Do people not sell cars privately anymore?
Discussion
WBAC etc. has never worked for me, but maybe it's because my cars have always been modified. They offered me £17 for my Punto GT3 
(sold it the following week privately for £650)
I do hate selling cars though tbh, though my last car had the perfect buyer. Turned up when he said, with cash, didn't even test drive the thing! Just said yup that'll do mate and handed over the cash lol.
(sold it the following week privately for £650)I do hate selling cars though tbh, though my last car had the perfect buyer. Turned up when he said, with cash, didn't even test drive the thing! Just said yup that'll do mate and handed over the cash lol.
Maybe because so many "people" don't have the b*lls (or more likely competency/confidence) to make a decision for themselves!
Sold my 57 plate 123d in 2014 privately (for more than A/T recommended, and over £1K more than the "we buy your car" tw*ts were offering)!
Bought a Z4 Coupe in June 2014 from a private ad, then stupidly sold it through a forum in May this year, but bought another the same month from a "private" ad in A/T.
I'd rather meet the owner than a clueless trader - mind you that can have it's benefits a I found out 2 years ago when I bought my 325ti! Trader didn't know full leather seats were an option, or that it had a CD-changer and folding mirrors (or that a Sport is always worth more than an SE).
I would much prefer to buy from the owner of the car than a trader who knows jack-sh*t about it - you get more of a feel for how it has been treated!
Sold my 57 plate 123d in 2014 privately (for more than A/T recommended, and over £1K more than the "we buy your car" tw*ts were offering)!
Bought a Z4 Coupe in June 2014 from a private ad, then stupidly sold it through a forum in May this year, but bought another the same month from a "private" ad in A/T.
I'd rather meet the owner than a clueless trader - mind you that can have it's benefits a I found out 2 years ago when I bought my 325ti! Trader didn't know full leather seats were an option, or that it had a CD-changer and folding mirrors (or that a Sport is always worth more than an SE).
I would much prefer to buy from the owner of the car than a trader who knows jack-sh*t about it - you get more of a feel for how it has been treated!
The proliferation of other options, reduces the need to.
By way of example I have a 160k miles A3 sat on my drive at home, It's SORN'd, MOT overdue, dead battery & suffers with turbo overboots occasionally which puts it in limp mode. Now I can sell privately with the hassle that that brings, needing to be in for visits, etc., etc.. If i cost up what I can get for it through one phone call & have collected later today against the value I'd get from a private sale.... it's really a no brainer.
By way of example I have a 160k miles A3 sat on my drive at home, It's SORN'd, MOT overdue, dead battery & suffers with turbo overboots occasionally which puts it in limp mode. Now I can sell privately with the hassle that that brings, needing to be in for visits, etc., etc.. If i cost up what I can get for it through one phone call & have collected later today against the value I'd get from a private sale.... it's really a no brainer.
Depends on your situation. I've never bought a car privately. The ones in my price range and the car I wanted have always been at dealers.
It's been different with bikes, it's been a real mix. Most recent two bikes I've sold have been a right pain in the arse. One guy not turn up. Usual flood of people making silly offers. In the end one sold for ok money privately and the other got traded in to a dealer for more than anyone was prepared to pay privately.
I do think a lot of it is to do with people just leasing or PCPing their vehicles a lot more now.
It's been different with bikes, it's been a real mix. Most recent two bikes I've sold have been a right pain in the arse. One guy not turn up. Usual flood of people making silly offers. In the end one sold for ok money privately and the other got traded in to a dealer for more than anyone was prepared to pay privately.
I do think a lot of it is to do with people just leasing or PCPing their vehicles a lot more now.
SidewaysSi said:
I don't buy many cars but I prefer to buy privately to usually get a better deal and a feel for the type of owner.
I am now after something relatively boring in the £5-7k range and the vast majority for sale are from one man band traders, who I would rather not deal with.
Is it ease of P/X or selling to the likes of WBAC? Not so long ago I would easily be able to get what I wanted from a private seller.
Speaking as an ex motor trader and IMHO of course....I am now after something relatively boring in the £5-7k range and the vast majority for sale are from one man band traders, who I would rather not deal with.
