak to don't either. I think the only places that do are prestige main dealers and even they don't like much more than £5k on a CC.Be wary of a dealer that doesn't take CC - even if they say its because of the fees.
If anything, I'd say be wary of a dealer that does accept CC. As it is probably somebody desperate to get cash in the bank by any means necessary.
So you could pay say, £250 deposit using a CC then the rest with cash
Another thing worth considering with private sale is that there's always a deal to be had, something I'm not sure you can say about many dealers these days especially if you're a cash buyer. On sites like Cinch, Carshop etc. they offer click and collect or even home delivery. I haven't seen anywhere you can make an offer for a car, or am I wrong about that? Often people are told the price you see is the price you pay. If I see a private sale at say £7k I tend to think they're looking for over £6.5k really.
As a cash buyer I'd be happy to buy private. I know I'm a good buyer. And you can usually tell by adverts which are the better cars. I'd want to stay fairly local though to avoid wasted trips. At least a private seller won't offer you all kinds of insurances you just don't want. But if buying privately you're then forced to sell your own car privately. That's the bit I'd worry about most.
As a cash buyer I'd be happy to buy private. I know I'm a good buyer. And you can usually tell by adverts which are the better cars. I'd want to stay fairly local though to avoid wasted trips. At least a private seller won't offer you all kinds of insurances you just don't want. But if buying privately you're then forced to sell your own car privately. That's the bit I'd worry about most.
8IKERDAVE said:
It's really dropped recently. I have my S5 up for sale - before I decided to sell I had a cheeky WBAC valuation to see whether it was worth doing or not. The first valuation was around £13,250. This dropped to £12,720 last week and then today we're at £11,800! Motorway offered £12K and it's currently on carwow so will see what that brings but not holding out much hope.
I have it on AT and Pistonheads at £13,750 and not a single call - not even a scam! It's quite disheartening as I really look after my cars and they want for nothing but this doesn't seem to matter anymore in the marketplace. Real eye opener!
3 at that price, low milage cab, av miles 5dr, higher milage 3dr coupe..... which is yours?I have it on AT and Pistonheads at £13,750 and not a single call - not even a scam! It's quite disheartening as I really look after my cars and they want for nothing but this doesn't seem to matter anymore in the marketplace. Real eye opener!
I'd not drop near £14k on one with >90k miles
ChrisH72 said:
It's daft really. People feel protected by warranty and stuff when buying from dealer but many times your just buying someone's part ex that they've just off loaded. It'll have had a wash and vac if you're lucky and any warranty is likely not worth the paper it's written on.
Genuine private sellers are often proud of their cars, have maintained them well and can tell the buyer about the history. You'd think that'd be worth more!
Trouble is the private seller can't offer any financial services and with prices being so high these days that's a big issue. Everyone is worried about being scammed too. As if a dealer can't scam you!
Completely agree with this. Also a private seller has often shown their face, shook your hand and revealed to you where there live.Genuine private sellers are often proud of their cars, have maintained them well and can tell the buyer about the history. You'd think that'd be worth more!
Trouble is the private seller can't offer any financial services and with prices being so high these days that's a big issue. Everyone is worried about being scammed too. As if a dealer can't scam you!
Difficult thing to do if you plan to sell someone a dodgy motor.
Deep Thought said:
I would concur. My brother does motor trading part time and anything under £3K flies out the door. Anything above that just sits.
I'm advertising a car for a friend of mine at the minute. A very nice 2013 120d M Sport at £4995 which by spec and miles would make it one of the cheapest in the entire country.
Any interest so far has been along the lines of "would you take a trade in?" or "would you swap for", which at this price point always feels like somebody trying to offload their trouble to someone else.
Yes, a lesson learned early on in my trader days, "swap" means "please please please take my knackered car which is about to cost me several thousand in repairs and give me something similar that isn't broken". I'm advertising a car for a friend of mine at the minute. A very nice 2013 120d M Sport at £4995 which by spec and miles would make it one of the cheapest in the entire country.
Any interest so far has been along the lines of "would you take a trade in?" or "would you swap for", which at this price point always feels like somebody trying to offload their trouble to someone else.
AlexNJ89 said:
Completely agree with this. Also a private seller has often shown their face, shook your hand and revealed to you where there live.
Difficult thing to do if you plan to sell someone a dodgy motor.
Also ideal for one of the more unscrupulous members of society to case the joint and pop back latter to relieve you of your property. Difficult thing to do if you plan to sell someone a dodgy motor.
AlexNJ89 said:
ChrisH72 said:
It's daft really. People feel protected by warranty and stuff when buying from dealer but many times your just buying someone's part ex that they've just off loaded. It'll have had a wash and vac if you're lucky and any warranty is likely not worth the paper it's written on.
