Things that really do your head in when selling a car

[PiperCub]

Many things, notably filthy heaps which just goes to show the owner doesn't care so will reflect in the cars mechanical condition from experience. 

 

But one of the worst is the owner that just cannot be bothered, as in, give the impression you are wasting his valuable time, the body language tells you alot as does the attitude. There's been a number of occasions when I've go so irritated that I've asked straight out "Do you actually want to sell this thing or not?" - prior to me simply walking off and leaving (often with "Keep the fucker then, bye").

Seriously, to quote the late great Bill Hicks, if you can't be arsed to "Plaster on a fake smile and plough through this shit one more time" when you are trying to get money off someone then you are making life hard for yourself and wasting the buyers time. 

[overrun]

Wrong thread...

[ProgRocker]

I haven't sold a car privately since 2002. That time, two young lads rocked up in a Clio to look at my 1990 Mini Racing Green. Chap not buying pointed out the oil leak to me (they all do that ?) while the actual buyer was going over it but seemingly didn't communicate this nugget to the buyer, who agrees to buy it.

He turns up with his mother to finalise the deal as I rushed home from work. Buyer doesn't look very happy. While waiting outside by the Mini, he's noticed the oil leak. I explained that his friend noticed it on the viewing and I would have thought that he would have warned him about it. He agrees to go ahead and buy the car (at risk of losing the £100 deposit).

I thought that the whole idea of bringing a mate along on viewing a car is to get a more rounded view of the condition of a used car. 

[ProgRocker]

Some of these posts read likr r/choosingbeggars:

 

[anonymous user]

If I can trade it in with a dealer I will, if it's an "end of life" job I will either scrap it, or give it away.

It's the in between ones that give me grief. I just hate having to deal with people. These days it appears that everyone wants perfection and even where the car is priced accordingly, on the low side, for mileage/condition then expect a further vast reduction because they're entitled to it. 

I most hate having to deal with a family outing that has come to have a look, they never buy.

 

[UltraWomble]

21 minutes ago, anonymous user said:

 

It's the in between ones that give me grief. I just hate having to deal with people. These days it appears that everyone wants perfection and even where the car is priced accordingly, on the low side, for mileage/condition then expect a further vast reduction because they're entitled to it. 

 

 

This - its the issue with the C8 - dealers be offering £500 because they dont want it  - ideally we want £1000 trade in against a £18000 Bingo. Private sale it would be about £1200 to £1500 but can I really be arsed with the grief?

I mean its all hypothertical at the mo as the missus has decided to wait till Jan to buy the new motor.

[sierraman]

Why are people so keen to swap things? I thought that’s what children did?

Fundamentally I’m just not tolerant enough to sell cars. 90% of the people you have round you’ll want to maim after a few minutes in their company. I’ve had some people round that really should have dribbled down their mothers arse crack, it’s that bad.

[DoctorRetro]

15 hours ago, RobT said:

Gumtree is good because you can screen 'buyers'.  I give message only as an option,  and only entertain those who string a coherent sentence together, or are curt but also polite.  I'm yet to sell a car via eBay.  Admittedly I hardly use it, but the costs and the potential twattery put me off.  I don't like the idea of someone leaving me negative feedback unreasonably (I like to think I'm not a shitehawk either, and will disclose known faults).

On the subject of bad eBay feedback, I sold a Daewoo Tacuma on eBay a few years ago for 250 quid with MOT. 

The winning bidder messaged to arrange collection, but then messaged again after 'paying for an HPI check' and 'found out it had been a cat D'

I wasn't aware of this, and for goodness sake, it was 250 quid! 

They left negative feedback, saying 'Should describe items more clearly' 

I know nowadays it's easier to find out these things, but back then, you just didn't know unless you paid for a check. 

[Zelandeth]

Forgot one:

[] People who come to buy a car without having done any prior research so as to know what to expect.

I had one guy turn up to buy a Skoda Estelle off me (Rapid actually) "because they're well cool" (his words not mine).

