Why does no-one want to sell me a car?
Discussion
In particular all the manufacturers, dealers and car advertising websites.
I'd say I've been looking on and off for almost 5 years, devoting anything up to an hour or more a day trying to find a suitable replacement for my current car. So here are my pet hates:-
1. Major items of optional equipment not mentioned in the advert, so you have to scroll through countless pictures in the hope that you might find one that answers the question. Towbars and sunroofs are very commonly in this category.
2. Lists of scores of items that are either unimportant or universal. Wow, it's got chrome tipped exhausts/door pockets/a folding back seat in an estate car etc. It just means ads take longer to read, you read fewer ads, you're less likely to find a car that you want.
3. Massive duplication, so a car will be listed as having air conditioning and climate control, or as I saw recently a car with "ABS", "EBD" "ABS with EBD" as three separate items of kit.
4. Poor quality pictures leaving you unsure whether you are looking at a car which is dark blue, dark grey or black.
5. Cars simply listed in the wrong category, saloons as estates, diesel as petrol etc.
6. Maybe specific to France where I'm searching a lot. A front 3/4 shot of a grey car photoshopped onto a generic dealer premises background. So if you find a car whose spec you might like you can't find it again in a sea of adverts of grey cars with no distinguishing features.
Obviously I'm reasonably happy with my current car, but for there to be an entire industry out there that seems unbothered whether people can easily find a car to change into seems very strange to me.
I'd say I've been looking on and off for almost 5 years, devoting anything up to an hour or more a day trying to find a suitable replacement for my current car. So here are my pet hates:-
1. Major items of optional equipment not mentioned in the advert, so you have to scroll through countless pictures in the hope that you might find one that answers the question. Towbars and sunroofs are very commonly in this category.
2. Lists of scores of items that are either unimportant or universal. Wow, it's got chrome tipped exhausts/door pockets/a folding back seat in an estate car etc. It just means ads take longer to read, you read fewer ads, you're less likely to find a car that you want.
3. Massive duplication, so a car will be listed as having air conditioning and climate control, or as I saw recently a car with "ABS", "EBD" "ABS with EBD" as three separate items of kit.
4. Poor quality pictures leaving you unsure whether you are looking at a car which is dark blue, dark grey or black.
5. Cars simply listed in the wrong category, saloons as estates, diesel as petrol etc.
6. Maybe specific to France where I'm searching a lot. A front 3/4 shot of a grey car photoshopped onto a generic dealer premises background. So if you find a car whose spec you might like you can't find it again in a sea of adverts of grey cars with no distinguishing features.
Obviously I'm reasonably happy with my current car, but for there to be an entire industry out there that seems unbothered whether people can easily find a car to change into seems very strange to me.
Most people don't care, they only care about the monthly cost. For every person like you and I that research the car and everything about it, there will be 10 people who will have no idea what they are actually buying.
They are appealing to the clueless majority, not the 10% of people who know exactly what they are after.
They are appealing to the clueless majority, not the 10% of people who know exactly what they are after.
Obviously the hour a day comes and goes, so the effort steps up just after a major bill, and decreases to nothing when I'm busy with other things, but the fact is that I could have bought a car several times over the last few years. As the average age of cars is increasing, and I suspect the average length of ownership is too, I just think the people who make their living out of selling cars might make it a bit easier for people to find them and buy them.
I think the comment about most people not being too bothered about what they have, and buying at the end of a finance term and therefore just taking whatever fits their budget and is available explains a large part of it.
As for what I'm looking for, well, as a dog owning grumpy old man I'd like a medium to large estate with leather and a sunroof, and painted in a colour, probably red or blue as they seem to be the only common options other than white/grey/black. So not exactly an impossible spec, but certainly a bit out of the ordinary.
I think the comment about most people not being too bothered about what they have, and buying at the end of a finance term and therefore just taking whatever fits their budget and is available explains a large part of it.
As for what I'm looking for, well, as a dog owning grumpy old man I'd like a medium to large estate with leather and a sunroof, and painted in a colour, probably red or blue as they seem to be the only common options other than white/grey/black. So not exactly an impossible spec, but certainly a bit out of the ordinary.
Huzzah said:
andyalan10 said:
I'd say I've been looking on and off for almost 5 years, devoting anything up to an hour or more a day trying to find a suitable replacement for my current car. So here are my pet hates:-
.
Show a serious commitment. .
Yes, it’s all as clear; an estate of the (right size) with leather, lot younger (how much younger?) a nice colour (subjective) diesel/petrol/hybrid/electric, manual/automatic, 4WD/FWD/RWD, as mud!
PH will allow you to select a car by, body type, transmission, driven wheels, performance, fuel, year, seller, colour and finally price, what else do you need?
What ever you do, don’t forget to go armed with a carrier bag full of cash, when you finally pull the trigger, drive past those lazy ass dealers, do donuts in their car park while ……………..!
Buying a car has never been easier!
Do you need someone to pop round and show you how to use the internet?
PH will allow you to select a car by, body type, transmission, driven wheels, performance, fuel, year, seller, colour and finally price, what else do you need?
What ever you do, don’t forget to go armed with a carrier bag full of cash, when you finally pull the trigger, drive past those lazy ass dealers, do donuts in their car park while ……………..!
Buying a car has never been easier!
Do you need someone to pop round and show you how to use the internet?
