Why won't my car sell? Help needed!

JoeyEmma

I've got a Toyota Corolla listed for sale on Autotrader. It's a good car, has 12 months MOT, 7 service stamps in 8 years but won't shift. The list price is £3000, however everything similar in a 100 mile radius is listed between £3500-5000). I've put in on at £3300 and we've hardly had a whiff. If I put it on much less then neighbouring cars then people think its a scam. In the meantime, we haven't had a whiff. One guy phoned up but then changed his mind as he wanted a 5 door and ours is a 3 door. I've listed it on eBay and Autotrader. We got hardly any views on eBay so once the listing ran out I didn't pay for another one.

What are we doing wrong? It's got good clear pictures, relatively low mileage (50k for an 8 year old car), had full MOT and is the cheapest similar car in a 100 mile radius. How do I shift the blooming thing without taking a massive hit?

diesel_dog

How long have you had it advertised for?

motorguy

Do you want to post a link to the advert?

Also, you might want to try gumtree, as its free.

JoeyEmma

It's been on for 4 weeks. We originally put it on at 3500, which was 100 less than anything similar and then dropped the price to 3300.

motorguy

I think i just found it.

Is it an automatic on at £3295?

JoeyEmma

Yep! That's the one

DUTR

Sometimes cars go quickly, sometimes they take a while, you are in competition with other cars in that price range, so unless somebody specifically wants a Corolla, then you just have to be patient

DUTR

motorguy wrote: »

I think i just found it.

Is it an automatic on at £3295?

JoeyEmma wrote: »

Yep! That's the one

All I could see were two with 60K , some folk are off put by automatics too.

motorguy

JoeyEmma wrote: »

Yep! That's the one

Advert looks fine - lots of pictures, and info about the car.

I think you have a very limited audience because its an auto and because its 3 door. The few people who need / want an auto generally want a 5 door.

Your problem therefore is the two 5 door cars at similar money.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201304176319065/sort/default/usedcars/body-type/hatchback/transmission/automatic/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/fuel-type/petrol/model/corolla/make/toyota/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/keywords/2005/radius/1500/postcode/bt622hb/page/1?logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201303085681078/sort/default/usedcars/body-type/hatchback/transmission/automatic/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/fuel-type/petrol/model/corolla/make/toyota/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/keywords/2005/radius/1500/postcode/bt622hb/page/1?logcode=p

Also a Corolla isnt the seller it once was. I'd an 05 5 door Colour collection in that colour last year and it took about 6 months to sell it.

I think its either going to be a waiting game until someone picks up the phone OR drop the price to £2995. A lot of people will do searches for a car up to a certain price point - on autotrader thats £3000 or £4000, so at the moment you're missing out on all those people who are searching for an auto car under £3000.

I would also put it on gumtree as i said.

motorguy

DUTR wrote: »

All I could see were two with 60K , some folk are off put by automatics too.

Its this one.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201304216385981/sort/default/usedcars/body-type/hatchback/transmission/automatic/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/fuel-type/petrol/model/corolla/make/toyota/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/keywords/2005/radius/1500/postcode/bt622hb/page/1?logcode=p

Its not that some people are put off by automatics, its that only people who want an automatic will consider one. People who want a manual generally dont even consider an auto.

JoeyEmma

Thanks! I know what you mean about people not wanting 3 door autos. We did start off looking for a five door manual. That being said its been an AWESOME car, the most reliable thing I've ever driven. Flies through its mot and service every year. We are only getting rid because we bought ourselves an estate.