thinking of selling my car

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

vickster

Squire
Just don't use Webuyanycar....Autotrader best, but only put your mobile number in the ad, otherwise you'll be besieged by spammers from Deepest Darkest Africa promising you a million quid via Western Union (shortly before they steal your identity and nick all your cash)!
 

GentlyBenevolent

Well-Known Member
Location
Wigan-ish
Just don't use Webuyanycar

I have to disagree. I used wbac and was quite happy. They gave a quote on their site, caveated that it may be reduced on inspection.

Took the car to the place expecting them to knock 100s off the price, but in the end it was only 50 quid for a number of bonnet chips. Chap i dealt with was very pleasant and didnt mind chatting while i loafed around waiting for my wife to pick me up. I got book price for the car, and more than the average autotrader price at the time.

They were too low on a subsequent car, but that didn't get past the website stage. I would at least give them a try.
 

JoeyB

Go on, tilt your head!
I have to disagree. I used wbac and was quite happy. They gave a quote on their site, caveated that it may be reduced on inspection.

Took the car to the place expecting them to knock 100s off the price, but in the end it was only 50 quid for a number of bonnet chips. Chap i dealt with was very pleasant and didnt mind chatting while i loafed around waiting for my wife to pick me up. I got book price for the car, and more than the average autotrader price at the time.

They were too low on a subsequent car, but that didn't get past the website stage. I would at least give them a try.

I would never use them, their estimations have always been way off the mark! They offered about £1100 for one car and I sold it for a reasonable £3500. Pretty much the same pattern with every other car I've sold as well.

They are fine if you are completely incapable of writing a decent advert and selling privately I suppose?!
 
Location
Rammy
Please remember that while this is true there is a perfectly valid reason for it. These guys will have to flip it for a profit after all, and that's not easy for anyone in this day and age.

IMO most main dealers would only be interested if you traded it in for another car, (and you don't mention if you want to replace it).

The reason is that if they sell it off their pitch they will have to offer a warranty on what is, (despite low mileage), an 8 year old car, (no offence intended).

Even if you traded it in a main dealer would very likely just send it to auction.

So with this in mind they can only offer you an amount that gives them a chance to get their money back when the hammer falls.

while needing to make a profit is true of main dealers and independent dealers, they are different creatures.

when selling a car, I would avoid main dealers, they essentially take trade-ins as a way of persuading a buyer into a new car, taking the hassle out of it, similar to comet offering to take your old fridge away when they deliver your new one. The difference being you feel that your car is worth something and want something for it and understandably so.

independent dealers tend to be happy buying and selling anything they think they can re-sell and as so have a system in place to do so, unlike a main dealer who, if the car is 4 years old or more, doesn't care and sends to auction, second hand dealers will take anything in good condition, give it a good going over in their workshop and then offer a years / 6 months' guarantee and put it on the yard with a price on it.

as such, independent second hand car sales can be a good place to try, yes, you might get more on auto trader etc, but for a slight drop in price and a lack of effort (or the insurance on the car you want rid of expiring the next day) should still get a fair amount for the car.
 

Sara_H

Guru
Just don't use Webuyanycar....Autotrader best, but only put your mobile number in the ad, otherwise you'll be besieged by spammers from Deepest Darkest Africa promising you a million quid via Western Union (shortly before they steal your identity and nick all your cash)!
same here, they offered me £259 for my Micra, got rear ended at traffic lights a few months later, insurance paid out £1500.
 
same here, they offered me £259 for my Micra, got rear ended at traffic lights a few months later, insurance paid out £1500.
That is low, but at the same time Webauyanycar car are never going to offer you the market value of your car, which is roughly what your insurance will have paid out, that said, they generally low ball people too and you shouldn't necessarily accept the first price they offer you for your written off vehicle.

I'm not defending WBAC, and I agree this was low. My only, (indirect), experience of WBAC was a friend of ours who actually got a fair price off them, (obviously still lower than a private sale, but fair non the less). The details elude me now, but I was really surprised, and when she got down there they honoured the price she had been quoted after they had inspected it which surprised me even further.

Probably not par for the norm TBH, but shows it can happen.
 

GentlyBenevolent

Well-Known Member
Location
Wigan-ish
They are fine if you are completely incapable of writing a decent advert and selling privately I suppose?!

I think you'd be an idiot not to try all avenues when selling a car, if nothing else then to get a sense of what offers you will get. While I was chatting to their chap (and this is a few years ago, mind) I found out that they log details about each enquiry on a car. They regularly see people from all over enquire about a given car, indicating that it's likely up for sale and potential buyers are checking the price. I don't doubt this as he was able to tell me how often and when I'd checked the price of my car before I sold it.
 
I would go with AutoTrader (not ebay) to sell it. Ebay does not have the best format for car sales and tries to get involved in the money side. Auto Trader is just an ad format and I think still gets the biggest share of the market.

Price from Parkers but make sure it takes into account the low milage. Some price sites dont compute in the milage side. I would actully buy the parkers lates price book, I have used it to show the price to be fair to a buyer and got them to accept my asking price.

For this sort of deal you want cash from the buyer. I have never found it a problem to sell.
Remember cars are really cheap these days so be realistic on price.

You say - it is ford fiesta flame 1.4 petrol 04 reg 53500 miles

Buyer wants to know the points you have put but flag up -
How much mot it has (get done if less than say 5 months)
How much tax left (could be worth a fair bit) and how much tax costs pa.
Newness of tyres.
Last service and when timing belt was last changed.
Everything else will be expected to be as it was when new. (however realistic that is)
DO NOT list things you have recently had repaired! many ads do but it just shows the car is unreliable/knackered.
Dont turn into Arthur Daily when they come and see it!!!
 

Robson3022

Senior Member
I have in the past bought and sold a few cars to turn a profit. I now just do it for friends and family. Avoiding eBay is not the way to go. Don't get me wrong Ive had lots of time wasters from there but have had the same from AutoTrader and the free ads. 6-10 years ago auto trader was a great way to sell a car but I now find that there are less and less people using it. However if you want the best price for your car you need to advertise in as many places as possible if wanting to sell it yourself. WeBuyAnyCar serve a demand if you want rid of your car quickly and they offer a price your happy with.

If you want send me a PM with details MOT tax etc Ill get you a bit of a valuation. Parkers Price guide isn't the greatest way to value your car.
 

Lance Jack

Über Member
Location
A BFPO somewhere
1383109_10200606259709554_1173020854_n.jpg
 

Doseone

Guru
Location
Brecon
Sold mine a couple of weeks ago, made my own ad and put it in a shop window. Priced it by looking at what other similar cars were selling for on autotrader. Sold within a few days and got more than three times what I was offered on the trade in. Not sure that approach would work every time, I think I just got lucky.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz

threebikesmcginty

Corn Fed Hick...
Location
...on the slake
Sold mine a couple of weeks ago, made my own ad and put it in a shop window. Priced it by looking at what other similar cars were selling for on autotrader. Sold within a few days and got more than three times what I was offered on the trade in. Not sure that approach would work every time, I think I just got lucky.

Did the same, ad in the shop, sold it over the phone while on holiday, someone said it looked alright and they'd buy it, came round 5 minutes after we got back with a bundle of cash. We only got 50% more than a garage offered us though, but more than we'd anticipated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
Did the same, ad in the shop, sold it over the phone while on holiday, someone said it looked alright and they'd buy it, came round 5 minutes after we got back with a bundle of cash. We only got 50% more than a garage offered us though, but more than we'd anticipated.
You still have shops in your poky little village?
I thought Mrs Goggins had gone bust due to internet competition.
 
Top Bottom