Selling a car to a trader
Discussion
I'm selling my MIL's car to a trader via Motorway tomorrow - it's only a Meriva worth a couple of grand but proper low miles 1 owner deceased spec over serviced car, with a few cosmetic marks.
It being what it is it has an absolute wedge of paperwork, every service, every MOT, every tyre, wiper blade and screen wash for the last 15 years. The sort of stuff you love to see as a buyer.
My question: do dealers still throw the service history in the nearest bin on the way home citing GDPR? If so I'd rather hang on to it than see it destroyed. I guess they're only interested in the (easily faked) stamps...
It being what it is it has an absolute wedge of paperwork, every service, every MOT, every tyre, wiper blade and screen wash for the last 15 years. The sort of stuff you love to see as a buyer.
My question: do dealers still throw the service history in the nearest bin on the way home citing GDPR? If so I'd rather hang on to it than see it destroyed. I guess they're only interested in the (easily faked) stamps...
sherman said:
Dealer will want V5, a signature and £500 off agreed motorway price. Anything else will be binned.Keep your Grans history.
This. Had the same when getting rid of a previous car of my other half via WBAC despite loads of history in a ring binder in polypockets in date order (yes I am anal and do this with all vehicles).Edited by Jules Sunley on Monday 5th October 01:26
I feared as much. I sort of get it, but a lot of GDPR is baby/bathwater stuff. Sold my late father's car via Motorway and it was a pretty good experience, they did knock me a little on the price due to a mark I hadn't noticed on the rear bumper and a missing locking wheelnut key which annoyed me as I suspect the garage forgot to put it back after the last service so I figured fair enough.
O/T I've been anal about photo'ing every dent and mark on it, do you reckon they'll still try to knock me on a sub-£2k car? What happens if I don't agree, do they just go and the sale is null and void? I want it gone but it's a very honest car and the whole reason for using Motorway was so that I didn't have to stand on the drive arguing with somebody
O/T I've been anal about photo'ing every dent and mark on it, do you reckon they'll still try to knock me on a sub-£2k car? What happens if I don't agree, do they just go and the sale is null and void? I want it gone but it's a very honest car and the whole reason for using Motorway was so that I didn't have to stand on the drive arguing with somebody

To be honest im not sure a folder of paperwork adds a lot of value to a meriva... its not a prestigious brand that requires a specific maintenance schedule.
Very likely someone buying it will want to see when it was last serviced, and what the current MOT says.
And then it'll be run on budget tyres, with minimal or no routine servicing, reactive maintenance, and then when it fails it mot too bad, itll go in the bin.
Id hide the paperwork somewhere a dealer might not look, but if they found it and binned it, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
Very likely someone buying it will want to see when it was last serviced, and what the current MOT says.
And then it'll be run on budget tyres, with minimal or no routine servicing, reactive maintenance, and then when it fails it mot too bad, itll go in the bin.
Id hide the paperwork somewhere a dealer might not look, but if they found it and binned it, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
Chubbyross said:
All of the above. Any car going through a dealership will lose the old paperwork straight away. It has zero value, sadly, especially on a non-premium car. Either keep the documents yourself or bin them.
I traded in a car (less than £1k) to a main dealer and I took what paperwork I had. They said take it home and throw it away, or we'll shread it for you.I suppose its like having your O levels and grades on your CV when you are 50 - no one cares!
To further help your situation, I recently sold my Aston Martin into the trade. It had 18 main dealer stamps in the service book and all of the corresponding paperwork you can imagine such maintenance generates. MOT certificates, invoices, scheduled services along with descriptions of other work carried out etc. Pages of the stuff.
None of that was wanted and it all still sits in a big folder in my office. I'll keep it for a while and if the new owner pops up on one of the forums I'll drop them a message. Failing that, it's heading for the bin.
None of that was wanted and it all still sits in a big folder in my office. I'll keep it for a while and if the new owner pops up on one of the forums I'll drop them a message. Failing that, it's heading for the bin.
brillomaster said:
To be honest im not sure a folder of paperwork adds a lot of value to a meriva... its not a prestigious brand that requires a specific maintenance schedule.
