Bad experience on Collecting Cars, anyone else?
Discussion
Hello everyone- Has anyone here dealt with buying on collectingcars? especially classic Air cooled 911's? I've bought and sold cars on BaT and pcar never had issues. Had a bad experience on collectingcars with a car from Germany, I know these are 30 year old cars and "buyer beware" and you should get a ppi, but you'd expect something blatent and obvious to be disclosed- The car in question had a previous bad repair that you couldn't see in the photos but in real life was very obvious and had to be pointed out if the seller was being forthcoming (again many of these cars have had some sort of body repair, thats not the problem,the problem is not disclosing it)
I tried to contact the seller but he was unresponsive so i thougth collecting cars would step in and at least try to do something about the large 6% buyer fee they collect in some form of help since they procured the auction...really crappy experience overall...
Anyone else have an issue buying through them and getting basically no help after when a problem arises?
I tried to contact the seller but he was unresponsive so i thougth collecting cars would step in and at least try to do something about the large 6% buyer fee they collect in some form of help since they procured the auction...really crappy experience overall...
Anyone else have an issue buying through them and getting basically no help after when a problem arises?
Yes, you'll get no help from them, once they have their fee, you're on your own. They'll hide behind their t+c's and see similar experiences on Trustpilot
Sadly with auctions especially, you really do need to inspect a car before bidding
I appreciate thats no use to you now, put it down to a bad experience and learn for next time
Collecting Cars was really good for me over several car purchases and pretty poor over the last one. The reality is that those auctions were only as good as the person on the other side of the transaction - and Collecting Cars don't have any way to control the seller. Same as PCarMarket, BaT and all the others.
That being said, I had a truly awful experience with Watch Collecting...and am have now been banned on both Watch Collecting and Collecting Cars.
That being said, I had a truly awful experience with Watch Collecting...and am have now been banned on both Watch Collecting and Collecting Cars.
I've bought two cars from them, one a few years back now and another more recently, both with no issues disclosed in the listings and both resulting in significant bills from specialists on their first visits. As others have said, it's effectively sold as-is and depends heavily on the seller's honesty. I’ve concluded it's effectively a posh WBAC for interesting cars and a place where people dump cars when they get a scary bill.
My experience is that you have to rely on the honesty of the seller rather than anything in the description
For traders that’s straightforward but not so much for private sellers for which I’d always inspect the car myself if possible before the auction ends.
There are plenty of respected traders though that I’d happily spend £100k+ without having seen the car or had an inspection based on their reputation (and have done so on more than one occasion without any issues).
It’s basically like buying a car unseen from Autotrader over the phone. Without an inspection.
For traders that’s straightforward but not so much for private sellers for which I’d always inspect the car myself if possible before the auction ends.
There are plenty of respected traders though that I’d happily spend £100k+ without having seen the car or had an inspection based on their reputation (and have done so on more than one occasion without any issues).
It’s basically like buying a car unseen from Autotrader over the phone. Without an inspection.
I sold an 800 mile 992 GT3 on CC. They caused a couple of delays before starting the auction then as soon as it started they were relentless with their requests for me to reduce the reserve price to ensure a sale.
Felt a bit dodgy to agree a reserve price to get the listing and then ask me to lower it a couple of days later.
Felt a bit dodgy to agree a reserve price to get the listing and then ask me to lower it a couple of days later.
None of the auction places Including Pisotonheads do any type of DD on the cars. I have used them all in the past. It's a mental way to buy a car although it has its place for cars that are impossible to sell with warranty via a dealer. CC I personally think leaned on the Harris connection and people thought well it must be ok if CC endorses it but the reality is that its a lottery and often with Porsche cars you pay a dealer retail price at auction for something that could be literally anything when you get it.
The Lotus stuff I trade in I have had a punt on a couple of cars and they have had loads of issues but luckily issues I know how to fix. Nearly all of the Lotus cars I see at auction are ones that have done the rounds with the dealers and nobody has wanted to buy them I can only guess this is the same for a lot of other cars. So auction lots can quite often be oddball cars that the owner has chosen the last resort of auctioning which is basically what auctions usually are. Unless you have something very rare that theres a realistic prospect of a bidding war on which with regular cars is vanishingly unlikely.
