Collecting Cars
Discussion
Quite, it's referred to as a buyers fee but it's really the seller "paying" it, because they are getting that much less for the car after the buyer takes it into account (unless the buyer is especially dumb and doesn't read the website properly).
I have to say, sticking some photos and a description on a website with a countdown timer, then introducing the buyer to the seller, never touching the car or the money, taking no liability for the sale, then walking away with £7200 is bloody good work if you can get it!
I have to say, sticking some photos and a description on a website with a countdown timer, then introducing the buyer to the seller, never touching the car or the money, taking no liability for the sale, then walking away with £7200 is bloody good work if you can get it!
And the photos cost extra. £150 from memory.
For the private seller it’s in the hope that you get more than if selling on SoR where “seller fees” are approx 10%
Been keeping an eye on this one.
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2015-mercedes-...
Assume it’s a private seller who fancied seeing a better return after trying to sell it via https://www.amccarsltd.co.uk/used-cars/mercedes-be... for £64.5k
And the consistent top bidder is Targa Florino, who, I am assuming is would have happily purchased the car if the seller ever called them directly!
I’d also speculate that some of the regular buyers get charged a lower fee….
For the private seller it’s in the hope that you get more than if selling on SoR where “seller fees” are approx 10%
Been keeping an eye on this one.
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2015-mercedes-...
Assume it’s a private seller who fancied seeing a better return after trying to sell it via https://www.amccarsltd.co.uk/used-cars/mercedes-be... for £64.5k
And the consistent top bidder is Targa Florino, who, I am assuming is would have happily purchased the car if the seller ever called them directly!
I’d also speculate that some of the regular buyers get charged a lower fee….
Personally, I used CC to sell a car for the convenience.
They arranged the photographer to come to my home (£150 which could easily be spent on advertising).
They wrote the copy for the advert
It mean't I didn't have to deal with test pilots and time wasters.
Strangers weren't coming to the house and seeing what I have in my garage
Your contact details are not released to the winning buyer until CC are happy they are legitimate.
I accept that you could probably sell for a higher price if advertised privately, but am less sure this would be the case if part-exchanging.
I have no allegiance to CC but have to say it was a very smooth and painless process.
They arranged the photographer to come to my home (£150 which could easily be spent on advertising).
They wrote the copy for the advert
It mean't I didn't have to deal with test pilots and time wasters.
Strangers weren't coming to the house and seeing what I have in my garage
Your contact details are not released to the winning buyer until CC are happy they are legitimate.
I accept that you could probably sell for a higher price if advertised privately, but am less sure this would be the case if part-exchanging.
I have no allegiance to CC but have to say it was a very smooth and painless process.
Edited by Trev450 on Monday 12th December 14:26
Does look like money for old rope to the outside eye but if it suits the seller it can work quite well,
Had my F430 advertised on "Car & Classic " for over a year with no real interest, purchased from Maranello's with their service history
from day one so no stories,then PH but again with no serious interest ,not even a viewing from either.
CC kept on calling thoughout the ads until one day decided to give it a go. yes a freelance photographer came down from nearby Bournemouth,#
spent what seemed like forever taking the shots and a video but was well worth the £150 or £160 i,can't remember which now .
First attempt the car fell flat on it's face getting nowhere near the reserve which was not over optimistic as we talked the reserve through with
them and settled at a figure we were both happy with. Slightly releaved it gave me the excuse to keep it and start to enjoy it for the summer which is
something i havn't really done due to 2 years of Covid and the car being garaged some 12 miles from the house ,
With that i had a reshuffle of the cars and bought her home . With that i got another call from CC saying do want them to have another go ,so
bearing in mind that the photo's were paid for, the text was done and it wasn't going to cost me anything and the fact that a mate had just sold his Aston
with the auction to someone from Hong Kong who he had no contact with leaving the team to do the hard work i agreed at the same reserve .
By coincidence with less than 24 hrs to go the bidding stopped at the same figure as the previous time,already planning my road trips for the rest of the
summer to my surprised at the 11th hour it fetched 2K short of my reserve so with the help of me reducing it by that amount it was sold.
Suppose you just need 2 bidders perferably 3 which obviously wasn't there at the first auction.
Only 2K short of what i had advertised it for on the internet and a full £11K more than the first time it was auctioned and without the
hassle of complete strangers coming round and as was previously said looking at my other cars that would be there not to mention my house.