Is it ease of P/X or selling to the likes of WBAC? Not so long ago I would easily be able to get what I wanted from a private seller.
From a buyers perspective, most buyers looking at £5K+ purchases will have a car to trade in / sell and probably want finance therefore will look to a trader. Thus private cars above £5K are less likely to sell privately.
Also, most people these days with a car to sell of that price will be looking to "upgrade", therefore are in the catch 22 of needing the value of their car against the new car and thus will prefer an "instant" disposal to the likes of WBAC or trading in AND not being able to do without a car if theirs sells but they havent a new one sorted.
Buyers of cars at this price point are moreoften
s. The motor trade has discovered this years ago and have either moved up to more expensive cars, left the trade (me!) or devolved into the low life "private traders" who'll "meet you at tescos, pal", disposable PAYG phones etc, however private sellers have now twigged too - far too much hassle for most people.GT03ROB said:
The proliferation of other options, reduces the need to.
By way of example I have a 160k miles A3 sat on my drive at home, It's SORN'd, MOT overdue, dead battery & suffers with turbo overboots occasionally which puts it in limp mode. Now I can sell privately with the hassle that that brings, needing to be in for visits, etc., etc.. If i cost up what I can get for it through one phone call & have collected later today against the value I'd get from a private sale.... it's really a no brainer.
+1By way of example I have a 160k miles A3 sat on my drive at home, It's SORN'd, MOT overdue, dead battery & suffers with turbo overboots occasionally which puts it in limp mode. Now I can sell privately with the hassle that that brings, needing to be in for visits, etc., etc.. If i cost up what I can get for it through one phone call & have collected later today against the value I'd get from a private sale.... it's really a no brainer.
Even general "selling" is moving this way. Selling your tat on ebay used to be fun but now its a relative nightmare. Gumtree attracts scrotes. So now you've the "buying" sites - CEX etc - who'll buy your stuff. Granted, for less money, but no hassle.
And of course the common denominator is - the general public.
Dave Hedgehog said:
Vitorio said:
hora said:
Alot of people don't earn fantastic salaries and if you said to them 'would you like to earn two grand for a couple of days work'? Theyd be gobsmacked...yet they go and trade in their car.
The difference often wont be 2 grand though, and given the "sold my car privately, buyer now wants money for faults" threads we see popping up here time to time, i can see why some people would leave a few hundred quid on the table to avoid any potential headaches with test pilots, tire kickers and other time wasters.If the car reveals a fault which makes the vehicle not of satisfactory quality, not fit for purpose or not as described, you can claim a statutory repair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which came into force on the 1st October 2015.
If the car is shown to have a further fault at a later date you can demand a refund. However, a dealer can reduce the amount of the refund to take account additional mileage etc.
Then there are warranties above the statutory rights, some of which may be worth having.
The trouble is that there are people who act aggressively as though they've bought from a trader at private sale prices. Such people are a delight to avoid.
av185 said:
Very true.
Never ceases to amaze me how many buyers assume the sort of sub £3k cars you are referring to here are genuinely good buys when most have been bought at c35% of the sticker price at auction as previous owners discarded tat with all the usual expensive to fix problems.
There is nothing like that sort of margin in a £3k car from auction. A £3k car will probably have been bought at auction for £2150 plus fees, MOT, valet, transport etc. plus VAT on the margin before anyone fixes whatever is wrong with it.Never ceases to amaze me how many buyers assume the sort of sub £3k cars you are referring to here are genuinely good buys when most have been bought at c35% of the sticker price at auction as previous owners discarded tat with all the usual expensive to fix problems.
Sadly, because it is all about price, price, price these days the reason there isn't much backup on a £3k car is that most dealers at this part of the market will only have £500 in it on a good day.
I think some people need to get down to some auctions and see what cars actually sell for.
Edited by confused_buyer on Saturday 10th December 10:23
spreadsheet monkey said:
berlintaxi said:
Learn2MergeInTurn said:
Its too much hassle selling cars privately;
For example,
I put a car on gumtree for £1000
No responses for a couple of days,
Someone asks to come view it
Yay
3 lads show up, one walks round it,
Cos he's got his mates and he knows loads about cars...
