Latest part-ex con

SLITHER99

I want to part-ex my car. It's 15 years old and has over 150k on the clock. I see similar models/ages going on Autotrader for about £1000 so I'm happy with anything between £500-800 or so part ex.

The last two garages I saw about part ex, both said "I want my mechanic to look over your car"... I mean, is this a standard ploy to knock money off the part-ex? Will they do anything to further damage my car to force a deal through with them being on the high end? I mean, given its age and mileage, it's not a perfect car. But surely a valid MOT = car is roadworthy full stop? And anyway, it's not like they're going to stick that on their forecourt; the only thing they'll do is stick it on a transport destined for the next auction!

Do you let them go for it? Is it BS?

Herzlos

He's probably just been stung with part ex's where the car has had a huge repair needed, as a lot of people trade in before things that getting expensive.

SLITHER99

Given that it's 15 years old, what do they care? It's not going on their forecourt anyway?

I'm just not trusting that they won't invent a whole bunch of stuff to get the value down further?

Also, who would part-ex a fully functioning perfectly running car? Surely "getting expensive to run" is part and parcel of the reason someone would part-ex for something new/in better shape?

McKneff

It works both ways, they could be thinking the same thing about you and your car seeing as its so old.

SLITHER99

So this is an entirely reasonable practice? I take it if you were part ex-ing, you'd have no problem with them taking your car to a garage and having a tinker around under it?

Again, regardless of whether I am hiding something (I'm not as it happens), given it's going to auction anyway, the only thing I can assume will happen is they either find some way to lever the deal to their advantage, they introduce some major problem which means I'm in a position where I have to submit to whatever they want, or they find some other way of sticking it to me.

Anyway, given the age and mileage, you and I both know that they're GOING to find something. It's inevitable!

colino

If it's diesel, 4x4 or something collectable, they might be giving it a once over to give a decent price, if its not, then they really don't want it cluttering up the place and I'm sure they would have already told you you'll get more for it privately.

richard734

with older cars, its common especially with used eealers rather than main dealers.
Even if they have <5yr old cars out front, they may well have another site they sell older/high milage cars out of. They dont want to give you £800 for a £1000 car and then find they need to spend £500 to make it saleable.
Despite what many people think, independent dealers do need to make a profit and cant run at a loss just to keep everyone happy

I would actually take it as a positive as teh dealer knows his SOGA and that he cant hide behind sold as seen. They have probably taken as much care to ensure they have 'Good uns' to sell to you.

Relentless01

If they are prepared to look at your px in this much detail then you should feel confident about the cars they are selling.

Surely the dealer deserves the right to check the car? If they can not sell the vehicle then they would lose the £500-£800 they paid you for it.

SLITHER99

Odd this thread resurfaced.

Sad to say, my suspicions were correct. I was talking a Px on a Honda Civic and the dealer asked to have his garage inspect my car. He did.
He's come back with a raft of major problems, including corroded brake disks (which are less than 3 months old), oil leaks, coolant leaks, brake problems, etc. Basically painted my car up to be a death trap. The part ex value? He said he'd "take it off my hands for free, save me disposing of it".

I said I'd think about it. My mechanic has just looked at my car this very morning. He reckons that one of the tyres is approaching legal limit and that there was play in one of the rear wheels, but nothing like the raft the Honda dealership told me there was. He even said that he was after a run-around for the wife and he'd buy it if I was selling.

So yea, I can 100% confirm that it's a con!

I wasn't going to add this, but the MOT is only 7 weeks old. There was no play in the rear wheel 7 weeks ago and the car has only done 600 since. It's odd that play has suddenly appeared since it was "looked over" by the Honda dealership; however nothing can be proved, and I can't suggest anything. Who knows, given age and mileage maybe it did just occur naturally in that small time frame. I just find it so desperately convenient.

motorguy

SLITHER99 wrote: »

Given that it's 15 years old, what do they care? It's not going on their forecourt anyway?

I'm just not trusting that they won't invent a whole bunch of stuff to get the value down further?

Also, who would part-ex a fully functioning perfectly running car? Surely "getting expensive to run" is part and parcel of the reason someone would part-ex for something new/in better shape?

Thats all very well, but say they value the car at £700 and it turns out it needs a major repair that pretty much makes it valueless, they could easily lose £500, which is probably their net profit on the car their selling.

I'd a guy traded in a 2002 Zafira 2.0 DTI to me. Really nice guy, good rapport, car driving great, bit of MOT on it so i gave him £800 for it. Tried to start it the following day and it just churned forever. Turned out the car had needed heater plugs and they'd snapped one in the head. Also it needed a set of injector seals and possibly a fuel pump. Possible outlay to resolve? £700.

Now that guy knew all that but decided to screw over his local small business to get rid.

SLITHER99

pgilc1 wrote: »

Thats all very well, but say they value the car at £700 and it turns out it needs a major repair that pretty much makes it valueless, they could easily lose £500, which is probably their net profit on the car their selling.

I'd a guy traded in a 2002 Zafira 2.0 DTI to me. Really nice guy, good rapport, car driving great, bit of MOT on it so i gave him £800 for it. Tried to start it the following day and it just churned forever. Turned out the car had needed heater plugs and they'd snapped one in the head. Also it needed a set of injector seals and possibly a fuel pump. Possible outlay to resolve? £700.

Now that guy knew all that but decided to screw over his local small business to get rid.

It's an equal pegging. As I now know, they're going to say that there's major problems even when they aren't; there's also the thought in my mind that they introduce faults to get the part-ex on their side! Which as a business, they're going to do!

However, you could quite easily throw it off to auction. I'd bet the same customer netted you a lot more in straight profit than you gave for the car, surely?

Like I say, nobody is going to get rid of a perfectly functioning car, but those same guys will spend a lot more than what you'd offer part-ex on theirs. Surely, you can't begrudge the prospect that you may take a car in on part-ex and there's faults with it?

Also, as an aside, as a trader I would have thought you'd at least be VERY savvy with what these modern diesels are really like. To be honest, I wouldn't touch one at a year old, let alone ten!