motability advice please

Ted_Hutchinson

RedLetter wrote:

It's OK if you take the chance to buy a car from an auction, but what assurance do you have regarding the mechanics etc on it and you would need the full amount of money to pay for the car there and then.

I'm not saying that MOTABILITY isn't a good deal. I just think that some people can better it if they have the time and energy. I've only bought at Motability Auctions so I'm relying that the car has an accurate mileage and a full service history but your right there is an element of risk which some wouldn't be in a position to consider.

pookienoodle

Hi again, thanks for all your replies. we have thought long and hard about having a motability car.It is a lot of money to give up.but several factors make it worth our while,my husband has o no claims bonus and we live in a high car crime area and so our insurance is very high also I only passed my driving test last year so my insurance is also very high. but the main reason is because our last car broke down and became unrepairable. with my husbands disability(spinal problems) and us having a 9 week old baby not having a car was very hard ,so the fact that motability covers all repairs is a godsend.
we are having difficulty finding automatic cars to test drive at the moment so even getting a motability car is not as easy as we thought.

RedLetter

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

I'm not saying that MOTABILITY isn't a good deal. I just think that some people can better it if they have the time and energy. I've only bought at Motability Auctions so I'm relying that the car has an accurate mileage and a full service history but your right there is an element of risk which some wouldn't be in a position to consider.

Auctions can be a bit dodgy, just because it is a low mileage ex-Motability car is always a good thing. These cars aren't just driven by the persons on the benefit. Carers/family members also use them, and as all costs are covered, there is no guarantee that it has been treated with care and attention. I don't know how Motabilty present the cars at auction, if it has been checked over then, I too would go for the option t buy one

As pookienoodle says it is right for them.

pookienoodle - good luck with your new baby

crawley_girl

I'm not sure how relevant my input is but I work as part of a team that supports a chap who has his car via Motorbility. He doesn't have to pay insurance - some kind of special policy via Royal Sun Alliance which covers about 15 of us to drive his car (obviously not all at the same time!!). He doesn't have to be in the car, we just need to be 'carrying out tasks for him' eg shopping, collecting his parents, posting a letter.

:heartpuls CG :heartpuls

Ted_Hutchinson

RedLetter wrote:

These cars aren't just driven by the persons on the benefit. Carers/family members also use them,

Quite true. At the Nottingham Auction I went to there was an MPV vehicle with a mileage and condition which might make a more cynical person believe it may have been used for long distance taxi runs on a daily basis for 3yrs.

Similarly the condition of the vehicles are variable. It's obvious some disabled people take care of their cars and aim to get the "good condition" bonus while others take the view "It's not mine, If I smoke and burn holes in the seats, if I let my dog scratch the interior to bits who cares, I'm disabled and that gives me the right to do as I please"

While the type of wear and tear caused by the moving of wheelchairs/mobility scooters in an out may be excusable on grounds of disability, having looked over a good many Motability auction vehicles, I think there are far too many disabled people who could do better.

However, it may be that a higher percentage of the less good cars go to auction with the dealers snapping up the best ones direct from Motability. Could also be that some come from Deceased disabled people whose families have other things to worry about than the state of their disabled relative's Motability Car.

But you are right, buying at auction is a gamble and it's only worth it if you can afford the risk. You need to study Parkers Price Guide before you go and print off the relevant pages such as Honda Jazz 1.4i-DSi SE 5d CVT-7 2003/03 Insurance Group 3 Average mileage: 20,000 miles Cost New ('03)£ 11195
Franchised Dealer £ 7240
Independent Dealer £ 7045
Private Good £ 6655
Private Poor £ 5870
Part Exchange £ 6490
Then when you bid you know that your maximum bid will need to be between the Private poor and the Part Exchange price. You will still have the buyers premium and delilvery charge on top, unless you have time and a spare driver to return to collect yourself. If you pay more than Private Good then it's not worth taking the risk IMO, but if the margin between what you pay at auction and what the dealer is currently charging on the forecourt is greater than £1000 and all the details/condition point to a careful previous owner I think BCA/Manheim Motability Auctions are worth a punt, that is if you have cash in hand. Most of the cars at auction have their adaptions removed so if you want one with a Major Conversion you need to go to the centres where they specialise in converted ones Blackbush used to be one of them.

Ted_Hutchinson

crawley_girl wrote:

I'm not sure how relevant my input is but I work as part of a team that supports a chap who has his car via Motorbility. He doesn't have to pay insurance - some kind of special policy via Royal Sun Alliance which covers about 15 of us to drive his car (obviously not all at the same time!!). He doesn't have to be in the car, we just need to be 'carrying out tasks for him' eg shopping, collecting his parents, posting a letter.

But you can see how easy it is for some young person to apply pressure to persuade their disabled Granny that a Motability Car would be just wonderful and the new young driver will definitely take Granny for a run every week and do all her shopping for her if only she lets her dear Granddaughter look after the car, but subsequently she never takes Granny out at all, never does the shopping and just uses the Motability Car for her own going to work and gadding about, not only misusing the Motability Scheme but also abusing the Blue Badge scheme as well.

Bondgirl2003

I have a mobility car on contract hire.

Yes it has hit me losing my motbility allowance monthly but it is the only way I could afford a car at all. Even buying a cheap car from somewhere, after financing costs and paying insurance as a 24 year old holding a license for less than a year I would be worse off than I am now.

In answer to the OP - Ford wouldnt let me barter the Advance payment down but I did get a keyring and a bouquet of flowers lol

mikewebs

What about when the car breaks down?

My last Motability car was a Renault (which I think is French for broken rubbish). It broke down on 5 separate occasions - including a shock absorber snapping! Bear in mind that you get full RAC cover including at home, you get a courtesy car if the car needs to be taken off the road - sorted through RAC and Motability Operations - who I must say are wonderful.

I wouldn't be able to go anywhere without my car - my local shops ar enearly a mile away - I can't walk there; my local train station requires one to climb over the tracks on a footbridge, I can't do stairs; my local bus services are diabolical and I live in a small town with 3 - count them - taxis (no really!). I couldn't make hospital appointments because my local ambulance service is extremely unreliable and the hospital is miles away.

I would recommend anyone to think seriously about the 3 years worry free motoring that the motabillity scheme offers physically challenged people.

Motability should serve as an example to many other organisations in this country who forget about the 'invisible' sector of society.

Anyway, that's my two pence worth.

earthmother

We wouldn't have any transport without Motability.

£43.45 a week is a small price to pay for a Previa (smallest/cheapest car my husband is comfortable in) with full insurance, recovery and servicing.

You couldn't rent one for that, and you definitely couldn't buy one.


I agree that maybe for older people/singles or those who do not need to cart equipement with them, who only need a small car for occasional journeys, buying may well be cheaper (you can do that through Motability too by the way), but for families, or those who need adaptations/extra space for wheelchairs etc, then I would recommend Motability every time.

Turning_into_scrooge

crawley_girl wrote:

I'm not sure how relevant my input is but I work as part of a team that supports a chap who has his car via Motorbility. He doesn't have to pay insurance - some kind of special policy via Royal Sun Alliance which covers about 15 of us to drive his car (obviously not all at the same time!!). He doesn't have to be in the car, we just need to be 'carrying out tasks for him' eg shopping, collecting his parents, posting a letter.

:heartpuls CG :heartpuls

May i ask how there are 15 people allowed to drive his car as i have motability and there are only 2 designated drivers for each vehicle. After that there is a fee of £75 per extra driver for the year.The insurance is actually Royal Sun Alliance Motabillity, not just the basic RSA