Private sale or trade sale?
Discussion
Tucked away in PH classifieds is an ad for a car I quite like the look of. The copy reads as if it is a private sale; the seller's name is an individual; nothing to suggest it is a trade sale.
A quick google of the number plate discloses that the same car is being offered by an independent dealer in the same county as the private seller. At £995 more (this is not a huge amount compared to either asking price). The options are slightly differently listed, with the more interesting stuff listed on the private sale ad.
Both ads have pictures, slightly different.
I haven't contacted either seller.
Any ideas what's going on? My thoughts were either (a) a trader trying to sell as if a private dealer, at a slightly lower price, to dodge legal liability on the sale, or (b) a private seller who has offered the car to a garage to sell as a commission sale; or (c) the private seller traded it in to the garage and has forgotten to take the PH ad down (this seems least likely, for reasons I can't really put my finger on).
A quick google of the number plate discloses that the same car is being offered by an independent dealer in the same county as the private seller. At £995 more (this is not a huge amount compared to either asking price). The options are slightly differently listed, with the more interesting stuff listed on the private sale ad.
Both ads have pictures, slightly different.
I haven't contacted either seller.
Any ideas what's going on? My thoughts were either (a) a trader trying to sell as if a private dealer, at a slightly lower price, to dodge legal liability on the sale, or (b) a private seller who has offered the car to a garage to sell as a commission sale; or (c) the private seller traded it in to the garage and has forgotten to take the PH ad down (this seems least likely, for reasons I can't really put my finger on).
Just found it on Autotrader, advertised by the garage. Viewing "strictly by appointment only". Possibly a commission sale and they need notice to get it in for a viewing.
I need to decide whether I'm just quite interested, or really interested. If the latter, I'll ring; just wanted to have a sense of possible explanations to tune the BS detector.
Ta!
I need to decide whether I'm just quite interested, or really interested. If the latter, I'll ring; just wanted to have a sense of possible explanations to tune the BS detector.
Ta!
Postscript:
Spoke to the private seller, who said he was selling it but was on holiday (background noise suggested true) and the car was with his long term mate, the dealer, who was helping him sell it.
Arranged to view it, and was given the dealer's home address. Lots (>20) of very nice cars all over the dealer's gravel drive. Dealer said he was selling it on behalf of the private seller. Perfectly nice guy; offered me the customary low ball px on what I'd driven down there.
Texted them both after the view to clarify who was selling it. Answer from the dealer: I am. It is a trade sale.
Walked. Didn't care for that arrangement (and didn't want to bridge the px vs asking price, but that's a different story).
Shame, because it is one f. nice car, in good nick.
Spoke to the private seller, who said he was selling it but was on holiday (background noise suggested true) and the car was with his long term mate, the dealer, who was helping him sell it.
Arranged to view it, and was given the dealer's home address. Lots (>20) of very nice cars all over the dealer's gravel drive. Dealer said he was selling it on behalf of the private seller. Perfectly nice guy; offered me the customary low ball px on what I'd driven down there.
Texted them both after the view to clarify who was selling it. Answer from the dealer: I am. It is a trade sale.
Walked. Didn't care for that arrangement (and didn't want to bridge the px vs asking price, but that's a different story).
Shame, because it is one f. nice car, in good nick.
Hang on, it is a trade sale which is £995 more expensive than the private sale. That makes sense - you have limited comeback on the trade sale, non on the private, so you'd expect that.
Most dealers only own a small fraction of the cars they are selling - they are either owned by the manufacturer, a finance company under a stocking agreement or are commission sales for other dealers or private owners.
The fact that the trader declared it as a trade sale rather than trying to do some dodgy "private" sale would ender me to the car and seller, not make me walk.
Most dealers only own a small fraction of the cars they are selling - they are either owned by the manufacturer, a finance company under a stocking agreement or are commission sales for other dealers or private owners.
The fact that the trader declared it as a trade sale rather than trying to do some dodgy "private" sale would ender me to the car and seller, not make me walk.
I completely get the extra dosh that the trader wanted, and also that when put on the spot, the trader said it was a trade sale.
I didn't care for the fact that I had to press for the information that made the situation clear.
If anything, it is the private owner who has skewed m view - he's advertising it privately, then tells me he was selling it, then sends me off to the dealer.
There are lots of cars to choose from...
I didn't care for the fact that I had to press for the information that made the situation clear.
If anything, it is the private owner who has skewed m view - he's advertising it privately, then tells me he was selling it, then sends me off to the dealer.
There are lots of cars to choose from...
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