I'm sorry, but this isn't the car for me.

[Huntsman]

So, how do you tell a seller you dont want his car?

When I see and advert for a car I might wish to buy, I call, ask to come and see it, set time and date, get a postcode.

When I get there, I have a good look over the car, if I want it we discuss £££ and test drives and deposits etc. I never go to see a car without a couple of hundred quid as a deposit.

But, what to do when the car is junk?

I usually say "Thanks for your time, but this isn't the car for me, thanks and cheerio'

My wife says its really embarrassing when I say that and too blunt, I say its much better to leave the seller knowing where they stand.

What do you say?



P.S - I did once go and see a 911 that was advertised at £7k, to be honest I wasn't expecting much, but it was so bad I thought it should be broken for spares, so I offered the bloke £3k, he stormed off into the house, slammed the door and wouldn't come back out!!

[StottyZr]

I get the same feeling of guilt for not wanting to car! I always tell the seller that I'm looking at three cars today and I'm picking my favourite from the three. So if I like it I'll call them back. This has been true once before, and a lie another time when I just didn't want the car even though there was nothing wrong with it! (just had that feeling)

[davidjpowell]

Last time I did this I'd gone with my dad.

I was prepared to say not for me - but he jumped in and acused the guy of lying and wasting our time...

Fair enough he had - Full Service History turned out to mean 'one' service...

The guys face was a picture, not that he gave a toss in any case.

[em177]

Huntsman said:

P.S - I did once go and see a 911 that was advertised at £7k, to be honest I wasn't expecting much, but it was so bad I thought it should be broken for spares, so I offered the bloke £3k, he stormed off into the house, slammed the door and wouldn't come back out!!

Are you filming the new series of Wheeler Dealers!? lol

[Gad-Westy]

I usually just buy the first car I see!

I guess I would normally say something like 'Thanks for your time, I'll go away and think about it'. It's not a lie and it's not too insulting.

[zaphod42]

Well your approach is direct and honest.

"I'll think about it and text you in an hour, but I don't think it is for me" allows you politely disengage and then confirm by text with no promises made.

or

"Thank you for taking the time and sharing the paperwork/details/showing me the car with me. Having seen it in the flesh I think it's more of a project/needs more work/not quite the condition I was looking for. Many thanks for your time."


(My thoughts on the 911: 3k on a 7k car is a little insulting if he thought it was a runner...)

[minghis]

Be honest, diplomatically. Oh, and when you call to make the appointment to view, make it clear from the outset that you are seriously interested but may well not make a decision there and then, are they happy with that?

Works for me.

[V88Dicky]

I once went to see an 'R' reg Polo, and after a few checks, I got to the oil filler cap, only to find a shed load of 'mayo' under it. I'm not joking, it looked like it had just been dipped in a jar of Helman's!

All I could do was turned round and show this to the woman and leave it at that. I drove away with her still holding the cap, looking puzzled and saying, 'but I've just had it serviced!'.

Wonder if she figured out how to put the cap back on?

[zaphod42]

V88Dicky said:

I once went to see an 'R' reg Polo, and after a few checks, I got to the oil filler cap, only to find a shed load of 'mayo' under it. I'm not joking, it looked like it had just been dipped in a jar of Helman's!

Did you not explain to her what it meant/signified?

[robsco]

StottyZr said:

I get the same feeling of guilt for not wanting to car! I always tell the seller that I'm looking at three cars today and I'm picking my favourite from the three. So if I like it I'll call them back. This has been true once before, and a lie another time when I just didn't want the car even though there was nothing wrong with it! (just had that feeling)

So if you don't want the car, you don't call them back? That to me is ignorance. A seller shows you round his car, lets you test drive and gives you his time, and then the buyer doesn't even have the decency to take the time to give the guy a quick call to say its not the right car? Or even tell them face to face!

[*Al*]

I've been in this situation many times, i am just polite and tell them it isn't what i'm looking for and say no more. Sometimes the seller will ask why so again i politely tell them, i dislike it when people just make up obvious bullst. Be honest and polite and i can't see a problem, remember it's not always what you say but how you say it!

[V88Dicky]

zaphod42 said:

Did you not explain to her what it meant/signified?

Yes I did iirc. I explained that water, probably from the car's cooling system, was mixing with engine oil and at best her car may need a new CHG. It was lost on her though, because 'it had just been serviced'.

[Rakoosh]

Bit harsh mate.

I'd understand completely if you thought she was trying to pull a fast one but from your description she did not.

V88Dicky said:

I once went to see an 'R' reg Polo, and after a few checks, I got to the oil filler cap, only to find a shed load of 'mayo' under it. I'm not joking, it looked like it had just been dipped in a jar of Helman's!

All I could do was turned round and show this to the woman and leave it at that. I drove away with her still holding the cap, looking puzzled and saying, 'but I've just had it serviced!'.

Wonder if she figured out how to put the cap back on?

[GadgeS3C]

Just say the words "I'm not the kind of guy to mess you about".
Job done

[V88Dicky]

Rakoosh said:

Bit harsh mate.

I'd understand completely if you thought she was trying to pull a fast one but from your description she did not.

Don't get me wrong, I was perfectly polite, and I did try to explain what was wrong, but it was completely lost on her.

[anonymous-user]

davidjpowell said:

Last time I did this I'd gone with my dad.

I was prepared to say not for me - but he jumped in and acused the guy of lying and wasting our time...

.

Eek! Embarrassing dad syndrome. Did you give dad a slap later?

Anyway, I just use my Jedi Mind Powers and say "this isn't the jalopy I'm looking for".

[mackay45]

em177 said:

Are you filming the new series of Wheeler Dealers!? lol

'old out yer 'and!

[Superficial]

I think it's much better to be upfront and say 'thanks for your time, I'm going to leave it' than to leave the seller thinking you're interested.

[catman]

The problem is, if you aren't clear about not wanting the car, they may think that you're haggling over the price.

This could be even more awkward than if you made your feelings clear from the start. As mentioned, no need to be rude, unless they've misled you about the car in some way!

Tim

[Gad-Westy]

V88Dicky said:

Rakoosh said:

Bit harsh mate.

I'd understand completely if you thought she was trying to pull a fast one but from your description she did not.

Don't get me wrong, I was perfectly polite, and I did try to explain what was wrong, but it was completely lost on her.

In fairness, this can just be down to condensation particularly on cars that are only used for short journeys. That said though, do 1.4 polos not have a reputation for munching head gaskets? I guess it would always set alarm bells ringing.

I had a look at a Clio a few years ago at local garage. Mayo on the dipstick, coolant tank full of what looked like soil, exhaust giving the pavement a power shower and to top it all off the car would barely idle. Dealer swore the head gasket was fine. "Thanks, I'll call you"