Buying and Selling cars the modern way.
Discussion
I seem to have had an eventful 3 months of car changing, and thought it would be interesting to document it.
Mrs S had decided she would like a fun new car to replace her sensible bargematic Mercedes Estate. This appealed to me as she had a new job with a 2 mile commute, not suited to a big diesel engine.
She decided a mini clubman S was just the job. I sourced one using Cinch. The smoothest most sensible buying journey I have ever been down, where the car turned up on time, as described.
Unfortunately, it turned out that Mrs S left leg is not compatible with a heavy clutch, and was being left in quite some pain when driving. It had to go.
Our timing was right, and I spent some time on trade-buying websites. Eventually selling to Arnold Clark and making £3k profit. Again simple selling process, and was chipped £2 for the mileage being different.
The next car I tried a couple of dealers, but quickly got tired of their games. I found a Golf GTE on Cazoo. The purchase experience was simple and everything went to plan until the day of collection.
This was the day that Mrs S lost her job. Not ideal. I spoke to Cazoo who sympathised, wished her the best, and canceled the transaction. The deposit arrived back the day after. While I did not really want to cancel, it was the sensible thing to do and I'm very impressed at the lack of games - especially when we see the threads about dealers trying to hang onto deposits.
Overall I think these sites are a great innovation and look forward to trying to change her car again in the future!
Mrs S had decided she would like a fun new car to replace her sensible bargematic Mercedes Estate. This appealed to me as she had a new job with a 2 mile commute, not suited to a big diesel engine.
She decided a mini clubman S was just the job. I sourced one using Cinch. The smoothest most sensible buying journey I have ever been down, where the car turned up on time, as described.
Unfortunately, it turned out that Mrs S left leg is not compatible with a heavy clutch, and was being left in quite some pain when driving. It had to go.
Our timing was right, and I spent some time on trade-buying websites. Eventually selling to Arnold Clark and making £3k profit. Again simple selling process, and was chipped £2 for the mileage being different.
The next car I tried a couple of dealers, but quickly got tired of their games. I found a Golf GTE on Cazoo. The purchase experience was simple and everything went to plan until the day of collection.
This was the day that Mrs S lost her job. Not ideal. I spoke to Cazoo who sympathised, wished her the best, and canceled the transaction. The deposit arrived back the day after. While I did not really want to cancel, it was the sensible thing to do and I'm very impressed at the lack of games - especially when we see the threads about dealers trying to hang onto deposits.
Overall I think these sites are a great innovation and look forward to trying to change her car again in the future!
Interesting. I am stuck with a 4 year old Toyota Aygo. The insurance ran out a few weeks ago, so unable to drive it anywhere. It’s been a spare car for the last two years.
Companies like WBAC want you to drive it to them for inspection. Even Cazoo are unable to collect from our area, Norfolk.
Shame really. It’s only done 10,000 miles and they have valued it at about £9.5K
Looks like I am going to have to insure it!
Any suggestions?
Companies like WBAC want you to drive it to them for inspection. Even Cazoo are unable to collect from our area, Norfolk.
Shame really. It’s only done 10,000 miles and they have valued it at about £9.5K
Looks like I am going to have to insure it!
Any suggestions?
So many of us have experienced the lies, games, false smiles, from dealers.
I too welcome the online buying experience, and having the car delivered to my door.
A quick walk round when it arrives, if it's not as described then back on the transporter it goes.
I could write a long book about poor dealer experiences, even my missus would say nowadays "I wonder what games they'll play today" when we're on our way to buy a motor.
The most recent one, spotted a nice motor for her at £30,995 on autotrader.
Turned up to see £31,995 in the screen.
They deleted their Autotrader advert as soon as they saw us nosing around it, and said that must have been a different car when challenged.
Bring on the honest, no fuss, online companies.
I too welcome the online buying experience, and having the car delivered to my door.
A quick walk round when it arrives, if it's not as described then back on the transporter it goes.
I could write a long book about poor dealer experiences, even my missus would say nowadays "I wonder what games they'll play today" when we're on our way to buy a motor.
The most recent one, spotted a nice motor for her at £30,995 on autotrader.
Turned up to see £31,995 in the screen.
They deleted their Autotrader advert as soon as they saw us nosing around it, and said that must have been a different car when challenged.
Bring on the honest, no fuss, online companies.
Grandad Gaz said:
Interesting. I am stuck with a 4 year old Toyota Aygo. The insurance ran out a few weeks ago, so unable to drive it anywhere. It’s been a spare car for the last two years.
Companies like WBAC want you to drive it to them for inspection. Even Cazoo are unable to collect from our area, Norfolk.
Shame really. It’s only done 10,000 miles and they have valued it at about £9.5K
Looks like I am going to have to insure it!
Any suggestions?
hardly a chore to insure for the day.Companies like WBAC want you to drive it to them for inspection. Even Cazoo are unable to collect from our area, Norfolk.
