Selling my car. No patience

[lordrobs]

Stuck mine up yesterday. Reasonable price for age, condition and mileage. Had plenty of messages from traders asking if I’d take 3.5k less than asking.

Not sure what to make of it all these days.

I still remember the farce that was selling my old 306 via AT. Plenty of "Wots ur best price m8" calls. A kid who turned up with, no exaggeration, 10 of his friends (in three separate cars) to test drive the car. A weird guy who mid test drive turned to look me straight in the eye and say "I've already written off two cars this month" and finally a South African chap who enquired about the car for his elderly mother who clearly had another car in mind and was using every justification possible as to why the other car was better.

I finally sold it to a really genuine guy who was buying a car for his son. I'd just picked up my new car so I just gave him the keys while I showed my neighbour my new purchase including taking him for a spin around the block. After 45 minutes he said it was the best car purchase he'd ever made as he had plenty of time to go over the car without being pressured

But yeah... selling cars does suck which is why BCA now basically own the used car industry at every level because people don't want to deal with private sales.

just leave it up at the current price then. whilst it's extremely unlikely you will get your asking price, it's not a zero chance

But the one he was interested in will have gone meaning having to rush to find a replacement.

I was having a look at private sales on AT today and even stuff that I thought was cracking value has been sitting for weeks or months with multiple price drops showing.

 

[Nemiyen]

just leave it up at the current price then. whilst it's extremely unlikely you will get your asking price, it's not a zero chance

Yeah, definitely agree with this! There's a potential for someone to do a "Let's buy this car and find out why it's priced like this" YouTube video.

Or you get someone that lives locally, really likes the colour and doesn't mind paying that price for convenience. If you've got the advert already then you've got nothing to lose.

 

[Rroff]

But yeah... selling cars does suck which is why BCA now basically own the used car industry at every level because people don't want to deal with private sales.

Yeah - indirectly I'll more like "BCA it" these days at a hit than deal with a private sale. The other one they try on is mysteriously having £200-300 less cash on hand than the price they'd agreed to, etc. :s

 

[Jono8]

I don't know anyone that would pay the same (or more!!?) for a similar run of the mill/common car for a private sale compared to an approved used dealer (or even any non-dodgy looking dealer).

You'd have to be insane to not want the 2 year approved used warranty from Audi on a £15-20k 4 year old modern automatic car. Personally, i would likely never buy a car such as this privately unless it was giving me a really decent saving over a main dealer price (and i'm talking probably close to 20% cheaper).

Who is going to overlook this, which has 2 years warranty and servicing (and a lot of clout with consumer rights wise/customer service wise if it breaks) and buy yours for more money!?

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

Obviously this can be different if you have a great example of a rare car/version/spec or something. But your car is an Audi Q2.

As has been said, unless you got someone who is just plain odd/incredibly stupid, you would have never sold it for what you were asking. It is only going to keep depreciating as the months go by as well.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

just leave it up at the current price then. whilst it's extremely unlikely you will get your asking price, it's not a zero chance

I might do. I've already put the money up for the ad.

 

[Kenai]

If you've paid for a couple of weeks, may as well leave it up, you might be lucky enough to find someone particularly interested in yours.

 

[tamzzy]

But the one he was interested in will have gone meaning having to rush to find a replacement.

not wrong, but OP is not looking for a rare, exotic car. even if not the 320i estate, could alternatively get an a4 avant or another VAG dress-up lookalike

 

[dlockers]

I don't know anyone that would pay the same (or more!!?) for a similar run of the mill/common car for a private sale compared to an approved used dealer (or even any non-dodgy looking dealer).

You'd have to be insane to not want the 2 year approved used warranty from Audi on a £15-20k 4 year old modern automatic car. Personally, i would likely never buy a car such as this privately unless it was giving me a really decent saving over a main dealer price (and i'm talking probably close to 20% cheaper).

Who is going to overlook this, which has 2 years warranty and servicing (and a lot of clout with consumer rights wise/customer service wise if it breaks) and buy yours for more money!?

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

Obviously this can be different if you have a great example of a rare car/version/spec or something. But your car is an Audi Q2.

As has been said, unless you got someone who is just plain odd/incredibly stupid, you would have never sold it for what you were asking. It is only going to keep depreciating as the months go by as well.

Also the description for that one has like one billion emojis. Ops had NO emojis. Zero!

 

[lordrobs]

Also the description for that one has like one billion emojis. Ops had NO emojis. Zero!

It's true, their emoji game is strong. The close up photography showing just how much of a grubby individual the previous owner was though, not so appealing. Some of those touch points look like the sort of thing that my mates at school would dare each other to lick for a million pounds. NASTY!

 

[dirtychinchilla]

Bloody hell. It's like my mum wrote it.

Maybe that's why my car hasn't sold?!

They've also got the dread air conditioning.

 

[dlockers]

Bloody hell. It's like my mum wrote it.

Maybe that's why my car hasn't sold?!

They've also got the dread air conditioning.

