It's hard work buying a used car!

[benjijames28]

Trying to find a decent used car at the price is actually worth is next to impossible these days.

I've been after a new car for while, I'm interested in loads of cars so there's plenty of options.

Small time traders have been ruled out where possible, I'm sick of giving huge profit to shady dealers who do nothing but wash a knackered auction car and act like they are doing you a favour selling it you.

Private sellers so far have been nothing but a bunch of dreamers who think their car is worth 2x what online valuations say it is, here's Few examples...

07 Audi a4 Avant s line - auto trader and other online valuations give the price as 4200 private sale, the seller had it up for 6200, and even after 6 weeks of it been advertised wouldn't take less than 5200.

05 jaguar x type - valuations say 2300 private sale in good condition, listed at just under 4000!

These private sellers just seem to be the type who think their car is worth main dealer money. A right bunch of dreamers.

I'm happy to pay what a car is worth. Not looking to steal a bargain.

Rant over.

[anonymous-user]

benjijames28 said:

Trying to find a decent used car at the price is actually worth is next to impossible these days.

This might be because your 'valuation' is wrong;)

[JulianHJ]

Are those two cars priced significantly higher than similar examples on AT or other sources?

[lord trumpton]

I find the same - private buyers seem, on the whole to over price their cars.

I've found in a lot of cases that it's because the owe a certain amount to the finance company and the are in negative equity.

[anonymous-user]

You don't mention the mileage in your examples. That will have a significant impact on the value.

[nickfrog]

280E said:

benjijames28 said:

Trying to find a decent used car at the price is actually worth is next to impossible these days.

This might be because your 'valuation' is wrong;)

Absolutely. Price is simply the result of the balance of supply and demand. If you want everything for nothing and won't deal with dealers nor private sellers, then you're kind of restricting your choice of cars to zero.

You can lease a new Seat Leon 1.4T FR Tech for less than £5k over two years / 24k miles. But only if you can't afford it of course.

[ChasW]

I just sold a 2010 low mileage, one owner Corsa. My gut feel was around £4k. When I did my homework the What Car valuation for private sale was £4600. Other guides were in that ballpark. Equivalent cars from dealers ranged from £4500 - £5400. Main dealers at the top end of that range as you'd expect. There was one private car for sale at £3995. I advertised it on PH and eBay for £4195 expecting to sell at say £3900 if I had to. Not a whisper. Dropped the price to £3995 and had 3 enquiries within two hours. Sold the same day at full asking price to the first caller. Had one enquiry since.

[geeks]

benjijames28 said:

Trying to find a decent used car at the price is actually worth is next to impossible these days.

I've been after a new car for while, I'm interested in loads of cars so there's plenty of options.

Small time traders have been ruled out where possible, I'm sick of giving huge profit to shady dealers who do nothing but wash a knackered auction car and act like they are doing you a favour selling it you.

Private sellers so far have been nothing but a bunch of dreamers who think their car is worth 2x what online valuations say it is, here's Few examples...

07 Audi a4 Avant s line - auto trader and other online valuations give the price as 4200 private sale, the seller had it up for 6200, and even after 6 weeks of it been advertised wouldn't take less than 5200.

05 jaguar x type - valuations say 2300 private sale in good condition, listed at just under 4000!

These private sellers just seem to be the type who think their car is worth main dealer money. A right bunch of dreamers.

I'm happy to pay what a car is worth. Not looking to steal a bargain.

Rant over.

You need to adjust your expectations then. There are plenty of A4's up for less pick one of them! AT doesnt take into account, condition, service history, milage, spec, yada yada yada! Its also been criticised recently for under valuing cars and is becoming very unpopular with dealers.

Cars are worth what people are willing to sell and pay for them.

[datum77]

Almost everyone who wishes to sell a vehicle, privately, views it in the same way that they view the value of their house - unrealisticly. Because they do the classic mistake of basing their value on what they see dealers advertising the same vehicle for.
Privately a seller cannot offer to take a PX, offer finance, or have to pay the stinging overheads that a dealer does have to pay.
I spend 2 hours a day perusing the whole of the internet looking for car stock for the dealer I work for. Continually I stare at the same vehicles, day in day out that are vastly overpriced, that I know have little hope of being sold at the crazy price the sellers are asking.

The real world is a place VERY unfamiliar to these people.

