Cloud cuckoo land private car sale prices

[r1monkey]

Looking at used car asking prices on Autotrader .Why do private sellers seem to think that they can advertise their cars for more than main dealers are asking?
I have been looking at f types and using the Autotrader car valuation to see what the recommended price should be. I have only put in 2 cars and both are advertised for £5000 and £6000 more than the book value.
Do sellers think that buyers are not going to look up the cars value ?

[Wills2]

Just get one from a dealer then save 5k and get a warranty...happy days surely.

[Jamescrs]

I wouldn't put too much weight on the Autotrader valuations but if they are pricing their private sales higher than Main dealers for equivalent cars then they are over pricing, that said they maybe not overly bothered if the cars sell or not.

[r1monkey]

Wills2 said:

Just get one from a dealer then save 5k and get a warranty...happy days surely.

I would buy one from a dealer over a private sale if they are both asking the same sort of price.
My point is that the private sellers are just wasting their money on the adverts by not being realistic,especially when they are expecting buyers to part with £35000 without the protection that a dealer sale gives.

[grudas]

I don't get the issue here? if a private seller asks more than you think it is worth then just go and buy from the dealer? who cares if they're "wasting" their money on advertising.

[Camelot1971]

Some people have a serious sense of self entitlement about the price someone else wants for their car.

[Trevor555]

I advertised my Dad's Fabia estate recently at just £250 below what dealers were asking for similar. (£7750)

I thought it was worth a try as it was an almost perfect car, with perfect history, and we'd recently had it serviced and MOT'd.

It sold at full price to someone who drove 200 miles to buy it.

Yes, I was a little surprised.

So glad I didn't let a dealer have it for £6800

[Nano2nd]

r1monkey said:

I have been looking at f types and using the Autotrader car valuation to see what the recommended price should be.

sounds like you're the one wasting your time using that as a reference!

[drgoatboy]

Always surprises me when private sellers even ask the same money as main dealers.

I have been browsing a few hot hatches and it always happens. Adverts tend to be terrible too, only 2 or 3 poor pictures, hardly any description etc.

It is very easy to get a trade in price nowadays, there are loads of websites that will give you an instant valuation.
I have been looking at cars in the £23-25k price range from main dealers. Trade in price tend to be a smidge under £20k.
The handful of private sales are at £25k on autotrader. Why would you buy private at £25k? £21-22k makes more sense and still gets the seller a good chunk more than trade in...

Maybe the reasonably priced ones just sell really quickly?

[AyBee]

r1monkey said:

Looking at used car asking prices on Autotrader .Why do private sellers seem to think that they can advertise their cars for more than main dealers are asking?
I have been looking at f types and using the Autotrader car valuation to see what the recommended price should be. I have only put in 2 cars and both are advertised for £5000 and £6000 more than the book value.
Do sellers think that buyers are not going to look up the cars value ?

More than main dealers, or more than book value? Why do you think the book value should be what they advertise their cars for?

[Trevor555]

drgoatboy said:

Always surprises me when private sellers even ask the same money as main dealers.

I have been browsing a few hot hatches and it always happens. Adverts tend to be terrible too, only 2 or 3 poor pictures, hardly any description etc.

It is very easy to get a trade in price nowadays, there are loads of websites that will give you an instant valuation.
I have been looking at cars in the £23-25k price range from main dealers. Trade in price tend to be a smidge under £20k.
The handful of private sales are at £25k on autotrader. Why would you buy private at £25k? £21-22k makes more sense and still gets the seller a good chunk more than trade in...

Maybe the reasonably priced ones just sell really quickly?

There must be a reason they're asking higher than the dealers?

Different specs?

Are the dealer cars unpopular colours? or lacking in options? Or lacking good history?

I've encountered many buyers that have had such bad experiences with dealers they will never trust/buy from a dealer ever again.

I've just had a seven month ordeal with BMW, a "used approved"

"used approved" wasn't worth the paper it was written on when it came to resolving my issue.