The Lotus stuff I trade in I have had a punt on a couple of cars and they have had loads of issues but luckily issues I know how to fix. Nearly all of the Lotus cars I see at auction are ones that have done the rounds with the dealers and nobody has wanted to buy them I can only guess this is the same for a lot of other cars. So auction lots can quite often be oddball cars that the owner has chosen the last resort of auctioning which is basically what auctions usually are. Unless you have something very rare that theres a realistic prospect of a bidding war on which with regular cars is vanishingly unlikely.
It’s an interesting model, stacked against the buyer and really only benefits the auctioneer. It’s like an introduction service, dating site even; you pay CLC an introduction fee and they put you in touch with the seller, who has nothing to lose, the buyer does, the CLC fee.
There’s no come back on CLC as they’ve already been paid and have other fish to fry. This in my book is what caveat emptor is all about.
I’d only buy off the site if I’d seen the car, kicked the tyres and met the owner, or walk away if the car wasn’t as described, thereby losing the fee only and not any more.
There’s no come back on CLC as they’ve already been paid and have other fish to fry. This in my book is what caveat emptor is all about.
I’d only buy off the site if I’d seen the car, kicked the tyres and met the owner, or walk away if the car wasn’t as described, thereby losing the fee only and not any more.
It's always struck me that there's psychology at play.
There's an element of self affirmation in buying this way. In the absence of due diligence.
'I am big, hard, powerful, and minted. I can simply buy this with nayer a care'
It's built on decades of ebay logic, frivolity, and the still present effects of cheap money.
Thats certainly how I have caught myself feeling when bidding / and then, about to bid.
It's quite hard to have a stern word with yourself. Remind yourself of zero comebacks and that you're trusting brief, subjective opinion and some photos. With zero knowledge of if its got a bottom end about to let loose, borescore, almost knackered clutch etc etc etc.
There's an element of self affirmation in buying this way. In the absence of due diligence.
'I am big, hard, powerful, and minted. I can simply buy this with nayer a care'
It's built on decades of ebay logic, frivolity, and the still present effects of cheap money.
Thats certainly how I have caught myself feeling when bidding / and then, about to bid.
It's quite hard to have a stern word with yourself. Remind yourself of zero comebacks and that you're trusting brief, subjective opinion and some photos. With zero knowledge of if its got a bottom end about to let loose, borescore, almost knackered clutch etc etc etc.
It's always a case of whether the vendor is honest as to whether an auction purchase on a platform like CC is going to go well, I've sold watches on their other site and the buyers had zero issues because everything was as described and in order, but an auction is a great way of getting rid of a problem if you're that kind of person.
Inlineonline said:
The Market (Bonhams) are very good
I ve had cars fail to sell at auction with them and they worked their client list and got me a sale above my chosen reserve (no pressure to lower) a few weeks later.
Very classy outfit.
Thats good. The Market appears to give their lots the once over on site and provide a more balanced description of condition. They also encourage viewings.I ve had cars fail to sell at auction with them and they worked their client list and got me a sale above my chosen reserve (no pressure to lower) a few weeks later.
Very classy outfit.
fridaypassion said:
None of the auction places Including Pisotonheads do any type of DD on the cars. I have used them all in the past. It's a mental way to buy a car although it has its place for cars that are impossible to sell with warranty via a dealer. CC I personally think leaned on the Harris connection and people thought well it must be ok if CC endorses it but the reality is that its a lottery and often with Porsche cars you pay a dealer retail price at auction for something that could be literally anything when you get it.
The Lotus stuff I trade in I have had a punt on a couple of cars and they have had loads of issues but luckily issues I know how to fix. Nearly all of the Lotus cars I see at auction are ones that have done the rounds with the dealers and nobody has wanted to buy them I can only guess this is the same for a lot of other cars. So auction lots can quite often be oddball cars that the owner has chosen the last resort of auctioning which is basically what auctions usually are. Unless you have something very rare that theres a realistic prospect of a bidding war on which with regular cars is vanishingly unlikely.
It's not mental but it does have to be significantly cheaper than an apparent like for like car being sold normally. The Lotus stuff I trade in I have had a punt on a couple of cars and they have had loads of issues but luckily issues I know how to fix. Nearly all of the Lotus cars I see at auction are ones that have done the rounds with the dealers and nobody has wanted to buy them I can only guess this is the same for a lot of other cars. So auction lots can quite often be oddball cars that the owner has chosen the last resort of auctioning which is basically what auctions usually are. Unless you have something very rare that theres a realistic prospect of a bidding war on which with regular cars is vanishingly unlikely.
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