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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect a trade-in for my dead car?

20 replies

almost50 · 24/05/2013 07:14

Been meaning to get a replacement car for few months as suspected current car is about to give up the ghost. Last night it clapped out. Won't even start, smoking oil. Anyway, it's parked somewhere safe (am not in a car recovery scheme/roadside plan). I know it'd only have scrap value but anything off a replacement car would be good as currently no money. Would a garage still do trade-in if I had it towed there?

OP posts:
NewAtThisMalarky · 24/05/2013 07:18

Unlikely, they want to sell their trade ins, and it ties up money. There is no benefit to the garage buying a car that needs a lot of work. You'd be better advertising it for 'spares or repair', or finding a scrap merchant that would pay you something to take it off your hands.

LeoTheLateBloomer · 24/05/2013 07:18

Not a chance. Sell it for scrap and put the money towards a new one.

cozietoesie · 24/05/2013 07:18

Depends what the current car is and what exactly is wrong with it. And have you seen the cost of a recovery these days? You might only be able to negotiate a free recovery for signing it over to them - without any extra value.

Start phoning.

SoupDragon · 24/05/2013 07:21

I think it's unlikely. When I traded in my old car the dealer took it for a test drive before giving me a price.

webuyanycar.com (I am sure there are others) buy non runners but you have to get the car to them.

lougle · 24/05/2013 07:25

Some forecourts do, but usually only because they've marked up the prices anyway!

NewAtThisMalarky · 24/05/2013 08:12

You might be able to negotiate a discount on the basis of not having a trade in though.

Original poster
almost50 · 24/05/2013 08:15

Thanks for replies. I m very rubbish at car buying. Have no idea what factors motivate their discounting and how to go about haggling. Any tips most welcome

OP posts:
WMittens · 24/05/2013 08:39

Phone a scrappy - depending of the weight of the car, or the demand for parts, you could get £100+ and they will pick it up from where it is. Scrap metal is worth a lot of money at the moment, and they expect to have to collect non-runners.

Bumblebee333 · 24/05/2013 09:14

I would take it to a scrap guy to be honest. we had an old car that we couldnt sell and ended up getting £300 for the metal/parts at a scrappers.

Generally, most car dealerships would prefer a part exchange, IF it is not going to cost them a fortune to put it up for sale. That way they make profit on the car you buy and then make profit on the car you brought in from the new owner.

fanoftheinvisibleman · 24/05/2013 09:20

Scrap it. It goes on weight. We got £350 for a Mazda 6 a couple of months ago after the engine blew. Still smarting that the bloody thing was only an 05 and to all intents and purposes looked like a nice car as it was being shoved up the road!

LessMissAbs · 24/05/2013 09:32

We advertised an Mercedes whose engine had blown up and which was stuck in the garage on ebay. A man several hundred miles away paid £900 for it and arranged for it to be towed away! I think cars for trade-ins normally have to be drivable.

ENormaSnob · 24/05/2013 09:37

Scrappers is your best option imo.

Doubt they would offer part ex, you would probably owe them money getting it there Grin

What car is it and what you buying?

IneedAsockamnesty · 24/05/2013 09:39

No scrap yard around here will give you full scrap value if they have to collect they normally knock £75 off for collection.

DeepRedBetty · 24/05/2013 09:42

my mum got £100 for a non-runniing Peugeot 205 last month, including it being towed from outside her house. Scrappy only about a mile away though.

Original poster
almost50 · 24/05/2013 18:07

Thanks for replies. The car is over about 8 yrs old and there s a hole in the oil tank plus the back wiper is falling off plus the engine s gone.

Anyway, we got it towed away free and a £100. Have no idea if that's fair but we couldn't have driven it anywhere

OP posts:
WMittens · 24/05/2013 18:49

a hole in the oil tank ... plus the engine s gone

It's rather more likely to be "hence the engine's gone."

If you'd noticed a hole in the sump earlier, you could have avoided a loss of thousands of pounds in scrapping the car.

BlessedDespair · 24/05/2013 19:25

When I traded my old car in all the dealership wanted was to hear the engine. If they'd wanted a test drive I'd have gotten a lot less for it since the brakes and clutch were failing among other things

I have no idea about scrap value though

IfNotNowThenWhen · 24/05/2013 20:12

8 years old!I am looking to buy a car, and a cheap to run car of
that age is still around 2 k..
I dont want to spend 2 k and have it die on me!
Bad luck op :(

StickyProblem · 24/05/2013 20:15

Cartakeback.co.uk did mine, they gave me a range of prices depending where I could get it to, including a price for collecting it from home.

Original poster
almost50 · 24/05/2013 23:14

Well I kept putting oil on. Dh ignored warning light and ran it dry.

OP posts:
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