Sell your car the Motorway
Discussion
Used them 3 times, first time the bid was £1k over the estimate, all went smoothly although the dealer took a long time to collect it.
Second time, no bids received. Third time, the best bid was £1.5k under estimate, Motorway said they would try to increase the bid but never heard back.
Can be hit or miss in my experience, the good thing is that if it doesn’t meet the reserve (estimated sale price) then you haven’t lost anything as it is indeed free for the seller.
Second time, no bids received. Third time, the best bid was £1.5k under estimate, Motorway said they would try to increase the bid but never heard back.
Can be hit or miss in my experience, the good thing is that if it doesn’t meet the reserve (estimated sale price) then you haven’t lost anything as it is indeed free for the seller.
I used it about a month ago to sell my Yaris GR
Reserve was £33,250, highest bid was £33k, - I accepted it (no pressure to).
Bought by a main dealer, much better experience than trying to sell private.
Edit to add Free to the seller - But you need to take 20+ very specific photos.
Reserve was £33,250, highest bid was £33k, - I accepted it (no pressure to).
Bought by a main dealer, much better experience than trying to sell private.
Edit to add Free to the seller - But you need to take 20+ very specific photos.
Edited by Wilmslowboy on Sunday 19th March 19:47
I sold a car through them last year.
Final bid was say £16.5k, dealer came to collect and picked various faults (mainly it had some paint work, which they even aid was excellent quality but claimed it was worth less)) and offered £15k, ended with the dealer paying £16k. I think they were just trying it on...
I wasn't sure if the motorway price was firm or they could negotiate at the door/collection. Not sure I would use again as thought (maybe wrongly) the final bid was firm.
Final bid was say £16.5k, dealer came to collect and picked various faults (mainly it had some paint work, which they even aid was excellent quality but claimed it was worth less)) and offered £15k, ended with the dealer paying £16k. I think they were just trying it on...
I wasn't sure if the motorway price was firm or they could negotiate at the door/collection. Not sure I would use again as thought (maybe wrongly) the final bid was firm.
I think it depends on what you're selling. I tried my mint, low mileage run out model Lexus RX400h (not everyone's cup of tea) and they offered me something ridiculously low & wouldn't budge on their computer generated reserve - even when I tried to explain it was stupidly low compared to even the lowest private ads online. I Sold it privately for about £3k more than they offered (assuming it would have met their reserve) with no hassle (which I had feared). YMMV.
I sold a car last year using Motorway. They gave the best price but the winning dealer did spoil the experience a bit.
Their guy turned up, looked at the car, all in good order. He noticed that there was 1 service missing (covid) and tried knocking the price £650. We eventually agreed on the price, he transferred the money, took all the paperwork and the car keys and said someone would be along to collect it next week. Bearing in mind the car is sat on my driveway, taking up the space for my new replacement car. 1 month of constant chasing to get the car collected and off my driveway follows. Week 5 I think is when they came and took it away.
Their guy turned up, looked at the car, all in good order. He noticed that there was 1 service missing (covid) and tried knocking the price £650. We eventually agreed on the price, he transferred the money, took all the paperwork and the car keys and said someone would be along to collect it next week. Bearing in mind the car is sat on my driveway, taking up the space for my new replacement car. 1 month of constant chasing to get the car collected and off my driveway follows. Week 5 I think is when they came and took it away.
Used them to sell the Abarth. Motorway were fine to deal with, but the purchasing dealer used a third party car collection firm to pick it up.
Met the guy at local bus station and he told me his job was to find a fault and knock money off the price for his client. Went round the car and found two stone chips which had been filled and tried knocking couple hundred off the price. He also spent a minute aggressively revving it on the drive which I found odd…
Quick call to the purchasing dealer to remind him he was bidding on a 6 year old car which he’d seen 20 photos of, and he soon paid up and the collecting gentleman drove it off.
I assumed the motorway price was final and no room for haggling, but I guess there is scope for people to try it on.
Met the guy at local bus station and he told me his job was to find a fault and knock money off the price for his client. Went round the car and found two stone chips which had been filled and tried knocking couple hundred off the price. He also spent a minute aggressively revving it on the drive which I found odd…
Quick call to the purchasing dealer to remind him he was bidding on a 6 year old car which he’d seen 20 photos of, and he soon paid up and the collecting gentleman drove it off.
I assumed the motorway price was final and no room for haggling, but I guess there is scope for people to try it on.
Doesn't sound like a particularly pleasant experience - but non of these purchasing outfits are fun to deal with. Undisclosed faults, even small stone chips do cause issues and its best to mention every single blemish in my view (a few people mentioned bringing the car to WBAC dirty so they wont see the blemishes in another thread but thats not really my style).
I used Motorway last year but they were £500 short of a WBAC offer so car went to the latter. Tried to use them again recently but here estimate was £1k below WBAC so went back to them again.
One thing that I found annoying is that the pictures for your Motorway 'ad' have to be taken, in effect, live. I couldn't see a way to upload the ones I took say a few days earlier after washing the car.
I used Motorway last year but they were £500 short of a WBAC offer so car went to the latter. Tried to use them again recently but here estimate was £1k below WBAC so went back to them again.
One thing that I found annoying is that the pictures for your Motorway 'ad' have to be taken, in effect, live. I couldn't see a way to upload the ones I took say a few days earlier after washing the car.
For a start Motorway are an auction platform, they do not buy your car or guarantee a price. They use CAP to generate a trade price that you can set as reserve before offering your car to dealers.
The reserve is not negotiable as this would otherwise lead to loads of cars with retail price reserves and dealers would stop using the site.
When a car is listed the pictures and description including service history are visible to buyers who can choose what to bid and on a max bid process. Buyers can not bid as low as around 10% less than the reserve price. At 3pm every day the auction closes and Motorway review the bids and contact the sellers. Sellers do not legally have to accept any bid even if it’s way higher than reserve.
