Are you put off from buying a car from certain areas?

JustAnotherSaver

Thanks flashg.

Like i said, there's a part of me that thinks if the ad sounds fine then just give it a go & inspect. This can soon get costly in itself though as you whizz around here & there only to turn up & find out... damn they were right again.

z1a wrote: »

Was it Whalley Range / Bastwell area?

Are you talking about the experience in Blackburn i had?

I'm not actually familiar with Blackburn tbh. It was the first time i'd ever been there. The road name was Appleby Street or Appleby Road or something like that. I'm sure it was Appleby something.

I called the guy during the week & on the second time of calling i got him. Straight away his phone manner was poor.

I could barely understand him & at one point i said this to him, asked if he could repeat himself because i'm struggling to understand him.

"yeah itz coz i'm in da car innit"

Hmm.

His phone manner turned me right off but we found nothing else that week so went to inspect.

Found where he took the photos - nice paved area, trees in the background, or plants, whatever, but i couldn't find the garage.

Called the guy up who asked where i was. I'm outside this business park. Yeah come out of there, turn right & you'll see it, it's signposted. (his phone manner had only marginally improved btw & was still as difficult to understand as the other day).


Yeah it turned out it was signposted ..... looked like a small cardboard cutting stuck to metal railings.

Spoke to the worker who sent me to 'the office' - a static caravan with stained curtains.

Spoke to the guy who instantly started waffling on. Couldn't really tell what the hell he was going on about until he mentioned his worker had left the keys in the ignition of the car we were going to see (so wondered why he was handing me a set?)

Then he went on to say that when he came in the morning the keys were still in the ignition with the ignition on, so if it struggles starting then give him a shout & he'll get the booster on it.

Yeah a likely story.

I'd made my mind up there & then that i was no longer buying it but i took a look all the same.

Put the key in, turned it - nothing, no lights, nothing.

The interior had had interior goo plastered all over it & not wiped off properly.

Popped the bonnet & it either had an oil leak or it had previously had one but there was oil over the engine bay throughout. I went with a friend who knows more about mechanics than i do & he was pointing things out left & right. Yeah it was only up for £2k so you're not expecting brand spanking quality but i wouldn't have given £1k for it in that condition.

Told the guy i wasn't buying it & made my way home.


Yet that week i had overlooked some cars as they hadn't had FSH. This car did have, or at least it was advertised as having. How genuine it would've been is anyone's guess. FSH doesn't guarantee the car will be decent when you get there.

JustAnotherSaver

Also i'm surprised that i haven't been panned for this type of thread & mentioning those places. I'm also surprised that others are similar in a way as i thought you'd mostly have just gone for the cars regardless of areas.


I've found i've mostly looked on AT.com. You know the one. I should check out eBay & GumTree too though since you have to pay a bit to list on AT. eBay was about £10 last time i looked & GumTree is obviously free so when i've had a car for sale i always start with GumTree & then progress from that if it isn't selling.

ratrace

As i said you get good and bad everywhere you just have to take someone with you that knows about cars to be on the safe side

scaredofdebt

I'm not put off by an area as such but more the types of people who live in said areas.

If they are barely literate then I would be concerned as to how much care they have taken of the vehicle.

One of my latest cars was from Bradford from a really nice guy who knew his stuff and the car was well looked after, still running that car and it is 17 years old.