Does nobody sell cars privately now?

[2 GKC]

Just tried to sell an E91 privately. Cheap car, which would be great for someone. The utter scum I had to deal with on the phone was breathtaking. One aggressive obnoxious prick after the other, all with some bullst story about why they needed the car urgently, what my lowest price was etc. sold it via Motorway in the end.

[nickfrog]

It might be down to the demographic at that price point, without wanting to make sweeping statements. I never had any issues with undesirables at £15k+ price points privately. Bearing in mind that I try and preempt any aggressivity by my own stern management of expectations in the ad.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

2 GKC said:

Just tried to sell an E91 privately. Cheap car, which would be great for someone. The utter scum I had to deal with on the phone was breathtaking. One aggressive obnoxious prick after the other, all with some bullst story about why they needed the car urgently, what my lowest price was etc. sold it via Motorway in the end.

And then there's me looking for a good reliable car. Everyone is being selective in what they reveal!

[Alanf56]

I recently sold a 520d with 155k on it via Facebook marketplace. Lowered the price to £5k and had many enquiries. So many chancers offering £3k for it. The buyer got in touch and I agreed to meet him halfway as he was travelling a long distance. He bought it for £4750 which we were both happy with.

It took me 3 weeks to sell it and I did deal with a lot of innit bruvs.

[Edible Roadkill]

colin86 said:

Been looking for new car nothing special and there doesn’t seem to be many private sales at all . Have people stopped selling privately? My thinking was they would be better looked after because some of the stuff I have saw in the garages are terrible condition.

Too much hassle trying for an honest private sale, I listed a car on Tuesday and have taken it back down, sick of getting cheeky trade wallopers and even people messaging sounding legit for a few messages and then asking me to car check it through some fake looking car check site. Apparently this is a thing now!!

This total dhead today had me doing walk around videos & everything, I had to wash it 1st, spend ages pandering to him texting all day story was it was for his son. Asked me what price I wanted, arranged to meet me & as I was driving to meet phoned and said he’d only pay 15k, 2k than we had agreed earlier. Told him he was lucky he’d phoned to insult me and not f2f.

It was the cheapest car in the U.K. for make model & specific year & miles.

I’ve given up, too much hassle!!

If you’ve got a cheap car to flog say under 5k you’ll sell it private, if it’s over then you’ll struggle and just get pestered relentlessly.

Edited by Edible Roadkill on Saturday 30th September 23:09

[swanseaboydan]

It’s fine selling privately until you sell to an absolute dick who wants champagne for beer money and phones you up every few days with a complaint . . Or until you have an absolute guts full of scammers and time wasters - never again for me !! Rather lose money and get the deal done in an hour with no come back. I think many people are of this mindset and so private sales are becoming less common.

[Rob 131 Sport]

swanseaboydan said:

It’s fine selling privately until you sell to an absolute dick who wants champagne for beer money and phones you up every few days with a complaint . . Or until you have an absolute guts full of scammers and time wasters - never again for me !! Rather lose money and get the deal done in an hour with no come back. I think many people are of this mindset and so private sales are becoming less common.

I gave up selling my Audi privately. Whilst it was a desirable model and competitively priced there was no real interest.

I ended up selling it to Bristol Street Motors, who were lovely to deal with. Whilst I’ve sold probably (mainly the wife’s) about 20 cars over the years, I’m not sure I’d bother again. This is a shame as over the years I’ve sold to some really nice genuine people when selling a car privately.

[Edible Roadkill]

Someone needs to create a car selling website for private sales only where you get vetted both as seller and buyer.

There is genuine private buyers and sellers out there but there’s an overwhelming amount of throbbers out there just wanting to beat people into trade value or below or scam them in some way.

I had my car for sale willing to take another £500 over best trade price, it’s just not worth it to then spend several days being messed around, told a bunch of lies and then offered less than your best trade price.

[ChrisH72]

I was wondering, if you see a car advertised privately but very clearly overpriced would you even bother making contact with the seller?

Browsing cars this morning. I came across a nice looking car for sale privately in my home town. Looks very good in the ad and the wording makes the seller look genuine. However, the car is main dealership money. Asking price is 17k but the recommended pricing on AT says private sale 15k and part ex 13.5k. I haven't run it through but I'm pretty sure car buying sites would be around the same 13.5k.

I'm not really in a position to pay that kind of money without first selling mine so there's no point in even going to look. But if I were to enquire I would have to be offering around 15k because that's the value of the car compared to other similar ones. I'm pretty sure I'd get a mouthful of abuse for 'lowballing' by being so far under.

How do others deal with this kind of thing?

[Mr Whippy]

Gerradi said:

Mr Whippy said:

Sorry I’d read about transfers being done using stolen details being reversed.

I think this is the issue. Consumers are always behind the scammers.

You go into transactions weary of being scammed.

Oh The way you wrote that I thought you were talking from life experience...

Really?