Shame really. It’s only done 10,000 miles and they have valued it at about £9.5K
Looks like I am going to have to insure it!
Any suggestions?
journeymanpro said:
Grandad Gaz said:
Interesting. I am stuck with a 4 year old Toyota Aygo. The insurance ran out a few weeks ago, so unable to drive it anywhere. It’s been a spare car for the last two years.
Companies like WBAC want you to drive it to them for inspection. Even Cazoo are unable to collect from our area, Norfolk.
Shame really. It’s only done 10,000 miles and they have valued it at about £9.5K
Looks like I am going to have to insure it!
Any suggestions?
hardly a chore to insure for the day.Companies like WBAC want you to drive it to them for inspection. Even Cazoo are unable to collect from our area, Norfolk.
Shame really. It’s only done 10,000 miles and they have valued it at about £9.5K
Looks like I am going to have to insure it!
Any suggestions?
Grandad Gaz said:
Interesting. I am stuck with a 4 year old Toyota Aygo. The insurance ran out a few weeks ago, so unable to drive it anywhere. It’s been a spare car for the last two years.
Companies like WBAC want you to drive it to them for inspection. Even Cazoo are unable to collect from our area, Norfolk.
Shame really. It’s only done 10,000 miles and they have valued it at about £9.5K
Looks like I am going to have to insure it!
Any suggestions?
I sold my Sportage via Wizzle. It was actually bought by a Kia dealer in the Midlands. When I accepted their offer on the Wizzle website, the dealer phoned me within 10 minutes. I asked him if he realised where I lived (Penzance) and were they really going to travel that far to collect it. He assured me that it wasn't a problem.Companies like WBAC want you to drive it to them for inspection. Even Cazoo are unable to collect from our area, Norfolk.
Shame really. It’s only done 10,000 miles and they have valued it at about £9.5K
Looks like I am going to have to insure it!
Any suggestions?
It was collected within a week, by a driver who had driven from Leicester to Plymouth to deliver a car, then caught a train to Penzance to collect my car. He was driving back to Leicester that evening, then taking my car to the dealer first thing the next morning.
Totally painless process. Give Wizzle a try. If they can collect from West Cornwall, I don't see why they can't collect from Norfolk.
Since you won't have to drive the car yourself, you won't need to insure it.
Trevor555 said:
So many of us have experienced the lies, games, false smiles, from dealers.
I too welcome the online buying experience, and having the car delivered to my door.
A quick walk round when it arrives, if it's not as described then back on the transporter it goes.
I could write a long book about poor dealer experiences, even my missus would say nowadays "I wonder what games they'll play today" when we're on our way to buy a motor.
The most recent one, spotted a nice motor for her at £30,995 on autotrader.
Turned up to see £31,995 in the screen.
They deleted their Autotrader advert as soon as they saw us nosing around it, and said that must have been a different car when challenged.
Bring on the honest, no fuss, online companies.
My mate went to see a car "FSH", never been smoked in etc etc. I think you can guess what (at least) two of the whoppers were...I too welcome the online buying experience, and having the car delivered to my door.
A quick walk round when it arrives, if it's not as described then back on the transporter it goes.
I could write a long book about poor dealer experiences, even my missus would say nowadays "I wonder what games they'll play today" when we're on our way to buy a motor.
The most recent one, spotted a nice motor for her at £30,995 on autotrader.
Turned up to see £31,995 in the screen.
They deleted their Autotrader advert as soon as they saw us nosing around it, and said that must have been a different car when challenged.
Bring on the honest, no fuss, online companies.
Grandad Gaz said:
Is it possible to insure for just a day?
Yes. There are many providers, including https://www.dayinsure.com/Pre Covid, I always purchased from approved used or private. Two ends of the spectrum, however approved used usually had 12 or 24 months warranty
During Covid it was just so much hassle viewing and purchasing like this.
So I went to Cinch. Absolutely painless and 14 day return so no hassle. Car came with 3 month warranty. After 1 month handbrake failed, cinch arranged via Merc dealer. Took a bit of chasing but overall no hassle.
During Covid it was just so much hassle viewing and purchasing like this.
So I went to Cinch. Absolutely painless and 14 day return so no hassle. Car came with 3 month warranty. After 1 month handbrake failed, cinch arranged via Merc dealer. Took a bit of chasing but overall no hassle.
Panamax said:
Grandad Gaz said:
Is it possible to insure for just a day?
Yes. There are many providers, including https://www.dayinsure.com/Thanks. Now insured for a couple of weeks, which should give me plenty of time to get it sold
austina35 said:
I've never understood why anyone would buy a car without standing in front of it 1st. Were not talking about a Tesco's home delivery here. Would you buy a house on the web without viewing it?
