Where do you buy and sell your used cars
Discussion
Hi all,
I tend to keep my cars a while so I've not bought one for 5-6 years. Where do people look for used cars now - seems there are way more options than before (It was generally always AT for me).
Looking to find a quite specific spec C63S w205 at the lower price range (35-40k ish). I prefer to buy privately but at this price point it's probably less likely.
- AT seems the most popular in terms of numbers still
- PH, not so many on here/mainly newer ones
- Main dealer - usually don't carry much 2015 stock, they do now but priced at a premium.
- Ebay - not as many as PH and more of them seem Cat S or such
- Cazoo/Cinch etc? Rarely have any C63's
- facebook marketplace - I doubt is the right place for this type of car?
On the flip side where do people tend to sell their car now? I'd assume most just trade in at this price point? Or use WBAC and such, where do those end up?
It's hard as I like to get a feel for how well the car has been cared for by the owner and you can usually get a good idea talking to the owner, i.e if it's been their pride and joy. Harder via a dealer as you can only really go on things like does it have good service history, decent matching tyres - well kept bodywork etc, sensible number of owners.
I always worry people sell to WBAC or dealers 'to easily get rid' and the car might have had a hard life. Of course the truth probably is its just less hassle to sell that way. It's just I always see dealers saying 'we only sell the finest used cars' and then 'any PX taken'.....kind of contradicts a bit, unless they are pushing the PX's out to auction or such.
I guess dealers have more comeback and a warranty (unsure of the real worth of those 3rd party warranties).
I tend to keep my cars a while so I've not bought one for 5-6 years. Where do people look for used cars now - seems there are way more options than before (It was generally always AT for me).
Looking to find a quite specific spec C63S w205 at the lower price range (35-40k ish). I prefer to buy privately but at this price point it's probably less likely.
- AT seems the most popular in terms of numbers still
- PH, not so many on here/mainly newer ones
- Main dealer - usually don't carry much 2015 stock, they do now but priced at a premium.
- Ebay - not as many as PH and more of them seem Cat S or such
- Cazoo/Cinch etc? Rarely have any C63's
- facebook marketplace - I doubt is the right place for this type of car?
On the flip side where do people tend to sell their car now? I'd assume most just trade in at this price point? Or use WBAC and such, where do those end up?
It's hard as I like to get a feel for how well the car has been cared for by the owner and you can usually get a good idea talking to the owner, i.e if it's been their pride and joy. Harder via a dealer as you can only really go on things like does it have good service history, decent matching tyres - well kept bodywork etc, sensible number of owners.
I always worry people sell to WBAC or dealers 'to easily get rid' and the car might have had a hard life. Of course the truth probably is its just less hassle to sell that way. It's just I always see dealers saying 'we only sell the finest used cars' and then 'any PX taken'.....kind of contradicts a bit, unless they are pushing the PX's out to auction or such.
I guess dealers have more comeback and a warranty (unsure of the real worth of those 3rd party warranties).
I don't know if there is a dedicated forum that would cater for the C63S but I have sold a couple of BMW Z4s on a forum, which is also where I found my current one. And that has worked really well because you are generally dealing with enthusiasts insted of numpties!
I also prefer buying and selling privately for the same reason you have described about being able to decide how the seller waa likely to have looked after the car. And you are likely to get better service documents because a lot of dealers now don't seem to pass it on even if they have it blaming it on GDPR.
I did use Gumtree to sell a cheap run-around which worked well, but have also bought and sold a few via AutoTrader that has also been pretty painless.
I don't use social media so have no experience of that.
My sister sold an 06 plate Mini Cooper that probably needed a new head gasket to WBAC earlier this year for £356 because her new car had arrived, where she lives residents need to buy parking permits and she just wanted it gone!
But I have read of a few positive experiences from people who sold decent cars on Motorway.
Anyway good luck.
I also prefer buying and selling privately for the same reason you have described about being able to decide how the seller waa likely to have looked after the car. And you are likely to get better service documents because a lot of dealers now don't seem to pass it on even if they have it blaming it on GDPR.
I did use Gumtree to sell a cheap run-around which worked well, but have also bought and sold a few via AutoTrader that has also been pretty painless.
I don't use social media so have no experience of that.
