Trying to buy a car: Why waste a buyers time!!!
Discussion
Been looking for a 330i Sport saloon.
Found three in my price and spec range etc and been to view 2 of the 3.
First one was mint apparently, had high miles but was assure it was stunning.
Went to see the car and it did look stunning, but the gear change was knackered. Linkage issue and this is a gearbox out job so put me off that one.
Went to see another
Lower miles but still 100k.
Needed 4 new tyres, camber and RTABs sorting, gearbox was showing signs of the linkage issue
engine light on, needs a lamba sensor
Needed a service
and to top it off, halfway on the test drive, the oil light came on!!!
When asked on the phone about the condition, specificly asking about tyres, gearbox etc I get told its mint and nothing is needed etc etc then to find all of the above.
Now I do not mind a few issues as I am looking at the lower end of the market, but comeon at least tell me before I travel
Also the second car should of been band from the road!!! The thread was hanging out of the two rear wheels!
The third one...
After speaking with the chap who kept banging on about
s... then when I called back for his address he told me he lived on a camp site?
Well call me old fashioned but I decided against this, did not want to park the M3 up in this place and come back to find it missing so told him I would let him know if I came to view.
What is it with people selling cars?
One of them I nearly could not be bothered to even put a offer in.
Again the owners are all thinking there cars are worth top money but in truth they are complete sheds.
Anyone else had this? really grates me when they waste my time. Driven 300 miles this weekend in a M3 which cost me a fortune!
Found three in my price and spec range etc and been to view 2 of the 3.
First one was mint apparently, had high miles but was assure it was stunning.
Went to see the car and it did look stunning, but the gear change was knackered. Linkage issue and this is a gearbox out job so put me off that one.
Went to see another
Lower miles but still 100k.
Needed 4 new tyres, camber and RTABs sorting, gearbox was showing signs of the linkage issue
engine light on, needs a lamba sensor
Needed a service
and to top it off, halfway on the test drive, the oil light came on!!!
When asked on the phone about the condition, specificly asking about tyres, gearbox etc I get told its mint and nothing is needed etc etc then to find all of the above.
Now I do not mind a few issues as I am looking at the lower end of the market, but comeon at least tell me before I travel
Also the second car should of been band from the road!!! The thread was hanging out of the two rear wheels!
The third one...
After speaking with the chap who kept banging on about
s... then when I called back for his address he told me he lived on a camp site?Well call me old fashioned but I decided against this, did not want to park the M3 up in this place and come back to find it missing so told him I would let him know if I came to view.
What is it with people selling cars?
One of them I nearly could not be bothered to even put a offer in.
Again the owners are all thinking there cars are worth top money but in truth they are complete sheds.
Anyone else had this? really grates me when they waste my time. Driven 300 miles this weekend in a M3 which cost me a fortune!
I'm suprised you are finding nails sold by fools at the bottom of the 3 Series market.
How much are you trying to spend, £3-4k? Thats what happens at this end. Go looking at the £7-8k E46's and you'll find a load of lovely cars in pristine condition sold by thoroughly nice chaps in nice houses.
How much are you trying to spend, £3-4k? Thats what happens at this end. Go looking at the £7-8k E46's and you'll find a load of lovely cars in pristine condition sold by thoroughly nice chaps in nice houses.
This is what happens when you look at the lower end of the market. I have priced my RX-8 at the bottom end of the ladder and some of the people who come to look at it are real knuckle dragging mouth breathers, whereas when it was priced a bit higher I had mostly very pleasant couples come to view.
You viewed two out of three? Jeez. So far I've looked at literally hundreds of ads which fit my spec and cost. Maybe 30 were worthy of not clicking '<<<Back' instantly (two photos? Back. Two lines of text? Back Car fked? Back). Of those 30, all but two were dodgy ('I use it everyday' but ASKMID shows no insurance, import when declared UK, photos don't match spec, FSH except when pressed for details then it's 'ah, apart from...', impossible mileage (12K, 3 owners, 7 years old, fk off), timing belts done (great, but that car's a chain), 'slight dent' = Cat C, 'It's Cat D which is why I'm knocking £500 off', and the list goes on and on and on). Of the two remaining one guy was asking 30% above book price and appeared to think I was slightly mad for saying I'd be willing to pay what it was worth and the second, on the second phonecall, admitted that actually the 'stock' car was very slightly modified, which turned out to be an illegal decat, an induction system and some remap he didn't even know the identity of. All of which made me think more of the car I've already got and I'm no longer interested in buying another.
ked? Back). Of those 30, all but two were dodgy ('I use it everyday' but ASKMID shows no insurance, import when declared UK, photos don't match spec, FSH except when pressed for details then it's 'ah, apart from...', impossible mileage (12K, 3 owners, 7 years old, fk off), timing belts done (great, but that car's a chain), 'slight dent' = Cat C, 'It's Cat D which is why I'm knocking £500 off', and the list goes on and on and on). Of the two remaining one guy was asking 30% above book price and appeared to think I was slightly mad for saying I'd be willing to pay what it was worth and the second, on the second phonecall, admitted that actually the 'stock' car was very slightly modified, which turned out to be an illegal decat, an induction system and some remap he didn't even know the identity of. All of which made me think more of the car I've already got and I'm no longer interested in buying another.I suppose some buyers are thick as st - we've all looked in horror at cars our mates have bought - so the sellers are a bit stuffed if someone who knows what they're doing turns up.