I thought it was pretty clear it was an example rather than a personal experience.

Broadly, personal experiences start with “I did X and Y happened”

Not “Say X happened then Y happened?!”

[Mr Whippy]

ChrisH72 said:

I was wondering, if you see a car advertised privately but very clearly overpriced would you even bother making contact with the seller?

Browsing cars this morning. I came across a nice looking car for sale privately in my home town. Looks very good in the ad and the wording makes the seller look genuine. However, the car is main dealership money. Asking price is 17k but the recommended pricing on AT says private sale 15k and part ex 13.5k. I haven't run it through but I'm pretty sure car buying sites would be around the same 13.5k.

I'm not really in a position to pay that kind of money without first selling mine so there's no point in even going to look. But if I were to enquire I would have to be offering around 15k because that's the value of the car compared to other similar ones. I'm pretty sure I'd get a mouthful of abuse for 'lowballing' by being so far under.

How do others deal with this kind of thing?

£17,000 to £15,000 isn’t that much if a drop is it?

Also it might be immaculate and that might be what you’re after, and happy to pay a small premium for it?

Going to see a car you genuinely would buy if it’s right, over a ~ 10% gap on price, would be ok in my view.
Just don’t waste their time, if it’s clear it’s not worth £17k or even £15k, to you, call it a day asap.

[Edible Roadkill]

Mr Whippy said:

£17,000 to £15,000 isn’t that much if a drop is it?

Also it might be immaculate and that might be what you’re after, and happy to pay a small premium for it?

Going to see a car you genuinely would buy if it’s right, over a ~ 10% gap on price, would be ok in my view.
Just don’t waste their time, if it’s clear it’s not worth £17k or even £15k, to you, call it a day asap.

It’s a car thats only 8 months old and will retail at 19-20k. Best trade was 16350. I thought I’d aim for 17k private. Middle ground and a win for both buyer and seller. I think not being able to offer finance is the huge hurdle nowdays. People in only buy on pcp and the real cost doesn’t matter to most.

[macron]

ChrisH72 said:

I was wondering, if you see a car advertised privately but very clearly overpriced would you even bother making contact with the seller?

Browsing cars this morning. I came across a nice looking car for sale privately in my home town. Looks very good in the ad and the wording makes the seller look genuine. However, the car is main dealership money. Asking price is 17k but the recommended pricing on AT says private sale 15k and part ex 13.5k. I haven't run it through but I'm pretty sure car buying sites would be around the same 13.5k.

I'm not really in a position to pay that kind of money without first selling mine so there's no point in even going to look. But if I were to enquire I would have to be offering around 15k because that's the value of the car compared to other similar ones. I'm pretty sure I'd get a mouthful of abuse for 'lowballing' by being so far under.

How do others deal with this kind of thing?

>>Awaits post from seller about how they have an immaculate car best spec blah blah top money but so worth it trade-in price what they're offering it for but people keep daring to offer WBAC despite not being WBAC everyone's wrong etc<<

BTW since when did Autotrader's price recommendation mean anything to anyone?!?

And it sounds like this is a seller who may not want to or be in a rush to sell. Not everyone is desperate.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I wouldn't even bother. You'll get 'I don't need to sell/I can wait and its the going price for what I've seen advertised'.

But warranty?

'There's nothing wrong with it and if you want a warranty there are plenty of places that sell these cheap'.......

Motorbikes are a little easier but most owners PX theirs in sadly.

The WORST private seller is a retired person who is in no rush.

[ChrisH72]

I think AT recommended prices look pretty accurate for most cars I look at. Private sale price is usually bang in the middle of part ex and retail which seems common sense to me.

For me personally I wouldn't be viewing the local car in question. It's probably a fine car but not in my preferred colour and they're not exactly rare. Also I don't yet have the cash for a private sale. My money is tied up in a fixed bond which matures end of November. I could buy from a dealer and take finance temporarily which is an option if the right car comes up. They'll also offer part ex which would cost me but save a lot of hassle. It'd come with 12 month warranty too.

It was just an example really. Private sellers asking dealer money. They won't get it, even though they are perfectly entitled to ask what they want. I guess you just go and look at the car then offer what you're prepared to pay, knowing full well it'll be a lot lower than the asking price.

[Mr Whippy]

I normally ask for a good private sale on owners club forums and they go within a day I post.

I’m happy and they’re happy.

That didn’t work for my Golf R32, what a ball ache selling that was. That went to WBAC in the end.
You’d think VAG community would be really solid for those but the people who seem to want to buy them are utter plonkers.


Interesting BMWs and Peugeots seem to attract very sensible buyers.

[nickfrog]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

I wouldn't even bother. You'll get 'I don't need to sell/I can wait and its the going price for what I've seen advertised'.

But warranty?

'There's nothing wrong with it and if you want a warranty there are plenty of places that sell these cheap'.......

Motorbikes are a little easier but most owners PX theirs in sadly.