They then proceeded to quiz me on the spec of the car... complaining bitterly at the lack of central locking, power steering, air con, sat nav (no I'm not kidding) and then complained it was slow on the test drive... it's a bloody Skoda from 1990...it had 54bhp when new...what did you honestly expect?!?

They honestly had no idea that it was going to drive any different to the 2005 Golf they turned up in and the thought that cars were once different seemed to be a totally foreign concept to them.

Know someone who had no end of trouble from the buyer of an early 70s Beetle who kept coming back with "defect" after "defect" which were not defects at all...in fact were just a 70s Beetle being a 70s Beetle.  Within the limits of what the car was, it was a lovely example.  At the end of the day though, a totally stock 70s Beetle is never exactly going to provide the greatest dynamic driving experience in the world.

So yeah...buyers turning up expecting a Yugo to drive like a Mercedes are on my list.

[anonymous user]

The other thing that annoys me is the vehicle that has been fine with me deciding to have a strop, either just before potential buyer turns up, during a test drive, or when they have paid and come to pick it up.

"It's never done that before" and I'm sure they believe me (not).

Selling my Series 1 Land Rover, which had never let me down, on the day of sale it decided not to run properly, buyer got the RAC, who diagnosed a failed fuel pump. I gave the buyer his money back. After fiddling around over the next few days, with a borrowed fuel pump, I found it was just a blocked jet in the carb. By then the buyer had changed his mind. I eventually sold it to my vet (that time the exhaust fell off). I don't think it wanted to leave me.

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, anonymous user said:

The other thing that annoys me is the vehicle that has been fine with me deciding to have a strop, either just before potential buyer turns up, during a test drive, or when they have paid and come to pick it up

 

Oh dear lordy this, all day long. 

I'm somewhat terrified that the Lada will decide to try something like this when I come to hand it over to the new keeper, despite it having not missed a beat in a year or so now...

[twosmoke300]

I sold / swapped a Puma to the friend / relative of someone one here . ( terrible memory means I can’t remember who ) 

I drove the puma up to Taunton for the swap and shiters mate gives the puma the “ expert “ eye and proclaims the water pump is leaking . This was a surprise to me so I asked him to point it out to me - gestures to above the gearbox area where there was a pin hole in a pipe . Shiters eyes roll in embarrassment ?. 
 

[dome]

19 hours ago, sierraman said:

Why are people so keen to swap things? I thought that’s what children did?

Normally I'm totally with you on this but with the Octavia I'm trying to sell being as easy to get rid of as syphilis I've resorted to asking people selling L322 Range rovers if they'll swap. I'll keep you all posted... 

[sierraman]

I thought Octavian sold quite well,  good reliable cars?

[Cavcraft]

Everything and nearly every body.

[lesapandre]

58 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Everything and nearly every body.

 What do we think the answer is?

Here is a few;

1. Don't ask a reasonable price - double what you really want to allow for offers and put off the batshit impecunious ?

2. Use a pay as you go mobile to screen callers - keep them away from your proper phone and life?

3. Put no offers no texts and immediately block numbers that try that or can't read?

4. Don't Ebay Auction cars - life is too short?

5. Put vehicles that deserve it on specialists or enthusiasts sites?

6. Don't entertain dumb questions - they must view to see for themselves - avoid getting drawn down the ' has it had its **** replaced' line of enquiry?

7. Just put basic facts in ads - avoid 'good bodywork' as it leads to how long is a piece of string discussions?

8. Don't tolerate the rude, the late or no shows - block them on a one strike you are out basis? 

9. Put a basic location in the ad to block off the where are you nonsense and if happens deploy 3.

10. Put no px or if you do be very specific - again deploy 3 in cases of sillyness.

Any more???

This may not sell a car but at least you can keep your sanity and 'own' your sale.

[sierraman]

Don’t know if probably ask if it’s had the timing belt done if it’s relevant. Not a deal breaker. Anything else really I’d just actually go and look at it. With actual cash moneys in my pocket. 

