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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Don't people buy cars privately any more?

47 replies

Tradingdown · 01/04/2022 19:00

Tough times mean that I'm trying to sell my car privately to buy a supercheap runaround. It is on Autotrader for just under £7000 which is £500-1500 less than dealers' ads for almost identical cars and still has 6+ months manufacturer's warranty left, full service history etc.

OH says no one buys privately any more because everyone leases or finances cars, even cheap used ones.
Is he right?
Where do you buy/sell them if you don't want to sell at rock bottom to a dealer?

OP posts:

Furrydogmum · 01/04/2022 19:02

I got a silly (high) price from we buy any car! Honestly, I wasn't expecting it and they barely tried to knock me down on wheel scuffs etc..

etulosba · 01/04/2022 19:02

Thinking back, I haven’t bought a car from a private seller since 1998.

Ladybutterflies · 01/04/2022 19:04

Same here, we used Motorway and got about £1000 more than we expected, with no hassle, no people turning up to test drive, transferring funds or bringing cash etc.

Smartiepants79 · 01/04/2022 19:05

I know nothing much about cars so would be wary of buying privately as there’s not much come back if the car is not as expected.
Is the low price making it look like there something to hide??

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 01/04/2022 19:05

We did last year... but it was £500 banger.

Honestly wouldn't be happy handing over 7k to a stranger.

Chely · 01/04/2022 19:06

Yes people still buy privately but there are so many scammers about that many are put off doing it. Be patient and if you've had no interest in a month lower your price a bit to see if that helps.

ThreeWiseWomen · 01/04/2022 19:07

£7,000 not a chance.

Sorry

Onlyforcake · 01/04/2022 19:08

I'd definitely rather deal with a company i can check out reviews of etc.

GabriellaMontez · 01/04/2022 19:08

Your oh is wrong. But, people buy from dealers to avoid the hassle of insurance and exchanging large amounts of cash.

Have you got a part x price from a dealer. It may surprise you.

ukborn · 01/04/2022 19:09

My son is 18 so many if his friends have been buying second hand cars and all through local dealers. My son has bought three scooters privately only one was any good no comeback so I'd be wary of private sales.

MrsVeryTired · 01/04/2022 19:10

We buy cars privately but really only £2000 cars max.
Is your car a special edition of some kind? Thats usually the only reason people buy private in that price range.

LakieLady · 01/04/2022 19:11

Most people I know buy second-hand, but they all seem to go to dealers. They prefer it because they have some protection if they turn out to have problems.

I always buy privately, but I buy old, cheap cars and get rid of them when/if they start to go wrong. The only 2 I had problems with were both bought from dealers.

My mate's brother is a dealer, and they're desperate for decent 2nd hand cars, and will pay good money for them.

galacticpixels · 01/04/2022 19:11

Personally I don't know enough about cars to hand over a huge chunk of money to a stranger, and there's also so many scammers out there.

intwrferingma · 01/04/2022 19:11

I'd worry about selling privately these days tbh. Buyers probably worry too. Just use one of the sites - used car prices are high at the moment. You'll have no problems
Good luck!.

Crimesean · 01/04/2022 19:12

I've bought and sold old bangers privately (less than £1k) but never anything more expensive. Dealers usually give a warranty, inspect the vehicle for big problems, and are an established business you can sue if anything goes wrong or they run off with your money.

I wouldn't pay thousands in cash to a randomer, nor would I do a bank transfer into a personal bank account.

Orangesox · 01/04/2022 19:12

Not a chance I’d buy privately at that price range - maybe try Motorway or Carwow for a quote, tend to get more through them than WBAC. Only ever bought proper cheaper first car / bangers privately, it’s too much money for it to go wrong, plus you’ve got to muck about paying for a HPI check, some sort of AA/RAC type assessment or know a decent professional mechanic to come and look with you, because even if you’re a fairly competent DIY mechanic, there could be all sorts of error codes come up when the car has been plugged in.

I’d also be really wary at accepting that kind of money regardless of whether it’s a bank transfer or cash… way too many things could go wrong as the seller even.

Original poster

Tradingdown · 01/04/2022 19:19

I'm so glad I asked here, I hadn't realised how many people avoid buying privately, though I can see the reasons why.
I've tended to buy newish cars and keep them for a good while and sell privately, but the last one I sold (easily, and for £10,000+) was 7 years ago so maybe the scamming has got a lot worse since then.

Thanks for the tips about motorway and carwow- I'm going to see what they would offer.

OP posts:

Yellowleadbetter · 01/04/2022 19:24

Nope.
I’ve just had mine advertised for less than £4k and it didn’t sell, not a single person interested.
I went onto carwow and sold it to a dealer in the end as I needed it gone.

No, no one interested.

Dearmariacountmein · 01/04/2022 19:29

£2000 car I would but not £7000 unless it was £3-4K cheaper than a dealer price.

Florenz · 01/04/2022 19:29

I think there's a business that claims that they will purchase any automobile, but I can't remember what it's called.

MoFro · 01/04/2022 19:33

DH sold his a few weeks ago for £6k cash via a featured ad in the autotrader- think it cost around £30.
Guy came and test drove it, checked all paperwork and handed over the cash
He bought it for £8k 3 years ago so he got more than expected!

Second hand car prices have been high in the last year so try it!

Blanketpolicy · 01/04/2022 19:36

We tried to buy privately for ds recently and there was not much available so ended up going around the dealers.

How much is your car valued at? Buyers will expect to pay significantly (a lot more than £1500) less than dealer prices where they will have options for 0% finance, a warranty, 12 months MOT, recent service, free service plan etc instead of just buying as seen.

Crazykatie · 01/04/2022 19:38

Low price cars not really a problem, say under £2k, the reality is that anyone wanting a car valued a £5k probably hasn’t got the cash to pay for it up front.
Also there are some very good deals at zero interest on new cars with a small deposit, affordable and no worries about repairs for years. Buying a S/H car from a dealer on finance can be expensive because of interest charges.

bumpermom · 01/04/2022 19:42

No, We tried once and got completely screwed over. We didn't even make it home before it broke down on us! We vowed ever since to go to a dealer and we would at least have a warranty. We have always sold to a dealer and got good money back from it.

CapMarvel · 01/04/2022 19:44

1 or 2k on a banger maybe, but there is no way I'd spend 7k on a used car from a private seller.

I sold recently and Cazoo gave me by far the best price, so try them too.

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