Only problem i had with the buyer was being in Australia he was late in paying but knowing a high deposit had been paid to CC not me
and the fact the buyer had bought 9 cars from them that week i had every faith all was well, and was given the option to withdraw from the sale with the buyer
losing his deposit . At no time did i have any contact with the buyer or the other bidders and just had to be around for the truck to collect the car after
payment .When you consider most auction houses would take anything from 5% to 10% of the selling price which would have been nearer a trade
figure plus getting the car to the venue with people jumping in and out of your pride and joy slamming your doors, bonnet and boot lids for the 3 preview
days that most auctions have i would say this is probably the less stressfree way of selling a reasonably expensive car but i've sure there are cases when
things haven't gone so easily. Yes they are probably doing well and are now well established owing a lot of their success to 2 years of Covid and a
lot of bored wealthy buyers who couldn't come out to play.
Had my F430 advertised on "Car & Classic " for over a year with no real interest, purchased from Maranello's with their service history
from day one so no stories,then PH but again with no serious interest ,not even a viewing from either.
CC kept on calling thoughout the ads until one day decided to give it a go. yes a freelance photographer came down from nearby Bournemouth,#
spent what seemed like forever taking the shots and a video but was well worth the £150 or £160 i,can't remember which now .
First attempt the car fell flat on it's face getting nowhere near the reserve which was not over optimistic as we talked the reserve through with
them and settled at a figure we were both happy with. Slightly releaved it gave me the excuse to keep it and start to enjoy it for the summer which is
something i havn't really done due to 2 years of Covid and the car being garaged some 12 miles from the house ,
With that i had a reshuffle of the cars and bought her home . With that i got another call from CC saying do want them to have another go ,so
bearing in mind that the photo's were paid for, the text was done and it wasn't going to cost me anything and the fact that a mate had just sold his Aston
with the auction to someone from Hong Kong who he had no contact with leaving the team to do the hard work i agreed at the same reserve .
By coincidence with less than 24 hrs to go the bidding stopped at the same figure as the previous time,already planning my road trips for the rest of the
summer to my surprised at the 11th hour it fetched 2K short of my reserve so with the help of me reducing it by that amount it was sold.
Suppose you just need 2 bidders perferably 3 which obviously wasn't there at the first auction.
Only 2K short of what i had advertised it for on the internet and a full £11K more than the first time it was auctioned and without the
hassle of complete strangers coming round and as was previously said looking at my other cars that would be there not to mention my house.
Only problem i had with the buyer was being in Australia he was late in paying but knowing a high deposit had been paid to CC not me
and the fact the buyer had bought 9 cars from them that week i had every faith all was well, and was given the option to withdraw from the sale with the buyer
losing his deposit . At no time did i have any contact with the buyer or the other bidders and just had to be around for the truck to collect the car after
payment .When you consider most auction houses would take anything from 5% to 10% of the selling price which would have been nearer a trade
figure plus getting the car to the venue with people jumping in and out of your pride and joy slamming your doors, bonnet and boot lids for the 3 preview
days that most auctions have i would say this is probably the less stressfree way of selling a reasonably expensive car but i've sure there are cases when
things haven't gone so easily. Yes they are probably doing well and are now well established owing a lot of their success to 2 years of Covid and a
lot of bored wealthy buyers who couldn't come out to play.
Edited by rat rod on Monday 12th December 19:13
I bought a Bentley Conti via CC. Bit of a ballsy
move for me, buying a car unseen. However, the exchanges on the comments section had a ring of integrity and the car benefited from an immaculate service history. I figured I was buying the service history and the rest could be fixed. Winning bid on Friday evening. Reserve not met but seller conceded. Picked the car up Saturday morning, brought it home and promptly went out (didn’t want to be around when Mrs Pieman got home). Seller was a decent bloke and seemed happy with what he got. Subsequently, the car checked out on post purchase inspection. Only job was the need for new pads and brakes, which was disclosed in the comments section at sale.
Whole process was the smoothest and happiest car buying experience I’ve ever had. Every car I’ve bought from a dealer, approved or otherwise, has had to go back for stuff to be fixed. In contrast, on CC, I got what I was promised.
I’m really happy with the Conti. And no, it’s not a supercar so this is thread deviation.