I've never done it, but I am considering it for my next car purchase.There's a very limited choice of cars for sale where I live, and because of this, prices tend to be 5 to 10% higher than average. Just about every relatively new car locally seems to up for sale at what Autotrader considers to be above the top end price for a perfect car. There has always been a good living to be made by traders bringing cars into the area from a few hundred miles away. It isn't a recent phenomenon.
Buying online and getting it delivered could mean a saving of a couple of grand.
Looking at cars nationally obviously means there's much more choice. The chances are that I will be able to find the exact model, colour, and options that I want, rather than settling for the one or two cars available within a 2 hour drive.
Most of these "home delivery" operations seem to offer the option to reject a car just because the buyer doesn't like it. Basically a week or two's extended test drive, at no cost. It might take a couple of weeks to get your money back though. Personally, I find it difficult to take everything in with a walkround on the forecourt, and a 20 minute test drive. Too easy to miss a minor fault or blemish.
If I lived in the south east or the midlands, I'd probably have a choice of 3 or 4 marque main dealers within a couple of hours' drive. Much more chance of finding what I'm looking for. Where I live, most marques just have one main dealer or group. Ford and the French marques are exceptions to this. I'm looking for a BMW or Mercedes.
austina35 said:
I've never understood why anyone would buy a car without standing in front of it 1st. Were not talking about a Tesco's home delivery here. Would you buy a house on the web without viewing it?
You can return it with many of these places (within mileage limits etc) within 7 days without issue which is arguably better than standing in front of it for an hour. It’s not for everyone but it’s not hard to understand why it is appealing compared to the usual nonsense you get from sales people. I might have to go with Cazoo and the like next time. Last month picked up a Polo Gti from a dealer, on the way home noticed the headunit not working and the next morning water ingress. Over to independent for a check up - glovebox control unit error (error dated before my purchase!!), poorly sealed windscreen, coolant leak. Independent adamant all the above began before my period of ownership. Price to put right (second hand glovebox unit) £2300. Dealer offered £300. Refused to cover the coolant leak repair (£770), as they had "offered enough already". 
I honestly thought these types of people were a dying breed, but now it's Consumer Rights and a court date... . Again,
I hope motor dealers will realise their culture needs to change, and if Cazoo et al predicate that then good for them.
I honestly thought these types of people were a dying breed, but now it's Consumer Rights and a court date... . Again,
I hope motor dealers will realise their culture needs to change, and if Cazoo et al predicate that then good for them.
Finally got the wheels on my Kia replaced under warranty this morning, so I took some pics and listed it on Wizzle. No problems, priced it just under their top end valuation (£400 more than the latest WBAC valuation).
I thought I'd also try Motorway. Not a problem - until I tried to add the photos. Since I have a proper camera with wifi, I tend to use that, transferring the pics to my iMac. I find this much easier than faffing about with bluetooth transfers or filling in forms on a phone.
For some crazy reason, Motorway want me to take the photos directly using their app - which only works with iOS devices (which I don't have). There's no way to add photos that are stored on my computer. If I click "I don't have a suitable smartphone", I just get a message saying that I should get a friend or relative to do it for me.
I really can't be bothered.
I also discovered that Cinch don't actually buy cars, although they will take them in part exchange. I guess that makes sense, as they are part of the same group as WBAC.
I thought I'd also try Motorway. Not a problem - until I tried to add the photos. Since I have a proper camera with wifi, I tend to use that, transferring the pics to my iMac. I find this much easier than faffing about with bluetooth transfers or filling in forms on a phone.
For some crazy reason, Motorway want me to take the photos directly using their app - which only works with iOS devices (which I don't have). There's no way to add photos that are stored on my computer. If I click "I don't have a suitable smartphone", I just get a message saying that I should get a friend or relative to do it for me.
I really can't be bothered.
I also discovered that Cinch don't actually buy cars, although they will take them in part exchange. I guess that makes sense, as they are part of the same group as WBAC.
popeyewhite said:
I might have to go with Cazoo and the like next time. Last month picked up a Polo Gti from a dealer, on the way home noticed the headunit not working and the next morning water ingress. Over to independent for a check up - glovebox control unit error (error dated before my purchase!!), poorly sealed windscreen, coolant leak. Independent adamant all the above began before my period of ownership. Price to put right (second hand glovebox unit) £2300. Dealer offered £300. Refused to cover the coolant leak repair (£770), as they had "offered enough already".
I honestly thought these types of people were a dying breed, but now it's Consumer Rights and a court date... . Again,
I hope motor dealers will realise their culture needs to change, and if Cazoo et al predicate that then good for them.
They really do need to change and it’s interesting reading this thread. Might have to try one of these places next time.I honestly thought these types of people were a dying breed, but now it's Consumer Rights and a court date... . Again,
I hope motor dealers will realise their culture needs to change, and if Cazoo et al predicate that then good for them.
I’d say to you though your first port of call should be to return the car to the dealer and get them to fix it. While your indies report will likely be accurate you can’t expect a main dealer to pay another garage to fix when they can do the work themselves.
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