Selling a 2nd hand car, drowning in a sea of .....

Selling a 2nd hand car, drowning in a sea of .....

Author
Discussion

DJP

1,198 posts

178 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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Ikemi said:
I might be missing something, but why not sell it for less, or for free? Saves you time, cash and hassle of transportation etc. It'll be gone fairly quick too, I reckon! smile
This^^.

Or stick it out the front with a sign saying "Free to good home" on it.

I get rid of all my old stuff that way.

littlebasher

Original Poster:

3,767 posts

170 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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catman said:
I couldn't see any mention of the car's value in the OP's post. It's hard to know how tttish the offers were, if we don't know what the car is.

Tim
A measly £1695!

JagBox

187 posts

152 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Jasandjules said:
Oh you will also get people on freecycle asking if you can deliver it etc...

I find the best way to get rid of stuff you just don't want to throw in the bin (landfill and all that) is a 99p start on ebay... Sold a few things for 99p but it meant I didn't have to lug them to the tip and it meant that it didn't go to landfill
Did exactly the same with our last sofa. Had it on Ebay for £10, No Offers. Reduced to 99p auction and sold for £12 (go figure).

Alternatively, leave outside overnight with a sign on saying for sale £30 - someone will knick it!

Howard-

4,950 posts

201 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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When I sold my MX5 one guy drove up from Southampton (a good hour's drive at least) to look at it, only to decide that he couldn't really afford to spend any more than about half of my asking price.

I don't understand why you'd waste so much of your own time (and fuel) like that confused

timmymagic73

374 posts

111 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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I'm dreading going through this pain myself selling a cheap car in the new year (<£500 rough estimate), it's nothing Buyanycar would be interested in and potentially too good to scrap - although that's always the hassle free option!

Co-incidentally it's a leggy Volvo estate not a leggy corsa, so hopefully that will weed out most of the bottom-feeders - but I'm not looking forward to it.

Was planning to try the local paper free-ads and corner shop noticeboards first, with only my landline as contact to stop the txt spk chancers.... good plan?


Skyedriver

17,661 posts

281 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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hairyben said:
serious question, how much unleaded will a 236cm corner sofa need?
not sure it'll burn, has it got a fire certificate?...

irocfan

40,153 posts

189 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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as much as I like his TV persona (that's going to get me lynched on PH!) Mike Brewer has a lot to answer for - advertise something for 19k and some clown will immediately offer you 12k ("coz MB can do it why can't we?" ans... well you 'tard it's a TV prog!!!) or come out with the usual (as you've noted) "I can get it 5k cheaper anywhere else". In which case off you go boyo, not sure why you're wasting your time with mine

Palms

254 posts

150 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Im currently selling my car on ebay as an auction, started it from a quid and its going well.
Not had 1 messer yet smile had no questions either just bids confused
Kind of missing the knobbers tbh. I do hope it all goes smoothly at the end as i would hate to relist due to timewasterlaugh

Edited by Palms on Thursday 26th November 13:09

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Selling the BMW at the moment. I get about 8 messages a day saying what is the lowest you'll accept? I just reply what is the most you'll pay?
Complete idiots.

exitwound

1,090 posts

179 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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I remember being quite young and walking through town with my Dad.. Coming the other way was my Dad's friend with his son holding a balloon and a clear bag with a goldfish in it..

Never forgot my Dad's opening line..

"..Hello Jack, ..well, I see that you managed to trade in your old car after all then?" rofl

I still laugh at that one even today 45years later.. my Dad's dry motoring humour was excellent..

"...I was driving my car from Edinburgh to Glasgow and a sign said, Glasgow 25miles. Further on, another sign said Glasgow 32miles! How strange"

My Dad.. "..yes, I had a car like that once!"

VonSenger

2,465 posts

188 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Howard- said:
When I sold my MX5 one guy drove up from Southampton (a good hour's drive at least) to look at it, only to decide that he couldn't really afford to spend any more than about half of my asking price.

