Anyone else having real trouble selling their car?
Discussion
Is it just me or is anyone else struggling to sell their car(s)?
My RX-8 has been advertised fairly consistently since the middle of November last year, yet I seem to be having no luck whatsoever. I can count on one hand the number of viewings I've had, it's been reduced in price massively, and I feel like I'm giving it away at its current price. I've had very little interest really, and interestingly enough when it was up for £5.5k was when I had the most interest.
I've never had this problem before, every car I've had has sold to the first viewer usually for a few hundred under the asking price. The number one factor is price obviously, yet when I look at cars at the same price mine is usually newer and has lower mileage. Granted mine is not in brilliant condition, but the ad is well written and has detailed pics. I know it's not the easiest car in the world to sell, but it's following me around like a bad smell.
Console me with tales of woe when selling cars, so I know I'm not the only one suffering
My RX-8 has been advertised fairly consistently since the middle of November last year, yet I seem to be having no luck whatsoever. I can count on one hand the number of viewings I've had, it's been reduced in price massively, and I feel like I'm giving it away at its current price. I've had very little interest really, and interestingly enough when it was up for £5.5k was when I had the most interest.
I've never had this problem before, every car I've had has sold to the first viewer usually for a few hundred under the asking price. The number one factor is price obviously, yet when I look at cars at the same price mine is usually newer and has lower mileage. Granted mine is not in brilliant condition, but the ad is well written and has detailed pics. I know it's not the easiest car in the world to sell, but it's following me around like a bad smell.
Console me with tales of woe when selling cars, so I know I'm not the only one suffering
I'm not trying to sell my car at the moment, but I didnt get a single call when I put my car up for sale on PH in December (yes I know its one of the worst months to try and sell).
Most of my other cars have been pretty easy to shift, other than my first car (corsa) which was surprisingly difficult.
I can imagine an RX8 to be pretty difficult to sell at the moment with everyone panicing about fuel prices. I was shocked when I was browsing around on AT the other day and discovered you can get them for as little as £3k now.
Most of my other cars have been pretty easy to shift, other than my first car (corsa) which was surprisingly difficult.
I can imagine an RX8 to be pretty difficult to sell at the moment with everyone panicing about fuel prices. I was shocked when I was browsing around on AT the other day and discovered you can get them for as little as £3k now.
RX8 Bruv, that's your problem. Timebomb, innit. Besides, yours is overpriced, I've seen 'em for 3k.
Ooops, I haven't helped here, have I?
ensignia said:
Console me with tales of woe when selling cars, so I know I'm not the only one suffering
Last car: Alfa GTV V6. Advertised on PH at 4pm. Sold by 8pm for full asking.Ooops, I haven't helped here, have I?
In the past, I have been lucky in that when someone comes to view the cars I have for sale, they generally agree that (a) the car is mint and (b) worth the money.
In the present climate, you have to look at many more factors like:
(1) running costs and mpg are increasingly more relevant
(2) travelling on the basis you might not like it, it is misdescribed or the seller might not haggle is economically more risky
(3) dependent on the car, the geographical location can exclude potential buyers. In the past, getting people to travel 9 miles outside Cardiff has been difficult enough but for most people, "Wales" is some parallel cosmos.
With specialised cars, I therefore think you are governed by number of potential punters within a certain area with the money to spend at any given point in time correlated to the number of cars available for sale wthin that area. With a showy car, average condition would slip it down the rankings and I would rather haggle for a better car and even end up paying more rather than remedying defects or wear so a blinding valet might help.
In a recession, i also think cars slip well down the list of priorities save in the case of "essential transport".
In the present climate, you have to look at many more factors like:
(1) running costs and mpg are increasingly more relevant
(2) travelling on the basis you might not like it, it is misdescribed or the seller might not haggle is economically more risky
(3) dependent on the car, the geographical location can exclude potential buyers. In the past, getting people to travel 9 miles outside Cardiff has been difficult enough but for most people, "Wales" is some parallel cosmos.
