Trying to sell stepdad's Focus

[Urko]

I expect this is due to my twisted view of the world, but when did trying to sell a car get so time-consuming and difficult?

Stepdad has given up driving, has a 2012 Ford Focus in washing machine white.

My sister was goingt sell it via Motorway but never got around to it.

I looked into it a bit and an outfit called Carwow seemed to require less paperwork (I have the V5c but it's not in my name - I also have lasting power of attorney for Stepdad's finances)

I listed the car - took quite a bit of time.  Then had a phone call where they wasted a lot of my time talking through the listing I had already sent them (why?)  and finally told me the reserve price would be £2600 (down from a promised initial £2700 of course).

The car was listed and "sold" to an outfit called Issac Motors for £2600.  They wanted to collect on the bank holiday but I was away so offered them any day the next week - they couldn't do that so we agreed on the following Tuesday.  Late on Monday they texted to say could they collect on Thursday instead.  I said no we needed to stick with the plan and they basically said it's Thursday or nothing.  At this point I made a tactical error and  told them the deal was off (although apparently from reviews the geneeral MO is for the dealer to turn up and offer you a lot less on your doorstep).

So I tried asking on the local FB group if there was anyone who buys cars - loads of response - but long story short, all from dealers who want to pay £100 for the car and if it's any more than that are not interested (but take a million messages and photos etc before telling me this rather than just be upfront about it).

So I made the second tactical error and listened to my sister who says Motorway quoted her £2900.  I listed it with them, same MO, long pointless phone call, geezer says £2500 reserve and asks if I am happy - I say £2600 please and he keeps spouting all sorts until I realise his definition of happy isn't the commonly used one.

Then I get the confirmation fo the listing - at £2400 "reserve' - except the reserve is also not the common definition as it bears no relation to er ...... well anything really.

Lord knows what will happen now - except even though I used her preferred option sister will blame me for lower price.

Stepdad doesn't desperately need the money, but it seems a shame not to try and do my best to get him what I can for the car.  

I am trying not to be a "I know what this is worth" twat - and it is a very average Ford Focus, but it's in good nick with no major faults (couple of very minor giffer scuffs) and only 74k miles, but it is proving hard to just get a decent offer on it and get it gone.

If it "sells" on Motorway I am not looking forward to some bloke arriving and trying to chip me down some more.

It's such a rotten process, selling cars, innit?

Or amybe I am just having a grumpy week.

[N Dentressangle]

Why not put an ad on here?

All those companies are in the same game - drawing you in with a good offer then chipping the price or making different demands until you finally accept something at very bottom book. I've only ever used them to get rid of cars with unfixable intermittent faults.

[grogee]

Have you tried the Auto trader 'we'll buy your car'? We had some success selling Mrs Grogee's Alfa that way. Click the 'sell car' button on the homepage then it will offer that service (which is actually run by Mannheim). 

[Urko]

4 minutes ago, grogee said:

Have you tried the Auto trader 'we'll buy your car'? We had some success selling Mrs Grogee's Alfa that way. Click the 'sell car' button on the homepage then it will offer that service (which is actually run by Mannheim). 

Never knew this existed, thanks

[HillmanImp]

I can feel your pain. I still say the best way to sell 'an car' is just the normal auto trader route. 

Doesn't seem to bring the same amount of cretins as other options in my experience. 

All of these buy my car options are gonna be a bit shite to some extent. Even the no pain options are gonna pay less than the cars worth. 

Obviously the buyer may well message you afterwards to pretend the car is fucked demanding £500 back or something, which seems to happen sometimes but they're just chancing their arm. When they buy it just ask for their licence and insurance and say you need to make sure they're legal as you're a cozzer or something if you're worried. 

[sierraman]

4 hours ago, Urko said:

I expect this is due to my twisted view of the world, but when did trying to sell a car get so time-consuming and difficult?

Stepdad has given up driving, has a 2012 Ford Focus in washing machine white.

My sister was goingt sell it via Motorway but never got around to it.

I looked into it a bit and an outfit called Carwow seemed to require less paperwork (I have the V5c but it's not in my name - I also have lasting power of attorney for Stepdad's finances)

I listed the car - took quite a bit of time.  Then had a phone call where they wasted a lot of my time talking through the listing I had already sent them (why?)  and finally told me the reserve price would be £2600 (down from a promised initial £2700 of course).

The car was listed and "sold" to an outfit called Issac Motors for £2600.  They wanted to collect on the bank holiday but I was away so offered them any day the next week - they couldn't do that so we agreed on the following Tuesday.  Late on Monday they texted to say could they collect on Thursday instead.  I said no we needed to stick with the plan and they basically said it's Thursday or nothing.  At this point I made a tactical error and  told them the deal was off (although apparently from reviews the geneeral MO is for the dealer to turn up and offer you a lot less on your doorstep).

So I tried asking on the local FB group if there was anyone who buys cars - loads of response - but long story short, all from dealers who want to pay £100 for the car and if it's any more than that are not interested (but take a million messages and photos etc before telling me this rather than just be upfront about it).

