Used car - casting the net wide enough?

simonineaston

Hi folks, I just want to make sure I'm doing all I can, so... I'm looking for a used car, a third gen. mini to be precise, and up 'till now, I've been looking on autotrader.co.uk. This has yielded one suitable result, which I went to see on Friday and decided not to buy. Simple question to you good folk - am I casting my net wide enough? Are there other online websites / tools that I should be using?

custardy

You are online looking for cars and havent even looked on Ebay/Gumtree?

DrEskimo

I also use Motors.co.uk, eBay and pistonheads.

AdrianC

By "third generation", you mean an F55/56/57, 2013-on?

There's literally thousands for sale... Autotrader reckons somewhere around 5,400 cars, filtering for "Mini Hatch, 2013-date". Obviously, you're putting budgetary constraints on that, too. But...?

You say "one suitable result" - how are you narrowing to "suitable"?

motorguy

simonineaston wrote: »

Hi folks, I just want to make sure I'm doing all I can, so... I'm looking for a used car, a third gen. mini to be precise, and up 'till now, I've been looking on autotrader.co.uk. This has yielded one suitable result, which I went to see on Friday and decided not to buy. Simple question to you good folk - am I casting my net wide enough? Are there other online websites / tools that I should be using?

Clearly you need to be looking further afield than what you've it set to in AT. Theres literally thousands of them for sale. There is no world shortage of them

Tokk

The more refinements you put on any search, the more you'll limit your outcomes.

- Specific model
- Colour, especially if nonstandard
- Year
- Trim level, especially if after special editions
- Engine
- Gearbox (in most cars, auto only restricts you... In some manual only does).
- Private sales only will limit you
- location (tighter radii will limit it much more)

They can all limit your options... So besides what we know (specific model, particular years - neither of which should be strangling your search too much from what you've said), what other search options have you put in?

agrinnall

custardy wrote: »

You are online looking for cars and havent even looked on Ebay/Gumtree?

Perhaps the OP doesn't want to be scammed.

simonineaston

Indeed, the OP doesn't wish to be scammed... ;-) Setting aside my preferences regarding the individual car I'd like, (and of course Adiran is right when he points out that we're awash with decent, recent minis :-) ), do we think that these so-called vertical search websites work? I have in mind trovit, which if its publicity is to be believed, makes a thorough search of all the individual websites, like parkers / autotrader & honest john and lists cars from them all - is there, as it were, a one-stop shop? And does CarWow and other broker-type sites work for used cars?

custardy

agrinnall wrote: »

Perhaps the OP doesn't want to be scammed.

What? Are you for real?
How exactly does buying through ebay make it any different to buying a car from Auto trader?

forgotmyname

The scammers list on ALL the selling sites. None of them are 100% safe.

Every purchase requires some common sense. Private seller with 5 cars in various states of repair on his garden. What makes you think the car your buying was not in that condition last week.

Sellers away but can have the car delivered to you.

Selling for a friend and i know nothing about it.

All purchases require some common sense and a bit of detective work. If you know nothing about cars get it checked BEFORE you buy.

k3lvc

simonineaston wrote: »

Indeed, the OP doesn't wish to be scammed... ;-) Setting aside my preferences regarding the individual car I'd like, (and of course Adiran is right when he points out that we're awash with decent, recent minis :-) ), do we think that these so-called vertical search websites work? I have in mind trovit, which if its publicity is to be believed, makes a thorough search of all the individual websites, like parkers / autotrader & honest john and lists cars from them all - is there, as it were, a one-stop shop? And does CarWow and other broker-type sites work for used cars?

I spent ages searching for my R57 JCW but only because I wouldn't compromise on 2 key points - auto and Harmon Kardon.

I tried all the searches but given the variety of terms available to search and whether a JCW was actually a real JCW or a Cooper S with JCW body kit it was almos impossible. Given your search is only giving a single result then what's so special ?

As an alternative put a wanted note on the Mini Owners Group FB page ?