Genuine private sellers are often proud of their cars, have maintained them well and can tell the buyer about the history. You'd think that'd be worth more!
Trouble is the private seller can't offer any financial services and with prices being so high these days that's a big issue. Everyone is worried about being scammed too. As if a dealer can't scam you!
Completely agree with this. Also a private seller has often shown their face, shook your hand and revealed to you where there live.Genuine private sellers are often proud of their cars, have maintained them well and can tell the buyer about the history. You'd think that'd be worth more!
Trouble is the private seller can't offer any financial services and with prices being so high these days that's a big issue. Everyone is worried about being scammed too. As if a dealer can't scam you!
Difficult thing to do if you plan to sell someone a dodgy motor.
So they'll be using their experience and / or slight of hand to ensure they have either a compelling reason as to why the address on the V5C doesnt match where they're meeting you, or why they're selling a car so soon after buying it ("just found out the wifes pregnant, need an auto, need a manual, just lost my job, etc") or slight of hand so that you dont notice that the V5C isnt in their name / address.
Either that or they'll simply attempt to hide behind "private sale mate" when you discover the morning after you buy it that it rattles like a bag full of spanners when starting from cold.
Obviously everyone on here is a powerfully built company director and will spot their ruse immediately, but it is why a lot of people out there are worried about buying privately and therefore dont.
r3g said:
Deep Thought said:
I would concur. My brother does motor trading part time and anything under £3K flies out the door. Anything above that just sits.
I'm advertising a car for a friend of mine at the minute. A very nice 2013 120d M Sport at £4995 which by spec and miles would make it one of the cheapest in the entire country.
Any interest so far has been along the lines of "would you take a trade in?" or "would you swap for", which at this price point always feels like somebody trying to offload their trouble to someone else.
Yes, a lesson learned early on in my trader days, "swap" means "please please please take my knackered car which is about to cost me several thousand in repairs and give me something similar that isn't broken". I'm advertising a car for a friend of mine at the minute. A very nice 2013 120d M Sport at £4995 which by spec and miles would make it one of the cheapest in the entire country.
Any interest so far has been along the lines of "would you take a trade in?" or "would you swap for", which at this price point always feels like somebody trying to offload their trouble to someone else.
Often a driveway trader with some dog of a thing they're looking rid of quietly.
A few years ago i took a 2012 Mini Cooper D in against my year old Cooper S to get the deal done. Decent enough car and i wasnt worried about it, and i stuck it on Facebook. I'd a guy contact me with a 2012 Cooper D looking to swap or with some cash my way as "the wife didnt like the colour of the one he'd just bought her" From the pics it seemed to be a different shade of grey to mine and "its only fault was an engine management light on which he hadnt had time to look at". Uh huh. Sure.
Edited by Deep Thought on Wednesday 1st May 14:04
Edited by Deep Thought on Wednesday 1st May 14:05
Deep Thought said:
The typical "scam" out there is for to be a driveway trader masquerading as a private seller to avoid their consumer rights obligations (and likely tax and VAT too).
So they'll be using their experience and / or slight of hand to ensure they have either a compelling reason as to why the address on the V5C doesnt match where they're meeting you, or why they're selling a car so soon after buying it ("just found out the wifes pregnant, need an auto, need a manual, just lost my job, etc") or slight of hand so that you dont notice that the V5C isnt in their name / address.
Either that or they'll simply attempt to hide behind "private sale mate" when you discover the morning after you buy it that it rattles like a bag full of spanners when starting from cold.
Obviously everyone on here is a powerfully built company director and will spot their ruse immediately, but it is why a lot of people out there are worried about buying privately and therefore dont.
This is just typical dealer scare tactics and rarely happens, if it even happens at all.So they'll be using their experience and / or slight of hand to ensure they have either a compelling reason as to why the address on the V5C doesnt match where they're meeting you, or why they're selling a car so soon after buying it ("just found out the wifes pregnant, need an auto, need a manual, just lost my job, etc") or slight of hand so that you dont notice that the V5C isnt in their name / address.
Either that or they'll simply attempt to hide behind "private sale mate" when you discover the morning after you buy it that it rattles like a bag full of spanners when starting from cold.
Obviously everyone on here is a powerfully built company director and will spot their ruse immediately, but it is why a lot of people out there are worried about buying privately and therefore dont.
If this really does scare you, then sure those people can go pay the dealer markup prices. Then try to fight against the dealer to take it back under consumer rights if it goes wrong.
AlexNJ89 said:
This is just typical dealer scare tactics and rarely happens, if it even happens at all.
If this really does scare you, then sure those people can go pay the dealer markup prices. Then try to fight against the dealer to take it back under consumer rights if it goes wrong.
Not dealer scare tactics at all.If this really does scare you, then sure those people can go pay the dealer markup prices. Then try to fight against the dealer to take it back under consumer rights if it goes wrong.