The WORST private seller is a retired person who is in no rush.

Guilty as charged. Although I am still in touch with several private buyers of my cars, one of them became a friend. Including the guy who bought my M2 last year who was VERY grateful for the condition I kept it in, so I think your assumption is a bit far fetched.

As for warranty, I much prefer to buy privately without one than from an indy trader for a variety of reasons.

Edited by nickfrog on Sunday 1st October 17:40

[Roman Moroni]

ChrisH72 said:

I was wondering, if you see a car advertised privately but very clearly overpriced would you even bother making contact with the seller?

Browsing cars this morning. I came across a nice looking car for sale privately in my home town. Looks very good in the ad and the wording makes the seller look genuine. However, the car is main dealership money. Asking price is 17k but the recommended pricing on AT says private sale 15k and part ex 13.5k. I haven't run it through but I'm pretty sure car buying sites would be around the same 13.5k.

I'm not really in a position to pay that kind of money without first selling mine so there's no point in even going to look. But if I were to enquire I would have to be offering around 15k because that's the value of the car compared to other similar ones. I'm pretty sure I'd get a mouthful of abuse for 'lowballing' by being so far under.

How do others deal with this kind of thing?

For me it would really depend on how much you wanted the car and how long you would be prepared to wait for the seller to drop the price. If you wanted there & then, then you've got no option but to enter into negotiation and run the risk of getting a mouthful.

If you're prepared to sit it out then, for me, I would send a polite email/message showing your interest and go onto say that should the seller decide to reduce the price then perhaps they respond to you. By doing this, you're expressing your interest, you don't come across as a mouthbreather, there's the potential you'll get first dibs on the reduced price. Obviously there's still the possibility for a mouthful though!!

[Mr Whippy]

nickfrog said:

Hugo Stiglitz said:

I wouldn't even bother. You'll get 'I don't need to sell/I can wait and its the going price for what I've seen advertised'.

But warranty?

'There's nothing wrong with it and if you want a warranty there are plenty of places that sell these cheap'.......

Motorbikes are a little easier but most owners PX theirs in sadly.

The WORST private seller is a retired person who is in no rush.

Guilty as charged. Although I am still in touch with several private buyers of my cars, one of them became a friend. Including the guy who bought my M2 last year who was VERY grateful for the condition I kept it in, so I think your assumption is a bit far fetched.

As for warranty, I much prefer to buy privately without one then to an indy trader for a variety of reasons.

Same here wrt keeping in touch with a few.

I think I was 3rd owner for my 306 GTi6, maybe three years later a chap (maybe 6th owner) had it asking about stuff who also had a 911 GT3 among other stuff.
Then just the other year, now on owner 12 or something, asking about info and building up a big history file.


There is definitely a lot to be said for owning an interesting car and keeping it nice and well documented on owners forums, wrt selling on in future.

As said three of my last four cars all went next day after posting forum adverts.
Buyers turn up next day falling over themselves to get them.

Maybe I price too low, but I just ask for AT private prices but with the great history via the forums they seem to be very desirable.


Funnily one of car cars went, got modded over 6 months or so (badly imo), suffered some electrical faults (due to bad mods), then they moved it on and it burned down from an electrical fault the day after.
So buying on “forum” provenance isn’t always a guarantee of much if the seller is a bit of a plonker.

[SFTWend]

ChrisH72 said:

I was wondering, if you see a car advertised privately but very clearly overpriced would you even bother making contact with the seller?

Browsing cars this morning. I came across a nice looking car for sale privately in my home town. Looks very good in the ad and the wording makes the seller look genuine. However, the car is main dealership money. Asking price is 17k but the recommended pricing on AT says private sale 15k and part ex 13.5k. I haven't run it through but I'm pretty sure car buying sites would be around the same 13.5k.

I'm not really in a position to pay that kind of money without first selling mine so there's no point in even going to look. But if I were to enquire I would have to be offering around 15k because that's the value of the car compared to other similar ones. I'm pretty sure I'd get a mouthful of abuse for 'lowballing' by being so far under.

How do others deal with this kind of thing?

I've approached such sellers on several occasions as most seem to want dealer retail for their cars.

If the car is just what I'm looking for, and providing it hasn't just been listed, I'll approach them. I'll show them AT and WhatCar valuations, plus similar cars for sale with dealers, and tell them what I'd be willing to pay subject to viewing and a test drive. I wont waste their time or mine by arranging a viewing before discussing a ballpark price.

Most times the seller will say "thanks but I think it's worth more" and we leave it at that. Never had a rude response because I've been courteous and been able to backup my reasoning with source data. But you can end up doing the deal. There was a Mini Cooper S at £10,495, which had been on AT a couple of months. Seller was happy to take £8,500 providing I could move quickly as they were about to take delivery of the new car they had ordered.

In your example I guess the seller is hoping for £16.5 and would take £16k. So £15k is not too cheeky imo assuming dealers are asking £17/18k.