Car Finding Services
Discussion
Does anyone have any experience with them?
I personally get absolutely no pleasure from "the chase". I just find it annoying, so I am seriously considering using one to find my next car. I know what I want but the use of this sort of service is completely alien to me.
What is your experience? Did it pay off?
I personally get absolutely no pleasure from "the chase". I just find it annoying, so I am seriously considering using one to find my next car. I know what I want but the use of this sort of service is completely alien to me.
What is your experience? Did it pay off?
It's strange how some posts just don't get replies, isn't it? You'd think someone would be able to help with this.
I suppose you could ask local car dealers, as they could check what's coming up at the big auction houses, which we don't really have access to.
Google suggests there are people offering the service you want, but all you could do is check their reviews really.
I suppose you could ask local car dealers, as they could check what's coming up at the big auction houses, which we don't really have access to.
Google suggests there are people offering the service you want, but all you could do is check their reviews really.
Car brokers exist - it depends on what you’re looking for though. If you wanted a rare, high-end vehicle, most dealers who specialise in this type of car would do some legwork for you if they thought there was a sale in it for them.
If you wanted a mainstream car, then probably less so.
Trudging round garages can be a thankless and time consuming task though!
If you wanted a mainstream car, then probably less so.
Trudging round garages can be a thankless and time consuming task though!
Hi all
I was being deliberately vague in the original post, I know what company I would use but wasn't sure I could name it while still complying with PH rules. Which probably didn't help my case much!
However if people want to find a late E92 335i with the N55 engine (which I believe is more reliable) the manual gearbox, a non-black interior (not bothered on what colour it is, so long as it isn't black). It also has to have a sun-roof and generally be a very high spec, it would need to have the screen in the dash for starters (Court_S and his N54 335i Readers Cars thread taught me you can buy a screen which goes there for Apple Car Play. I haven't checked but assume I can also get the same idea for Android Auto, as I use Android devices). Don't care what the outside colour is, so long as the whole car isn't Ronald McDonald colours with Dakar Yellow and Oyster Red or something like that. Plus the usual full service history, clean MOT history etc. If someone who loves the chase can find it, feel free.
Oh, edited to add, £15,000 budget (which I think/hope would be enough)
I was being deliberately vague in the original post, I know what company I would use but wasn't sure I could name it while still complying with PH rules. Which probably didn't help my case much!
However if people want to find a late E92 335i with the N55 engine (which I believe is more reliable) the manual gearbox, a non-black interior (not bothered on what colour it is, so long as it isn't black). It also has to have a sun-roof and generally be a very high spec, it would need to have the screen in the dash for starters (Court_S and his N54 335i Readers Cars thread taught me you can buy a screen which goes there for Apple Car Play. I haven't checked but assume I can also get the same idea for Android Auto, as I use Android devices). Don't care what the outside colour is, so long as the whole car isn't Ronald McDonald colours with Dakar Yellow and Oyster Red or something like that. Plus the usual full service history, clean MOT history etc. If someone who loves the chase can find it, feel free.
Oh, edited to add, £15,000 budget (which I think/hope would be enough)
Roboticarm said:
Have a look in the car buying forum, there's a few guys in there who seem to buy and sell alot to cars and might be able to assist your search
That's not what this post is about... It is asking asking the Vehicle Sourcing companies around People asked what car I wanted so I said...
Shermanator said:
That's not what this post is about... It is asking asking the Vehicle Sourcing companies around
People asked what car I wanted so I said...
You need to be careful, and understand the following.People asked what car I wanted so I said...
A dealer, or car sourcing service, may find you a car that's at an auction.
Dealer buys car for you on their auction account, maybe giving you an invoice for sourcing the car, or even an invoice for "managing" the purchase.
That's all fine if the car's good.
But in the possible scenario there's an auction description problem, or the car turns out to be clocked, you'll have no recourse from the auction because the indemnity that you pay to the auction will be in the dealers name.
So the auction won't entertain talking to you about it, only the account holder.
And if the account holder doesn't want to get involved, you fall down the crack in the middle, and are stuck with it.
A very rare scenario, but I've seen it happen.
The correct way to do it is to tell a dealer to find the car, sell it to you, like a normal retail sale.
That way your consumer rights are intact.
Shermanator said:
Hi all
I was being deliberately vague in the original post, I know what company I would use but wasn't sure I could name it while still complying with PH rules. Which probably didn't help my case much!
However if people want to find a late E92 335i with the N55 engine (which I believe is more reliable) the manual gearbox, a non-black interior (not bothered on what colour it is, so long as it isn't black). It also has to have a sun-roof and generally be a very high spec, it would need to have the screen in the dash for starters (Court_S and his N54 335i Readers Cars thread taught me you can buy a screen which goes there for Apple Car Play. I haven't checked but assume I can also get the same idea for Android Auto, as I use Android devices). Don't care what the outside colour is, so long as the whole car isn't Ronald McDonald colours with Dakar Yellow and Oyster Red or something like that. Plus the usual full service history, clean MOT history etc. If someone who loves the chase can find it, feel free.
Oh, edited to add, £15,000 budget (which I think/hope would be enough)
The problem you have got is that what you are looking for is incredibly rare. I was looking for exactly this in 2012-2014 back when they were relatively new and I think I saw 2 cars that met the requirement (I hate black interiors too, but I wasn't fussed about a sunroof). What I spotted at the time was that when somebody was adventurous with spec and colours 99% of the time they went for the auto gearbox (which was actually DCT in the E92 I think). I was being deliberately vague in the original post, I know what company I would use but wasn't sure I could name it while still complying with PH rules. Which probably didn't help my case much!
However if people want to find a late E92 335i with the N55 engine (which I believe is more reliable) the manual gearbox, a non-black interior (not bothered on what colour it is, so long as it isn't black). It also has to have a sun-roof and generally be a very high spec, it would need to have the screen in the dash for starters (Court_S and his N54 335i Readers Cars thread taught me you can buy a screen which goes there for Apple Car Play. I haven't checked but assume I can also get the same idea for Android Auto, as I use Android devices). Don't care what the outside colour is, so long as the whole car isn't Ronald McDonald colours with Dakar Yellow and Oyster Red or something like that. Plus the usual full service history, clean MOT history etc. If someone who loves the chase can find it, feel free.
Oh, edited to add, £15,000 budget (which I think/hope would be enough)
In the end I got fed up looking and factory ordered a grey over red manual M135i 3 door with electric memory seats, Pro Nav and the wood trim, a spec that probably hasn't ever been repeated.
So in short, it's a highly unenviable task and a car like that may not come to market for a very long time. Having very specific criteria that doesn't involve a black interior for a 2nd hand car is sadly almost a guarantee of never actually buying anything although I am guilty of it myself.
Good luck!
Just set a search up in autotrader and it’ll notify you as / if any matching cars get added.
Easy to do pick bmw, 3 series, 335i, coupe, up to 2013, manual.
As others have said that’s a rare car, before you even get to your expectations around mileage, service history and price.
I wanted a manual 125i m sport cab with sub 80k miles, prof nav, heated seats and it took about 3 months before one popped up.
Facebook marketplace and EBay will both also allow you to set up a similar search, but it’s less accurate.
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