So count me in as one of the buyers that doesn't put that much weight in buying from dealers.

I treat every car as an individual, regardless of who is selling it.

[Wagonwheel555]

Prices on used cars seem to fluctuate quite a bit whether it be garage or private.

I have been looking at used versions which roughly match the spec of our Mini and some are selling for £13k and some wanting nearer £16k and I can't really see what the difference is, similar age and specs.

Tempted to take a punt and stick ours on Autotrader for what we have left on the PCP and see if I get lucky.

[drgoatboy]

Trevor555 said:

There must be a reason they're asking higher than the dealers?

Different specs?

Are the dealer cars unpopular colours? or lacking in options? Or lacking good history?

I've encountered many buyers that have had such bad experiences with dealers they will never trust/buy from a dealer ever again.

I've just had a seven month ordeal with BMW, a "used approved"

"used approved" wasn't worth the paper it was written on when it came to resolving my issue.

So count me in as one of the buyers that doesn't put that much weight in buying from dealers.

I treat every car as an individual, regardless of who is selling it.

No obvious reason. This is civic type r. There are very few options and very few colours. Most cars have full service history as they are only 4 years old, and honda sold service packs with most cars. It's not a particularly rare car either with over 100 currently on autotrader (to be fair I have seen very few private sales but enough to see a trend).

I think people just look at autotrader prices and set their cars to the upper end of the range they see.

Regardless of whether we put much faith in dealers you do have some consumer rights you don't get with a private sale. If you drive away from a private sale and the engine drops out on the way home you are going to be in a pickle.
It's that piece of mind that costs more, not necessarily that you get a better car (which I don't think there is much evidence that you do)

[Trevor555]

drgoatboy said:

Regardless of whether we put much faith in dealers you do have some consumer rights you don't get with a private sale. If you drive away from a private sale and the engine drops out on the way home you are going to be in a pickle.
It's that piece of mind that costs more, not necessarily that you get a better car (which I don't think there is much evidence that you do)

Yes, consumer rights are great if the dealers play ball. BMW didn't recently with me.

I'd only recommend people make large purchases privately if they know what they're doing, or have taken someone along that does, and yes, no comebacks after purchase unless they've miss described the car, even then a lengthy process to seek redress.

In all my years of buying cars I think I've walked away from as many dealer cars, than I have private sellers.

And nearly all the dodgy looking service histories I've seen have mostly been dealer sales.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is for people to treat every car as an individual, don't rule out the private sellers, just take someone with them who knows the industry.

Another interesting one, a close friend said they'd seen a car at a local dealer who'm I knew to be very dodgy. I told them they couldn't possibly buy it without me seeing it.

Along we went, the car was fine, and the car next to it I noticed was lovely and I ended up buying that one as well.

Even known dodgy dealers have good cars in the mix, they don't go out just looking for naff cars.

But some cars that I've inspected on main dealer forecourts have been well below par. And their excuse? "Oh, we took that in PX and our buyer didn't see it" Blame the salesman who isn't trained to buy a car.

Sorry I'm waffling, but many of the nicest cars I've ever bought have been from private sellers.

[Rankss]

Does seem (to me) to be a “new thing” pricing private sales cars at the same as dealerships or sometimes higher, or it’s considerably more prevalent now. Do see it very often.

Are people happy to pay more than dealer prices for a private sale, for the right car but with no come back. Or is it for the private seller to have a bit of room when someone offers them a lower price with a bit of ‘chipping’.

Probably a bit of both. Although some dealers/car supermarkets have dedicated people looking through eBay and private sales and snap up the best private sales daily. So perhaps it’s the only good cars left up on private sale are the pricey ones.

[Trevor555]

Rankss said:

Does seem (to me) to be a “new thing” pricing private sales cars at the same as dealerships or sometimes higher, or it’s considerably more prevalent now. Do see it very often.

