Second-hand car salesmen!

[MirandaGoshawk]

Friend bought a car last year from a local (much-respected) small garage. She told me at the time that it had belonged to a lady who had become too ill to drive and who was devastated to have to sell it/couldn't bear to see it on their forecourt, etc.

Fast forward to last week when DF was coming back to her parked car and a cyclist stopped and said, "Is that you car? It used to be mine!" They had a chat, and the woman was surprised when my friend asked after her health. Turns out that the story was a loads of bolleaux - she had wanted a newer/bigger car and had not been ill/devastated to sell it!

The irony is that my friend had had to put her emotions aside in order to allow herself to buy the car under those circs, and had almost walked away!

Salesmen will tell you anything to secure the sale. One lady owner, only drove to church each Sunday is another one with cars.

Just put emotions to one side, take all chit chat with a huge pinch of salt and focus on what you want to spend your money on.

I bought my first car 24 years ago. It’s last keeper was a lady (garage said elderly) and had done 500 miles in he preceding year. It was totally totally shit. But hat might have been to do with it being a Renault.

And I would never listen to salesmen’s patter again.

You're buying a car, not somebody's life story.

Previous owners are irrelevant. The car could have been owned by Mother Teresa, but they still have pot holes in Kolkata.

I bought a little Renault Clio years ago in a private sale. It had stupidly low miles on it because it was an elderly lady who literally drove across town once a week to do her shopping at the Co Op. She was a lovely old lady as well.

Had that car for many years, it served me well.

Had a car dealer told me that story I'd have thought 'yeah right'

DH was given the job of selling his grandads car for him. He had lots of eyerolls when he told viewers it was only driven to M&S on a Wednesday and John Lewis on a Saturday. They only used it for shopping as the boot was easy to open/shut on it.

Together - brilliant!

But my point is that there was no need for the bloke to lie. He would've got the sale anyway, and people around here think he's marvellous (servicing cars) but if they knew what a liar he is they might not think so highly of him.

Pippa, when I bought my first car I wasn't told anything about the previous owner. But when I got the logbook and old MOT certificates I saw that she lived in London and worked out that she had only driven 500 miles in the previous year. I wouldn't have believed that if they'd told me!