Completely different infrastructure and culture in France, but in the UK we have Auto Trader, and it can filter on everything you've mentioned so far (body style, age, colour, etc). What is the main platform to sell cars in France, and can it do that too?
And how many as a proportion are we talking about here? 5 years is a long time to want to buy a car but not do it.
And how many as a proportion are we talking about here? 5 years is a long time to want to buy a car but not do it.
andyalan10 said:
In particular all the manufacturers, dealers and car advertising websites.
I'd say I've been looking on and off for almost 5 years, devoting anything up to an hour or more a day trying to find a suitable replacement for my current car. So here are my pet hates:-
1. Major items of optional equipment not mentioned in the advert, so you have to scroll through countless pictures in the hope that you might find one that answers the question. Towbars and sunroofs are very commonly in this category.
2. Lists of scores of items that are either unimportant or universal. Wow, it's got chrome tipped exhausts/door pockets/a folding back seat in an estate car etc. It just means ads take longer to read, you read fewer ads, you're less likely to find a car that you want.
3. Massive duplication, so a car will be listed as having air conditioning and climate control, or as I saw recently a car with "ABS", "EBD" "ABS with EBD" as three separate items of kit.
4. Poor quality pictures leaving you unsure whether you are looking at a car which is dark blue, dark grey or black.
5. Cars simply listed in the wrong category, saloons as estates, diesel as petrol etc.
6. Maybe specific to France where I'm searching a lot. A front 3/4 shot of a grey car photoshopped onto a generic dealer premises background. So if you find a car whose spec you might like you can't find it again in a sea of adverts of grey cars with no distinguishing features.
Obviously I'm reasonably happy with my current car, but for there to be an entire industry out there that seems unbothered whether people can easily find a car to change into seems very strange to me.
Because you’re not serious. You’re an armchair, internet type of buyer, poring over pictures and specs without bothering to get up and go and see the cars for yourself. In other words, you’re looking for a car that will sell itself to you remotely.I'd say I've been looking on and off for almost 5 years, devoting anything up to an hour or more a day trying to find a suitable replacement for my current car. So here are my pet hates:-
1. Major items of optional equipment not mentioned in the advert, so you have to scroll through countless pictures in the hope that you might find one that answers the question. Towbars and sunroofs are very commonly in this category.
2. Lists of scores of items that are either unimportant or universal. Wow, it's got chrome tipped exhausts/door pockets/a folding back seat in an estate car etc. It just means ads take longer to read, you read fewer ads, you're less likely to find a car that you want.
3. Massive duplication, so a car will be listed as having air conditioning and climate control, or as I saw recently a car with "ABS", "EBD" "ABS with EBD" as three separate items of kit.
4. Poor quality pictures leaving you unsure whether you are looking at a car which is dark blue, dark grey or black.
5. Cars simply listed in the wrong category, saloons as estates, diesel as petrol etc.
6. Maybe specific to France where I'm searching a lot. A front 3/4 shot of a grey car photoshopped onto a generic dealer premises background. So if you find a car whose spec you might like you can't find it again in a sea of adverts of grey cars with no distinguishing features.
Obviously I'm reasonably happy with my current car, but for there to be an entire industry out there that seems unbothered whether people can easily find a car to change into seems very strange to me.
If you want to buy a car go and see a few and you’ll find the right car will find you so to speak. Or carry on as you are for another 5 years.
Having just returned from France I can say that the French have a completely different attitude to cars. They seem to purchase based purely on what size of car they need and if it already has dents and scratches then that's a bonus. Almost like a camouflage, having a pristine car must mark you as weak, whereas damage cloaks you amongst the traffic.
Paris seems to have no nice cars which given the way the locals drive must be through choice.
Just buy a Peugeot or a Prius.
Paris seems to have no nice cars which given the way the locals drive must be through choice.
Just buy a Peugeot or a Prius.
To answer several of the points:-
Yes I'm in France, but searching in the UK as well, and I'm seeing similar things in both countries. So for more examples:- Autotrader used to have the option of searching on keyword so you could enter "sunroof", now I can't see it, don't know if it's there if I login, but it's a detrimental step.
Corolla Touring is one of the cars I'm considering. The French Toyota website allows you to search for used cars with a sunroof, but most of the cars with sunroofs aren't included in the results. The UK Toyota website doesn't allow you to select "sunroof".
So I don't see the problem as country specific, and I'm having a rant because this is supposedly "The information age" and information has never been more abundant or cheaper to store and process, but it seems like making sure that information is accurate and easily searchable doesn't seem very high up on the car sales industry's list of priorities.
And yes, Pistonheads' used car search capabilities seem ahead of many other websites.
Yes I'm in France, but searching in the UK as well, and I'm seeing similar things in both countries. So for more examples:- Autotrader used to have the option of searching on keyword so you could enter "sunroof", now I can't see it, don't know if it's there if I login, but it's a detrimental step.
Corolla Touring is one of the cars I'm considering. The French Toyota website allows you to search for used cars with a sunroof, but most of the cars with sunroofs aren't included in the results. The UK Toyota website doesn't allow you to select "sunroof".
So I don't see the problem as country specific, and I'm having a rant because this is supposedly "The information age" and information has never been more abundant or cheaper to store and process, but it seems like making sure that information is accurate and easily searchable doesn't seem very high up on the car sales industry's list of priorities.
And yes, Pistonheads' used car search capabilities seem ahead of many other websites.
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