But its cheaper than yours and has 2 years warranty

 

[Jono8]

It's true, their emoji game is strong. The close up photography showing just how much of a grubby individual the previous owner was though, not so appealing. Some of those touch points look like the sort of thing that my mates at school would dare each other to lick for a million pounds. NASTY!

Yet I'd still take that one over an equivalent but cleaner one from a private seller without two years warranty or any comeback/consumer rights etc.

I'd rather have a few marks on it than risk it instantly becoming an £18k paperweight if I get unlucky and the engine explodes

It just comes down to the type of car it is. It isn't special or rare enough to risk a private sale at that money unless you are getting a good discount off dealers prices.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

But its cheaper than yours and has 2 years warranty

might do

 

[Demon]

Yet I'd still take that one over an equivalent but cleaner one from a private seller without two years warranty or any comeback/consumer rights etc.

I'd rather have a few marks on it than risk it instantly becoming an £18k paperweight if I get unlucky and the engine explodes

It just comes down to the type of car it is. It isn't special or rare enough to risk a private sale at that money unless you are getting a good discount off dealers prices.

I'm fine if I can get manufacturers extended warranties on a private sale, but obviously needs proper full main dealer service history, or all the detailed receipts from indy garage showing the service schedule has been thoroughly adhered to..

Honestly from about 40 cars I've seen, 100% all say "Full Service History", or "Full Main Dealer Service History" and all but 3 haven't.. usually missed services, or random garages with no receipts to show what was done, or just flat out patchy service history..
I also have a remarkable number citing options the car doesn't have.. I have walked from some sales because I know full well outside the token warranty the garage is offering, I'm on my own after that..

 

[dirtychinchilla]

I'm fine if I can get manufacturers extended warranties on a private sale, but obviously needs proper full main dealer service history, or all the detailed receipts from indy garage showing the service schedule has been thoroughly adhered to..

Honestly from about 40 cars I've seen, 100% all say "Full Service History", or "Full Main Dealer Service History" and all but 3 haven't.. usually missed services, or random garages with no receipts to show what was done, or just flat out patchy service history..
I also have a remarkable number citing options the car doesn't have.. I have walked from some sales because I know full well outside the token warranty the garage is offering, I'm on my own after that..

I've got all that stuff. Did everything, kept everything. I wanted to make sure it was good when I came to sell it.

 

[lordrobs]

I must admit I've taken a fair chunk out of our Polo's value by self servicing it. It was my wife's decision after she found out what VW charge for an oil change and pollen filter. We don't plan on getting rid of it but if she gets her way and baby number 2 comes along and/or I change jobs and the company estate goes then who knows.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

I must admit I've taken a fair chunk out of our Polo's value by self servicing it. It was my wife's decision after she found out what VW charge for an oil change and pollen filter. We don't plan on getting rid of it but if she gets her way and baby number 2 comes along and/or I change jobs and the company estate goes then who knows.

I will admit to changing the pollen filter myself. Not surprised you just did it though consider it takes a few seconds!

 

[Martynt74]

I must admit I've taken a fair chunk out of our Polo's value by self servicing it. It was my wife's decision after she found out what VW charge for an oil change and pollen filter. We don't plan on getting rid of it but if she gets her way and baby number 2 comes along and/or I change jobs and the company estate goes then who knows.

I think that if you can provide receipts for the consumables, then arguably it's a selling point to some people as it shows you're mechanically minded and likely to have looked after the car as opposed to being one of the "i'll run it on bald tyres for 11 months as it didn't fail the MOT last month so i'll just change them next MOT"

 

[jaybee]

I must admit I've taken a fair chunk out of our Polo's value by self servicing it. It was my wife's decision after she found out what VW charge for an oil change and pollen filter. We don't plan on getting rid of it but if she gets her way and baby number 2 comes along and/or I change jobs and the company estate goes then who knows.

Same here. I just sign the book myself and keep all receipts of everything. What more can one do. I do a better job and more than dealers do.

I phoned for a service quote for my Clio and it was about £200. Fair enough. But when I asked what was done, they essentially really just do oil and filter change, and then "check and replace if necessary" various things like air filter, spark plugs etc. These things never get checked and replaced let's be honest. They assign Dave to change the oil, he lifts the car whilst scratching your side skirts, drops the oil out whilst leaving the last bits of *** in there due to time constraints, drops what the book says as an amount in to the top without checking levels afterwards, puts oil cap back on and then parks it (badly, boxed in) on the forecourt ready for collection. Then if you are really lucky, you'll get a call saying you need new discs and pads for £600. But you get a stamp in your book yo.

 

[lordrobs]

I think that if you can provide receipts for the consumables, then arguably it's a selling point to some people as it shows you're mechanically minded and likely to have looked after the car as opposed to being one of the "i'll run it on bald tyres for 11 months as it didn't fail the MOT last month so i'll just change them next MOT"

Yeah I've got a Google Sheets document with everything listed out, when it was done, what the mileage was and with receipts hyperlinked in... its a real nerds wet dream of a document

In normal times at over 7 years old most of its value would have evaporated by now but with car prices as they are it is still worth a fair chunk of change relative to the service costs.