With specialised cars, I therefore think you are governed by number of potential punters within a certain area with the money to spend at any given point in time correlated to the number of cars available for sale wthin that area. With a showy car, average condition would slip it down the rankings and I would rather haggle for a better car and even end up paying more rather than remedying defects or wear so a blinding valet might help.
In a recession, i also think cars slip well down the list of priorities save in the case of "essential transport".
Not the car thats the problem, its the market, a lot of people would love your RX8 but reality dictates that sub 20 mpg and £400 plus VED conspire against it, that is even not taking the internet folklore into account. Also, I guess that posting a thread saying you cant sell them for love nor money at the moment isnt going to help.
Cars always find a buyer one way or another, sometimes its waiting, and sometimes its just down to price.
I suspect the RX8 is a car on which a lot of people have been burnt really badly and you are competing with people who can afford to bail out and basically give them away, or if not actually afford to, are prepared to.
Its funny how people will avoid stuff like your RX8 like the absolute plaugue and then spend 17 grand on a three cylinder Polo BlueMotion diesel and then wax lyrical about the massive savings it brings....
I am wondering how well my Saab will sell when I come to advertise it, suspect I may get a similar shock.
Cars always find a buyer one way or another, sometimes its waiting, and sometimes its just down to price.
I suspect the RX8 is a car on which a lot of people have been burnt really badly and you are competing with people who can afford to bail out and basically give them away, or if not actually afford to, are prepared to.
Its funny how people will avoid stuff like your RX8 like the absolute plaugue and then spend 17 grand on a three cylinder Polo BlueMotion diesel and then wax lyrical about the massive savings it brings....
I am wondering how well my Saab will sell when I come to advertise it, suspect I may get a similar shock.
ensignia said:
Mine's the £245 a year version as it's a 54 plate.
Not that it seems to matter
Might be worth mentioning that in your ad as a cursory check for the RX8's VED will tell prospective buyers £445, I hadnt realised that >225 gm/km cars pre March 2006 didnt have to pay the higher charges until recently, opens up some more possibillities, ok its only £200 but a big psychological barrier and even now, £200 buys a couple of tanks of juice.Not that it seems to matter
The market is absolutely flooded with them too, over 1100 on AT alone! Also with the perceived list of problems with them, a lot of people will look at buying from a dealer to have some warranty. The nail in the coffin is the economy, the RX8 is designed and very capable of being a daily car rather than a weekend toy, so when you read RX8 owners saying 15mpg around town, most people will run a mile!
I am having a similar problem with my car.
Its competitively priced yet i've had little interest and I have dropped the price quite a bit already.
I thought it was just because I was advertising on PH so I grit my teeth and paid to put it on AT and the only interest i've had off there was some
called Morgan Houston trying to con me, paying by paypal escrow and his friend coming to pick it up as he is a military officer (or so his story went - )
I'm bordering on giving up and part exchanging it now which I didn't want to do but its just not worth the hassle.
Its competitively priced yet i've had little interest and I have dropped the price quite a bit already.
I thought it was just because I was advertising on PH so I grit my teeth and paid to put it on AT and the only interest i've had off there was some
called Morgan Houston trying to con me, paying by paypal escrow and his friend coming to pick it up as he is a military officer (or so his story went - )I'm bordering on giving up and part exchanging it now which I didn't want to do but its just not worth the hassle.
). I turned down offers of £4300 and £4500 about two months ago. I'm regretting that now 
Put a beautiful MX5 up for sale on PH a week ago. Right colour, right spec, right engine, low mileage, full history, lovely condition, very fair price. Really thought it'd get snapped up.
One enquiry, chap at the other end of the country, seemed keen but didn't get as far as coming to view.
By Friday I was getting mildly concerned as already bought another car, stuck it in Autotrader. Nothing.
