Selling Car at Auction? Good Idea?

happywarmgun

I'm (probably) buying a car today for my Mrs from autoquake who don't do part exchange.

I want to shift her old car quickly. I know that the best price will be got through a private sale/ebay... but not knowing much about cars, not having the time to put up with timewasters, not liking strangers coming round my house, and not wanting to to be scammed - I am willing to get less money for a more convinient/hassle free sale.

So - having accepted I'm going to get less - which is my next best option?

- Putting the car into a private auction - e.g. http://www.sure-sell.info/default.aspx?page=4

- Selling to one of those webuyanycar.com type companies.

I'm leaning towards the first one given comments on this forum about webuyanycar - but wondered if folk have experience?

Is going to auction my best bet having excluded a private sale?

Ebe_Scrooge

I have sold cars at auction before. Accept that you'll get rock-bottom price for it, plus you'll have to pay the auction house a commission. Plus there's a chance that it may not sell, in which case you've lost your listing fee.

Having said that, odds on the car will sell, so it can be an easy way to get rid of it, but as you seem to already appreciate, you will get less for it than if you take the time to sell it privately.

PeoplesChampion

I have sold all my cars on ebay. I put them up for 99p with no reserve. I have allways got 100+ people watching and a great price for it- but you have to have a lot of bottle to do it!

hewhoisnotintheknow

ebay with no reserve or just sell it a bit cheaper than all the other similar cars, will still get more than an auction

happywarmgun

Thanks for the advice but like I say - I am too badly bitten to sell a car on ebay ever again....

Has anyone any recent experience with webuyanycar.com?

emmell

If you list it on one of the free sites like gumtree or pistonheads and make it cheap enough then it should sell reasonably quickly, unless it's a car that's not very popular.
ML.

hewhoisnotintheknow

what car is it

happywarmgun

It's a 2003 3 dr Fiat Punto 1.4 Sporting. About 35k on the clock, FSH, MOT and Tax till about April 10. Docs show two previous owners - but that was the DVLA cocking up - they are both my wife who bought the car from new and when she changed her name when we got married didn't notice they had processed it as a change of owner. (doh).

In sound condition inside and out. Never in any accidents.

happywarmgun

I've caved in. It is on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110468968713&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_513wt_958

Rolandtheroadie

So it's not a 1.4?

Oneday77

Since you have a reserve on it I would have reduced the starting price, you wouldn't lose out that way. 99p starts get many more people interested and just like a normal auction you will get the odd frenzied bidder going higher than they expected. Starting at £1000 stops some of that frenzy.