Dealer selling privately

[the_engineer]

Hello all,

I wanted to run the following by the collective to check my understanding:

I've basically found a car I'd like to buy with the right spec and trim. Now, it had been advertised on Autotrader on what wasn't clear whether it was a private sale or a dealer. A few days later the Autotrader ad dissapeared.
The Autotrader ad mentioned a dealers website so I did a quick google and found the same car advertised on the website, albeit £7k higher.

I enquired about it's availability and also the difference in price and heres the bit I'm not too comfortable with:

- the respondee from the dealer said the MD of the dealership had bought it but kept it in the trade whilst he used it for a period of about 3 months.
- he said he would sell it as a dealer as the higher price, or
- knock the £7k off as per the Autotrader ad but sell it as a private sale.

Am I right to think the latter is a bit odd and contrary to proper practice?

He says he has a full v5 but my understanding would be that it would be in the name of the person he bought it from still?

As I said, I'm very keen on the car and spec and of course would like to save £7k, but just thought the above didn't quite feel right.

Any advice or input would be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

[Benbay001]

If he sells it to you as a dealer he has to pay tax and offer a warranty, which is why it will cost more.

[steveo3002]

hmmm you often see these selling wifes car etc , i always assumed its to dodge any consumer rights

[loskie]

if he's been using it as a car then the V5 should have reflected the new keeper. IE him.

[BertBert]

Practically it feels fine to me. You've got two choices at two prices.

Whether it's right that he's kept the v5 in trade, and whether he can sell a car privately as a trader is neither here nor there.

If you want the car as a private sale with no CRA protection, it's there for you.

[E-bmw]

Benbay001 said:

If he sells it to you as a dealer he has to pay tax and offer a warranty, which is why it will cost more.

This, if you like it buy it, it is just a private sale, not a rip off.

[the_engineer]

Thanks all.

What should I expect I'm terms of paperwork and are there any checks I should carry out? For example, I expect the V5 will still show the last official owners details, so do I need to see something by way of proof that this dealer purchased it from them?

Sorry for the questions, just new to buying a car this way.

[_Hoppers]

the_engineer said:

Thanks all.

What should I expect I'm terms of paperwork and are there any checks I should carry out? For example, I expect the V5 will still show the last official owners details, so do I need to see something by way of proof that this dealer purchased it from them?

Sorry for the questions, just new to buying a car this way.

Get a vcheck/Car vertical check (from another thread some people are saying that a Car Vertical check might pick up insurance claims on damage?). Paintwork; check for varying texture of orange peel around the car and specks in the paint indicating a repair. Check service history, preferably backed up by receipts.

[66HFM]

_Hoppers said:

the_engineer said:

Thanks all.

What should I expect I'm terms of paperwork and are there any checks I should carry out? For example, I expect the V5 will still show the last official owners details, so do I need to see something by way of proof that this dealer purchased it from them?

Sorry for the questions, just new to buying a car this way.

Get a vcheck/Car vertical check (from another thread some people are saying that a Car Vertical check might pick up insurance claims on damage?). Paintwork; check for varying texture of orange peel around the car and specks in the paint indicating a repair. Check service history, preferably backed up by receipts.

You can also do a Total Car Check for free which will show when a V5 was last issued, although if it previously had a private plate on it the new V5 would be for the plate removal rather than a new owner...

[Doesitdrive]

BertBert said:

Practically it feels fine to me. You've got two choices at two prices.

Whether it's right that he's kept the v5 in trade, and whether he can sell a car privately as a trader is neither here nor there.

If you want the car as a private sale with no CRA protection, it's there for you.

Using a car in the trade is not unusual and not illegal, if it is owned by the business.

Everyone is a citizen and entitled to sell cars privately.

The story would be more believable if it was registered to a private person though.

What needs looking at. Is why it was advertised through the business at a higher price and then withdrawn and offered privately at a lower price.
Usually a reason for that.

[Mandat]

Sounds to me like the dealer has found a problem with the car, and is trying to sell it as a private seller to avoid their consumer protection obligations.

If there was nothing wrong with the car, why would the dealer be happy to accept £7k less than he could achieve by selling it retail.

[the_engineer]

Thanks all.

I should probably add for context:

- it was originally advertised at 20k on Autotrader and this is the price he says he can sell privately.
- 20k is the lower end of the price band, there are others I've seen advertised for this so it isn't abnormally low.
- he offered 22k with a warranty, still private
- 27k as a dealer sold vehicle with warranty.


I will run a couple of the checks mentioned above and see what they throw up, thanks all.

[Nickp82]

Mandat said:

Sounds to me like the dealer has found a problem with the car, and is trying to sell it as a private seller to avoid their consumer protection obligations.

If there was nothing wrong with the car, why would the dealer be happy to accept £7k less than he could achieve by selling it retail.

Absolutely this

[BlueMR2]

66HFM said:

_Hoppers said:

the_engineer said:

Thanks all.

What should I expect I'm terms of paperwork and are there any checks I should carry out? For example, I expect the V5 will still show the last official owners details, so do I need to see something by way of proof that this dealer purchased it from them?

Sorry for the questions, just new to buying a car this way.

Get a vcheck/Car vertical check (from another thread some people are saying that a Car Vertical check might pick up insurance claims on damage?). Paintwork; check for varying texture of orange peel around the car and specks in the paint indicating a repair. Check service history, preferably backed up by receipts.

You can also do a Total Car Check for free which will show when a V5 was last issued, although if it previously had a private plate on it the new V5 would be for the plate removal rather than a new owner...

You can get the last V5 date for free from the government tax and mot page.

[CMTMB]

the_engineer said:

Thanks all.

I should probably add for context:

- it was originally advertised at 20k on Autotrader and this is the price he says he can sell privately.
- 20k is the lower end of the price band, there are others I've seen advertised for this so it isn't abnormally low.
- he offered 22k with a warranty, still private
- 27k as a dealer sold vehicle with warranty.


I will run a couple of the checks mentioned above and see what they throw up, thanks all.

I wouldn't run a couple of checks, I would just run.

Everything you've said just says "avoid" to me.

[ConnectionError]

Mandat said:

Sounds to me like the dealer has found a problem with the car, and is trying to sell it as a private seller to avoid their consumer protection obligations.

If there was nothing wrong with the car, why would the dealer be happy to accept £7k less than he could achieve by selling it retail.

This

[Peterpetrole]

Maybe think in terms of "whats the worst that could happen in terms of a fault?" (New engine).

How much is a new engine for this car? Less than 7k or not?

[ConnectionError]

the_engineer said:

Thanks all.

I should probably add for context:

- it was originally advertised at 20k on Autotrader and this is the price he says he can sell privately.
- 20k is the lower end of the price band, there are others I've seen advertised for this so it isn't abnormally low.
- he offered 22k with a warranty, still private
- 27k as a dealer sold vehicle with warranty.


I will run a couple of the checks mentioned above and see what they throw up, thanks all.

Ask him how he can offer a privately sold car and with a warranty?

[the_engineer]

It's a s500, so reckon there is a lot that could go wrong

[CMTMB]

Dare I ask roughly where in the UK the dealer is based?