I don't understand why you'd waste so much of your own time (and fuel) like that confused
I can beat that. Two s drove all the way from some st pit on the east side of germany (23hours apparently) to 'buy' my vx220 track car. Got here, spent two hours picking holes and trying to drive the price down from £11k to £8k. I said no as the car was mint and had at least £8k's worth of suspension, brakes, turbo, exhaust, wheels etc. So they got back in the car and drove home. WTF is in these peoples heads, sawdust?? Sold it the following day to a very nice Ultima owner for full asking price!

DJP

1,198 posts

178 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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timmymagic73 said:
...it's a leggy Volvo estate not a leggy corsa...
Dey is a bit juicy doh, innit bruv?

Tell u wot, give it to me for nuffink and give me some money for fuel and I'll do u a faver and take it away.

biggrin

Lgfst

391 posts

108 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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I feel your pain. I had to sell a Fiesta ST, the 2.0 150 version, and had nothing but idiots ring up. One even asked if it was quicker than a Ferrari... Another asked if it could be turbo'd...

Then when I said proof of insurance was needed for test drives and a deposit in advance of the test drive, it weeded out most of the idiots. Ended up selling it to an old chap who wanted a fun little car.

I hate selling cars second hand, possibly why I always trade in now or lease my work cars. Saves the hassle.

John Laverick

1,992 posts

213 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Not a car but I sold a jack on ebay a couple of year back, this one in fact:

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/ctj3000g-3-tonne-p...

Can be purchased from any Machine Mart for about £100, mine was two years old. It was far to heavy for my use.

Anyway, stuck it on ebay and it sold for nigh on £85 which I thought was strange as I'd personally pay the extra £15 but hey ho. Bloke gets in touch and says he's coming from London (I'm in leeds) ...... on the TRAIN to collect??!!

What? Anyway I thought that's the last I'd hear from him and he didn't e-mail again.

The following Saturday at about 10am there is a knock on the door and it's the bloke here to collect the jack! Couldn't believe it. Rather him than me carrying it back to London on the train.

GeordieInExile

683 posts

119 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Not all buyers are that bad...

I was watching the car I'm buying tomorrow for ages but didn't have the cash or need for it. It didn't sell, so I sent the seller a message through eBay when I did have the cash and need for it to ask if it was still available. It was, so I offered £700 (the minimum bid level), asked a few questions then got my train ticket booked.

UK345

441 posts

157 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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I hate selling cars purely because there are so many time wasters out there. When selling my car recently i got offers of half the price and bots texting me. Its a pain in the arse but thats the way things are now. Be patient and the right customer will come along they always do in the end.

exitwound

1,090 posts

179 months

Monday 30th November 2015
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"..oooohh, nahh...,could maybe do you a part ex on a Reliant Robin I have?"

"..is that a three wheeler??"

"..well, usually..."

rofl

Captainawesome

1,817 posts

162 months

Monday 30th November 2015
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Try selling an Evo on ebay, one that looks like this....


Absolute nightmare. Every 'rudeboy' in the world wants to come and have a go....it's not an FQ mate....I'm telling you, it's got the wrong seats.

Eventually went to a very nice chap who flew over from Germany, inspected car with a torch whilst on the phone to his boss, took him for a 10 minute drive, he checked the paperwork, didn't haggle and paid in cash. Perfect.

littlebasher

Original Poster:

3,767 posts

170 months

Monday 30th November 2015
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By the grace of God, the car is now sold

End of the story yes??

Well, not quite. Since i sold it and took down the ebay ad, I've continued to receive a steady stream of messages asking me whether i still have the car and what my best price is.

If they were that interested, why didn't they come see it before it was sold!

Thought it would be amusing to total up the number of messages i received about the car. Stopped counting when i got over 200 rolleyes




Trif

746 posts

172 months

Monday 30th November 2015
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"I'm currently the winning bidder, will you tax it for me for December?"

"No, it doesn't work like that."

"I've won the car, as discussed, can you tax it"

"No."

"Oh OK. I can't pick it up in the time frame you stated in the advert, can you hold it for me?"



I knew I should have just driven it to the scrappy... I'm hoping my lease car proves to provide a quieter life. If it doesn't then I think I'll be looking to buy a new car and keep it forever.