Has it now become a nightmare to sell a private car...?
Discussion
I keep seeing these threads pop up and it really is a shame for those trying to sell a genuine car.
My only advice would be to keep at it. Be as honest as you can in your advert, keep the car nice and clean and take loads of photos (which you could e-mail to any serious punters) and try to list as much about the history as possible.
It looks like a lovely car though, one of my all time favourite cars!
Best of luck with the sale.
My only advice would be to keep at it. Be as honest as you can in your advert, keep the car nice and clean and take loads of photos (which you could e-mail to any serious punters) and try to list as much about the history as possible.
It looks like a lovely car though, one of my all time favourite cars!
Best of luck with the sale.
SlimRick said:
Put it on Ebay with a 99p start price, no reserve (but a friend ready to bid up to your minimum sale price if necessary)
I sold my Skyline this way - in the end it had over 400 watchers and reached well over the minimum sale price I wanted for it.
You need to be careful doing that.I sold my Skyline this way - in the end it had over 400 watchers and reached well over the minimum sale price I wanted for it.
SlimRick said:
Put it on Ebay with a 99p start price, no reserve (but a friend ready to bid up to your minimum sale price if necessary)
I sold my Skyline this way - in the end it had over 400 watchers and reached well over the minimum sale price I wanted for it.
There is still a very good chance you will get a complete idiot who believes his winning bid is only the starting point for negotiations. I sold my Skyline this way - in the end it had over 400 watchers and reached well over the minimum sale price I wanted for it.
Two things I'd get if I was selling a car privately:
1) A "throw away" email address; and
2) A Pay as you Go SIM card to slot into one of the many old handsets we have floating around
Having heard from friends just how long some of these "buyers" keep pestering for (especially if you're selling something that might make a good minicab) there's no way I'm going to make the mistakes that they did and have voicemail/email clogged for weeks...
1) A "throw away" email address; and
2) A Pay as you Go SIM card to slot into one of the many old handsets we have floating around
Having heard from friends just how long some of these "buyers" keep pestering for (especially if you're selling something that might make a good minicab) there's no way I'm going to make the mistakes that they did and have voicemail/email clogged for weeks...
1974nc said:
No one it seems, views cars anymore, places any value on service history, places any value on mileage, condition or maintenance or infact wants to know anything about them. The only factor is how cheap something is!!!
You have a point... but I'm a busy man, I need to see details in your ad. When is the tax up? When is the MOT due? Show me the mileages and dates of the service history. I don't even know what colour it is. Yes, all of these things can be sorted with a quick phonecall / email, but you can make your ad have more meaning. Also, have you tried any of the M-specific, or the 5-series, forums?Good luck with the sale
MSTRBKR said:
I think it's just the type of car. Lots of people won't be after these now with the price of fuel. I wouldn't reduce it any further because this one has sold for just a bit less.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2564222.htm
Yum. I really, really want an M5 to pair the plastic car....http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2564222.htm
bigandclever said:
You have a point... but I'm a busy man, I need to see details in your ad. When is the tax up? When is the MOT due? Show me the mileages and dates of the service history. I don't even know what colour it is. Yes, all of these things can be sorted with a quick phonecall / email,
Good point. When viewing car ads, if details are omitted then I assume the answer is a negative and can't be bothered to ring.THus no mention of the MOT makes me assume its due imminently.
Dodgy colour. etc etc.
From past experience I've rung cars that sound like a decent deal until you phone them.
bigandclever said:
You have a point... but I'm a busy man, I need to see details in your ad. When is the tax up? When is the MOT due? Show me the mileages and dates of the service history. I don't even know what colour it is. Yes, all of these things can be sorted with a quick phonecall / email, but you can make your ad have more meaning. Also, have you tried any of the M-specific, or the 5-series, forums?
Good luck with the sale
Exactly this. What paperwork do you have, when were consumables done. Details man.Good luck with the sale
blindswelledrat said:
Good point. When viewing car ads, if details are omitted then I assume the answer is a negative and can't be bothered to ring.
THus no mention of the MOT makes me assume its due imminently.
Dodgy colour. etc etc.
From past experience I've rung cars that sound like a decent deal until you phone them.
THus no mention of the MOT makes me assume its due imminently.
Dodgy colour. etc etc.
