Selling a Car with Faults ?

[uuf361]

Shortly, I'll be selling one of the cars as I just don't have need for 3.

It will at that point have a fresh MoT and six months tax and a full service history (it's a 15 year old supermini that will go for between £500 and £1,000 to put it into context.

As it was my third car I've not bothered getting a couple of the things wrong with it fixed as these are not essential imo.

So the A/C doesn't work (apparently it needs a regas but I haven't bothered as I don't use it much in the summer except for the odd trip to the tip less than 3 miles away).

The radio LCD display doesn't work - the radio functions perfectly and can be programmed (you just need to count when tuning in manually)

And the sunroof only tilts, as the slide mechanism seems stuck.

Would you mention these things when advertising a cheaper car or just not mention it has A/C or a sunroof and let those who view make up their own mind based on the merits of the car when they view ?

[McWigglebum4th]

Mention they don't work as well as noting any dents etc

Then be prepared for the legions of "what is yur lowt pce bd" e-mail and texts

Then get really hacked off and decide scrapping it is less hassle

[Podie]

I'd mention them. Nothing more annoying than turning up to find faults.

That said, don't put "the air con needs a regas" as everyone reads that as "it's not a £50 fix, it's fked"

If it is just a regas, I'd get that done - people will live with the other faults I would expect.

[V8RX7]

At this price - people expect a few niggles.

I wouldn't mention it in the ad but I would then point them out when people turn up.

If you list faults in the ad people are put off coming.

[Big_Dog]

I think quickfit do a no fix no fee regas. Must be worth a go. I would leave the radio and roof but be honest about it.

[Podie]

Big_Dog said:

I think quickfit do a no fix no fee regas. Must be worth a go. I would leave the radio and roof but be honest about it.

KwikFit said:

Let Kwik Fit recharge your Air Con while-u-wait. We will replace and recharge lubricant and refrigerant levels in line with your manufacturer’s recommendation. If we cannot improve the coolest vent temperature from your car by more than 10% when measured in degrees Celsius - then you pay nothing at all.*

[andy-xr]

V8RX7 said:

At this price - people expect a few niggles.

I wouldn't mention it in the ad but I would then point them out when people turn up.

If you list faults in the ad people are put off coming.

And rightly so, I'd feel a bit pissed off if I turned up and someone said 'Oh yeah, this doesnt work, that doesnt work' moreso if it's an eBay auction I'd won.

Personally I'd list them, in detail if you have to, just so there's no argument later on

[Bill]

V8RX7 said:

If you list faults in the ad people are put off coming.

I'd rather put a few people off than have to deal with them being hacked off with you for wasting their time.

[valiant]

Stick it on Ebay with all faults listed.

At that pricepoint people will not be expecting perfection. Marks you out as a more honest seller rather than the 'as new' brigade which is anything but.

Wouldn't bother getting the aircon fixed as it may need more than a re-gas leaving you out of pocket.

[V8RX7]

andy-xr said:

V8RX7 said:

At this price - people expect a few niggles.

I wouldn't mention it in the ad but I would then point them out when people turn up.

If you list faults in the ad people are put off coming.

And rightly so, I'd feel a bit pissed off if I turned up and someone said 'Oh yeah, this doesnt work, that doesnt work' moreso if it's an eBay auction I'd won.

Personally I'd list them, in detail if you have to, just so there's no argument later on

But that's the point - he's not going to list AC - so how could you be annoyed when something you didn't know it had - doesn't work ?

Also you should ask questions on the phone before travelling.

Speaking as someone who has bought many cheap cars, if those were the only faults I found on a typical £1k car I'd be overjoyed.

Edited by V8RX7 on Monday 3rd March 12:06

[Snowboy]

I agree about the air con regass.
It's only £10 or so.

Then you can say either
"Working air con"
Or
"Air con not working at all."

Much better than the Schroedinger air con that may or may not be dead.

The other bits - just mention they don't work.

[andymc]

I think an aircon re-gas is more than a tenner, on a sub 1k its not the end of the world, a 12 month MOT is the main thing

[surveyor]

Podie said:

Big_Dog said:

I think quickfit do a no fix no fee regas. Must be worth a go. I would leave the radio and roof but be honest about it.

KwikFit said:

Let Kwik Fit recharge your Air Con while-u-wait. We will replace and recharge lubricant and refrigerant levels in line with your manufacturer’s recommendation. If we cannot improve the coolest vent temperature from your car by more than 10% when measured in degrees Celsius - then you pay nothing at all.*

Yup. Although they really ought to work out how the systems can be initialised so that they can charge..... I've had two refills from KF, where they've not managed to work it out. One started working a mile down the road, the other after some googling and button combo's.

[BFG TERRANO]

Do the air con fk the rest of it. It's a cheap bomb no sensible person will expect pristine. Just sold the wife's 206 for £900 and pointed out a dodgy elec window, fag burn and busted door restraint and the guy was fine, didn't even try and hit the price down

[andy-xr]

V8RX7 said:

But that's the point - he's not going to list AC - so how could you be annoyed when something you didn't know it had - doesn't work ?

Also you should ask questions on the phone before travelling.

Speaking as someone who has bought many cheap cars, if those were the only faults I found on a typical £1k car I'd be overjoyed.

Yeah, I see what you're saying, but it'd still annoy me if I found it, rather know upfront and that's just personal preference. Least that way I could budget for fixing the AC if I knew it had it

[big_boz]

Snowboy said:

I agree about the air con regass.
It's only £10 or so.

Then you can say either
"Working air con"
Or
"Air con not working at all."

Much better than the Schroedinger air con that may or may not be dead.

The other bits - just mention they don't work.

Where do you get your Air con re-gassed for £10?

[uuf361]

It's a bit of tricky one, hence my asking.

The A/C will be around £50 to fix so potentially 10% of what I'll get back on the car, which is why I was verging more on not mentioning the car has it (and the button will be barely visible in the photos) so then people can't complain as they're not expecting it - for some reason I think saying it has it but is broken is worse......

It will have a fresh MoT and it's 15th service (all stamped up in the book) just prior to being sold as well as every old MoT, service invoices and the original purchase invoice from 1999, so will hopefully demonstrate the mechanics and the history etc, which are fine.

£1k is the absolute max it would fetch, I'll be happy with £500.......

[BFG TERRANO]

big_boz said:

Where do you get your Air con re-gassed for £10?

Book mine in while your there! Fifty quid round here

[RizzoTheRat]

I just wouldn't mention the AC on the advert. If a buyer's specifically looking for AC they won't bother with it, some when someone comes to look at it they're not going to be that bothered if it's got it but it doesn't work. It might just need a regas, but it might need more than the cars worth tog et it fixed.

[uuf361]

I believe it is only a regas - I bought it from the original owner (a friend of mine) and they've had it regassed every 3/4 years during their ownership and said it was due - does sound like it might leak a tad but they've not had anything else diagnosed in their ownership.....I've only had it a year....