I couldn't buy older used cars now - spending time and money travelling around only to be constantly disappointed is just too draining.
t - we've all looked in horror at cars our mates have bought - so the sellers are a bit stuffed if someone who knows what they're doing turns up.I couldn't buy older used cars now - spending time and money travelling around only to be constantly disappointed is just too draining.
Because I think alot of the time, people just turn up, have a quick look around a car, get excited if they see shiny paintwork and buy it without any proper research.
I'm far too honest with my car adverts, listing known faults and problems, and it puts people off - however I do find that the flipside of this is that while I get less interest, the odd calls I do get are from genuinely interested people who can see through any minor issues I've listed.
I don't know, maybe I'm just s
t at selling cars 
MattyB_ said:
Because I think alot of the time, people just turn up, have a quick look around a car, get excited if they see shiny paintwork and buy it without any proper research.
Ive a good friend who is like this, he Edited by Save Ferris on Monday 2nd May 17:18
It's not just private buyers who do this. I've had a wasted an afternoon a few months back where two places were advertising cars they didn't have and another was advertising their cars online at a price I could only actually get if I took out finance (but I didn't want finance, I was going to pay in full). OK, the first two I should have called, but in the age of the internet you get lazy.
But yes, there is so much rubbish on the market you have to be so careful; I also tend to look at tens of cars before I actually part with my money. I even saw one car for sale with the tax disc from a completely different make of car on it.
Then I went along with a mate who, despite saying he only wanted to see what was available, ended up going back and buying the worst of the two (yes, only two) cars he looked at (obviously against my advice). Surprisingly, it was a dog. So the flipside is that there are, as Deva said, people out there who will buy the crap ones, so as long as there are people who will go for these lemons, then it's worth the sellers' while doing it.
But yes, there is so much rubbish on the market you have to be so careful; I also tend to look at tens of cars before I actually part with my money. I even saw one car for sale with the tax disc from a completely different make of car on it.
Then I went along with a mate who, despite saying he only wanted to see what was available, ended up going back and buying the worst of the two (yes, only two) cars he looked at (obviously against my advice). Surprisingly, it was a dog. So the flipside is that there are, as Deva said, people out there who will buy the crap ones, so as long as there are people who will go for these lemons, then it's worth the sellers' while doing it.
deveng said:
For every story like this about sellers there are as many about buyers. Nowadays, it's a pain to buy or sell a car privately.
And you are also buying at the lower end of the 330i market. It's possible most of these cars are in the possesion of people who don't or can't be bothered to maintain them correctly.
Ok both cars had full BMW service history and low owners.
One was from a garage and the other was a middle age family man selling it.
I guess alot of you guys above can afford a couple year old car and in this case I cannot. I want a nice safe car for my family.
It amazed me the condition people can let cars get into.
And the two I looked at was the only two that made was worth looking at
One was from a garage and the other was a middle age family man selling it.
I guess alot of you guys above can afford a couple year old car and in this case I cannot. I want a nice safe car for my family.
It amazed me the condition people can let cars get into.
And the two I looked at was the only two that made was worth looking at
MattyB_ said:
I'm far too honest with my car adverts, listing known faults and problems, and it puts people off - however I do find that the flipside of this is that while I get less interest, the odd calls I do get are from genuinely interested people who can see through any minor issues I've listed.
I don't know, maybe I'm just st at selling cars
Not at all, I do the same, and 9 times out of 10 people who come to view buy them. I don't know, maybe I'm just s
t at selling cars I've even had people asking me what scratch I was talking about and when I point it out they don't think it's worthy of note. But if you point out all the defects then they know what they are coming to view and if it is better than they expected, they are pleased. And you are honest.
mboon said:
Sorry but how do you guys think a 330i 2000/2001 is costing? 3/4 Grand for one is a sensible budget for them. They are 10 plus years old.
Mondeo?? No thank you
I've said this before and been shot down, but the economically viable life of a car is 8-10 years. There's a good reason why that time frame was chosen for the scrappage scheme.Mondeo?? No thank you
OK, I know some will last longer, epspecially if they're cared for, but you're trying to buy a car that's realistically at the end of its life. You *might* find a good one, but it's going to be more a matter of luck than anything else.
mboon said:
Sorry but how do you guys think a 330i 2000/2001 is costing? 3/4 Grand for one is a sensible budget for them.
£3-4k buys the dross at the bottom of the market as you've discovered. The average 10 year old 330i is finished and owned by a knuckledragger, as you've discovered.[quote]
Mondeo?? No thank you
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