From past experience I've rung cars that sound like a decent deal until you phone them.
blindswelledrat said:
bigandclever said:
You have a point... but I'm a busy man, I need to see details in your ad. When is the tax up? When is the MOT due? Show me the mileages and dates of the service history. I don't even know what colour it is. Yes, all of these things can be sorted with a quick phonecall / email,
Good point. When viewing car ads, if details are omitted then I assume the answer is a negative and can't be bothered to ring.THus no mention of the MOT makes me assume its due imminently.
Dodgy colour. etc etc.
From past experience I've rung cars that sound like a decent deal until you phone them.
The other problem is an M5 is a big commitment in terms of running costs to take on, and even if that car were £5k lots of people would still see an expensive to run old 5 series but would still try to haggle with you. IMO you should look at some good adverts, re advertise yours with a great advert at £8-8.5k and be happy to drop it to £6.5-7k, the buyer thinks he gets a good deal but you get your asking price and even at £8k that car isn't overpriced IMO.
I would advertise it on here and BMW enthusiast forums where you are likely to find a genuine buyer. Ebay will be a nightmare but has worked both times for me (jetski £3500 and 1972 WV beetle £1500), I used an auction with a realisitic starting price, say £500 below what you would take in a private sale, no bidders with less than 20 feedabck, no negative feedabck bidders and no foreign bidders.
hornetrider said:
bigandclever said:
You have a point... but I'm a busy man, I need to see details in your ad. When is the tax up? When is the MOT due? Show me the mileages and dates of the service history. I don't even know what colour it is. Yes, all of these things can be sorted with a quick phonecall / email, but you can make your ad have more meaning. Also, have you tried any of the M-specific, or the 5-series, forums?
Good luck with the sale
Exactly this. What paperwork do you have, when were consumables done. Details man.Good luck with the sale
Cars that dont hae decent descriptions dont get a look in when im looking for new cars. Portrays an image that the owner doesnt know/care about the car.
Done this for the 3 cars ive sold via PH and although the S3 took a while to sell, the Alfa was had 3 viewings organised before the day was out. Guy came the next day and a deal was done!
I had a cracker come look at a car I was selling a couple of years ago. Car was looking great, reasonably priced and got quite a bit of interest but one chap got in first and laid a £300 deposit, fair enough. Told him I'd collect him the following week from the train station, a good 20 mile drive for me but he seemed genuine and I had listed the car honestly so there where no shocks for someone willing to come the distance to view.
He arrived and seemed a decent fellow on the drive back to see the car. Upon arriving home I understood he had had a lengthy train journey so offered him a sit down and a cuppa whilst sifting through the service/mot history etc.. but no, he jumped straight in before even within 30ft of the car itsself. "You're cars had a crash mate". When I tried telling him otherwise he got quite upset, eventually becoming more and more aggressive and making more and more of an attempt at being intimidating, I honestly thought he was going to try a swing at me a once or twice, all within 5 minutes of arriving and not even having a turn of the key or a pop of the bonnet. I didn't entertain it very long and soon after offering me around 40% of what the car was advertised at I told him no deal was going to happen. So off he went on his way telling me if I didn't return his deposit AND train fair he'd be back with his mates
The very next day a nice lad with a lovely CTR came to see the car, took it a quick spin and was happy to pay full asking price.
I believe there are good experiences and bad ones when it comes to selling, unfortunately there seems to be more of a recurrence with the bad ones...
He arrived and seemed a decent fellow on the drive back to see the car. Upon arriving home I understood he had had a lengthy train journey so offered him a sit down and a cuppa whilst sifting through the service/mot history etc.. but no, he jumped straight in before even within 30ft of the car itsself. "You're cars had a crash mate". When I tried telling him otherwise he got quite upset, eventually becoming more and more aggressive and making more and more of an attempt at being intimidating, I honestly thought he was going to try a swing at me a once or twice, all within 5 minutes of arriving and not even having a turn of the key or a pop of the bonnet. I didn't entertain it very long and soon after offering me around 40% of what the car was advertised at I told him no deal was going to happen. So off he went on his way telling me if I didn't return his deposit AND train fair he'd be back with his mates
The very next day a nice lad with a lovely CTR came to see the car, took it a quick spin and was happy to pay full asking price.
I believe there are good experiences and bad ones when it comes to selling, unfortunately there seems to be more of a recurrence with the bad ones...
At the end of the day it's a big, executive saloon, 12 years old and 70,000 miles. Such cars depreciate heavily for one reason - there's not much demand for them in the used market. Punters are nervous of the "big bills" potential. Not to mention the rising cost of petrol and insurance. It may cost fiesta money but it'll never be run for fiesta money.
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