Am I too fussy when buying a car?
Discussion
Just wondering if anyone is as bad as me for being put off when buying a car or do I just look into things too much.
I’m currently on the search for a car but the silliest of things put me off buying one. I see an advert on the auto trader and a simple few spelling mistakes will put me off even calling the seller.
Sometimes the advert looks spot on and I will call the seller and the first sound of them may make me put the phone down (they sound dodgy)
The wording of the advert puts me off. I can’t stand ‘runs like a dream’, there are too many to list. I would never attempt to call a seller when crap like this is put in an advert but the reason it takes me an absolute age to find the perfect car is because I feel I’m just too fussy! I want a little old lady to pick up the phone and say “yes the car has been with me since new” and then I go round and she asks if I want a cup of tea but all I ever seem to get when buying a car is in my head I’m thinking something doesn’t feel right which is a good thing but also a nightmare when it comes to finding a car!
Is anyone else the same or am I alone and need to change my ways?
I’m currently on the search for a car but the silliest of things put me off buying one. I see an advert on the auto trader and a simple few spelling mistakes will put me off even calling the seller.
Sometimes the advert looks spot on and I will call the seller and the first sound of them may make me put the phone down (they sound dodgy)
The wording of the advert puts me off. I can’t stand ‘runs like a dream’, there are too many to list. I would never attempt to call a seller when crap like this is put in an advert but the reason it takes me an absolute age to find the perfect car is because I feel I’m just too fussy! I want a little old lady to pick up the phone and say “yes the car has been with me since new” and then I go round and she asks if I want a cup of tea but all I ever seem to get when buying a car is in my head I’m thinking something doesn’t feel right which is a good thing but also a nightmare when it comes to finding a car!
Is anyone else the same or am I alone and need to change my ways?
Sort of. I am always reluctant to sell a less than perfect car myself and would rather px it than make excuses and tend to point out the faults they miss! I tend to expect to find a ggod car and in some ways have been lucky. I look at it this way, if I'm not happy, I wate as little of the seller's time as possible, tell them I'm not intereseted and walk away - abruptly if the car is misdescribed.
well the type of car i'm looking for is a cheap run around ie fiesta for around £1000 and there are loads of these about but I can trawl the autotrader and there will be hundreds but so many things will put me off.
By the time i've finished searching I end up with a couple of adverts and the car's been sold etc.
I'm always conscious about mechanical problems with my sort of budget and when looking at a car i sort of build up in my head a portfolio of the seller. Really hard to explain but if anything doesnt look right then I run away.
By the time i've finished searching I end up with a couple of adverts and the car's been sold etc.
I'm always conscious about mechanical problems with my sort of budget and when looking at a car i sort of build up in my head a portfolio of the seller. Really hard to explain but if anything doesnt look right then I run away.
Depends on the car and the budget.
I agree to a certain extent, I absolutely despise turning up to see a car that's been misdescribed, I won't buy it as I don't know what else they've forgotten to mention or lied about. I too won't buy anything if the car is owned by people from certain demographics. More trouble than it's worth.
I agree to a certain extent, I absolutely despise turning up to see a car that's been misdescribed, I won't buy it as I don't know what else they've forgotten to mention or lied about. I too won't buy anything if the car is owned by people from certain demographics. More trouble than it's worth.
Exactly the same as me. I hate buying cars. I tried recently and gave up after travelling half way round the world to look at some cars described as being great but to me were not.
I pointed out stuff that the seller was either lying about, or didn't know / care about and notice when he bought the car.
When I point these things out they look at me like I'm mental. It's obviously not stuff which Jo Punter cares about when buying cars.
A big bugbear is someone trying to sell a car but using it and not keeping it clean. I tip up to view, it's filthy and the inside is full of dirt, crumbs, litter, paperwork and envelopes with muddy foot prints on and a child seat.
I've given up now, it's not worth my blood pressure.
I pointed out stuff that the seller was either lying about, or didn't know / care about and notice when he bought the car.
When I point these things out they look at me like I'm mental. It's obviously not stuff which Jo Punter cares about when buying cars.
A big bugbear is someone trying to sell a car but using it and not keeping it clean. I tip up to view, it's filthy and the inside is full of dirt, crumbs, litter, paperwork and envelopes with muddy foot prints on and a child seat.
I've given up now, it's not worth my blood pressure.
Best car I bought had the worst advert.
It was my Integra on autotrader, pictures included some tasteless chrome wheels, steering wheel, bling chrome mats and tacky badges where the original stickers should have been. It was only 15minutes away so popped down for a look and bought it, seller put the standard wheels back on and the other couple of bits were bought for very little.
Sold it 8 months later have done around 10k miles later for £1,000 more than I paid for it having done nothing more than an oil change and a set of front discs and pads.
So I'd say you've got to look past silly little things and even look at cars that others dismiss, you can end up with a bargain.
It was my Integra on autotrader, pictures included some tasteless chrome wheels, steering wheel, bling chrome mats and tacky badges where the original stickers should have been. It was only 15minutes away so popped down for a look and bought it, seller put the standard wheels back on and the other couple of bits were bought for very little.
Sold it 8 months later have done around 10k miles later for £1,000 more than I paid for it having done nothing more than an oil change and a set of front discs and pads.
So I'd say you've got to look past silly little things and even look at cars that others dismiss, you can end up with a bargain.
I'm very fussy about adverts - spelling, all caps, etc.
But I rarely turn up to view a car and find myself disappointed - in fact a few times I've bought the first one I've seen because it's been exactly what I wanted.
Seems to work OK - I don't have much free time to go traipsing around the country looking at sheds.
