Things that put me right off

[Zelandeth]

20 hours ago, SiC said:

There is also that cars have a habit of doing weird stuff when changing owners. Also some just go "new car!" and then gloss over their experiences. Others go into much more detail on their life with it. 

I'm in the latter camp and I often feel a bit conflicted as I know 99.99% of the time if something has broken it was bad luck and not the previous owners fault. But then it could look bad on the previous owner despite me trying to reiterate it's just bad luck. 

Case in point is what I'm going through with my recent Z4 at the moment. The electric power steering is a known issue on them and always had the potential to fail. I have no doubt that @95 quid Peugeot didn't know it was going to happen when he sold it and just bad luck on my part when it now has played up.

Likewise despite trying to make sure not, stuff goes wrong on things I sell sometimes. Like the Audi TT MK1 I sold to @NorfolkNWeigh where the coil pack and starter motor failed in the first month or so. I'd driven that car thousands of miles without issue and even on a faultless 500+ mile roundtrip not long before I sold it. I would have readily changed those parts if I even had an inkling they were going to fail. 

This is absolutely a thing.  Have had strange faults manifest themselves quite a few times right after I've picked up cars.  Usually stuff that was completely impossible to predict.

Have also had it the other way about.  Most recently a year or two back when I sold my Caddy, which had been absolutely reliable the whole time I'd had it.  Two days after I sold it the ECU died.  I felt bloody awful about it.  Thankfully the buyer understood that was just the way with old cars sometimes.  I did offer to cover the cost of the new part but they weren't bothered about it.  

I still feel guilty though!

[wuvvum]

21 hours ago, Mrcento said:

And car with a short MOT with the phrase 'Will pass no bother'. Had it up on ramps, have you?, Read as, It's fucked. If it would pass 'no bother' they'd stick it in, £50 later, they'd have a years MOT on it and probably get another 4 or 500 quid.

Yeah, sticking a fresh MOT on my Merc has definitely made that more popular.

 

Oh, wait.

[goosey]

Turning up to view a car and there’s about 15 of the sellers “friends” hanging around on BMXs telling you how much of a sound bloke the seller is and how fucking mint the car is, also the seller is approx 40 stone and sat on a mobility scooter smoking a spliff and sweating*
 

*this actually happened and I couldn’t get out of there fast enough 

[Lord Sterling]

Here's something that puts me right off, or at least highly annoys me;

When people don't put any info about whether its a petrol or a diesel. Right now, this is very important to a lot of buyers, yet many sellers don't bother with this info.

You'll hear how it runs, the gearbox, paintwork, what it needs, MoT etc... but absolutely nowt about whether it's a petrol or diesel. 

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Here's something that puts me right off, or at least highly annoys me;

When people don't put any info about whether its a petrol or a diesel. Right now, this is very important to a lot of buyers, yet many sellers don't bother with this info.

You'll hear how it runs, the gearbox, paintwork, what it needs, MoT etc... but absolutely nowt about whether it's a petrol or diesel. 

If they don’t know or care if it’s petrol or diesel, I think that tells you enough to avoid it.

[sierraman]

Something like this is why I fucking hate buying cars. 
 

1. Can’t even be arsed with basic grammar and spelling

2. Fundamentally taking you for an absolute fool, that bubbling in the tank isn’t an air lock, he’s just expecting you to buy into that

3. Wanting to swap things. Another one I just don’t get… swapping things was something kids at school that had the attention span of an orange used to do. 

[Tenmil Socket]

8 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Something like this is why I fucking hate buying cars. 
 

1. Can’t even be arsed with basic grammar and spelling

2. Fundamentally taking you for an absolute fool, that bubbling in the tank isn’t an air lock, he’s just expecting you to buy into that

3. Wanting to swap things. Another one I just don’t get… swapping things was something kids at school that had the attention span of an orange used to do. 

Is his surname nodder?

Funny you should mention swapping things… I was talking to a lad the other day who explained he’s swapping 20 packs of co codomal for an ornamental bayonet gun 🤯

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Is his surname nodder?

Funny you should mention swapping things… I was talking to a lad the other day who explained he’s swapping 20 packs of co codomal for an ornamental bayonet gun 🤯

It would seem so. Should be Nobber. 😂

[vaughant]

On 24/06/2025 at 22:12, lesapandre said:

Parked on double yellow lines in the ad.

Parked at a mobile home park in the ad.

Posh gibberish - 'just needs recommisioning' etc

Anything with 'open to offers' but no basic price.

And the posh POA nonsense (price on application) peddled by some dealers.

Personal plate not included - then take it off beforehand then we don't need to faff about.

Anyone accepting watches, gold, Krugerands, sovereigns, Bitcoin in payment.

Ads beginning 'here we have' and anyone who calls a car an 'old girl'.

" No reserve, not interested in offers, just going to let the auction run".......