Anyway, next time I’m buying, I’ll defo be looking on CC.
move for me, buying a car unseen. However, the exchanges on the comments section had a ring of integrity and the car benefited from an immaculate service history. I figured I was buying the service history and the rest could be fixed. Winning bid on Friday evening. Reserve not met but seller conceded. Picked the car up Saturday morning, brought it home and promptly went out (didn’t want to be around when Mrs Pieman got home). Seller was a decent bloke and seemed happy with what he got. Subsequently, the car checked out on post purchase inspection. Only job was the need for new pads and brakes, which was disclosed in the comments section at sale.
Whole process was the smoothest and happiest car buying experience I’ve ever had. Every car I’ve bought from a dealer, approved or otherwise, has had to go back for stuff to be fixed. In contrast, on CC, I got what I was promised.
I’m really happy with the Conti. And no, it’s not a supercar so this is thread deviation.
Anyway, next time I’m buying, I’ll defo be looking on CC.
Not for me, buying or selling, I’ve lost count of the cars I’ve travelled to see only to find it totally misdescribed, sometimes by someone who just hasn’t got a clue what it is their selling, sometimes by someone who just wants to have your pants down. Nothing better than meeting the owner and having a proper look over the car yourself. I do keep my eye on CC though, just to see what’s selling and what for money wise, I can then rule it out when it reappears for sale on here or AT a few weeks later,,
Davyt said:
Not for me, buying or selling, I’ve lost count of the cars I’ve travelled to see only to find it totally misdescribed, sometimes by someone who just hasn’t got a clue what it is their selling, sometimes by someone who just wants to have your pants down. Nothing better than meeting the owner and having a proper look over the car yourself. I do keep my eye on CC though, just to see what’s selling and what for money wise, I can then rule it out when it reappears for sale on here or AT a few weeks later,,
Totally agree with you,i like to be in charge of selling my cars hence my adverts on the internet but through the lack of interesti thought i'd give it a go and it worked but may not the next time, Like you if buying i want to see the car and as you say meet the owner
which you can organise ,more fool you if buying blind and the car turns out to be not as described.
I think a lot of the success CC have had is laziness from the buyer and relying on their reputation , the condition is taken by CC from the seller and to a
certain amount by the photographer who will insist on taking warts and all but at no time did anyone from CC some down to inspect the 430
to see if my description was accurate so even more reason for the buyer to see what they are buying or send someone who knows what he is looking at.
Edited by rat rod on Monday 12th December 22:26
Does sound like you got lucky rat rod, to attract a buyer who bid only £2K less than you had it advertised for privately, plus fees to CC (£4-£5K) transport costs, import taxes etc etc,, the guy must of been desperate for your car for some reason, either that or he was a complete idiot 
,, I can maybe see the attraction of CC as a selling tool if your struggling to move your car, but not somewhere that benefits a buyer, don’t even think the cars your buying that you probably struggle to go see are that much cheaper than other places tbh,,
,, I can maybe see the attraction of CC as a selling tool if your struggling to move your car, but not somewhere that benefits a buyer, don’t even think the cars your buying that you probably struggle to go see are that much cheaper than other places tbh,,Davyt said:
Does sound like you got lucky rat rod, to attract a buyer who bid only £2K less than you had it advertised for privately, plus fees to CC (£4-£5K) transport costs, import taxes etc etc,, the guy must of been desperate for your car for some reason, either that or he was a complete idiot ,, I can maybe see the attraction of CC as a selling tool if your struggling to move your car, but not somewhere that benefits a buyer, don’t even think the cars your buying that you probably struggle to go see are that much cheaper than other places tbh,,
I think you could be right, the first attempt finished with a bid of £13K less than my reserve, ,, I can maybe see the attraction of CC as a selling tool if your struggling to move your car, but not somewhere that benefits a buyer, don’t even think the cars your buying that you probably struggle to go see are that much cheaper than other places tbh,,then for it to fetch £11K more approximately 5 weeks later was more luck than judgement, I think at the time the buyers commission was 5%
but may be diifferent for oversea buyers ,l'm not sure,on top of that there's transport to the docks, shipping costs and Australian import tax 's
registration costs to pay . The guy says he is a collector but i got a feeling he is more trade , Was told he has business.s in Australia and the USA
and is to busy to come over to look at rhd cars indiidually that are scattered all over the UK so buying from CC is a time saving convenient way of adding
to his collection just by a finger on the keyboard. I'm sure a few mistakes have turned up on the Australian keyside but if your wealthy enough and do this
on a regular basis it will all come out in the wash. I would buy fromm CC but would insist on viewing first unless it was something a distance away and was
cheap and cheerful.
