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I despair of the 2nd hand car rackets
libertysurf
Posts: 608 Forumite
in Motoring
How do we buy an honest 2nd hand car?
One trader put the phone down on me when I asked for the landline number. One said the car was in one place but he would drive it 30 miles to where it was in fact stated to be on autotrader, then on the day of viewing asked me to go to a different place. And got shirty when I said I would no longer be coming out.
Another sale fell through when the seller said the car had ABS when it did not then accused the buyer of wasting their time (!)
And what is it with the phrase 'no time wasters'? Does this mean you are not expected to look at the car but take their word for things? How can that be squared with 'sold as seen' and 'buyer beware'.
Why do garages sell cars on eBay that they say they have not checked over as they came in part exchange and they are clearance cars they just want to get rid of. Where is the pride in the garages in their work? They seem to say they are selling rubbish and you are on your own if it goes wrong.
One garage said yes to my coming out to see the car [ad on autotrader], but then said no when he realised I was local, as he 'did not want his reputation to go down and he knew I would not like the car'. We had only discussed the car still being available, and him giving directions, when he realised I lived nearby!
Others pose as personal sellers but they are selling on behalf of their uncle, their sister in law, their daughter…
I despair of the trade!
One trader put the phone down on me when I asked for the landline number. One said the car was in one place but he would drive it 30 miles to where it was in fact stated to be on autotrader, then on the day of viewing asked me to go to a different place. And got shirty when I said I would no longer be coming out.
Another sale fell through when the seller said the car had ABS when it did not then accused the buyer of wasting their time (!)
And what is it with the phrase 'no time wasters'? Does this mean you are not expected to look at the car but take their word for things? How can that be squared with 'sold as seen' and 'buyer beware'.
Why do garages sell cars on eBay that they say they have not checked over as they came in part exchange and they are clearance cars they just want to get rid of. Where is the pride in the garages in their work? They seem to say they are selling rubbish and you are on your own if it goes wrong.
One garage said yes to my coming out to see the car [ad on autotrader], but then said no when he realised I was local, as he 'did not want his reputation to go down and he knew I would not like the car'. We had only discussed the car still being available, and him giving directions, when he realised I lived nearby!
Others pose as personal sellers but they are selling on behalf of their uncle, their sister in law, their daughter…
I despair of the trade!
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Comments
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catch a bus, will be less hassle for youI
MOJACAR0 -
hartcjhart wrote: »catch a bus, will be less hassle for you
What a strange comment0 -
libertysurf wrote: »
Stuff
Yup. Beware of meeting at filling stations etc and only a mobile phone number - sure sign of major problems and the seller is trying to bluff it away.
Buyers have rights and if it goes to court the buyer generally wins, thus an unscrupulous trader will do whatever they have to to get round that.0 -
Of course people trading cars in are always 100% honest about their condition.0
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Yup. Beware of meeting at filling stations etc and only a mobile phone number - sure sign of major problems and the seller is trying to bluff...
Ta, what I do not understand is why is this market so very bad?
It harms the honest trader as well as the honest buyer. It must depress the market too as no one would go through this minefield unless essential!
With all the regs in other parts of our lives, it has just surprised me that's all. I bought my car from new; previously company cars. So trying to get a small 1st car for my DD is opening my eyes. I feel like we are still in Arthur Daley days!0 -
What sort of thing are you looking for? A lot of cars have owners clubs etc and they can be a great place to pick up a much loved motor!What if there was no such thing as a rhetorical question?0
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I think of a second hand car trader as a bloke doing what I could do, buying a car from auction. They then sell it on for profit. If they faced up to their responsibilities and provided an honest warranty, then that would be a reason to pay the extra, but most don't. Cut out the middleman.0
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I suppose it is the only major thing most people ever buy secondhand (except houses but most people take expert advice on those) and that is what makes buying them (and, indeed, selling them) a different type of transaction to any other.0
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The last two cars I bought I got through the small ads in local rag. I looked for the provenance of service history (even if a local garage) and use of at least landline and maybe mobile. Gumtree not great and autotrader suspect. Last car was a Mercedes that was in good condidtion and had belonged to someone for six years. They had all receipts for money spent and it had just got too big for them. Before that I picked up a Honda Accord from the local rag being sold by an Executor. I looked at the car, he told me what the garage was offering and I offered a couple of hundred more. He rang me after 10 days and told me the car was mine and I kept it for three years with no problem and minimal cost.0
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