Selling Focus ST-2, but nobody coming to view.
Discussion
Hi,
I've never used the forum before but feel I need some advice. I am selling my 08 White Focus ST-2 on pistoneheads, autotrader and gumtree for £9,200. It has 50,100 miles on it and is in very good condition no damage to exterior or scratches or staines or anything on inside but I am only receiving offers from garages between £7,000 - £7,500 but obviously they believe they can sell it on for more, we buy any car offered £7,900. The only two private buyers who have made offers through text without seeing the car wanted a part exchange for a 58 Mondeo or 08 Auris but i just want the cash to purchase another car straight after selling the Focus. Last time I checked auto trader it was the cheapest white face lifted Focus ST in the UK so cannot understand why nobody has even asked to view it after it has been up for around 3 weeks. Have I priced it to high or should I just be patient? I am expecting to be haggled down a bit on the price advertised.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Ryan
I've never used the forum before but feel I need some advice. I am selling my 08 White Focus ST-2 on pistoneheads, autotrader and gumtree for £9,200. It has 50,100 miles on it and is in very good condition no damage to exterior or scratches or staines or anything on inside but I am only receiving offers from garages between £7,000 - £7,500 but obviously they believe they can sell it on for more, we buy any car offered £7,900. The only two private buyers who have made offers through text without seeing the car wanted a part exchange for a 58 Mondeo or 08 Auris but i just want the cash to purchase another car straight after selling the Focus. Last time I checked auto trader it was the cheapest white face lifted Focus ST in the UK so cannot understand why nobody has even asked to view it after it has been up for around 3 weeks. Have I priced it to high or should I just be patient? I am expecting to be haggled down a bit on the price advertised.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Ryan
Ryan,
I am sure you are a lovely chap, but your initial post on this thread contains (an admittedly small) amount of spelling errors.
It could also be doing with being broken up into paragraphs.
A fair few people reading a car advert in a similar style will assume the person who composed the advert is a 'bit fik' and will make judgements on the seller accordingly. I am not saying it is right to do so, merely stating the actuality of what happens.
If your advert for the ST contains spelling errors, lack of punctation and all runs together into one huge paragraph then this MIGHT be the reason why you aren't getting much interest.
I am sure you are a lovely chap, but your initial post on this thread contains (an admittedly small) amount of spelling errors.
It could also be doing with being broken up into paragraphs.
A fair few people reading a car advert in a similar style will assume the person who composed the advert is a 'bit fik' and will make judgements on the seller accordingly. I am not saying it is right to do so, merely stating the actuality of what happens.
If your advert for the ST contains spelling errors, lack of punctation and all runs together into one huge paragraph then this MIGHT be the reason why you aren't getting much interest.
Only been on 3 weeks wasn't expecting to sell it this quick but thought someone might have called to view it. Maybe I will just have to keep on waiting and see what happens, I only got offered £7,000 for trade in to so seems selling it privately is only option I have to get the money I want.
This is the advert description:
Ford Focus ST-2 2008 (08) 3 door facelift model in frozen white with blue ST side stripes and a 223bhp 2.5L turbocharged petrol, 6-speed manual. 49800 miles.
Full Ford dealership service history with 2 owners, just passed an MOT and had a new Ford service on 09/03/13. Sony 6 speaker audio system with CD, radio, AUX connectivity and steering wheel controls. Heated front and rear windscreens, air conditioning, trip computer, cold storage glove box, grey Recaro sport seats, carbon fibre finished centre console. Interior has been well looked after and is in very good condition.
Adaptive xenon headlights, foglights, 18” original ST alloy wheels, headlight washers, tinted privacy glass rear windows, keyless start (2 keys included), sports pedals, rear diffuser and ST door sills.
Ford dealership MOT and service receipts are available in original Ford Arnold Clark booklets.
Ford Focus ST-2 2008 (08) 3 door facelift model in frozen white with blue ST side stripes and a 223bhp 2.5L turbocharged petrol, 6-speed manual. 49800 miles.