I did once go to see a Jag XJ40 in Bradford that had a golf-ball-sized rust hole in one front suspension turret though - I told the pikey chap who was selling it exactly what I thought of him...
But I rarely turn up to view a car and find myself disappointed - in fact a few times I've bought the first one I've seen because it's been exactly what I wanted.
Seems to work OK - I don't have much free time to go traipsing around the country looking at sheds.
I did once go to see a Jag XJ40 in Bradford that had a golf-ball-sized rust hole in one front suspension turret though - I told the pikey chap who was selling it exactly what I thought of him...
Galsia said:
Callismichael said:
well the type of car i'm looking for is a cheap run around ie fiesta for around £1000 and there are loads of these about but I can trawl the autotrader and there will be hundreds but so many things will put me off.
Doing this for a £1000 shed is bonkers IMO.When I was 17 I bought a 1.2 Renault Clio, it was only £800. I saw the advert and went to view it in a pub car park (absolutely stupid thing to do) needless to say I soon was booking it in to the garage for a suspected water pump leak and it turned out to be a cracked gasket. Seller obviously knew there was a problem with the car, hence meeting me in a pub car park so ever since then I’ve been wary.
I have had 3 cars since then and they have been spot on so I think its good me being a bit too fussy when looking at adverts but as per my previous post adverts can fool. I viewed a fiesta as the advert looked fine, called the seller. Sounded quite genuine but after a bit of digging he was a complete liar hiding things!
The trouble is other peoples perception of "mint condition" etc.
If I see words like immaculate or mint I expect to see light signs of use and that is all.
The reality is, many sellers really do think their car complete with ripped or worn seats and sporting many trolley dinks or even a bit of rust is mint.
I have an MGB and I'd describe it as in very good condition but in that opinion I take into account that it is nearly 42 years old so naturally has signs of wear and tear but it has very little rust (the odd bubble) and no ripped seats etc. If I were to advertise it as a completely restored example these flaws would not be accpetable IMHO.
If I see words like immaculate or mint I expect to see light signs of use and that is all.
The reality is, many sellers really do think their car complete with ripped or worn seats and sporting many trolley dinks or even a bit of rust is mint.
I have an MGB and I'd describe it as in very good condition but in that opinion I take into account that it is nearly 42 years old so naturally has signs of wear and tear but it has very little rust (the odd bubble) and no ripped seats etc. If I were to advertise it as a completely restored example these flaws would not be accpetable IMHO.
MoonMonkey said:
I think you need to lower your expectations personally at your budget.
My expectations I would say no more than 4 owners, full MOT, not fussed about service history (as all my cars I’ve sold have been DIY servicing and most people do the same) for the type of budget I have. I can find a car that matches my criteria but it’s just the next steps that put me right off a car. People that don’t sound genuine and a shoddy advert.I get put off when people put stupid stuff in the advert, one of my biggest annoyances with car adverts is when they state the colour of the car and interior and then follow it with "the best colour combo", how about you just tell me the colour and i'll decide if it's the best colour combo?
I also don't like it when people advertise a Boxster and also include that it's a convertible, this put me off a few when buying mine
other more minor annoyances is when they include performance and power figures which are nearly always inaccurate
oh an on autotrader there's a trader who i think is called S20004U, or something like that and in the title of every advert they put "mega Spec" then when you read it you find it just has standard kit
I also don't like it when people advertise a Boxster and also include that it's a convertible, this put me off a few when buying mine
other more minor annoyances is when they include performance and power figures which are nearly always inaccurate
oh an on autotrader there's a trader who i think is called S20004U, or something like that and in the title of every advert they put "mega Spec" then when you read it you find it just has standard kit
Callismichael said:
MoonMonkey said:
I think you need to lower your expectations personally at your budget.
My expectations I would say no more than 4 owners, full MOT, not fussed about service history (as all my cars I’ve sold have been DIY servicing and most people do the same) for the type of budget I have. I can find a car that matches my criteria but it’s just the next steps that put me right off a car. People that don’t sound genuine and a shoddy advert.The trouble with being fussy doesn't end with the buying process - it tarnishes the owning process too and this is coming from a very picky customer.
Once you get the car suddenly it becomes a fault fest for the first 4-5 weeks until you either forget about it, put it right or just let it annoy you.
The important thing is drawing the line between a genuine issue and just having to high expectations.
Once you get the car suddenly it becomes a fault fest for the first 4-5 weeks until you either forget about it, put it right or just let it annoy you.
The important thing is drawing the line between a genuine issue and just having to high expectations.
Callismichael said:
MoonMonkey said:
I think you need to lower your expectations personally at your budget.
My expectations I would say no more than 4 owners, full MOT, not fussed about service history (as all my cars I’ve sold have been DIY servicing and most people do the same) for the type of budget I have. I can find a car that matches my criteria but it’s just the next steps that put me right off a car. People that don’t sound genuine and a shoddy advert.I think that if you're buying a £1000.00 car you may need to be a tad less fussy but also actually take the time to go and view a car rather than worry about how a person sounds on the phone.
L100NYY said:
Callismichael said:
MoonMonkey said:
I think you need to lower your expectations personally at your budget.
My expectations I would say no more than 4 owners, full MOT, not fussed about service history (as all my cars I’ve sold have been DIY servicing and most people do the same) for the type of budget I have. I can find a car that matches my criteria but it’s just the next steps that put me right off a car. People that don’t sound genuine and a shoddy advert.I think that if you're buying a £1000.00 car you may need to be a tad less fussy but also actually take the time to go and view a car rather than worry about how a person sounds on the phone.
when you call a seller and ask if it has service history and they say yes I have all the MOT's I think, time to put the phone down.
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