Will Coronavirus hit used car prices?

Will Coronavirus hit used car prices?

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Throttlebody

2,348 posts

55 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Shortage of used cars?

Autotrader has 410,000 used cars for sale. Just one used car selling platform.

kambites

67,602 posts

222 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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Throttlebody said:
Shortage of used cars?

Autotrader has 410,000 used cars for sale. Just one used car selling platform.
That's a bit meaningless without knowing how many there were for sale this time last year. smile

Venisonpie

3,294 posts

83 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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av185 said:
This is the main problem with the big two UK auction groups.

There is little consistency in grade appraisals even at the same auction centres.

We constantly purchase grade 3 stock which is often in better condition than grade 1.
The grading is only as good as the person interpreting the guidelines, like you I've seen some real oddities (I sell via auction rather than buy). Most of my stock is grade 4/5 as it's been well used but I've seen some of it at 2 and 3 which clearly helps my residuals but isn't necessarily representative.

ChunkyloverSV

1,333 posts

193 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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Bought a BMW Z4 mid June, at the time before we managed to get this one, i had contacted about 5 and they had all sold within days of going on Autotrader. The one we bought had been up for 2 days.

On the other hand we are trying to sell an Astra, it needs a smart repair on the bumper but its priced a good £1k under to reflect the damage. No interest apart from about 5 phone calls from the usual dealers wanting a bargain. Maybe its just the fun cars are selling. People furloughed or working from home, also with you being able to avoid your MOT, maybe things are not shifting at the 4k end of the market.

Ron99

1,985 posts

82 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
kambites said:
Throttlebody said:
Shortage of used cars?

Autotrader has 410,000 used cars for sale. Just one used car selling platform.
That's a bit meaningless without knowing how many there were for sale this time last year. smile
From memory, there seemed to be about 500000 for sale much of last year. I noticed because for the few years prior to that it seemed to be about 450000.

kambites

67,602 posts

222 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Ron99 said:
From memory, there seemed to be about 500000 for sale much of last year. I noticed because for the few years prior to that it seemed to be about 450000.
So a 15-20% drop.

Hub

6,441 posts

199 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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There were about 540,000 car ads on Autotrader during the height of the lockdown.

Throttlebody

2,348 posts

55 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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Ron99 said:
kambites said:
Throttlebody said:
Shortage of used cars?

Autotrader has 410,000 used cars for sale. Just one used car selling platform.
That's a bit meaningless without knowing how many there were for sale this time last year. smile
From memory, there seemed to be about 500000 for sale much of last year. I noticed because for the few years prior to that it seemed to be about 450000.
Much depends if you are also including new cars for sale on AT. Pushes the numbers up. Currently 460,000 total for sale.

Trevor555

4,459 posts

85 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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Reference Autotrader...

When Covid lockdown hit, didn't they just let all adverts continue running FOC?

Salmonofdoubt

1,413 posts

69 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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Quick question for the dealers in here.

I've seen many times cars listed online for less than their screen price, I presume for search engine reasons. But yesterday saw (a very boring and ordinary car) outside a dealer with the screen price of £6990. Checked online and it's listed at £1000 more making it look a good deal on the forecourt but around the average online.

Is this a new normal thing?

Butter Face

30,353 posts

161 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Salmonofdoubt said:
Quick question for the dealers in here.

I've seen many times cars listed online for less than their screen price, I presume for search engine reasons. But yesterday saw (a very boring and ordinary car) outside a dealer with the screen price of £6990. Checked online and it's listed at £1000 more making it look a good deal on the forecourt but around the average online.

Is this a new normal thing?
Shouldn't think so. Probably been reduced online (couple of mouse clicks), but not changed in the screen (someone has to get off their arse!)

HTP99

22,603 posts

141 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Salmonofdoubt said:
Quick question for the dealers in here.

I've seen many times cars listed online for less than their screen price, I presume for search engine reasons. But yesterday saw (a very boring and ordinary car) outside a dealer with the screen price of £6990. Checked online and it's listed at £1000 more making it look a good deal on the forecourt but around the average online.

Is this a new normal thing?
Could have forgotten to change the price in the screen, that's the only thing I can think of.

How does the online price compare to similar advertised cars out there?