Are people happy to pay more than dealer prices for a private sale, for the right car but with no come back. Or is it for the private seller to have a bit of room when someone offers them a lower price with a bit of ‘chipping’.

Probably a bit of both. Although some dealers/car supermarkets have dedicated people looking through eBay and private sales and snap up the best private sales daily. So perhaps it’s the only good cars left up on private sale are the pricey ones.

I think it is a new thing, it's not usual to see private sales over that of dealers, unless they have a vary rare spec, or something that's been a garage queen , for example.

As to why? A shortage of available car for dealers to buy?

Auction prices are sky high at the moment for anything proper, and they're online only so public can't buy at auction at the moment.

So maybe more private buyers are having to buy from the classifieds, added to the dealers that don't have online buying with the auctions, and buyers like myself who don't trust BCA's grading for online purchasing.

All that may explain the higher prices being achieved by private sellers in the classifieds.

I wonder when it's all going to change.

Two dealers I buy for have just given up at the moment, and are having a break. They can't buy cars at sensible prices.

I've been in the trade for 30 years, and I can't predict what's going to happen.

BCA are now retailing direct to the public via Cinch.

BCA own WBAC and buy 10,000 cars a week usually.

So if BCA keep all the decent stuff for retail, where does that leave all the dealers who normally get their stock from them?

Some new things going on at the moment in the industry, especially the online buying of cars.

I'm very glad I no longer have a forecourt to fill.

[ZX10R NIN]

Used car prices are strong but not over the top, the thing is specification dictates pricing, on the surface two cars may seem the same but one may be more highly spec'd than another.

[ChasW]

I have had some experience of buying and selling at the £1500-£3000 range for my kids. At this price band I have encountered the most unprofessional trade sellers and wasted the most time viewing mis-described cars that are not prepared for sale and with questionable provenance. Privately advertised cars, ignoring those photographed at fuel stations at night or trading estates, are often a better bet. So I can understand why some private sellers price the way they do. I don't have an issue paying a premium for a private sale if I feel the car warrants it. In fact I may do it imminently as the best example of the next car I need to buy for one of my kids is priced above many of the dealers. I live to the west of London so in range of some of the classiest used car forecourts south of Yorkshire. Innit!

[drgoatboy]

ChasW said:

I have had some experience of buying and selling at the £1500-£3000 range for my kids. At this price band I have encountered the most unprofessional trade sellers and wasted the most time viewing mis-described cars that are not prepared for sale and with questionable provenance. Privately advertised cars, ignoring those photographed at fuel stations at night or trading estates, are often a better bet. So I can understand why some private sellers price the way they do. I don't have an issue paying a premium for a private sale if I feel the car warrants it. In fact I may do it imminently as the best example of the next car I need to buy for one of my kids is priced above many of the dealers. I live to the west of London so in range of some of the classiest used car forecourts south of Yorkshire. Innit!

No decent used car places in w London. Horrendous. At the £1.5 -3k price point I would avoid dealers like the plague! Private sales still shouldn't be higher though....

[Rankss]

I can understand it at, what many people would consider, "more affordable" prices. <£10k ish

Many of the ones I've seen are £20k to £35k. For most people that's a lot of money and for that cost almost everyone would, I thought anyway! go with the dealer if no private sale saving of at least £3k.

My guess was with people not doing much mileage now with WFH, people are listing their car at full dealer rate to chance their arm and if they get it happy to swap out of it and get another car. But if can't get "full" money for it they'll just keep it. Which is fair enough - free country (well it was when could see your family and buy 'non essential' items).

In another generalisation, I've always thought private sales better for buying from. People seem happy to sell their car privately when it's a good one, but when people know it's a bit of a dog and has faults they don't want to sell it privately and have an angry person coming back to their address. They then tend to part-ex and trade that car and let the dealer sort it, or the dealer doesn't sort it and gives it a wash and sells. Most of the bad cars people have bought (that I know) have been from dealers with most private sales being good cars.

Edited by Rankss on Tuesday 2nd February 22:55