Very likely someone buying it will want to see when it was last serviced, and what the current MOT says.
And then it'll be run on budget tyres, with minimal or no routine servicing, reactive maintenance, and then when it fails it mot too bad, itll go in the bin.
Id hide the paperwork somewhere a dealer might not look, but if they found it and binned it, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
Sad but trueVery likely someone buying it will want to see when it was last serviced, and what the current MOT says.
And then it'll be run on budget tyres, with minimal or no routine servicing, reactive maintenance, and then when it fails it mot too bad, itll go in the bin.
Id hide the paperwork somewhere a dealer might not look, but if they found it and binned it, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
Like others have said they will probably come and try to knock money off, I sold my mums car via Motorway, lots and lots of photos of everything, including brake discs etc. As soon as they turned up they wanted money off because of the brake discs, showed them the advert with pictures of the brakes so they then moved onto the oil "its black" to which I replied yes its a diesel. The oil had been changed about 4 days before, I know this because I did it myself.
In the end they took it at agreed price.
In the end they took it at agreed price.
NiceCupOfTea said:
O/T I've been anal about photo'ing every dent and mark on it, do you reckon they'll still try to knock me on a sub-£2k car? What happens if I don't agree, do they just go and the sale is null and void? I want it gone but it's a very honest car and the whole reason for using Motorway was so that I didn't have to stand on the drive arguing with somebody 
They are probably more likely to haggle over a low value car as the margins are smaller and the scope for there to be minor flaws much higher.
With Motorway and the like you haven't sold the car until the dealer hands over the money. The winning bidder has "won" the opportunity to come and see the car and buy it if they wish. They can walk away, you can walk away, or there can be a negotiation. I sold a £10k car using Carwow - the dealer chipped me a few hundred pounds for complete nonsense, but was still significantly above the WBAC or part-ex price so I was happy enough to let it go.
If they do try to haggle you are perfectly at liberty to invite them to leave without the car. Motorway will re-list it for you.
If the history has sentimental value, then keep it. Even if the dealer did want the receipts (pretty unlikely these days) you could provide photocopies.
As a maximum, they may want the service book if that's stamped, and even those seem to get "lost" these days by dealers who don't want their other stock without service history being devalued.
As a maximum, they may want the service book if that's stamped, and even those seem to get "lost" these days by dealers who don't want their other stock without service history being devalued.
sherman said:
Dealer will want V5, a signature and £500 off agreed motorway price.
Anything else will be binned.
Keep your Grans history.
What are you talking about of course the buyer will want all of the history we wouldn t buy it if it did not have the history and 100% no one is binning service history we just redact any personal info with black marker ink so anything like tel number email name etc Anything else will be binned.
Keep your Grans history.
this is my username said:
They are probably more likely to haggle over a low value car as the margins are smaller and the scope for there to be minor flaws much higher.
With Motorway and the like you haven't sold the car until the dealer hands over the money. The winning bidder has "won" the opportunity to come and see the car and buy it if they wish. They can walk away, you can walk away, or there can be a negotiation. I sold a £10k car using Carwow - the dealer chipped me a few hundred pounds for complete nonsense, but was still significantly above the WBAC or part-ex price so I was happy enough to let it go.
If they do try to haggle you are perfectly at liberty to invite them to leave without the car. Motorway will re-list it for you.
As a seller, is there any cost if you do tell the buyer to sling their hook, and ask for the car to be relisted?With Motorway and the like you haven't sold the car until the dealer hands over the money. The winning bidder has "won" the opportunity to come and see the car and buy it if they wish. They can walk away, you can walk away, or there can be a negotiation. I sold a £10k car using Carwow - the dealer chipped me a few hundred pounds for complete nonsense, but was still significantly above the WBAC or part-ex price so I was happy enough to let it go.
If they do try to haggle you are perfectly at liberty to invite them to leave without the car. Motorway will re-list it for you.
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