Buying an AM privately

[scott36]

I will be in a position in a few weeks to buy my first 'really' nice car. Have been looking at DB9 Volante's (2006-2008) or R8's. Leaning towards the AM as it is an AM

There are AM's I like that are private sales. My mates tell me to stay away from these as you have no guarantees, especially when your talking about an older car for that kind of money.

I was just wondering what anyone else's take is on this? I have read about the some disasters on these forums and others talking about independent AM checks from companies like Rikkicann. Are these checks pretty through and worth it, to give you piece of mind or do you think dealers are the way to go and have the security of the warranty?

Appreciate any comments

Thanks

[AMDBSNick]

Similar story.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Will obviously depend on where you live and how willing the seller is to let you have their car inspected.

[Jon39]

Adding to our OPs questions.

If a private purchase car looks a good buy and passes an independant inspection, hpi etc., what is the best way to safeguard both parties when making the payment?

For a say £5,000 car, cash is usually the simplest way, but when it might be ten times that amount it becomes much more difficult, especially when hearing about the various dishonest tricks that sometimes occur.

[V8Andrew]

I bought mine privately and helped a friend do the same recently. I would suggest the following
1. Read grants book
2. If possible bring a friend to view with you ideally one who knows a bit about cars
3. Look for all the normal things that go wrong, talk to the owner about them. If they know their car well they will be able to talk knowledgably about these things
4. Get an independent inspection done. Take the cost of any remedial work off the price of the car
5. Take the time to read through the stack of paperwork that comes with the car
6. HPI check the car
7. Make sure you go into their house so you can be sure it is theirs.
8. If it doesn't smell right, just walk away

Personally I'd rather buy from a car geek like myself than a dealer as I know you'll get a better deal on a well looked after car.

[V8Andrew]

Jon39 said:

Adding to our OPs questions.

If a private purchase car looks a good buy and passes an independant inspection, hpi etc., what is the best way to safeguard both parties when making the payment?

For a say £5,000 car, cash is usually the simplest way, but when it might be ten times that amount it becomes much more difficult, especially when hearing about the various dishonest tricks that sometimes occur.

This is a very good point. Dependant on your bank you can send a faster payment for up to £30k which will normally show up within a few seconds on the buyers account. When we sold the 911 last year I drove the buyer to their bank in the car, and watched them transfer the money. I then checked on my banking app the money was in my account and gave them the keys and they drove me home. For larger amounts you could use a bankers draft or chaps transfer. I like the idea of doing it in the bank as its a secure area which is filmed for everyone's benefit.

[Calculator]

I bought and sold my last Aston privately, inspection on the way in and on the way out and dealt with people that were credible and trustworthy. No problems at all and we all saved a few quid.

[scott36]

Thanks all (combined with the other post). All very helpful. I guess you know by the willingness of the owner to help with inspections etc will tell the story.

[Hillbilly75]

I bought my car privately and had a very good experience. I actually didn't get mine inspected because it came with a transferable AM Warranty which will only be given after inspection. When I viewed the car with the friend and test drove it was obvious it was in exceptional condition and a service since then has confirmed that.

My advice would be with the money. Most banks only let you transfer electronically £25k in one day unless you go via CHAPs or banker draft. So there is a risk that you transfer part of the price and the seller won't give you the car until they have the balance but they have your money. I drew up a really simple contract: date, reg of car, price, seller and buyer and got it signed in front of my friend who witnessed. As silly as it may sound, it is the sort of thing that could make or break a court claim if something ever did go wrong. Just watch some Judge Ringer - he is bound to prove my point somewhere during an episode.

[gfc580]

Hi Scott,

I asked the same questions at the end of last year and the post Nick attached previously was the thread I started.
If you heed all the advice given here before, you won't go too far wrong.
My story of purchasing privately goes as follows:-
I found the ideal car for me in Autotrader and went over to see the DB9 at the owners house. I saw the car, was taken out of for a test drive (pouring with rain unfortunately) and had a long chat with the owner getting to know him and the car history. There was only myself and 2 dealers interested in the car so I was not up against much as they would have offered the owner a lot less than he was asking.
I went away, sorted out the finances and told the owner I was interested in buying the car but would need a pre-purchase inspection done beforehand. Bamford Rose was recommended to me so I took it there, Mike and his team inspected the car and gave me and the owner a very thorough report of the state of the car. Barring a few minor issues the car was given a clean bill of health and we were told it was a good example for the age of the car (57, MY08). We then trotted off to the pub to discuss money and came to agreement on price that suited us both.
We arranged a convenient date for pick-up, the owner picked me up from the local train station and we went to the bank to transfer the money (this was done by CHAPS for the full amount and the transfer was completed in about 15 minutes.
We then went back to the owners house to sort out the paperwork and I produced a "used vehicle purchase invoice" which included all the relevant sale information and was signed by both of us.
We exchanged pleasantries and I drove off in my new car, a very happy bunny.