Thats based on real world experience.
I would say a very high percentage of cars advertised on FB by "private" sellers, are in fact driveway traders potentially masquerading as private sellers.
Facebook is rife with them. As is / was Gumtree. Autotrader to an extent too.
Edited by Deep Thought on Wednesday 1st May 15:33
ChrisH72 said:
I always thought the first thing you say when you call a private seller is..
I'm phoning about the car.
If the answer is 'which one?' .....
Trickier on FB as you are contacting them about a specific car.I'm phoning about the car.
If the answer is 'which one?' .....
So they know.
I did a quick same of 10 cars there at random on FB. 6 of the sellers had other cars for sale. Granted, they could be up front if contacted and say i'm a trader, warranty, etc.
I can see why people dont like buying privately as its a bit of a minefield.
Edited by Deep Thought on Wednesday 1st May 16:02
ChrisH72 said:
Another thing worth considering with private sale is that there's always a deal to be had, something I'm not sure you can say about many dealers these days especially if you're a cash buyer. On sites like Cinch, Carshop etc. they offer click and collect or even home delivery. I haven't seen anywhere you can make an offer for a car, or am I wrong about that? Often people are told the price you see is the price you pay. If I see a private sale at say £7k I tend to think they're looking for over £6.5k really.
As a cash buyer I'd be happy to buy private. I know I'm a good buyer. And you can usually tell by adverts which are the better cars. I'd want to stay fairly local though to avoid wasted trips. At least a private seller won't offer you all kinds of insurances you just don't want. But if buying privately you're then forced to sell your own car privately. That's the bit I'd worry about most.
The deals with online sellers do exist but you don't go about them in the same way.As a cash buyer I'd be happy to buy private. I know I'm a good buyer. And you can usually tell by adverts which are the better cars. I'd want to stay fairly local though to avoid wasted trips. At least a private seller won't offer you all kinds of insurances you just don't want. But if buying privately you're then forced to sell your own car privately. That's the bit I'd worry about most.
You get discount codes and offers.
In the same way you used to have to be willing to walk off the forecourt and wait for a call back to be able to negotiate the best deals, now you're got to register, nearly buy a car then see if you get a personalized discount code drop in your inbox.
e-honda said:
The deals with online sellers do exist but you don't go about them in the same way.
You get discount codes and offers.
In the same way you used to have to be willing to walk off the forecourt and wait for a call back to be able to negotiate the best deals, now you're got to register, nearly buy a car then see if you get a personalized discount code drop in your inbox.
That's good to know actually thanks.You get discount codes and offers.
In the same way you used to have to be willing to walk off the forecourt and wait for a call back to be able to negotiate the best deals, now you're got to register, nearly buy a car then see if you get a personalized discount code drop in your inbox.
I found a car on Cinch that I was half interested in. Put my car details in and got a part ex offer. But I just don't get it to be honest. Do you literally buy the car online, have it delivered then they take your old car away? What about actually seeing and driving the car first? What about negotiating? What if you hate it and want your old car back!? It just feels like buying the weekly shop from Asda.
Oh Mr Ambassador you are spoiling us.......
Email flyer today......
Email flyer today......
StratstoneMercedes said:
You might be interested to know that we are currently looking to increase our stock of Mercedes pre-owned cars.
Our Price Promise ensures that you’ll receive a minimum of £100 extra for your car, compared to any offer from a competitor dealer or direct purchaser within a 20 mile radius.
Our Price Promise ensures that you’ll receive a minimum of £100 extra for your car, compared to any offer from a competitor dealer or direct purchaser within a 20 mile radius.
Bottom end of the market is still busy, was droping of at evans halshaw today and the sales lad tells me anything upto £6k sells within 2 weeks.
I didn’t think evans halshaw did a lot under £5k but I was wrong.
They now put the cheap stuff at the front of the lot, there’s more interest in that than the 8 21 plate Ford focus they have lined up.
I didn’t think evans halshaw did a lot under £5k but I was wrong.
They now put the cheap stuff at the front of the lot, there’s more interest in that than the 8 21 plate Ford focus they have lined up.
Strocky said:
Oh Mr Ambassador you are spoiling us.......
Email flyer today......
Why did you waste time typing that out? Surely you'd be not footing it there in case they withdraw that most generous of offers!Email flyer today......
StratstoneMercedes said:
You might be interested to know that we are currently looking to increase our stock of Mercedes pre-owned cars.
Our Price Promise ensures that you’ll receive a minimum of £100 extra for your car, compared to any offer from a competitor dealer or direct purchaser within a 20 mile radius.
Our Price Promise ensures that you’ll receive a minimum of £100 extra for your car, compared to any offer from a competitor dealer or direct purchaser within a 20 mile radius.
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