Once a seller confirms a sale their details are provided to the winning bidder who should make contact and pay for the car. Motorway are clamping down on dealers trying to renegotiate prices to the level and reductions should be negotiated via them at point of collection. If this does not happen they can block the dealer from buying again.
On a plus I have picked up a few late plate cars at good prices but I have also seen some private sellers get really good results, in one case last week a Vito sold for over £10,000 more than the reserve.
The reserve is not negotiable as this would otherwise lead to loads of cars with retail price reserves and dealers would stop using the site.
When a car is listed the pictures and description including service history are visible to buyers who can choose what to bid and on a max bid process. Buyers can not bid as low as around 10% less than the reserve price. At 3pm every day the auction closes and Motorway review the bids and contact the sellers. Sellers do not legally have to accept any bid even if it’s way higher than reserve.
Once a seller confirms a sale their details are provided to the winning bidder who should make contact and pay for the car. Motorway are clamping down on dealers trying to renegotiate prices to the level and reductions should be negotiated via them at point of collection. If this does not happen they can block the dealer from buying again.
On a plus I have picked up a few late plate cars at good prices but I have also seen some private sellers get really good results, in one case last week a Vito sold for over £10,000 more than the reserve.
The concept is good but the overall experience is dictated by the dealer who buys the car, not Motorway. I sold my son’s UP GTi via them ( for more than I had paid for it 3 years earlier) unsurprisingly it went to a main VW dealer, they were excellent and the money was in my bank before they even viewed or collected the car. If it had sold to a different dealer I may not have had the same experience. I would use them again, but always try a few dealers direct first.
Little Lofty said:
The concept is good but the overall experience is dictated by the dealer who buys the car, not Motorway. I sold my son’s UP GTi via them ( for more than I had paid for it 3 years earlier) unsurprisingly it went to a main VW dealer, they were excellent and the money was in my bank before they even viewed or collected the car. If it had sold to a different dealer I may not have had the same experience. I would use them again, but always try a few dealers direct first.
The problem I find with going to one dealer is that they will bid low. With Motorway they know they are up against other dealers. Whilst on the whole positive, it does feel like WBAC coming to your driveway and chipping.
vikingaero said:
The problem I find with going to one dealer is that they will bid low. With Motorway they know they are up against other dealers.
Whilst on the whole positive, it does feel like WBAC coming to your driveway and chipping.
Thats why I try a few Whilst on the whole positive, it does feel like WBAC coming to your driveway and chipping.
I sold my last car direct to a dealer, I got a £1k more than the online buyers were offering, it can be hit and miss and though. I have sold more direct than to the online buyers.
Again, can't fault Motorway, but the garage that actually bought our KIA wasn't great. I only say that because communication was lacking, and I had to chase to actually get payment (they assured me they usually take the car before payment is made - I've since heard this can often be the case, but isn't always)
So yeah, bit worrying with someone driving off in your car without any money in the bank! turned out alright in the end.
To be fair valuation was around £1,000 more than WBAC etc.
My inspector wasn't too harsh on dents etc. I actually told them about 3, but they only found 2! So done myself over a bit really.
So yeah, bit worrying with someone driving off in your car without any money in the bank! turned out alright in the end.
To be fair valuation was around £1,000 more than WBAC etc.
My inspector wasn't too harsh on dents etc. I actually told them about 3, but they only found 2! So done myself over a bit really.
Just sold the wife’s 2020 Defender
I was going to use Motorway (which I had some success with of late), but thought I’d give Auto trader a chance.
Listed it at £55,895 (Just over the Auto trader suggested price - WBAC / Motorway valuations were around £52k), similar cars listed (retail) at £60k to £62k.
Sold to a trader within 24 hours, who agreed we could keep it for an extra 2 weeks (as still needed by the wife). £54,500.
I left the ad up (it was also on pistonheads) until the car was collected, had several offers from private buyers (god bless them).
One as low as 48k, a couple at £50k, a few spread between £53k to £54k.
One chap who offered £52k, then upped his offer to £55k when I told him how much I’d agree to sell it to the trader for, he was a bit upset with me, as I would not gazump the trader for his extra £500.
Car collected, alll paid up, not a penny chipped off……. RIP Sensible private buyer of yesteryear
I was going to use Motorway (which I had some success with of late), but thought I’d give Auto trader a chance.
Listed it at £55,895 (Just over the Auto trader suggested price - WBAC / Motorway valuations were around £52k), similar cars listed (retail) at £60k to £62k.
Sold to a trader within 24 hours, who agreed we could keep it for an extra 2 weeks (as still needed by the wife). £54,500.
I left the ad up (it was also on pistonheads) until the car was collected, had several offers from private buyers (god bless them).
One as low as 48k, a couple at £50k, a few spread between £53k to £54k.
One chap who offered £52k, then upped his offer to £55k when I told him how much I’d agree to sell it to the trader for, he was a bit upset with me, as I would not gazump the trader for his extra £500.
Car collected, alll paid up, not a penny chipped off……. RIP Sensible private buyer of yesteryear
Tried Motorway at the weekend to sell a 68 plate Fiat 500 with 24k miles.
Went with the suggested price, got no offers on Monday. They re-ran the bidding yesterday, no offers.
We felt that their suggested price was a little too high (£450 over WBAC), and it seems that it was.
Traded in yesterday, against an older Mini, at the WBAC price.
Went with the suggested price, got no offers on Monday. They re-ran the bidding yesterday, no offers.
We felt that their suggested price was a little too high (£450 over WBAC), and it seems that it was.
Traded in yesterday, against an older Mini, at the WBAC price.
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