So I made the second tactical error and listened to my sister who says Motorway quoted her £2900.  I listed it with them, same MO, long pointless phone call, geezer says £2500 reserve and asks if I am happy - I say £2600 please and he keeps spouting all sorts until I realise his definition of happy isn't the commonly used one.

Then I get the confirmation fo the listing - at £2400 "reserve' - except the reserve is also not the common definition as it bears no relation to er ...... well anything really.

Lord knows what will happen now - except even though I used her preferred option sister will blame me for lower price.

Stepdad doesn't desperately need the money, but it seems a shame not to try and do my best to get him what I can for the car.  

I am trying not to be a "I know what this is worth" twat - and it is a very average Ford Focus, but it's in good nick with no major faults (couple of very minor giffer scuffs) and only 74k miles, but it is proving hard to just get a decent offer on it and get it gone.

If it "sells" on Motorway I am not looking forward to some bloke arriving and trying to chip me down some more.

It's such a rotten process, selling cars, innit?

Or amybe I am just having a grumpy week.

If it’s a Mk3 it’s probably worth 3-3.5k retail. There’s no way someone buying it can be making profit paying £2,600 for it.  I’d imagine you’ve no way with these Motorway type places to ‘vet’ any prospective buyers, could be someone making an honest living, could be some cunt coming round and thinking £2,600 is a starting point to get it to £1,200. 

[Urko]

Funnilly enough the outfit that bid £2600 is listing a White Focus of the exact same year and spec and mileage for 4999 it says "awaiting photos" so they reckon they could ask that!

I have seen them at 3k though.  £3.6 would be a grand profit, not a fortune but not bad.

[Urko]

If I get no joy I might put it on here.

[RoverFolkUs]

I'm assuming it's manual, not auto? 

Local bomb site dealer had a 61 plate petrol (early mk3) and it sold within a week or so for £3950... About 80k miles on the clock

Weirdly, had it been a MK2.5 on a 61 plate it would probably be valued close to half of that 😅

It's probably a bit old to get a decent price from the likes of motorway, probably not quite enough meat on the bone for many dealers. Most dealers seem to want a £1500 gross margin before they'll even think about buying it (which is completely understandable, because they've probably got to service, MOT it, and/or address various faults, and pay 16.6% VAT on their margin...)

In all likelihood it's going to attract the delboys who are happy to work with a narrower margin to a certain extent but intend to begin an aggressive haggling session when they arrive to find it's got a tyre that's worn down to 5mm...

Advertise it privately with a sensible, helpful yet concise description with some top notch photos taken in good light for £2950 and I expect you'll have the phone ringing off the hook as long as it's reasonably tidy. 

You'll get plenty of mouth-breathers but you can usually tell within 30 seconds of a conversation starting whether it's someone you want to be selling a car to, mainly based on the way they speak and the questions they ask.

Don't be dismayed by imbecilic enquiries, there will be a down to earth, genuine buyer out there who is happy to cut the middle man out - they'll get the same car cheaper and you'll get a bit more money for it. 

When I sold my other Focus (advertised for less than £1500....) I remember one enquiry started off "does the paint have any fading whatsoever? I had a red car before and it looked horrible" 

So the very first and only thing they were bothered about was the paint condition on a 14 year old, 140k mile, sub £1500 Focus... 

NEXT

Then there was someone asking "has the clutch been replaced?" as the opening enquiry... I told her that I didn't know either way, but the clutch was fine at that moment. She proceeded to tell me that she will never buy a car again that hasn't just had a new clutch because every car she's had has needed a new clutch.... She then asked whether I would consider paying towards having a new clutch fitted before sale (!) or whether I could give a guarantee on it...F*ck off 🤣

TLDR; it's not easy, but a private sale doesn't have to be as painful.. worth a try. You clearly aren't having any joy with the so called painless dealers

 

[Spiny Norman]

I'd stay away from WBAC/Motorway type places, like everyone says they'll want at least  grand in net profit off it before they lift a finger.
I had a similar experience a few years ago trying to sell a 7 year old Zafira  and I advertised it on Scumtree. fielded the usual idiots and on the very day the WBAC guy was coming to view it, a guy phoned up having come over from Arran to see one that he ended up not liking and was I available right now because he didn't want to go back on the ferry empty handed. He asked the right questions and was at my door within half an hour, and I was counting the money 20 minutes later. He paid a wee but under the initial WBAC offer and while it was a nice car I didn't think they'd be able to chip me down on I was just happier dealing with the person who was going to be the end user

[Kiltox]

50 minutes ago, Urko said:

£3.6 would be a grand profit, not a fortune but not bad.

£166.67 VAT
transport
prep
advertising
warranty 

Motorway also charge their dealers fees on the sale price - a £2600 car would be £250+VAT. 

Carwow and Motorway both work in the same way - the car you list is then presented to dealers who can bid for it.  It should be a slightly cheaper way for them to source cars than the likes of BCA, but there's also a fair bit of risk in the way cars are presented and described. 

There's actually an advantage to be had in using WBAC in this case - they're not a middleman, they're the firm giving you the cash.  Describe the car honestly and the price they quote is the price you get, more or less.

[Urko]

I can't legally  take it WBAC as it is Sorn and not insured - otherwise I might have tried hawking around a few places locally