Where have all the private car sales gone?
Discussion
I generally buy as many vehicles as I can from private sellers, usually because they are cheaper than the equivalent from a dealer.
Things I have bought privately vary greatly. Everything from £1500 MX5’s for build projects though to classic 911’s worth the thick end of £100k.
I usually enjoy the experience of buying and selling privately, although it seems to have become more difficult over the last few years.
I want a new daily driver, and I’ve just started browsing for a ‘normal car’, and this appears to have yielded very few private adverts.
By normal car I mean something maybe 3-6 years old or so, and any of the following: VW Golf, Audi TT or A3/A4, BMW 3 Series, Seat Leon/Ibiza, Honda Civic, and similar.
Almost every advert seems to be a trader of some description, with barely any private.
I’ve been looking on eBay, Autotrader, PH etc.
Am I looking in the wrong places?
Do people not sell ‘normal’ cars privately anymore?
Am I totally out of touch?
All of the above?
Things I have bought privately vary greatly. Everything from £1500 MX5’s for build projects though to classic 911’s worth the thick end of £100k.
I usually enjoy the experience of buying and selling privately, although it seems to have become more difficult over the last few years.
I want a new daily driver, and I’ve just started browsing for a ‘normal car’, and this appears to have yielded very few private adverts.
By normal car I mean something maybe 3-6 years old or so, and any of the following: VW Golf, Audi TT or A3/A4, BMW 3 Series, Seat Leon/Ibiza, Honda Civic, and similar.
Almost every advert seems to be a trader of some description, with barely any private.
I’ve been looking on eBay, Autotrader, PH etc.
Am I looking in the wrong places?
Do people not sell ‘normal’ cars privately anymore?
Am I totally out of touch?
All of the above?
valiant said:
It’s more Facebook and gumtree these days plus more and more people chuck it at WBAC to save the hassle of morons trying to return a car because a bulb has blown two years after buying it.
Agreed, many cars on Facebook, I assume because it's free. What happens to the cars that go to WBAC? Do they go off to auctions?
Spidersleg said:
valiant said:
It’s more Facebook and gumtree these days plus more and more people chuck it at WBAC to save the hassle of morons trying to return a car because a bulb has blown two years after buying it.
Agreed, many cars on Facebook, I assume because it's free. What happens to the cars that go to WBAC? Do they go off to auctions?
Sorry, I should have mentioned I’ve been looking on Facebook as well, but these all seem to be £500-2000 cars at the end of their economical lives.
As for the comment above about idiots trying to return a private sale because a bulb has blown, I did sell my wife’s old BMW 320D a year ago, and the young lad that bought it off me rang me every two weeks or so to complain ‘something had broken’ on it.
I eventually told him not to call me again and blocked his calls every time he rang back.
He genuinely didn’t seem to know what a private sale was, and thought if you complained then you had to be refunded in some way.
It was a lovely car as well. Spotless condition, Le Mans blue, 19” CSL wheels, black Alcantara interior.
As for the comment above about idiots trying to return a private sale because a bulb has blown, I did sell my wife’s old BMW 320D a year ago, and the young lad that bought it off me rang me every two weeks or so to complain ‘something had broken’ on it.
I eventually told him not to call me again and blocked his calls every time he rang back.
He genuinely didn’t seem to know what a private sale was, and thought if you complained then you had to be refunded in some way.
It was a lovely car as well. Spotless condition, Le Mans blue, 19” CSL wheels, black Alcantara interior.
I managed to find our new family car on a private sale, originally listed on eBay.
They are out there, but there are definitely fewer private sellers than there was 5-6 years ago.
I can't complain - we chucked the old car through WBAC because I couldn't be bothered with the hassle and the extra -£250/300 I might have got selling privately.
They are out there, but there are definitely fewer private sellers than there was 5-6 years ago.
I can't complain - we chucked the old car through WBAC because I couldn't be bothered with the hassle and the extra -£250/300 I might have got selling privately.
C.A.R. said:
I managed to find our new family car on a private sale, originally listed on eBay.