I must admit though, this was the first car I have bought privately and was very anxious about it but with help from the forum members it turned out very well. The guy I brought the car from had written songs and formed a rock band so it was quite easy to check on google and put my mind at ease that everything was above board.

I have just returned home from BR after having a service, wheel refurb and bits & pieces done, the car is looking and feeling fantastic, I can't rate BR highly enough for their attention to detail and professionalism and would thoroughly recommend them to anyone.

Here are some photos of my beast with the newly refurbished wheels.....smokey chrome shade 3 if anyone is interested. the photos don't do them justice however, they have to be seen to be believed.

Good luck,
Geoff.

[scott36]

Thanks Geoff

Your story turned out great, car looks great as well. Hopefully if I go a private seller they turn out to be just as good

Thanks mate

Scott

[kensilver]

Geoff hit the nail on the head... you're buying the seller.

I bought my DB9 9 months ago in one of the most reckless moves I've ever made in my long and somewhat conservative life. I'm normally an OCD type, concerned with crossing t's and dotting i's, and every car I've bought has been from a reputable dealer who fixed any problems.

This time I bought the DB9 privately, without an inspection, without a test drive, and sight unseen. The first time I saw it was on the dealer hoist in my city where I had it delivered for fluids and filters replacement.

I've never done this before ever, with anything, but the main tipping point in favour of this deal was the series of conversations with the owner for 2-3 weeks beforehand with lots of questions. Also the low mileage (but not worryingly low), and the fact it was the exact specs in colour etc that I wanted and was unlikely to get again since I had been searching for quite a long time. This latter fact is often a dangerous one that can force you into silly decisions, but I would have walked away even so if it wasn't right.

Knowing the owner, his background and occupation and reputation from the main dealer I had spoken to made it a no-brainer for me. Anyone else would have been concerned, and rightly so when spending over a hundred thousand (our dollars) of your hardearned. But I also put in a couple of safeguards to protect the transaction which I can't disclose which made the deal 110% safe for both buyer and seller.

The deal has proved itself. The car was exactly as the seller said, and after replacing tyres - which I knew about - it has been the best buy I've ever made... until the next one

Good luck with your search. If you're lucky enough to have all the ducks in a row like my buy, you're all good. Otherwise, get protection.

[gfc580]

scott36 said:

Thanks Geoff

Your story turned out great, car looks great as well. Hopefully if I go a private seller they turn out to be just as good

Thanks mate

Scott

I'm sure everything will turn out fine, looking back it was a bit nerve wracking but exciting and fun also, it has all added to the overall pleasure of owning a car from this marque.

All the best :-)

[AndyV8V]

Buying privately is only risky if you don't take some basic measures.

ie, apply common sense, ask for advice on forums, check the owner, HPI and inspect the car, etc.

What is not right in my view in the buying privately process,
is asking for the (second hand) car to be inspected, and then demand everything on a report to be rectified before the sale, or getting quotes for jobs required and asking for huge deductions of sale price.

And Bearing in mind, some inspections reports are overstated to get more work.

[davek_964]

AndyV8V said:

Buying privately is only risky if you don't take some basic measures.

ie, apply common sense, ask for advice on forums, check the owner, HPI and inspect the car, etc.

What is not right in my view in the buying privately process,
is asking for the (second hand) car to be inspected, and then demand everything on a report to be rectified before the sale, or getting quotes for jobs required and asking for huge deductions of sale price.

And Bearing in mind, some inspections reports are overstated to get more work.

When I bought my Vantage, I sold my 911 turbo shortly afterwards. It was priced extremely keenly - in fact, it was underpriced by some margin and had quite a lot of immediate interest (most of which turned out to be dealers, and it did end up with one). I knew the car had a couple of faults - O2 sensor had failed, and the one-touch sunroof operation was a tad random. Before putting the car up for sale, I took it to an Indy to get both fixed. O2 sensors were done - and while the car was there I was told my brake discs were heavily corroded - so I had them replaced to. When I collected the car I discovered that they hadn't fixed the sunroof due to a misunderstanding, so I made all potential buyers aware that the sunroof did not work correctly.

One of my potential (private) buyers debated over a few days whether he would commit, for various reasons. During discussions with him, he said that he would want a PPI done on the car.
I said that I was more than happy for that to happen - however, regardless of the results I would not change the price. I had just had everything I knew was wrong with the car fixed - and when I was told it could do with brakes had them done to - and my mechanic had told me there was nothing else wrong with the car. I knew the car was priced at least 10% below market value (and with hindsight probably more) and so if he wanted a PPI to decide whether to buy the car or not that was fine - but the price was the price.

