Selling privately after a number of years..tell me the worst
Discussion
Been a while since I've posted on these forums so appreciate there's a lot of new people in the group I don't know. Hoping you can give an old member a few tips. I was around when this forum helped track down a couple of Elise vandals which caused some controversy so if any of you still remember that you can appreciate how long I've been in the Lotus fold!
I'm after some general advice really as it's been probably 15 years since I sold a car privately and that was my old Elise. Now, after 10 years and only 4000 miles I've decided to part with my S2 Exige S. I was going to go straight to a dealer and avoid selling privately but none of them really want it as it's too old and they need to provide warranties.
I'll sell it through PH but what are the risks to watch out for these days from potential callers? i.e. what scams are people trying to pull, what are the risks of theft during viewings, is it better to meet people in a public place or at home, how is it best to get paid (bank transfer preferably but how long do you wait before you hand over the keys). All this stuff puts me off and having to deal with time wasters/tyre kickers sounds like a nightmare.
What experiences have any of you had recently with this and how long did it take you to sell?
All thoughts greatly appreciated and if you know anyone who wants an low mileage S2 in superb condition send them this way :-)
I'm after some general advice really as it's been probably 15 years since I sold a car privately and that was my old Elise. Now, after 10 years and only 4000 miles I've decided to part with my S2 Exige S. I was going to go straight to a dealer and avoid selling privately but none of them really want it as it's too old and they need to provide warranties.
I'll sell it through PH but what are the risks to watch out for these days from potential callers? i.e. what scams are people trying to pull, what are the risks of theft during viewings, is it better to meet people in a public place or at home, how is it best to get paid (bank transfer preferably but how long do you wait before you hand over the keys). All this stuff puts me off and having to deal with time wasters/tyre kickers sounds like a nightmare.
What experiences have any of you had recently with this and how long did it take you to sell?
All thoughts greatly appreciated and if you know anyone who wants an low mileage S2 in superb condition send them this way :-)
I’ve tried Will B already, I’ve also spoken to Stratton’s where I bought it from. Then tried B&C but Jamie didn’t want it as they have Emira to prioritise. JCT said it was too old and Hilton & Moss offered to look at it for me which was kind of them but the money they would pay is in the area of a standard NA exige on private sale.
As you can see I’ve spoken to pretty much everyone that we would go to if in the market to buy.
Jamie at B&C suggested I should market it privately at £36k which he felt was fair at todays prices. Maybe the market is not as buoyant as I’d been led to believe. Lots of people saying they are sought after but the same cars are floating around.
Anyway that’s why I’m seeking the advice from you guys…the experts so to speak.
As you can see I’ve spoken to pretty much everyone that we would go to if in the market to buy.
Jamie at B&C suggested I should market it privately at £36k which he felt was fair at todays prices. Maybe the market is not as buoyant as I’d been led to believe. Lots of people saying they are sought after but the same cars are floating around.
Anyway that’s why I’m seeking the advice from you guys…the experts so to speak.
I must point out all of the dealers and Will when I spoke to them were super helpful and friendly so this is not a slight on them for not wanting to take it. I guess it’s obviously difficult for a main dealer to sell a car of that age. I don’t think of it as old being one of the later S2’s but in reality it’s heading for classic status soon. They need to protect themselves from possible problems that come with selling older models not in production.
I’m really appreciative of you all jumping in on this. With regards to B&C Jamie said the overheads on dealer floor space are so huge that it just doesn’t pay to have older cars sitting there for months and it erodes all the margin in the car. That plus I hear Lotus group make all dealers offer a warranty on used Lotus’s now which is only valid on cars up to 10 years old. All in all it looks like Mr Seal is my next port of call. Is it best to contact you through PH or give you a call via the link I think someone’s kindly posted?
To be fair Will didn’t say he didn’t want it, he just didn’t seem particularly interested and low balled an offer which made me feel like it was just to end the conversation there. I’m sure he would have taken it if I’d had accepted that price. Even Will said they aren’t as easy to shift these days. I think he made far more sales when they were still allowed to be exported. Like I said everyone I spoke to was great from an information gathering perspective. Maybe my estimate of what it’s worth is off, I’m just basing it on the classified prices not a we buy any car estimate!
I've never liked the idea of SoR for a couple of reasons. Firstly I'm overprotective of keeping the car in mint condition and the idea of it being in a showroom where people are climbing in and out of it and test driving it doesn't appeal. Secondly, if it's not in my possession and something happens to it, I can imagine it being an insurance nightmare I just don't want the hassle of dealing with.
Listening to all of the comments I've taken on board the pro's and cons to private and trade. I've spoken with Jon for nearly an hour today (thanks Jon, great chewing the fat with you) and I'm going to make the decision based on a wise mans experience! If anyone else is in my position I highly recommend talking with him. Whoever suggested that..I owe you a drink.
Listening to all of the comments I've taken on board the pro's and cons to private and trade. I've spoken with Jon for nearly an hour today (thanks Jon, great chewing the fat with you) and I'm going to make the decision based on a wise mans experience! If anyone else is in my position I highly recommend talking with him. Whoever suggested that..I owe you a drink.
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff