Sourcing a used car

[Ciaran]

Morning all

I wonder can you help me, I'm after a recommendation. I need someone to source me a car (XC90) as I'm in Northern Ireland and we don't have as good a selection and what ones are available are are more expensive than their counterparts on the mainland. I was going to get a company to do the searching for me to save me a few trips across the water.

Have any of you used such a service, if so, could you let me know how it works (payment etc) and would you use them again.

Thanks

[Pints]

Not a sourcing company, but they do seem to have a reasonable selection.

http://www.autoquake.com/cars?make=12764&model...

[Ciaran]

Pints said:

Not a sourcing company, but they do seem to have a reasonable selection.

http://www.autoquake.com/cars?make=12764&model...

I've noticed their website, very impressive.

What I was hoping for though was to cut out the middle man. Obviously they are making a profit on the car and the person sourcing the car will be after a fee so if there was a company who was able to buy at auction for example that would save a few ££.

Edited by Ciaran on Monday 31st January 09:36

[Deva Link]

Joe Dowd is one I've seen mentioned as having a good reputation: http://www.auctioncarbuyer.co.uk/About-AuctionCarB...

[confused_buyer]

How old are you taking?

I wouldn't buy an XC90 at auction unless it is a recent one. Any savings you (might) make will be wiped out by one fault, and they tend to have quite a few on the older examples.

[Ciaran]

confused_buyer said:

How old are you taking?

I wouldn't buy an XC90 at auction unless it is a recent one. Any savings you (might) make will be wiped out by one fault, and they tend to have quite a few on the older examples.

2005 163bhp model. I'd be buying a warranty as well from someone like Warranty Direct.

[confused_buyer]

Ciaran said:

2005 163bhp model. I'd be buying a warranty as well from someone like Warranty Direct.

That's not going to cover you for anything wrong with it at point of sale.

[Ciaran]

confused_buyer said:

That's not going to cover you for anything wrong with it at point of sale.

What would you expect to happen?

I've a very specific requirement drawn up and I imagined that if they didn't have / find what I was after there would be no sale.

[confused_buyer]

Ciaran said:

What would you expect to happen?

I've a very specific requirement drawn up and I imagined that if they didn't have / find what I was after there would be no sale.

My point is you need to be clear, particularly if using an auction buyer, what happens if the car in the auction turns out to need some serious money spent on it.

Buying from auction isn't like buying from a showroom where you pick the colour and spec and then buy. If you're looking at 2005's then you're probably outside the lease stuff and would be looking at general px's etc. which can, and do, need some serious money spending on them.

[Ciaran]

confused_buyer said:

My point is you need to be clear, particularly if using an auction buyer, what happens if the car in the auction turns out to need some serious money spent on it.

Buying from auction isn't like buying from a showroom where you pick the colour and spec and then buy. If you're looking at 2005's then you're probably outside the lease stuff and would be looking at general px's etc. which can, and do, need some serious money spending on them.

I get you now. Would it be any different than me buying privately from a random chap on autotrader. As long as the car has a full service history does it matter if it's from an auction or private seller?

[will_]

Ciaran said:

confused_buyer said:

My point is you need to be clear, particularly if using an auction buyer, what happens if the car in the auction turns out to need some serious money spent on it.

Buying from auction isn't like buying from a showroom where you pick the colour and spec and then buy. If you're looking at 2005's then you're probably outside the lease stuff and would be looking at general px's etc. which can, and do, need some serious money spending on them.

I get you now. Would it be any different than me buying privately from a random chap on autotrader. As long as the car has a full service history does it matter if it's from an auction or private seller?

You want to be thinking "why is it in an auction?" You don't get as much of a chance to inspect auction cars, so they can (but not always) be the best place for the trade to shift complete dogs/cars with expensive faults....

[paoloh]

will_ said:

You want to be thinking "why is it in an auction?" You don't get as much of a chance to inspect auction cars, so they can (but not always) be the best place for the trade to shift complete dogs/cars with expensive faults....

Where do you think the trade buys most of its stock?

[Ciaran]

paoloh said:

Where do you think the trade buys most of its stock?

That's what I was wondering.

[will_]

paoloh said:

will_ said:

You want to be thinking "why is it in an auction?" You don't get as much of a chance to inspect auction cars, so they can (but not always) be the best place for the trade to shift complete dogs/cars with expensive faults....

Where do you think the trade buys most of its stock?

Where do you think the trade dumps most of it's dogs?

If you are in the trade (particularly if you are marque specific) you'll have a good idea what to look for, less so if you're a private buyer. If you're in the trade you are also prepared to take a gamble, and if there is a problem you are probably able to attend to it more cheaply than a private punter.

I was just pointing out the potential risk over and above a private sale, not saying that all cars at auction should be avoided. Just go in with eyes open - it's not the same as going to a dealer.

[confused_buyer]

The trade does indeed buy most of the stock at auction. I'm not saying do not buy at auction but it does worry me if I see private punters approaching an auction as if it is a showroom.

Once you get away from the 1-3 year old lease cars you are amongst the bear pit of random px's etc. Some of these are nice, some are horrible. At auction all you can establish is the cosmetic condition and that it can move forward at 5mph. That leaves a massive area for other faults.

Remember too that trade buyers have access to trade mechanics, get a much lower buyers fee and have auction accounts to bung it back through if it is a dog.

[confused_buyer]

Ciaran said:

I get you now. Would it be any different than me buying privately from a random chap on autotrader. As long as the car has a full service history does it matter if it's from an auction or private seller?

Well, I assume you'd drive the car on a private sale? For example, as a trade buyer, I won't buy any Volvo auto between 2000-2003 over 80k miles at auction because 50% of them have a failed valve body and will slip/jump between 2nd and 3rd. The only way to establish this is to drive it and it won't show at auction so they're a complete gamble.

[paoloh]

confused_buyer said:

Well, I assume you'd drive the car on a private sale? For example, as a trade buyer, I won't buy any Volvo auto between 2000-2003 over 80k miles at auction because 50% of them have a failed valve body and will slip/jump between 2nd and 3rd. The only way to establish this is to drive it and it won't show at auction so they're a complete gamble.

Some auctions, I believe Shoreham still does it allows to you test vehicles for up to one hour after hammer has fallen.

You need to check windscreen ticket to see if it applies to that vehicle.

[confused_buyer]

paoloh said:

Some auctions, I believe Shoreham still does it allows to you test vehicles for up to one hour after hammer has fallen.

You need to check windscreen ticket to see if it applies to that vehicle.

It is very, very rare though - 95% of auction cars are at BCA and Manheim and a very small selection of those have "no major faults" or "assured" and even then they don't cover many of the things cars need fixed.

Also, when you work it out, at many auction is is pretty much deliberately designed so that a private buyer can't pay for and get the car out in the windows available so it is all a bit of a con.

[Ciaran]

Ok, so how do you suggest I go about buying the car? Surely there must be a reliable company that takes the hassel out of the process or do I just buy from a trade dealer.

Bearing in mind a warranty from someone in England isn't much use to me in Northern Ireland.

Thanks

[paoloh]

Ciaran said:

Ok, so how do you suggest I go about buying the car? Surely there must be a reliable company that takes the hassel out of the process or do I just buy from a trade dealer.

Bearing in mind a warranty from someone in England isn't much use to me in Northern Ireland.

Thanks

Personally, I'd line up 3- 5 to look at in Cheshire area, take a day trip across and haggle hard.

As a smiley little rodent says, Simples.