If a buyer wants a PPI to feel happy that the engine isn't about to go into meltdown, that's fair enough. But no car is perfect - when I decide to sell, it tends to be at a realistic price and if the buyer doesn't think that's a fair price after the PPI, they're welcome to go and find somebody else's car to buy.

[AndyV8V]

I agree with you.
An inspection should be used a measure to calculate / minimize risk, not as a license to request wear and tear items to be brought back to new condition.

In my case, back when i sold my Porsche, a potential private buyer was to raise funds via finance.
Finance company wanted an inspection, and they chose the Porsche indy.
Porsche indy takes my car, does the inspection, doesn't report findings to me (... apparently i wasn't entitled to them as i wasn't the person paying for the report, even though the car is my property)

Finance gets in touch, with a list of 10things that needed to be fixed before funds were released to his client. Funny enough they had a quote ready from the indy. 5k (corroded discs, needs pads, blowing exhaust, 2 cat converters need replacing, clutch feels heavy, play in steering rack ....)

Told them to do one, took my car straight to a random MOT centre (kwik fit actually), told them nothing, 30mins later passed an MOT with not a single advisory.

[scott36]

Guys, I am not trying to rip off a private seller. I'm not a mechanic I just want to make sure what I buy is up scratch. I am going to spend around 50k, I would think it just good sense to check things you aren't an expert in. I realise an older car will not be perfect. I am more worried about the engine, gear box etc, the expensive stuff. I was just trying to get others people's experiences, comments and knowledge. Would love it if everyone in the world was honest as I would hope.

Hopefully I make the right choice and do things right. Not rip anyone off, just enjoy the experience and get years of enjoyment out of which ever car I buy

[AMDBSNick]

scott36 said:

Guys, I am not trying to rip off a private seller. I'm not a mechanic I just want to make sure what I buy is up scratch. I am going to spend around 50k, I would think it just good sense to check things you aren't an expert in. I realise an older car will not be perfect. I am more worried about the engine, gear box etc, the expensive stuff. I was just trying to get others people's experiences, comments and knowledge. Would love it if everyone in the world was honest as I would hope.

Hopefully I make the right choice and do things right. Not rip anyone off, just enjoy the experience and get years of enjoyment out of which ever car I buy

And nobody is suggesting you are. An early DB9 is a vastly different proposition to a V8

[MarkW34]

I bought privately four years back because it was the exactly the spec I was after and had been looking for for a long time Speaking to the (2nd) owner told me all I needed to make me confident in what I thought was a genuine and well cared for car. I didn't have an inspection and went with instinct. It had its next service 11m later at BR and was declared a good one by Mike. Since then, It's been fantastic and the only significant fix outside of regular servicing has been resolving the paint bubbling around the door handles that was there from the day I viewed it.

The total cost of ownership, should I choose to sell now, wouldn't be that huge and whatever that is, is more than outweighed by the pride and joy of ownership.

[JulianPH]

I think common sense is the main thing here. If the owner is reputable, ideally an active forum member of a site like this, the car has a full AMSH and has recently been serviced, then why not?

If the car also has an AM extended warranty then it becomes a no brainer!

I bought my DB9 from HMW just over a year ago and when it was serviced by them again a few weeks ago I renewed the AM warranty. If I was looking to sell (which I am not!) I would certainly look for a private sale where both me and the purchaser would both get a better deal and would be happy for any inspection whatsoever as I know the car is in fantastic condition with no issues.

When I bought by Bentley GT I did this privately and as it was due a service I offered to pay for it before purchasing with the then owner agreeing to knock the service cost off the price if I proceeded. This way I was only risking £750 on the service rather than the full car price.

It needed a couple of thousand pounds worth of tires/pads/etc. but everything else was sound. I happily paid for these (as the price of the car justified this) and bought the car.

Had built up a good relationship with the owner by this point, JCT600 confirmed money was no object with him throughout ownership and he was a respected businessman so I sent funds via CHAPS and he was kind enough to deliver it to my house the same day!

A great experience for both of us as he got more than a dealer would have paid him and I paid less than a dealer would have charged me. Haven't had a single issues with the car over 4 years of ownership.

[NickXX]

I bought privately recently too. Car had recently come off an AM warranty (was bought 15 months previously from a main dealer). FAMSH, and an invoice for a clutch at AM 13,000 miles previously. I took Grant's book with me, a did a few spot checks (although checked the VINs in detail). Did an HPI, and that was about it.

Everything felt right about the seller who was a nice chap who knew a lot about the car, and the condition of the car reflected that.

I paid less than I would have done at a dealer, and considered that to be my buffer if it did need any repairs. Chiltern recently gave it a clean bill of health not long after I bought it (apart from a sticky thermostat which was cheap to replace with them).

Overall, I got lucky and was very happy with the experience. You do have to have your wits about you, and I guess the worst case scenario would be buying a stolen car and losing £30k+.