They are out there, but there are definitely fewer private sellers than there was 5-6 years ago.
I can't complain - we chucked the old car through WBAC because I couldn't be bothered with the hassle and the extra -£250/300 I might have got selling privately.
I have never sold though WBAC, but to me it sounds like potentially more hassle than a private sale?They are out there, but there are definitely fewer private sellers than there was 5-6 years ago.
I can't complain - we chucked the old car through WBAC because I couldn't be bothered with the hassle and the extra -£250/300 I might have got selling privately.
Private sale:
Person comes to your house, looks at car for 15-20 mins or so, offers cash, cash is taken and they drive off in the car. I end up with money in my sock drawer.
Clearly not all private sales are like that, but that’s been the majority of them for me.
I can only presume WBAC is as quick and easy otherwise people wouldn’t use them.
I got sick of people turning up to mint, low mileage, top spec, FDSH cars and offering well under asking price, then coming out with rubbish about one with 20 times the mileage, less toys and no history for ten grand less, so I should reduce my price below what a main dealer has already offered me.
Just easier to trade them in that deal with idiots. My time is worth more to me.
Just easier to trade them in that deal with idiots. My time is worth more to me.
Lord Marylebone said:
I have never sold though WBAC, but to me it sounds like potentially more hassle than a private sale?
Private sale:
Person comes to your house, looks at car for 15-20 mins or so, offers cash, cash is taken and they drive off in the car. I end up with money in my sock drawer.
Clearly not all private sales are like that, but that’s been the majority of them for me.
I can only presume WBAC is as quick and easy otherwise people wouldn’t use them.
I think it depends on the car you are selling.Private sale:
Person comes to your house, looks at car for 15-20 mins or so, offers cash, cash is taken and they drive off in the car. I end up with money in my sock drawer.
Clearly not all private sales are like that, but that’s been the majority of them for me.
I can only presume WBAC is as quick and easy otherwise people wouldn’t use them.
If it's a fast German car such as a Golf R, M car, AMG you're in for a treat.
Anything otherwise it should be ok.
C.A.R. said:
I can't complain - we chucked the old car through WBAC because I couldn't be bothered with the hassle and the extra -£250/300 I might have got selling privately.
Only £250-300? I can only guess this was a very low priced car. The last car I sold was fairly low value, less than three thousand, and even for that WBAC offered me at least £400 under private sale value. For me the least hassle as a seller is eBay, by far.
I took some photos, put it on ebay with a reserve price of the WBAC valuation, which took about 30 minutes total. Then I sat back for 7 days until the end of the auction, at which point the buyer came to my house, we did the paperwork, transferred the money, and was on his way 15 minutes later. Less time taken than getting myself down to a car buying service, plus I was several hundred pounds better off.
But to answer the original question, I'd agree that it is a combination of car buying services and the fact so many people lease. Almost nobody I know who has a new or nearly new car actually owns it.
Edited by murphyaj on Wednesday 15th May 14:21
5Cylinder said:
Lord Marylebone said:
though to classic 911’s worth the thick end of £100k.
You bought a classic 911 worth 100K privately?Thats brave.
5Cylinder said:
Lord Marylebone said:
though to classic 911’s worth the thick end of £100k.
You bought a classic 911 worth 100K privately?Thats brave....
And an Aston Martin DB9, and all sorts of other things at various times.
All private.
I honestly don’t see the problem.
I’ve been looking at buying a Ferrari 360 recently and wouldn’t hesitate to purchase privately. I’ve seen a few nice looking ones for sale privately.
Last WBAC quote got me £2100 less than I sold for privately! All I really use WBAC for is to see if I can get a guide price for the vehicle I'm buying/selling.
I also think dirt cheap lease deals means there are just less cars for sale privately as everyone is quite happy to pay £150-£500 a month for the latest car every few years.
I also think dirt cheap lease deals means there are just less cars for sale privately as everyone is quite happy to pay £150-£500 a month for the latest car every few years.
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