[lesapandre]

Timing belt done and mileage is a good fact to put. With an invoice even better but even that is open to questions and pointless debate - 'what brand of timing belt' etc...

But as in many areas of life the Pythons nailed this:

 

[lesapandre]

And this: 

 

[dome]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

I thought Octavian sold quite well,  good reliable cars?

So did I. It's a good spec and it's cheap. Although it was a Cat D, which I didn't know about. Out of all the rammel I've bought broken, fixed and sold I thought this would be a walk in the park. I've taken the ad down and will try again after Christmas. 

 

[sierraman]

I ask about the belt because if it’s done 110k and it was due at 100k and wasn’t done then it’s not a good sign. I’ll put another belt on it that’s not a concern it’s more the fact they couldn’t spend the money doing it suggests they are running it on a shoestring. 

[lesapandre]

Just now, sierraman said:

I ask about the belt because if it’s done 110k and it was due at 100k and wasn’t done then it’s not a good sign. I’ll put another belt on it that’s not a concern it’s more the fact they couldn’t spend the money doing it suggests they are running it on a shoestring. 

Or they say...what belt.

[Dan_ZTT]

3 hours ago, dome said:

Normally I'm totally with you on this but with the Octavia I'm trying to sell being as easy to get rid of as syphilis I've resorted to asking people selling L322 Range rovers if they'll swap. I'll keep you all posted... 

Think I've missed that advert, but I've got an L322 Range Rover I'm getting bored of...

[sierraman]

1 minute ago, lesapandre said:

Or they say...what belt.

No what about when they get it factually incorrect and say it’s got a chain or vice versa. 

[Jerzy Woking]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

 

4. Don't Ebay Auction cars - life is too short.

5. Put vehicles that deserve it on specialists or enthusiasts sites

This. Had to sell.my Saab 9-5 so put it on here and uksaabs. Within an hour on uksaabs I had six enquiries-one offering to buy it without looking at it. I would not be happy with that.

I gave the first bloke to contact me first refusal. He turned up on time. On the test drive he treated it gently until it was warm. Didnt ask anything that wasnt in the description. Back at my place, he had a quick flick through the wedge of receipts.

I assumed he was going to think about it, then he asked for my wifi code. Asked why, he said to pay me via bank transfer. No haggling, no fuss. Just told me "I know a good car when I see one". I emptied all my crap out of the car as he made payment.

Selling to a fellow enthusiast is the way to go. He even sent me a photo of it once he got it home and had washed it. 

[dome]

1 hour ago, Dan_ZTT said:

Think I've missed that advert, but I've got an L322 Range Rover I'm getting bored of...

Is yours the Ex Wack one? Prob more than the Skoda is TBH. 

 

 

[ProgRocker]

20 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

 had one guy turn up to buy a Skoda Estelle off me (Rapid actually) "because they're well cool" (his words not mine).

They then proceeded to quiz me on the spec of the car... complaining bitterly at the lack of central locking, power steering, air con, sat nav (no I'm not kidding) and then complained it was slow on the test drive... it's a bloody Skoda from 1990...it had 54bhp when new...what did you honestly expect?!?

By the sound of it - a Tatra. ?

[rantingYoof]

No what about when they get it factually incorrect and say it’s got a chain or vice versa. 

I rang up a dealer about a Volvo S80 2.5T. Has a belt, due every 50kish.

Dealer tried to tell me it was chain driven.

I didn't go to view it.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[Zelandeth]

25 minutes ago, ProgRocker said:

By the sound of it - a Tatra. ?

If I'd had one of them I doubt I'd have been selling it!

Mmm...air cooled V8 goodness...

[bunglebus]

20 hours ago, anonymous user said:

The other thing that annoys me is the vehicle that has been fine with me deciding to have a strop, either just before potential buyer turns up, during a test drive, or when they have paid and come to pick it up.

"It's never done that before" and I'm sure they believe me (not).

 

My Beetle died that, no response to turning the key - crawled underneath to find a broken wire at the starter. Bumped started it with the guy and he was more than happy to drive it home, despite having no tax or test.