"ohh yeah mate i could only take it off your hands for £150 but trust me I'm doing you a favour"
Yeah, fk off.
Rinse and repeat,
Not worth the headaches and hastle.
Exactly this, sold a car last week to wewantanycar, drove it in they had a quick look and walked out 20 minutes later with it sold and paid for, lot less hassle than sitting around for somebody to either not show up, test drive it and never see them again or offer a ridiculous price.For example,
I put a car on gumtree for £1000
No responses for a couple of days,
Someone asks to come view it
Yay
3 lads show up, one walks round it,
Cos he's got his mates and he knows loads about cars...
"ohh yeah mate i could only take it off your hands for £150 but trust me I'm doing you a favour"
Yeah, f
k off.Rinse and repeat,
Not worth the headaches and hastle.
The two cars I have most recently sold privately were a 5 year old Honda Civic and a 10 year old CRV. Neither attracted boy racers or test pilots, just steady middle-aged folk.
Still, next car sales will be wbac or dealer.
TV programmes.
One episode of Wheeler Dealers I recorded was Mr Brewer buying a Maserati 3200 GT.
It showed him browsing adverts for cars costing £12,13,15K. "oh they are all too expensive, we need one a lot less, will we find one"
"Oh wow here is one £7500" Gushing about how cheap it was. Even admits to the seller that it was cheap. So what does he do then? Bids him on it.
Antiques road trip
(They do go about in some nice classic cars).
The offers that are made in some of the shops they visit are down right ridiculous. Sometimes they ask for another quid to be knocked off even after they have had their piss take of an offer accepted.
Are they setting a good example?
One episode of Wheeler Dealers I recorded was Mr Brewer buying a Maserati 3200 GT.
It showed him browsing adverts for cars costing £12,13,15K. "oh they are all too expensive, we need one a lot less, will we find one"
"Oh wow here is one £7500" Gushing about how cheap it was. Even admits to the seller that it was cheap. So what does he do then? Bids him on it.
Antiques road trip
(They do go about in some nice classic cars).The offers that are made in some of the shops they visit are down right ridiculous. Sometimes they ask for another quid to be knocked off even after they have had their piss take of an offer accepted.
Are they setting a good example?
confused_buyer said:
There is nothing like that sort of margin in a £3k car from auction. A £3k car will probably have been bought at auction for £2150 plus fees, MOT, valet, transport etc. plus VAT on the margin before anyone fixes whatever is wrong with it.
Sadly, because it is all about price, price, price these days the reason there isn't much backup on a £3k car is that most dealers at this part of the market will only have £500 in it on a good day.
I think some people need to get down to some auctions and see what cars actually sell for.
So true, its people with this sort of view that make it hard work selling cars as they all think we have £000's in them. Sadly, because it is all about price, price, price these days the reason there isn't much backup on a £3k car is that most dealers at this part of the market will only have £500 in it on a good day.
I think some people need to get down to some auctions and see what cars actually sell for.
Edited by confused_buyer on Saturday 10th December 10:23
everyeggabird said:
TV programmes.
One episode of Wheeler Dealers I recorded was Mr Brewer buying a Maserati 3200 GT.
It showed him browsing adverts for cars costing £12,13,15K. "oh they are all too expensive, we need one a lot less, will we find one"
"Oh wow here is one £7500" Gushing about how cheap it was. Even admits to the seller that it was cheap. So what does he do then? Bids him on it.
Antiques road trip (They do go about in some nice classic cars).
The offers that are made in some of the shops they visit are down right ridiculous. Sometimes they ask for another quid to be knocked off even after they have had their piss take of an offer accepted.
Are they setting a good example?
They're entertainment shows on TV, most of it is made up/staged for the sake of "entertainment" most people do realise this.... One episode of Wheeler Dealers I recorded was Mr Brewer buying a Maserati 3200 GT.
It showed him browsing adverts for cars costing £12,13,15K. "oh they are all too expensive, we need one a lot less, will we find one"
"Oh wow here is one £7500" Gushing about how cheap it was. Even admits to the seller that it was cheap. So what does he do then? Bids him on it.
