roadrash
cycle chatterer
- Location
- sitting on the edge of wigan pier
good luck, hope this ones a good un
Buying a cheap used car rant
- Thread starter biggs682
- Start date
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Where do you think dealers get rid of the cars the trade do not want.
BSOh
Über Member
- Location
- Ceredigion
I was looking for a run around at the end of last year, a 107 or c1 type. What an experience. I too met one or two people who didn't seem to reside at the addresses I was given to meet them.
Every car I went to see I was told was in good nick, I turned up and the bodywork was bashed, and the interiors were wrecked, ripped seats, dirty. I suspect that this is because they're a popular car with teenagers. One seller even bragged about racing these little cars! But why can't sellers be honest? it's not like I didn't check condition before arranging a viewing.
In the end I found one at a local car traders who has been around for 40 years. It was clean, reasonably low mileage, had a full service history, and was serviced and MOT'd before I picked up. I probably paid 15-20% over what the average prices were, but was worth every penny. I hope it's the last car I need to find for a few years at least.
Every car I went to see I was told was in good nick, I turned up and the bodywork was bashed, and the interiors were wrecked, ripped seats, dirty. I suspect that this is because they're a popular car with teenagers. One seller even bragged about racing these little cars! But why can't sellers be honest? it's not like I didn't check condition before arranging a viewing.
In the end I found one at a local car traders who has been around for 40 years. It was clean, reasonably low mileage, had a full service history, and was serviced and MOT'd before I picked up. I probably paid 15-20% over what the average prices were, but was worth every penny. I hope it's the last car I need to find for a few years at least.
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
One reason I like buying through ebay is that you can quiz the seller via messaging - partly to check out info on the vehicle, but also to get a feel for the seller. Do they respond promptly, politely, helpfully, informatively, and so on. It's not foolproof, but I've found you can get a pretty good idea of who you'd be dealing with - or be better off steering clear of.
That's one of my main gripes about buying cars. Sellers using words like mint or perfect. No car that has driven any sort of mileage is mint. Mint to me is concourse or showroom standard. Back when I was a teenager and in my early twenties, when I'd no kids and a thing called spare time, I would spend every Saturday detailing my car. They weren't worth a lot but keeping them gleaming meant they always seemed nicer than what they were. When I sold on my first car, a 4 door 106, the dealers valet guy bought it as it was so well kept. Still, I wouldn't have described it even then as mint.
I love a bargain like the next guy, but sometimes it is worth paying a reputable dealer that bit extra. Another thing I'd do, is find the top spec of whatever car you're looking, the one with all the possible optional extras. My thinking is that if someone walks into a showroom and spends say 4k more on the same looking car, then chances are they know what they're looking for and may take more care of it as opposed to someone who just buys the base model to rip around in for a few years to get them from a to b.
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Salar
A fish out of water
- Location
- Gorllewin Cymru
Nice cars the C1, I treated the wife to one a few weeks ago from a Citroen dealer in England. The little three cylinder engine certainly likes to be revved,and yes there is a thriving C1 racing scene!
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
I've never had any luck buying privately. God knows how many miles I wasted travelling to see some heap that made me burst out laughing on first sight. I've got two local dealers I know well and trust completely and that's where my cars come from. I pay a bit more than I would privately, but they make sure what they sell is in good condition and they look after me if something does go wrong.
Last April I paid £700 for an '02 reg Almera off one of them. Over three months later the clutch cylinder started leaking, fair do's as these things happen. The guy replaced it for me and when I asked him for the bill he said we'd forget that one, I could have it on him.
Last April I paid £700 for an '02 reg Almera off one of them. Over three months later the clutch cylinder started leaking, fair do's as these things happen. The guy replaced it for me and when I asked him for the bill he said we'd forget that one, I could have it on him.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
One of the reasons I lash out on newish cars is to avoid - generally - the secondhand seller aggro.
For the OP's relatively modest budget I wouldn't worry too much about the transaction.
Sure, you don't want to be robbed or properly ripped off, but for a £500 car it's not worth going to a lot of trouble to establish the seller's background.
For the OP's relatively modest budget I wouldn't worry too much about the transaction.
Sure, you don't want to be robbed or properly ripped off, but for a £500 car it's not worth going to a lot of trouble to establish the seller's background.
I wouldn't buy a vehicle from a trader masquerading as a private seller. They are being dishonest before you have even seen the item for sale.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Advertising more than one car for sale at once as what we used to call a kerbside trader does not make the seller dishonest.
The OP does it with bicycles.
Going on to tell you the car is one owner, had it for years, etc, would be dishonest, but you won't know that until you question the seller further.
The OP does it with bicycles.
Going on to tell you the car is one owner, had it for years, etc, would be dishonest, but you won't know that until you question the seller further.
My Mrs is selling her car. Had it from new, MoT'd good cond. etc etc...........................just saying like.
OP
OP
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
What is it @colly ?
He will have to check which one it is. He has a corner plot full of them.
Daewoo Kalos
Automatic
Sept 2003
100 000 on the clock
Mrs Colly has had it from new but seeing as l've just about retired now and am losing my van we decided to get a bigger vehicle between us.
KneesUp
Guru
I'm selling a 2003 1.1 Fiesta LX if you're interested? MOT until January, full engine rebuild about 80k miles (because previous owner didn't change the cambelt, presumably) now on about 115k. We've had it 2 years, never once let us down. The passenger electric window has never worked as long as we've had it - think it's the motor as everything looked in order when I took it apart, and then decided that as it only ever has a driver in it, it didn't matter. Also, the air conditioning has never worked - again I've never investigated if it just needs more gas or if it's got a leak. I suspect the latter given it's age. It's utterly reliable though, and it even has a tow ball and electrics making it an ideal 'collecting old bikes' vehicle. I'm in S. Yorkshire btw.