[geeks]

ChasW said:

I just sold a 2010 low mileage, one owner Corsa. My gut feel was around £4k. When I did my homework the What Car valuation for private sale was £4600. Other guides were in that ballpark. Equivalent cars from dealers ranged from £4500 - £5400. Main dealers at the top end of that range as you'd expect. There was one private car for sale at £3995. I advertised it on PH and eBay for £4195 expecting to sell at say £3900 if I had to. Not a whisper. Dropped the price to £3995 and had 3 enquiries within two hours. Sold the same day at full asking price to the first caller. Had one enquiry since.

Theory on that, do you think it could have been down to people going in and selecting "Max Price - £4,000" meaning it was visible to more people?

[ChasW]

geeks said:

ChasW said:

I just sold a 2010 low mileage, one owner Corsa. My gut feel was around £4k. When I did my homework the What Car valuation for private sale was £4600. Other guides were in that ballpark. Equivalent cars from dealers ranged from £4500 - £5400. Main dealers at the top end of that range as you'd expect. There was one private car for sale at £3995. I advertised it on PH and eBay for £4195 expecting to sell at say £3900 if I had to. Not a whisper. Dropped the price to £3995 and had 3 enquiries within two hours. Sold the same day at full asking price to the first caller. Had one enquiry since.

Theory on that, do you think it could have been down to people going in and selecting "Max Price - £4,000" meaning it was visible to more people?

I think so plus the aBay effect. It's never occured to me before to try eBay. I suspect that the first 3 enquiries may have come from watchers who were automatically alerted by the price drop and decided to act. The buyer acted very quickly and travelled over 50 miles to view. The final enquiry must have come via PH as I forgot to remove the ad.

[Davie]

Perhaps private values are going up as sellers are sick of Mike Brewer wannabe's giving it Billy Big Baws cheeky offers?

Whack the price up, scare off the roasters and then if there's genuine interest and the buyer actually bothers to call to discuss or even better, actually shows up... then happily discuss once the car has been viewed and reduce asking price accordingly.

Far too many people out there sat with a smart phone, firing out rediculous bids for cars they haven't got the slightest interest in buying, usually followed up with "If were closer m8 I'd have it" Oh aye, hang fire then you reprobate whislt I up sticks and moves to Birmingham for your convenience. Or better still "Awww, if it was blue, and a saloon and an M3 m8, I'd have it" Well, it's a fooking green Land Rover Discovery so do one.

I'm sick of selling cars... and yes, I'll happily fire up a 'keen' price and then gladly discuss with genuine parties.

[ChasW]

Davie said:

Perhaps private values are going up as sellers are sick of Mike Brewer wannabe's giving it Billy Big Baws cheeky offers?

Whack the price up, scare off the roasters and then if there's genuine interest and the buyer actually bothers to call to discuss or even better, actually shows up... then happily discuss once the car has been viewed and reduce asking price accordingly.

Far too many people out there sat with a smart phone, firing out rediculous bids for cars they haven't got the slightest interest in buying, usually followed up with "If were closer m8 I'd have it" Oh aye, hang fire then you reprobate whislt I up sticks and moves to Birmingham for your convenience. Or better still "Awww, if it was blue, and a saloon and an M3 m8, I'd have it" Well, it's a fooking green Land Rover Discovery so do one.

I'm sick of selling cars... and yes, I'll happily fire up a 'keen' price and then gladly discuss with genuine parties.

Fortunately I have not had too many of those types though recently I had a young smart Alec tell me my BMW was 25% overpriced compared to what his research told him was the prevailing price range for the model. I took great pleasure in getting back him by text a few days later advising him that I had sold it at asking price. The buyer was really pleased with deal.

[confused_buyer]

The guides are just guides and the Autotrader one rubbish anyway.

Worry about the car - not a bit of money either way or who is selling it. Obsessing about the detail price if it is in the ball park and who is selling it are the wrong things to concentrate on.

Take the X-Type, assuming it is a diesel one (which I would guess so at the prices). One in a nice colour, with a nice spec including Nav etc. which has had the bushes done, a new clutch and flywheel, starts when cold and has had the crank pulley upgrade is well worth £500-£1000 over a manky one which will need all of those things done. Who cares who is selling it and if they are making a bit of margin.

There is no price list for used cars because no two are the same. Seek out the right car, do not buy on price alone.

[pembo]

I just sold my van, bought it a year ago for £1800, a bit scruffy 185k miles, spent £200 cleaning it up and kitting out the back to carry bikes.

It went in with the guy I bought it for for an MOT and service and I told him it was going up for sale and asked what he thought it was worth, thinking I'd put it up for £1900 and take a bit less than I paid for it.

