Selling privately

[SE_123]

Has anyone ever had a bad experience trying to sell a car privately? What's the best advice to avoid the tyre kickers?

 

[DLax69]

Has anyone ever had a bad experience trying to sell a car privately? What's the best advice to avoid the tyre kickers?

Honestly, no...but I think it's a little different in Leftpondia. I have generally used Craigslist to dispose of vehicles I didn't want or need to trade. My suggestions are always to meet on neutral territory, preferably where there's a crowd; never meet alone (even though most people wouldn't f with me, it still helps to have additional eyes, etc.); take the other person's keys while they test drive yours; and know what you won't take and be prepared to walk away if you don't get it. The psychology of these things is always worse than the logistics, in my opinion.

 

[allandwf]

Always sold privately, numerous times, can't say I enjoy it, but I get a far better price than from a dealer. But most have been "collector" or niche cars.

 

[DLax69]

Always sold privately, numerous times, can't say I enjoy it, but I get a far better price than from a dealer. But most have been "collector" or niche cars.

...or $100 pickup trucks.

 

[doodlebug]

Honestly, no...but I think it's a little different in Leftpondia. I have generally used Craigslist to dispose of vehicles I didn't want or need to trade. My suggestions are always to meet on neutral territory, preferably where there's a crowd; never meet alone (even though most people wouldn't f with me, it still helps to have additional eyes, etc.); take the other person's keys while they test drive yours; and know what you won't take and be prepared to walk away if you don't get it. The psychology of these things is always worse than the logistics, in my opinion.

Struth, it really is like the wild west over there. I've sold loads of cars in my time and have never once felt the need to have any sort of back-up. Maybe I'm too trusting,

 

[DLax69]

Struth, it really is like the wild west over there. I've sold loads of cars in my time and have never once felt the need to have any sort of back-up. Maybe I'm too trusting,

...or i'm not trusting enough!

 

[mjheathcote]

When I think about, haven't really sold many cars privately.
1. My aunt. Lancia Y10 Fire
2. Lancia enthusiast. Lancia Y10 Turbo
3. Young lad no clue. Alfa 33 P4
4. Work colleague. Fiat Panda
4. My hairdresser for commission, strange one that. Jeep Wrangler
5. French guy unseen with full asking price in my account 2 weeks before collection! Lotus Elise
That's it, I generally keep cars quite a few years.
I've never traded a car in!
Above excludes 7 company cars spread over 23 years.

 

[Hurricane52]

Always sold privately and always felt I’d undervalued slightly. Only exception was an early MGB (1963 pull handle) my mum and I bought in the dark for £4.5k used for five years and sold at a Sotheby’s house auction for £9k.

 

[c4sman]

Sold a few cars privately with good experiences (Mercedes CLS, Fiesta ecoboost, TVR Griffith for example). However I started the process of selling my immaculate low mileage full history E93 M3 last year. Got calls within 3 mins (literally) of posting it on Autotrader by 2 chancers with low ball offers and high pressure approaches. They eventually offered me a price I would accept but at that time I knew I couldn’t cope with giving these characters my home address, plus I have 3 other nice motors that I don’t want these characters to see. On that basis I removed the ad after the 3rd call and sold via Motorway for a lower price but way better than trade in or WBAC. On that basis I think it depends on what type a car and what type of buyer you will attract.

Here’s the BM which looks like it’s just resold from the purchasing dealer.

Used in Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire | Oakdene Collection

POA, - miles - , - Colour - Call us on 01623206396

www.oakdenecollection.co.uk

 

[SE_123]

Sold a few cars privately with good experiences (Meecedes CLS, Fiesta ecoboost, TVR Griffith for example). However I at arted the process of selling my immaculate low mileage full history E93 M3 last year. Got calls within 3 mins (literally) of posting it on Autotrader by 2 chancers with low ball offers and high pressure approaches. They eventually offered me a price I would accept but at that time I knew I couldn’t cope with giving these characters my home address, plus I have 3 other nice motors that I don’t want these characters to see. On that basis I removed the ad after the 3rd call and sold via Motorway for a lower price but way better than trade in or WBAC. On that basis I think it depends on what type a car and what type of buyer you will attract.

Here’s the BM which looks like it’s just resold from the purchasing dealer.

Used in Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire | Oakdene Collection

POA, - miles - , - Colour - Call us on 01623206396

www.oakdenecollection.co.uk

I think you are right - an M3 or similar "general population" sports car will get certain chancers try their luck.