Salmonofdoubt

1,413 posts

69 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
HTP99 said:
Could have forgotten to change the price in the screen, that's the only thing I can think of.

How does the online price compare to similar advertised cars out there?
The online price is about the average, the screen price makes it look like a good deal.

av185

18,518 posts

128 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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ChunkyloverSV said:
Bought a BMW Z4 mid June, at the time before we managed to get this one, i had contacted about 5 and they had all sold within days of going on Autotrader. The one we bought had been up for 2 days.

On the other hand we are trying to sell an Astra, it needs a smart repair on the bumper but its priced a good £1k under to reflect the damage. No interest apart from about 5 phone calls from the usual dealers wanting a bargain. Maybe its just the fun cars are selling. People furloughed or working from home, also with you being able to avoid your MOT, maybe things are not shifting at the 4k end of the market.
Out of interest we are having to pay around 15% more compared to last October 2019 for 1 owner 20k miles fsh 3 year old ex lease 5 door Astras e.g. Sri/Elite both diesel and petrol.

This reflects the reduced volumes of quality fleet stock from Vauxhall due to a reduced supply of both used and new cars.

HTP99

22,603 posts

141 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Salmonofdoubt said:
HTP99 said:
Could have forgotten to change the price in the screen, that's the only thing I can think of.

How does the online price compare to similar advertised cars out there?
The online price is about the average, the screen price makes it look like a good deal.
Probably just an oversight then, or perhaps the figures fell out of the price board and were just put back in incorrectly.

And before anyone comes on her and says "well they have to sell it at the lower price, I know, my rights..... ", they don't!

Court_S

13,009 posts

178 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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Throttlebody said:
Talking about sitting at home and with the joys of post CV19 developing e-commerce, here’s something for the BMW fanboys -

BMW UK has launched its digital car locator that gives customers real-time access to new stock across its entire dealer network.

It comes as the group says online car reservations soared by 130 per cent in May on April’s figure, with the trend continuing into June. Hello DT.

BMW Group UK, said: ‘In what is clearly going to be a challenging year for automotive retail, it is more important than ever that we provide customers with the right tools to research their next vehicle from home’

Get full access to uber machines while sitting on your bog in your M+S slippers.
Surest any BMW fanboy worth their sat would be rocking ///M branded slippers.... hehe

Court_S

13,009 posts

178 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
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Deep Thought said:
What are people seeing out there in terms of demand and price moment? Think of people out there actively looking for a car right now and those in the trade?
  • Is there still high demand?
  • Is the supply of used cars improving? Trade ins, auctions opening up, etc
  • Are prices still as firm as they were or is there now some leeway in prices?
  • Any signs of that changing?
No real hard evidence, but there are a distinct lack of M2’s and M3’s sub £30k on the AUC site now.

Just as things were opening up there were quite a few M2’s and about 6 around £28k with a DCT gearbox that I saved. Five sold really quickly, one went up in price and sold. There were a handful of early M3’s too.

Looked again last night and there were two M2’s (one listed as coming soon) and one rather ropey looking M3. All searched nationally. Even the E9x M3’s seemed expensive.

Throttlebody

2,348 posts

55 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Trevor555 said:
Reference Autotrader...

When Covid lockdown hit, didn't they just let all adverts continue running FOC?
They did. Pumped up the numbers, plus not much turnover.

MattS5

1,911 posts

192 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
On a survey of one, it would seem the value of my car through WBAC has improved in the last 4 months.

Pre COVID in 1st week of March it was at £17,750.
Same mileage, and 4 months later - 1st July it was £18,395 and just checked it today £19,445

I'm genuinely surprised, I thought the backside would have fallen out of the market for a 4 year old S5 sportback with a 3.0 V6 engine.

I was initially looking to change to a used RS3 saloon, which also seem to be attracting top dollar, over and above pre Covid.
But I'm not looking to change now, I;ve done less than 300 miles in the car in 4 months, (i was doing 1k per month) and not looking like I'll be back in the office till next year now.




Hub

6,441 posts

199 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
My car (2012 Focus ST) WBAC value:

Sept 2019: £6,750
20 March 2020: £5,420
24 June: £7,175
14 July: £7,000
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