He told me if he was selling it he would put it up for £2500 and accept £2200, seeing as i didn't have dealer backup (whatever that's worth) I went with £2100 and within 5 hours I had a deposit to pay £2000 and 4 other people calling.

I hope everyone ended up happy with that deal and I got a van to mess about in for a year and use for moving house all for the cost of a service and MOT. (Tax and insurance are inevitable so not included)

[Blackpuddin]

I'm trying to buy a used car at the moment and my experience of online/ebay style dealers thus far is that they are either incredibly lazy, incredibly inefficient or incredibly unconcerned about making a living. Times must be good if they feel they don't need to make any effort.

[smn159]

Pffft... drink a bottle of red wine and have a punt on eBay. Then take a day off and get the train 200 miles to collect.

Well it worked OK for me.. What could go wrong?

[xjay1337]

benjijames28 said:

Trying to find a decent used car at the price is actually worth is next to impossible these days.

I've been after a new car for while, I'm interested in loads of cars so there's plenty of options.

Small time traders have been ruled out where possible, I'm sick of giving huge profit to shady dealers who do nothing but wash a knackered auction car and act like they are doing you a favour selling it you.

Private sellers so far have been nothing but a bunch of dreamers who think their car is worth 2x what online valuations say it is, here's Few examples...

07 Audi a4 Avant s line - auto trader and other online valuations give the price as 4200 private sale, the seller had it up for 6200, and even after 6 weeks of it been advertised wouldn't take less than 5200.

05 jaguar x type - valuations say 2300 private sale in good condition, listed at just under 4000!

These private sellers just seem to be the type who think their car is worth main dealer money. A right bunch of dreamers.

I'm happy to pay what a car is worth. Not looking to steal a bargain.

Rant over.

Sounds like you're the nightmate no offense.

Use the prices of cars on the market rather than Autotrade prices...they're often well wide of the mark.

If someone wants to over-list their price then move on to a different car...all of the vehicles you've mentioned are ten a penny.

[mjf93]

Just to throw it out there, I tend to be on the other side of this spectrum. I am by no means a dealer, but this is my experience in the past.

When I own a car, I tend to apply a cost no object maintenance strategy, and also invest in preventative maintenance, and I would certainly not sell someone a car I knew needed work, unless I explicitly told them and the price reflected this.

Because of this, when sale time comes, a car I would be selling, would generally be top money for the age and mileage (not ridiculous though). I would justify this, by it being a very clean example, which wants for nothing, and I generally find I will sell my car to someone looking for exactly that, who has usually viewed loads before mine, and found them all to be pigs or wanting for loads of money.

Over the course of the sale, I regularly get told 'but there's another one the same for a grand less' or similar. My standard response is; ok, go and buy that one then. Or, go and view it, then realise why mine is worth more'. That would be my response to OP's enquiry, I would imagine.

I find it the same when buying a car, I would rather pay £1000 more for a car with 4 brand new premium tires, new brakes, full service history, which has clearly been looked after, rather than the cheaper one with 4 worn out budgets, knackered brakes and patchy service record.

Just my 2p worth.

Edited by mjf93 on Friday 24th February 15:22

[smn159]

mjf93 said:

Just to throw it out there, I tend to be on the other side of this spectrum. I am by no means a dealer, but this is my experience in the past.

When I own a car, I tend to apply a cost no object maintenance strategy, and also invest in preventative maintenance, and I would certainly not sell someone a car I knew needed work, unless I explicitly told them and the price reflected this.

Because of this, when sale time comes, a car I would be selling, would generally be top money for the age and mileage (not ridiculous though). I would justify this, by it being a very clean example, which wants for nothing, and I generally find I will sell my car to someone looking for exactly that, who has usually viewed loads before mine, and found them all to be pigs or wanting for loads of money.

Over the course of the sale, I regularly get told 'but there's another one the same for a grand less' or similar. My standard response is; ok, go and buy that one then. Or, go and view it, then realise why mine is worth more'. That would be my response to OP's enquiry, I would imagine.

I find it the same when buying a car, I would rather pay £1000 more for a car with 4 brand new premium tires, new brakes, full service history, which has clearly been looked after, rather than the cheaper one with 4 worn out budgets, knackered brakes and patchy service record.

Just my 2p worth.

Edited by mjf93 on Friday 24th February 15:22

I'd agree with that on the selling side. My recent eBay purchase has been treated to 4 new tyres, a host of bushes, new wishbones, drop links and brakes all round. Only issue will be if someone wants a stamped service history because I do mine myself - they'll have to make do with the parts receipts.