My sister sold an 06 plate Mini Cooper that probably needed a new head gasket to WBAC earlier this year for £356 because her new car had arrived, where she lives residents need to buy parking permits and she just wanted it gone!
But I have read of a few positive experiences from people who sold decent cars on Motorway.
Anyway good luck.
Mr Tidy said:
I don't know if there is a dedicated forum that would cater for the C63S but I have sold a couple of BMW Z4s on a forum, which is also where I found my current one. And that has worked really well because you are generally dealing with enthusiasts insted of numpties!
I also prefer buying and selling privately for the same reason you have described about being able to decide how the seller waa likely to have looked after the car. And you are likely to get better service documents because a lot of dealers now don't seem to pass it on even if they have it blaming it on GDPR.
I did use Gumtree to sell a cheap run-around which worked well, but have also bought and sold a few via AutoTrader that has also been pretty painless.
I don't use social media so have no experience of that.
My sister sold an 06 plate Mini Cooper that probably needed a new head gasket to WBAC earlier this year for £356 because her new car had arrived, where she lives residents need to buy parking permits and she just wanted it gone!
But I have read of a few positive experiences from people who sold decent cars on Motorway.
Anyway good luck.
Thanks for the reply I also prefer buying and selling privately for the same reason you have described about being able to decide how the seller waa likely to have looked after the car. And you are likely to get better service documents because a lot of dealers now don't seem to pass it on even if they have it blaming it on GDPR.
I did use Gumtree to sell a cheap run-around which worked well, but have also bought and sold a few via AutoTrader that has also been pretty painless.
I don't use social media so have no experience of that.
My sister sold an 06 plate Mini Cooper that probably needed a new head gasket to WBAC earlier this year for £356 because her new car had arrived, where she lives residents need to buy parking permits and she just wanted it gone!
But I have read of a few positive experiences from people who sold decent cars on Motorway.
Anyway good luck.
Yes there is a forum but its more US based, some UK merc ones but they don't seem overly busy - but you are right its well worth keeping an eye out, especially as you can read old posts about any issues they flagged up.I'd overlooked this a bit so glad you reminded me.
I wonder where those Motorway cars end up, I think its just a broker for dealers - i.e any indy can bid so they cars end up at any indy dealer.
One or another of 2 small long established independents, as I no longer buy new. Usually trade in too, occasionally I’ve sold privately. These are not the cheapest dealers, but I feel confident doing it this way. There has been some flak on here about such outfits selling main dealer trade- ins, because they are not good enough for Approved Used. I in my experience, the MDs simply don’t sell stock over about 3 years old, so there are some excellent pickings left. To move away from PH power cars, this strategy obviously yields plenty of one owner, genuine low mileage small Korean and Honda cars, almost always fit for purpose for first time buyers/ spare car/ or those who simply need to trundle around locally.
Edited by Lester H on Thursday 30th September 15:16
Lotus Elise private via Pistonheads - some timewasters but as I didn’t include a phone number these people were easy to ignore. Went to a very nice chap and a very easy transaction
LR Discovery 4 via Wizzle - sold early in the peak (sob) but very nice dealer purchased it and it was a simple transaction
Golf GTE via Cazoo who collected and made no attempt to haggle
Other experience is Motorway are too difficult to deal with and WBAC on-line offers are made up. They offered £325 less than Cazoo on-line but attempted to chip off £1000 including a mark that wasn’t there on the bumper. I’d been to WBAC first as I hadn’t realised Cazoo purchased from the public. Cazoo paid the full amount before the car left my drive and another benefit was the collection bloke being pleasant and not a dreadful chav as was WBAC’s person.
LR Discovery 4 via Wizzle - sold early in the peak (sob) but very nice dealer purchased it and it was a simple transaction
Golf GTE via Cazoo who collected and made no attempt to haggle
Other experience is Motorway are too difficult to deal with and WBAC on-line offers are made up. They offered £325 less than Cazoo on-line but attempted to chip off £1000 including a mark that wasn’t there on the bumper. I’d been to WBAC first as I hadn’t realised Cazoo purchased from the public. Cazoo paid the full amount before the car left my drive and another benefit was the collection bloke being pleasant and not a dreadful chav as was WBAC’s person.
Edited by Sidekickwilson on Saturday 2nd October 20:12
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