Antiques road trip
(They do go about in some nice classic cars).The offers that are made in some of the shops they visit are down right ridiculous. Sometimes they ask for another quid to be knocked off even after they have had their piss take of an offer accepted.
Are they setting a good example?
everyeggabird said:
TV programmes.
One episode of Wheeler Dealers I recorded was Mr Brewer buying a Maserati 3200 GT.
It showed him browsing adverts for cars costing £12,13,15K. "oh they are all too expensive, we need one a lot less, will we find one"
"Oh wow here is one £7500" Gushing about how cheap it was. Even admits to the seller that it was cheap. So what does he do then? Bids him on it.
Antiques road trip (They do go about in some nice classic cars).
The offers that are made in some of the shops they visit are down right ridiculous. Sometimes they ask for another quid to be knocked off even after they have had their piss take of an offer accepted.
Are they setting a good example?
We live in a society where there is a deal to be done on virtually everything. Apart from government services, funerals, groceries and utilities there's very little I haven't had the opportunity to negotiate on, often initiated by the seller. I have been in a high street shoe store and unable to decide between relatively expensive loafers in black or burgundy. The manager observed my indecision and offered 10% off if I bought both pairs. The same has happened when buying suits (not M&S). Years ago you would never have thought about negotiating on car insurance, now it's the norm. One episode of Wheeler Dealers I recorded was Mr Brewer buying a Maserati 3200 GT.
It showed him browsing adverts for cars costing £12,13,15K. "oh they are all too expensive, we need one a lot less, will we find one"
"Oh wow here is one £7500" Gushing about how cheap it was. Even admits to the seller that it was cheap. So what does he do then? Bids him on it.
Antiques road trip
(They do go about in some nice classic cars).The offers that are made in some of the shops they visit are down right ridiculous. Sometimes they ask for another quid to be knocked off even after they have had their piss take of an offer accepted.
Are they setting a good example?
daemon said:
most buyers looking at £5K+ purchases (...) far too much hassle for most people.
The key word there is "most" indeed - the private market for cars over £10k has cleaned up massively in my experience - we are left with a hardcore of the right kind of buyers/sellers. The qualifying is very easy (yet brutal) - never been so easy to buy/sell recent quality cars privately and yield a good return vs trade. As I said, 1 call = 1 sale = 0 hassle has been the rule for me for a few years already. Not having to deal with second hand car dealers is only the bonus ;-).SidewaysSi said:
We have had traders and private sales since the start of time.
Indeed we have, but in the olden times both parties had a similar level of knowledge about the product - whether it be horses, cars etc.However, an increasing number of people have very little knowledge, either of the cars themselves - or the marketing of them. They now prefer to be 'spoon fed' by those caring dealers ready to 'upgrade' them - in a similar manner to buying the latest iGalaxy whizzo smartphone/comfort blanket.
As an 'old fogey', I shall continue to buy and sell privately
280E said:
SidewaysSi said:
We have had traders and private sales since the start of time.
Indeed we have, but in the olden times both parties had a similar level of knowledge about the product - whether it be horses, cars etc.However, an increasing number of people have very little knowledge, either of the cars themselves - or the marketing of them. They now prefer to be 'spoon fed' by those caring dealers ready to 'upgrade' them - in a similar manner to buying the latest iGalaxy whizzo smartphone/comfort blanket.
As an 'old fogey', I shall continue to buy and sell privately
SidewaysSi said:
Very true. I am not too old (!) but the days of going down the newsagent to get Autotrader on a Thursday morning, ring around then go and get a good deal on a private sale doesn't seem that long ago!
It does bring back happy memories remembering buying the Autotrader.SidewaysSi said:
Very true. I am not too old (!) but the days of going down the newsagent to get Autotrader on a Thursday morning, ring around then go and get a good deal on a private sale doesn't seem that long ago!
Indeed! It was always an advantage to live on the borders of two or more AT regions, as most newsagents stocked all of themAs an aside on the 'spoon feeding' front, I have just received an email from a utilities company offering free LED lightbulbs if 'upgrading' to their supply. As part of this 'package' the bulbs can be installed FOC by "our professional team of bulb fitters". Saints preserve us
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