Then when the auction ends at £103 for a 63 plate 320d suddenly it's " added a BIN of £2995 as I've had so many what will you take questions".....

But I thought you were letting the auction run? 🤣🤣🤣.

And for any modern autobox car on its last legs " hard gear changes when cold, could do with a service. Currently stuck in second but no time to diagnose so letting it go cheap" 🙄🙄🙄

[sierraman]

‘Full disclosure’ - covering my arse…

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, sierraman said:

3. Wanting to swap things.

I always reckon they're hoping to end up with something more valuable than whatever they're trying to flog.

[bramz7]

I have swapped a fair few cars with the same friend as they're too low value to bother with the public and the money would have just been spent on another car anyway. 

I don't think I'd want a Focus diesel with 'bubbing' in the expansion tank though. I know some people have no choice but I really hope my life never ends up with that sort of advert being my only choice when it comes to car buying. 

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, bramz7 said:

I have swapped a fair few cars with the same friend as they're too low value to bother with the public and the money would have just been spent on another car anyway. 

I don't think I'd want a Focus diesel with 'bubbing' in the expansion tank though. I know some people have no choice but I really hope my life never ends up with that sort of advert being my only choice when it comes to car buying. 

‘I’ve got no choice I’m afraid but to rip you off!’ 😂

[Pauly.22]

5 hours ago, sierraman said:

Something like this is why I fucking hate buying cars. 
 

1. Can’t even be arsed with basic grammar and spelling

2. Fundamentally taking you for an absolute fool, that bubbling in the tank isn’t an air lock, he’s just expecting you to buy into that

3. Wanting to swap things. Another one I just don’t get… swapping things was something kids at school that had the attention span of an orange used to do. 

The ones that always want to swap, always have the worse car, not desirable, not in good shape, not worth a lot which they have spent too much on it.
 

Only hope is to swap to get something easier to sell to get there money out of it. 

[stuboy]

'not answering messages'

 

puts me off

[Pauly.22]

PM me for price = over priced

 

 

[High Jetter]

2 minutes ago, Pauly.22 said:

PM me for price = over priced

 

 

See also: POA

[Dyslexic Viking]

I would love to have a 740 again but the modified steering wheel and gear lever on this one puts me off it and would on all cars.

[grogee]

Several cherries on this one:

"ALMOST FULL SERVICE HISTORY" (not full then) 

"BODY WORK (sic) AND COLOUR REALLY STANDS OUT" (it's a silver Toyota) 

"NEAT AND TIDY FROM THE INSIDE" (apart from the stains) 

"LONG MOT TO SEPTEMBER 2025" (could be as little as 7 weeks) 

Photos in a retail park. 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502249431735 

[High Jetter]

CAPS LOCK, too

[Erebus]

On 01/07/2025 at 15:36, Lord Sterling said:

Here's something that puts me right off, or at least highly annoys me;

When people don't put any info about whether its a petrol or a diesel. Right now, this is very important to a lot of buyers, yet many sellers don't bother with this info.

You'll hear how it runs, the gearbox, paintwork, what it needs, MoT etc... but absolutely nowt about whether it's a petrol or diesel. 

This sounds like the typical Marketplace ad

[Rocket88]

On 08/07/2025 at 22:04, Erebus said:

This sounds like the typical Marketplace ad

Or manual or auto

[dozeydustman]

On 26/06/2025 at 01:17, bigfella2 said:

Pictures taken from the upstairs window of a semi in some shit hole. I'm also amazed no one has used a picture from a blink/security camera yet, or even a doorbell camera yet. Or I've not seen one yet. 

Or a picture of a phone with the picture of the car three years ago when it was first purchased.

 

One actual photo of the car then several portrait screen captures of a landscape photo of the car complete with thick black top and bottom bars plus Network, signal strength, notification icons and battery percentage 

[New POD]

On 08/07/2025 at 22:04, Erebus said:

This sounds like the typical Marketplace ad

Astra J forum specifically.  

[Bren]

Handwritten signs in Windscreens.

Usually means you end up communicating with an utter shit gibbon.

I fell for this once - saw a Rover 820 advertised on a driveway near my parents.

I cannot really recall the conversation other than I know how Dirty Harry must have felt talking to Scorpio on the phone.

The conversation ended when I enquired at about MOT - the serial killer told me he could get it done " FOR A PRICE."

I never owned a rover 800.

[DavidB]

I had an actual dream last night where I decided to save some money and replace tap water with my own piss - ‘interior could do with a good clean/hoover/valet’ is the real life version of me drinking warm, cloudy piss from a 2 litre pop bottle. 🤢🤮

[High Jetter]

47 minutes ago, DavidB said:

I had an actual dream last night where I decided to save some money and replace tap water with my own piss - ‘interior could do with a good clean/hoover/valet’ is the real life version of me drinking warm, cloudy piss from a 2 litre pop bottle. 🤢🤮

You youngsters!