Are people really buying this way??

[993kimbo]

I'm in the market for a £5000 Estate and have been doing a fair bit of scanning and enquiring during the lockdown.

From what I gather after to speaking to many dealers, customers are buying cars from them in this price bracket without even seeing them and then having them delivered to their door. Dealers are complaining that they can't get enough stock and and if you ask if there are any deals to be done, you will be met by laughter.

I have no gripe (apart from the rude sods who never phone back or answer emails). Good on anyone who is continuing to earn money at the moment. (I'm not).

I was just amazed that so many people were buying cars this way.

I was also amazed when asking about test drives and Covid, that a couple of dealers said on separate occasions 'if I sat in the back, I should be ok'.

[untakenname]

People don't like face to face contact these days and so will buy sight unseen, I'm guessing this way that distance selling rules would come in so more risk to the dealers.

Facebook marketplace has shaken up the car market quite a bit, assumed it would be for sub £5k cars for sale but friend of mine just spent £30k on a private sale and had it delivered sight unseen! He said he looked at the guys profile and called him, he seemed legit so felt more secure than buying a car the traditional way.

Sitting in the back of a test drive would probably be worse virus wise than sitting in the front passenger seat assuming the windows were down, workers are allowed to carshare and not social distance when commuting so can't see much difference with a test drive tbh.

[06andiano]

I bought a car a week or so ago unseen, this was at a higher price point than what you are looking at but delivered to my house. I took it as fairly fair, he took my part exchange unseen paid top whack for it and I was happy with the deal, I knew I had the comeback of 14 day right of rejection due to distant selling so if anything was amiss I would threaten to send it back unless he fixed at his cost.

Worked well for me as I got a stressed price because of lockdown and the car is perfect!

[jwilco]

I went on a test drive through lock down, but I was given the keys to the car and left on my own... I'd suggest anyone insists on the same. Not only is it obviously safer at the moment (I don't see how you can social distance anywhere in the same car) but you also get to experience the car without some sales person yacking while you're trying to listen out for knocks, squeaks and rattles.

[mikal83]

I am in the market for a campervan, c 10k -14k. One came on fleabay for 7k. Too low so asked to come and view. Of course it wasnt "available" for a viewing/test drive BUT if I contacted the shipping company the seller told me to ...paid THEM the money, THEY would drive it to me for a 5 day test drive etc. "IF" I didnt like it, contact the same company and THEY would pick it up and give me a refund.

What could possibly go wrong.

Reported to fleabay as a scam

Still up for sale.

[TimmyMallett]

I would concurr with the comment on used stock. When I was looking at used cars a few months ago, every single one of the 10 lots I looked at, they all said that their choices from their usual channels had dried up and people were paying well over the odds compared to last year. People weren't buying new cars and the trade ins that come with that have not appeared.

[Pistonheader101]

mikal83 said:

I am in the market for a campervan, c 10k -14k. One came on fleabay for 7k. Too low so asked to come and view. Of course it wasnt "available" for a viewing/test drive BUT if I contacted the shipping company the seller told me to ...paid THEM the money, THEY would drive it to me for a 5 day test drive etc. "IF" I didnt like it, contact the same company and THEY would pick it up and give me a refund.

What could possibly go wrong.

Reported to fleabay as a scam

Still up for sale.

Typical scam has been happening for years. Too cheap to be true = always is a scam

[Hot Hatch Hunter]

I buy nearly all my cars unseen and delivered, the most expensive being £85k; but I am very particular from where I buy and mainly buy approved used from main dealers.