Buying a car - take a jack?
Discussion
The AA / RAC inspection thread got me thinking.
I've been stung before after buying a car without having a good poke around underneath.
Has anybody ever gone the whole hog and jacked a car up for a good look underneath? Would you consider it?
How would you react if I turned up to buy your car and wanted to Jack it up?
I personally wouldn't want some random jacking my car, but I'd happily lift and secure it for the buyer to crawl underneath, but what if the seller isn't comfortable with jacking themselves, or the buyer jacking?
Would you walk from a car if the seller refused?
I've been stung before after buying a car without having a good poke around underneath.
Has anybody ever gone the whole hog and jacked a car up for a good look underneath? Would you consider it?
How would you react if I turned up to buy your car and wanted to Jack it up?
I personally wouldn't want some random jacking my car, but I'd happily lift and secure it for the buyer to crawl underneath, but what if the seller isn't comfortable with jacking themselves, or the buyer jacking?
Would you walk from a car if the seller refused?
If its old it might be rusty and could have oil leaks so you should take a look, but you don't need a jack to that.
The sort of cretins who turn up with a jack are the same people who end up not buying nothing as they keep finding things wrong (on crappy old cars, what a surprise).
I would be happy to jack a car up for someone but wouldn't let someone else do it, have you ever seen the damage a jack can do when put in the wrong place?
FussyFez said:
How would you react if I turned up to buy your car and wanted to Jack it up?
I'd tell you to sod off. Too much risk of you damaging something and then walking away.Rightly or wrongly you'd come across as a buyer who was too much trouble. I'd look elsewhere for an easier sale.
FussyFez said:
I personally wouldn't want some random jacking my car, but I'd happily lift and secure it for the buyer to crawl underneath, but what if the seller isn't comfortable with jacking themselves, or the buyer jacking?
In those situations you can arrange for the car to be inspected on a ramp at a garage.Unless you're looking at an old car where rust is likely to be an issue I don't think it's required.
Something like this will be less hassle and more acceptable to a seller.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Led-Lighted-Extendable-I...
Something like this will be less hassle and more acceptable to a seller.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Led-Lighted-Extendable-I...
head I've swerve it personallyFussyFez said:
Has anybody ever gone the whole hog and jacked a car up for a good look underneath? Would you consider it?
Yes, I've done it (when I bought my MGB). The owner didn't have a problem with it. I wouldn't mind as long as the potential buyer demonstrated they knew where the jacking points were. DuraAce said:
I'd tell you to sod off. Too much risk of you damaging something and then walking away.
Rightly or wrongly you'd come across as a buyer who was too much trouble. I'd look elsewhere for an easier sale.
Exactly this. Lie on the ground with a torch like everyone else. Taking a jack is too far. Rightly or wrongly you'd come across as a buyer who was too much trouble. I'd look elsewhere for an easier sale.
You do have to beware the so called expert and his jack.
Last time this happened to me the buyer seemed a genuine bloke but knew next to nothing about cars so he brought his 'expert' friend along to check the car out (you can guess where this is going). Shame his expert pal became a muppet of the highest order on being given this task of inspecting his purchase.
After spending about an hour pissing about underneath/inside/under the bonnet and loudly commenting every minor thing (all of which the buyer had been told about on the phone prior to coming) he declared it not worth buying as not original bla bla etc
What was this fine vehicle that needed such a thorough taking apart? A 25 year old BMW 3 series with 150,000 miles that was £1,100 and had a new MOT and FSH.
The next guy that came had a quick drive, spent 5 minutes looking around and paid the asking price said it was the best he'd seen having looked at loads and was much better than his last 3 series.
Last time this happened to me the buyer seemed a genuine bloke but knew next to nothing about cars so he brought his 'expert' friend along to check the car out (you can guess where this is going). Shame his expert pal became a muppet of the highest order on being given this task of inspecting his purchase.
After spending about an hour pissing about underneath/inside/under the bonnet and loudly commenting every minor thing (all of which the buyer had been told about on the phone prior to coming) he declared it not worth buying as not original bla bla etc
What was this fine vehicle that needed such a thorough taking apart? A 25 year old BMW 3 series with 150,000 miles that was £1,100 and had a new MOT and FSH.
The next guy that came had a quick drive, spent 5 minutes looking around and paid the asking price said it was the best he'd seen having looked at loads and was much better than his last 3 series.
Edited by rallycross on Friday 19th December 11:09
If it's a classic, then absolutely, although I'd rather tell the seller before I came to view the car, that I'd be doing that.
The most I've done when viewing a car about 250miles away was to ask the seller to take it to his local garage to run it through an MOT as it was running out. I was happy to pay for this, as if it was a complete failure then it was still cheaper for me to do this than the travel costs to view the car. The seller wasn't completely sold on the idea and fair enough, but he did arrange for the car to go to his local garage and for his mechanic to run me through the car on and off the ramps and what he'd found. There were still plenty of problems with the car, but I was happy to know what I was buying.
The most I've done when viewing a car about 250miles away was to ask the seller to take it to his local garage to run it through an MOT as it was running out. I was happy to pay for this, as if it was a complete failure then it was still cheaper for me to do this than the travel costs to view the car. The seller wasn't completely sold on the idea and fair enough, but he did arrange for the car to go to his local garage and for his mechanic to run me through the car on and off the ramps and what he'd found. There were still plenty of problems with the car, but I was happy to know what I was buying.
I'd say its a bit of a pedantic thing to do.
However if I felt you were a genuine buyer, I'd jack the car up for you.
The easiest thing is to just get on the ground for a good look. You can see most things, If you struggle, park on a kerb.
The problem is, as its been mentioned, most people that come across as being that way inclined are time wasters.
Just my 2p
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However if I felt you were a genuine buyer, I'd jack the car up for you.
The easiest thing is to just get on the ground for a good look. You can see most things, If you struggle, park on a kerb.
The problem is, as its been mentioned, most people that come across as being that way inclined are time wasters.
Just my 2p
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