Full Ford dealership service history with 2 owners, just passed an MOT and had a new Ford service on 09/03/13. Sony 6 speaker audio system with CD, radio, AUX connectivity and steering wheel controls. Heated front and rear windscreens, air conditioning, trip computer, cold storage glove box, grey Recaro sport seats, carbon fibre finished centre console. Interior has been well looked after and is in very good condition.
Adaptive xenon headlights, foglights, 18” original ST alloy wheels, headlight washers, tinted privacy glass rear windows, keyless start (2 keys included), sports pedals, rear diffuser and ST door sills.
Ford dealership MOT and service receipts are available in original Ford Arnold Clark booklets.
Like anything (especially at the moment) if its not selling its too expensive.
£7,900 from WBAC doesn't seem bad considering they usually give insane valuations.
An ST drinks petrol like no ones business (more so than may be expected of a reasonably warm hatch) and at the moment it's tough going out there to shift such a car unless its really special.
£7,900 from WBAC doesn't seem bad considering they usually give insane valuations.
An ST drinks petrol like no ones business (more so than may be expected of a reasonably warm hatch) and at the moment it's tough going out there to shift such a car unless its really special.
It's too expensive, that's it.
Anyone with 9k to spend on a focus st will go get one from a dealer that is offering finance, warranty etc.
these cars are hard to shift in the current climate, weather is not helping but the killer is road tax and fuel costs.
Lets be realistic, fuel is at a near all time high, and a 5 cyl turbo will get what 25 mpg if your lucky?
Trade are offering 7 to 7.5k, wbac offered you 7900, but when they view it that will drop to 7500 to 7700, because that is the trade price. And it is worth 300 quid less to them now than it was last month!
So it is depreciating all the time, you say you're not in a hurry to sell, you should be, a car like that is nothing particularly rare or special ( no disrespect) so it is worth less and less every day.
My advice is drop it to 8450 and show you're a motivated seller if you want to sell it privately. Make sure it has plenty of tax on it, ( not read the ad in ful so not sure if it does) the more the better. Min 6 months on a car like that IMO, so a buyer doesn't look worry about it, if they look into the cost it will put many off!
You're right, without anyone coming to see it, you won't sell it to anyone but the trade, and even then they will chip their offer.
Think of it like this, if you have an offer of 7000 that's the best so far, if you need to shift it, even letting it go for 8k privately is a decent chunk more than your best offer so far.
But trying to get a couple of grand more, and you'll struggle, as you'll be up against he trade swilling theirs.
Your point about being he cheapest is irrelevant. Drop the price and make a note you're after a quick sale in the ad, so people don't think it's cheap coz it is crap or bent.
Good luck with it.
Anyone with 9k to spend on a focus st will go get one from a dealer that is offering finance, warranty etc.
these cars are hard to shift in the current climate, weather is not helping but the killer is road tax and fuel costs.
Lets be realistic, fuel is at a near all time high, and a 5 cyl turbo will get what 25 mpg if your lucky?
Trade are offering 7 to 7.5k, wbac offered you 7900, but when they view it that will drop to 7500 to 7700, because that is the trade price. And it is worth 300 quid less to them now than it was last month!
So it is depreciating all the time, you say you're not in a hurry to sell, you should be, a car like that is nothing particularly rare or special ( no disrespect) so it is worth less and less every day.
My advice is drop it to 8450 and show you're a motivated seller if you want to sell it privately. Make sure it has plenty of tax on it, ( not read the ad in ful so not sure if it does) the more the better. Min 6 months on a car like that IMO, so a buyer doesn't look worry about it, if they look into the cost it will put many off!
You're right, without anyone coming to see it, you won't sell it to anyone but the trade, and even then they will chip their offer.
Think of it like this, if you have an offer of 7000 that's the best so far, if you need to shift it, even letting it go for 8k privately is a decent chunk more than your best offer so far.
But trying to get a couple of grand more, and you'll struggle, as you'll be up against he trade swilling theirs.
Your point about being he cheapest is irrelevant. Drop the price and make a note you're after a quick sale in the ad, so people don't think it's cheap coz it is crap or bent.
Good luck with it.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff