Selling a car, buyer wants me to deliver - unusual request?
Discussion
This could be a lengthy read, apologies. Just curious to see what others think.
I don't remember the last time I sold a car, but it's probably around 20 years ago.
My car's 19 years old, maybe worth 3 grand. Ad went live and within 2 hours this guy emails me offering a bit less than I asked (but still more than I expected to get) but asks "I'm in Livingston so you could take a jaunt through, if it's nice I'll buy and give a lift home" Livingston being around 50 miles from me.
The car isn't insured so I'm driving it nowhere, but I don't think I'd have done that anyway.
He asks how he can test drive it if it's not insured, so I tell him I have a mate with traders insurance who said he'd take him out for the test drive. My mate has a yard where the car is being stored off-road.
A bit of further chat happens and he said he'd try to get through to see the car but didn't commit to a time or day. During these chats he's made aware of all issues with the car, but he keeps adding issues that just don't exist.
This morning I woke to an email from him, mostly waffle justifying his further reduced offer, which included this line.
"If you can have your friend bring you and the car, with the V5C (and ID to prove you are the registered keeper), all other documents, invoices, service history, keys etc etc (anything at all relating to the car that comes with selling it basically).
I will have my wife pay you by bank transfer £xxxx, no further questions asked. It has an MOT so can't be a total shed"
I think it was the "It has an MOT so can't be a total shed" bit which really boiled my piss.
I took time to calm down and replied saying that I'd accept his offer, but I wasn't going to ask my mate to close his business for half a day to drive the car to him, so he'd need to come and see the car if he wanted it.
His response
"How am I to know your friend would need to close his business? I have to be at home with kids as my wife is away today with our car. Forget it."
I don't know if he genuinely expected someone to drive a car to him to buy (or reject or further drop his price) or if he's just a chancer or a time-waster.
Would anyone ask for a car to be delivered?
Needless to say, he's been told he's not buying the car
I don't remember the last time I sold a car, but it's probably around 20 years ago.
My car's 19 years old, maybe worth 3 grand. Ad went live and within 2 hours this guy emails me offering a bit less than I asked (but still more than I expected to get) but asks "I'm in Livingston so you could take a jaunt through, if it's nice I'll buy and give a lift home" Livingston being around 50 miles from me.
The car isn't insured so I'm driving it nowhere, but I don't think I'd have done that anyway.
He asks how he can test drive it if it's not insured, so I tell him I have a mate with traders insurance who said he'd take him out for the test drive. My mate has a yard where the car is being stored off-road.
A bit of further chat happens and he said he'd try to get through to see the car but didn't commit to a time or day. During these chats he's made aware of all issues with the car, but he keeps adding issues that just don't exist.
This morning I woke to an email from him, mostly waffle justifying his further reduced offer, which included this line.
"If you can have your friend bring you and the car, with the V5C (and ID to prove you are the registered keeper), all other documents, invoices, service history, keys etc etc (anything at all relating to the car that comes with selling it basically).
I will have my wife pay you by bank transfer £xxxx, no further questions asked. It has an MOT so can't be a total shed"
I think it was the "It has an MOT so can't be a total shed" bit which really boiled my piss.
I took time to calm down and replied saying that I'd accept his offer, but I wasn't going to ask my mate to close his business for half a day to drive the car to him, so he'd need to come and see the car if he wanted it.
His response
"How am I to know your friend would need to close his business? I have to be at home with kids as my wife is away today with our car. Forget it."
I don't know if he genuinely expected someone to drive a car to him to buy (or reject or further drop his price) or if he's just a chancer or a time-waster.
Would anyone ask for a car to be delivered?
Needless to say, he's been told he's not buying the car
Expecting everything delivered seems to be the “New normal” with people wanting their cake and eating it and I’ve been asked it a few times, although in nothing as valuable as a car.
A couple of years ago I was giving away a bed (in good condition!) for free as I was moving house and needed it gone ASAP and the number of people who said they’d take it and could I just deliver it to them.
Chris
A couple of years ago I was giving away a bed (in good condition!) for free as I was moving house and needed it gone ASAP and the number of people who said they’d take it and could I just deliver it to them.
Chris
I don’t know how this delivery thing came about - perhaps people latching on to the likes of Cazoo and thinking it’s just a thing? - but yes it seems to be common and only increasing.
I’m a self employed car dealer and regularly get asked about delivery via email, when I reply that yes it can be done and let them know the normal charges involved I rarely get a response back.
I’m a self employed car dealer and regularly get asked about delivery via email, when I reply that yes it can be done and let them know the normal charges involved I rarely get a response back.
Just Ignore it.
Set a realistic price that it will sell quickly at, DO NOT make any claims such as no faults etc, as this could come back to bite you afterwards, just stick to the facts, Colour, mileage, number of owners etc and hope for the best.
Also, don't wait home especially, for anyone to turn up, choose a time that you would be at home anyway.
Set a realistic price that it will sell quickly at, DO NOT make any claims such as no faults etc, as this could come back to bite you afterwards, just stick to the facts, Colour, mileage, number of owners etc and hope for the best.
Also, don't wait home especially, for anyone to turn up, choose a time that you would be at home anyway.
I feel your pain.
I’ve got my old Volvo listed and at a figure that I think is fair, possibly even too cheap but I figured it’d get it away quick and hassle free. I was wrong.
Never in 20yrs of selling cars privately has a car attracted so many time wasters and dreamers. Despite me writing no swaps, won’t deliver etc etc… you name it, I’ve had it from can I get it transported to people less than 50 miles away whining ‘I’d have it if wasn’t so far’ to the usual queue of anoraks wanting paint depth readings and the name of the dealer principal when it was sold new.