 

[DavidL]

3rd option these days are the auctions. I used the car and classic one and to be fair it was fine. They were easy to deal with and when the inevitable request came to lower the reserve a few hours before the end they were very open, saying it just needs to be £100 so we can legitimately email everyone saying reserve lowered. It did kick in a new wave of bids.
I used them as CC and TM wouldn't accept a reserve on a sub £10k car. I wasn't prepared to do that.
But I had no tyre kickers and the deal was was easy enough. I'm sure there are others that where that wasn't the case.
Fees were ok. I dare say if I'd held on I cold have sold it privately for a bit more but time v effort it was acceptable.

 

[Gazcw]

Prefer to sell privately and have sold many including the QP via Autotrader without issue. I have never had any chancers or tyre kickers either. Had a few obvious dealers calling trying to bid me low without seeing it though. I just say no thanks the price is the price.

 

[DLax69]

When I think about, haven't really sold many cars privately.
1. My aunt. Lancia Y10 Fire
2. Lancia enthusiast. Lancia Y10 Turbo
3. Young lad no clue. Alfa 33 P4
4. Work colleague. Fiat Panda
4. My hairdresser for commission, strange one that. Jeep Wrangler
5. French guy unseen with full asking price in my account 2 weeks before collection! Lotus Elise
That's it, I generally keep cars quite a few years.
I've never traded a car in!
Above excludes 7 company cars spread over 23 years.

I feel like we need the hairdresser story.

 

[mjheathcote]

Sold a few cars privately with good experiences (Mercedes CLS, Fiesta ecoboost, TVR Griffith for example). However I started the process of selling my immaculate low mileage full history E93 M3 last year. Got calls within 3 mins (literally) of posting it on Autotrader by 2 chancers with low ball offers and high pressure approaches. They eventually offered me a price I would accept but at that time I knew I couldn’t cope with giving these characters my home address, plus I have 3 other nice motors that I don’t want these characters to see. On that basis I removed the ad after the 3rd call and sold via Motorway for a lower price but way better than trade in or WBAC. On that basis I think it depends on what type a car and what type of buyer you will attract.

Here’s the BM which looks like it’s just resold from the purchasing dealer.

Used in Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire | Oakdene Collection

POA, - miles - , - Colour - Call us on 01623206396

www.oakdenecollection.co.uk

I know what you mean.
If I sold my M140i I know I would be unindated with calls from boy racers, especially with it being high mileage the price would be low for one, and therefore attractive to those pushing themselves to buy one.
I wasn't happy when the Mrs sold an iPhone on Facebook and a pair of lads came over the hill from Manchester to buy it. They saw the M140i and immediately said, do you want any parts for it! For several weeks I was worried my car would become a parts car!

 

[mjheathcote]

I feel like we need the hairdresser story.

I'd just started a new job and got my first company car, and at the time I couldn't warrant keeping the Jeep and also my Triumph Stag, so needed to sell it. Was chatting to my hairdresser and said I was going to be selling my Jeep, and he asked what I wanted for it, at the time I think I said £5k, this was back in 2000, and it was a '93 YJ. 4LT limited. He simply said I'll sell it for you, so I gave him my number.
I was working away the following week and I got a call from my girlfriend saying a guy claiming to be my hairdresser has a buyer for the Jeep!
He came around with a buyer that same day, and it was sold, so I got my £5k. Don't know what he actually sold it for and not being at home, never saw the actual buyer.
Was a car I should have kept, extremely rare in the UK now, loved the smooth straight 6, the ruggedness but lovely tan soft leather interior.

 

[doodlebug]

I've sold all my cars privately except for two that went to the scrapper because tin worm made them uneconomical to repair.

The last one I sold was to a chap in Scotland who bought it without even seeing the car. He paid for it and arranged for a low-loader to come and pick it up. Thinking about it, that was the second buyer from Scotland who bought a car off me sight unseen.

I also sold my missus' last car to some dodgy geezer down on the south coast.

 

[Twos]

Always sold privately, only bought from a dealer when I purchased my M3 brand new from Germany when the euro was a meaning full currency

Always make sure you don’t go out with all the paperwork and spare key. Keep it simple, also let family know if you are going for a test drive etc etc

 

[RoaryRati]

Only ever px'ed the dodgy ones where I couldn't honestly say 'brilliant car'. But if the are good I keep them.

 

[Zep]

I also sold my missus' last car to some dodgy geezer down on the south coast.

I think I know him. Shifty looking type right?