Selling a Used Car: WBAC.com vs Motorway

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PK99

Legendary Member
Location
SW19
In the past I've tried WBAC.com and found their offer low and reduced even further on inspection. Last time Trade-in gave us a much better return.

We have just sold our 12 year old, 1-owner from being Dealer Demo Car, 31,000 miles, full main dealer service history.

WBAC. Valuation £2500. When we did not take it, they upped it to £2870 - pre-inspection. Reduction on inspection inevitable.

Motorway. Initial valuation £3073. After photographs valuation was reduced slightly because of Alloy scuffs, went on their trade auction site at 10am last Thursday with a reserve of £2926. Sale confirmed at 16:30 for £3479
Car inspected and collected today. £3479 in my bank account within 5 mins of inspection confirming the condition.

The difference in business models is interesting.
WBAC buy the car and sell it on to the trade taking a mark up.
Motorway ane essentially an online dating agency matching Buyers and Sellers with the buyer paying a commission.

End result for me is a quick, minimum hassle sale and close to £1000 (~40%!) more cash.
 

Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
That's interesting - I only heard about them yesterday, seeing a TV ad, IIRC.

ETA
Turns out I do have an account there, and got another valuation - but MWay don't do high-milers, they job it out to someone else. Middling valuation, with the usual caveats - but an annoying follow-up call, despite having taken the time to click decline offer. Hey-ho.

ETFA
WBAC way higher, by something like 15%
 
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vickster

Legendary Member
Just valued my car out of interest, about £400 more from Motorway (obviously without stating any damage etc).
Not that I'm planning on selling :whistle:
Apparently used car prices have gone bananas in the last year, my bro said a friend sold a car for 4k more to WBAC than she paid a year ago (27k vs. 23k)
 

Archie_tect

De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
Location
Northumberland
Wish I'd heard of Motorway before we sold our old Polo! ... it wasn't worth much so we happily traded it in for £300 more than WBAC offered. Hope it's gone to a family who're looking after it- more of a pet than a car at the end... 13 years!
 

Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
Just valued my car out of interest, about £400 more from Motorway (obviously without stating any damage etc).
Not that I'm planning on selling :whistle:
Apparently used car prices have gone bananas in the last year, my bro said a friend sold a car for 4k more to WBAC than she paid a year ago (27k vs. 23k)
It's absolutely mad at the moment, for sure. +75% for a car I bought last May - but I did buy quite well ^_^
 

Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
Does no-one sell cars privately anymore?
Yes, but it's often a right pain.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Does no-one sell cars privately anymore?
I’d think only obscure or specialist cars more nowadays (my brother has an old Alpina touring, one of half a dozen RHD, that won’t sell via WBAC but a specialist forum or perhaps Pistonheads)
 

RoubaixCube

~Tribanese~
Location
London, UK
you'll be getting 'harassment' calls from WBAC in the coming weeks i assume. They'll be interested to know if you still have your car and make another offer if the answer is yes.

I have a read in other forums about people contacting WBAC for an estimate/quote and then receiving a fair few return calls enquiring about their car from WBAC afterwards even though no sale was agreed upon. The fact that you rang them to enquire about selling your vehicle is enough of an invitation for them to circle you like vultures.

ymmv
 
OP
OP
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PK99

Legendary Member
Location
SW19
you'll be getting 'harassment' calls from WBAC in the coming weeks i assume. They'll be interested to know if you still have your car and make another offer if the answer is yes.

I have a read in other forums about people contacting WBAC for an estimate/quote and then receiving a fair few return calls enquiring about their car from WBAC afterwards even though no sale was agreed upon. The fact that you rang them to enquire about selling your vehicle is enough of an invitation for them to circle you like vultures.

ymmv


I've been online and told them I am no longer interested.... we'll see if that works...

but as you say a deluge of emails and SMS since asking for the quote. More from them than Motorway!
 
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