I’m sick of it now, I’m at the stage I’d rather stick it in a lock up for the foreseeable rather than deal with more of the same. People just want everything for nothing lately and the more on top. Don’t get drawn into dead ends by those who use tyre kicking a pastime. If somebody wants it, they’ll come and get it with minimal fuss - if somebody is making it a hassle, they probably have no desire to buy.
I’ve got my old Volvo listed and at a figure that I think is fair, possibly even too cheap but I figured it’d get it away quick and hassle free. I was wrong.
Never in 20yrs of selling cars privately has a car attracted so many time wasters and dreamers. Despite me writing no swaps, won’t deliver etc etc… you name it, I’ve had it from can I get it transported to people less than 50 miles away whining ‘I’d have it if wasn’t so far’ to the usual queue of anoraks wanting paint depth readings and the name of the dealer principal when it was sold new.
I’m sick of it now, I’m at the stage I’d rather stick it in a lock up for the foreseeable rather than deal with more of the same. People just want everything for nothing lately and the more on top. Don’t get drawn into dead ends by those who use tyre kicking a pastime. If somebody wants it, they’ll come and get it with minimal fuss - if somebody is making it a hassle, they probably have no desire to buy.
Stick it in a classic auction. It's out of your way and just supply keys and all the history, with a 'reasonable' reserve of course. 
Yes there's a sellers fee but SWVA (just to name one) are doing no fee entries at the moment on their classic auction. Manor Park Classics are another doing free entry.
If it's not worth much, eBay no reserve 'just let it go for whatever' is an option I've used.
Yes there's a sellers fee but SWVA (just to name one) are doing no fee entries at the moment on their classic auction. Manor Park Classics are another doing free entry.If it's not worth much, eBay no reserve 'just let it go for whatever' is an option I've used.
ScoobyChris said:
Expecting everything delivered seems to be the “New normal” with people wanting their cake and eating it and I’ve been asked it a few times, although in nothing as valuable as a car.
A couple of years ago I was giving away a bed (in good condition!) for free as I was moving house and needed it gone ASAP and the number of people who said they’d take it and could I just deliver it to them.
Chris
Perhaps I'm in a minority but I'd sooner buy a cumbersome item new and have it delivered than have it given and have the faff or having to move it myself. That said, I'd be happy enough to collect a car as I could drive it home.A couple of years ago I was giving away a bed (in good condition!) for free as I was moving house and needed it gone ASAP and the number of people who said they’d take it and could I just deliver it to them.
Chris
I bought a car in Jan from Cumbria. Maybe 90 miles away. My lease car was due to go but needed to to go to the garage halfway between me and the seller of my "new!" car. He dropped it off at my house. I transferred the money (deposit paid a few days earlier) and I took him to Carlisle where his son collected him whilst my lease car was in the garage. No public transport to pick up the used car I was buying. So dull story but no NOT an unusual request.
Once sold a chevrolet astro van, the buyer wanted it delivering. He also wanted me to get it converted to LPG at his cost before I delivered it to him.
I declined the LPG bit, but he paid me in full for the van plus delivery upfront, so I went and delivered it as I hadn't been getting much interest. Guy was loaded, more money than sense, the van had plenty of findable issues on it that I would expect someone to have knocked the price down, but he hadn't seen it so didn't get the chance.
Sometimes it works!
I declined the LPG bit, but he paid me in full for the van plus delivery upfront, so I went and delivered it as I hadn't been getting much interest. Guy was loaded, more money than sense, the van had plenty of findable issues on it that I would expect someone to have knocked the price down, but he hadn't seen it so didn't get the chance.
Sometimes it works!
Ok, this surprises me, quite mixed views. I'm now feeling old, and probably justifiably so.
If I buy a car, I want to see it and drive it before I pay a penny for it.
I could possibly buy a 4 or 5 year old car unseen/driven, but a 19 year old car?
The guy came across as a complete twunt. If he had been a bit more sensible, worded things better and the car was insured, I might have considered taking a last run in her.
She'll be someone else's car now
If I buy a car, I want to see it and drive it before I pay a penny for it.
I could possibly buy a 4 or 5 year old car unseen/driven, but a 19 year old car?
The guy came across as a complete twunt. If he had been a bit more sensible, worded things better and the car was insured, I might have considered taking a last run in her.
She'll be someone else's car now
If I got good vibes from a buyer and thought the sale was likely to happen then I'd be OK with delivering within 50 miles - I'd chuck my bike in the boot and cycle home. One party is going to have to deal with some logistical hassle so if it helps the car get sold I'd be happy enough for it to be me.
However if the prospective buyer had already been a pain in the arse, banging on about service history on a £3k car and trying to get the price down further, and I had to get somebody else to actually drive it...then no way. I can't stand people like that and I'd probably end up telling them to bugger off even if they'd come to me.
However if the prospective buyer had already been a pain in the arse, banging on about service history on a £3k car and trying to get the price down further, and I had to get somebody else to actually drive it...then no way. I can't stand people like that and I'd probably end up telling them to bugger off even if they'd come to me.
db said:
Hoofy said:
Now you see why WBAC is a realistic option.
But WBAC are offering less than 1/3rd of what the car will sell for...shtu said:
db said:
Just curious to see what others think.
Total timewaster. As soon as you got the "bring it to me and I *might* buy it" that's a massive red flag.People like that should be ignored early.
I’d not even bother replying to that kind of ‘request’
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