Then Sunday a call (via PH so Autotrader a waste of money, oh well), nice chap, lived in next town, could he see it? Came over, had a run, showed him all the paperwork, he bid well under what I wanted, had a bit of a haggle, came up to within about £250 of my "bottom line", thought sod it, bird in the hand, and let it go. Paid and took it today.
I've cancelled the PH advert but I'm tempted to leave the Autotrader one running just to see what other interest I get, but yes, it's blimmin quiet out there.
Just goes to show though, you only need one, just the right one. I think I was the only enquiry on the car I bought too...
The other thing I think is that when you get up toward £10K and then over you're into a realm where many people are nervous of buying privately, and/or need to have a part exchange or they can't fund the one they're buying without the money from theirs.
One enquiry, chap at the other end of the country, seemed keen but didn't get as far as coming to view.
By Friday I was getting mildly concerned as already bought another car, stuck it in Autotrader. Nothing.
Then Sunday a call (via PH so Autotrader a waste of money, oh well), nice chap, lived in next town, could he see it? Came over, had a run, showed him all the paperwork, he bid well under what I wanted, had a bit of a haggle, came up to within about £250 of my "bottom line", thought sod it, bird in the hand, and let it go. Paid and took it today.
I've cancelled the PH advert but I'm tempted to leave the Autotrader one running just to see what other interest I get, but yes, it's blimmin quiet out there.
Just goes to show though, you only need one, just the right one. I think I was the only enquiry on the car I bought too...
The other thing I think is that when you get up toward £10K and then over you're into a realm where many people are nervous of buying privately, and/or need to have a part exchange or they can't fund the one they're buying without the money from theirs.
ensignia said:
Is it just me or is anyone else struggling to sell their car(s)?
My RX-8
This is the problem. Due to the issues and negative comments about them recently, it has caused prices to sink. The fact that the knackered ones are a lot cheaper also means that the slightly more expensive but good condition ones don't sell as niave buyers wont bother with them. It is unfortunate really..My RX-8
Short of linking to the ad these are the details of my car:
54 plate registered December '04, 46k, FSH, 10 month MOT (tax just expired), 3 previous owners, leather, BOSE, xenons etc. No mechanical faults, scratches to rear O/S arch and bumper. £3,995.
Now that to me sounds very reasonable, so why in God's name is it not getting any bites?! It's seriously beginning to depress me as it's on my mind all the time.
54 plate registered December '04, 46k, FSH, 10 month MOT (tax just expired), 3 previous owners, leather, BOSE, xenons etc. No mechanical faults, scratches to rear O/S arch and bumper. £3,995.
Now that to me sounds very reasonable, so why in God's name is it not getting any bites?! It's seriously beginning to depress me as it's on my mind all the time.
ensignia said:
Short of linking to the ad these are the details of my car:
54 plate registered December '04, 46k, FSH, 10 month MOT (tax just expired), 3 previous owners, leather, BOSE, xenons etc. No mechanical faults, scratches to rear O/S arch and bumper. £3,995.
Now that to me sounds very reasonable, so why in God's name is it not getting any bites?! It's seriously beginning to depress me as it's on my mind all the time.
No tax would put me off. The other thing is that its now relatively low in price, so I'd be worried there's something wrong. 54 plate registered December '04, 46k, FSH, 10 month MOT (tax just expired), 3 previous owners, leather, BOSE, xenons etc. No mechanical faults, scratches to rear O/S arch and bumper. £3,995.
Now that to me sounds very reasonable, so why in God's name is it not getting any bites?! It's seriously beginning to depress me as it's on my mind all the time.
The final point is that if I've seen your car on there for some time (I noticed some 330ci's when I was looking which were on AT for weeks, I know good ones such as mine were being snapped up in a day or two) then I'd be automatically assuming there is something wrong with it.
I think you missed a trick in not accepting the offers you had. I would personally revamp the ad, ie new photos in new location and re-write the text, so people see it as a new ad. Then stick the price asked back to £4.5k and perhaps advertise as having 12 months tax, which you can sling on when somebody agrees to purchase.
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