I think viewing would be a must, especially if your spending over £100K on a car, another problem with buying from such an auction site as CC is you could travel the length and breadth of the country to go see a car your interested in but there'd be no guarantee you would actually win it ( if that’s the correct term), last thing you’d want is getting into a bidding war with someone and end up paying over the odds for it.. Still a big NO from me I’m afraid,,
Davyt said:
I think viewing would be a must, especially if your spending over £100K on a car, another problem with buying from such an auction site as CC is you could travel the length and breadth of the country to go see a car your interested in but there'd be no guarantee you would actually win it ( if that’s the correct term), last thing you’d want is getting into a bidding war with someone and end up paying over the odds for it.. Still a big NO from me I’m afraid,,
I think anyone with even half a brain would want to view something they are buying at anything over £1000 never mind £100,000, especially when if it turns out to be a wreck and you can’t get your £7200 BUYERS fee back We followed 458s on there for a while and found 90% or more ended up back at main dealers , however without fail the dealer payed way more than what they would have offered you for it private sale to them which is where they make there real ££.
I think it depends what your selling if it’s specialist and would fit into the dealer network then it’s worth a try. Run of the mill stuff , perhaps not.
I think it depends what your selling if it’s specialist and would fit into the dealer network then it’s worth a try. Run of the mill stuff , perhaps not.
Are the regular (trade) buyers definitely paying the 6%+vat fee though?
I had one sale complete and then the buyer failed to actually finish the purchase. CC relisted it but refused to lower or waive their commission the second time round which leads me to think that the 1st (trade) purchaser had not actually been charged in the same way a private one would be. (Either that or they were being exceptionally greedy!)
The ought to be transparent I think.
No other problems except the constant being hassled to reduce the reserve. It's a good way to sell a car if you want to get rid of it within a defined time, I'm not sure it is as good for buyers though. It does provide some transparency to the market which can only be a good thing.
I had one sale complete and then the buyer failed to actually finish the purchase. CC relisted it but refused to lower or waive their commission the second time round which leads me to think that the 1st (trade) purchaser had not actually been charged in the same way a private one would be. (Either that or they were being exceptionally greedy!)
The ought to be transparent I think.
No other problems except the constant being hassled to reduce the reserve. It's a good way to sell a car if you want to get rid of it within a defined time, I'm not sure it is as good for buyers though. It does provide some transparency to the market which can only be a good thing.
Archie2050 said:
Are the regular (trade) buyers definitely paying the 6%+vat fee though?
I had one sale complete and then the buyer failed to actually finish the purchase. CC relisted it but refused to lower or waive their commission the second time round which leads me to think that the 1st (trade) purchaser had not actually been charged in the same way a private one would be. (Either that or they were being exceptionally greedy!)
The ought to be transparent I think.
No other problems except the constant being hassled to reduce the reserve. It's a good way to sell a car if you want to get rid of it within a defined time, I'm not sure it is as good for buyers though. It does provide some transparency to the market which can only be a good thing.
It definitely seems a better set up for the seller. We are not allowed to post anything negative on PH due to our sue culture, but like anything, its far from perfect. Great business for Ed, Chris and the other directors.I had one sale complete and then the buyer failed to actually finish the purchase. CC relisted it but refused to lower or waive their commission the second time round which leads me to think that the 1st (trade) purchaser had not actually been charged in the same way a private one would be. (Either that or they were being exceptionally greedy!)
The ought to be transparent I think.
No other problems except the constant being hassled to reduce the reserve. It's a good way to sell a car if you want to get rid of it within a defined time, I'm not sure it is as good for buyers though. It does provide some transparency to the market which can only be a good thing.
Collecting Cars have been outed on numerous occasions but their owner has been very active in getting any negative comments removed, even here on PH’s.
Nothing wrong with having a business model, however it is very hard nosed and few fully understand what they are getting into until too late
Nothing wrong with having a business model, however it is very hard nosed and few fully understand what they are getting into until too late
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