Garage scaremongered my elderly mum for car repairs...advice on selling car please!

cs82

I'm having trouble trying to post this, so apologies if its turns up twice!
Hope someone can shed some light/advice on this!

I brought my 60-yr-old mum a second-hand car (1995 Honda Civic coupe in very good condition for £800) as a surprise present last year. I thought it would help her with shopping, running errands, just a little run-around. Unfortunately, despite organising refresher driving lessons for her, she just isn't interested in driving and has only used the car twice, so its just been sitting on the drive for most of the year. The MOT was due last week and my mum took it to a Honda garage, where they charged her £600 for repairs and a service. Weird thing is that the car was only likely to fail on the brake pads/discs (they're a bit rusted due to the car is static for so long) but the mechanic just said they should be done within the next 3ish months. I think the Honda garage has just taken advantage of my mum's age and lack of car knowledge, and just conned out of alot of money for repairs that weren't necessary. The main repair was the exhaust but this had previously been replaced 15 months ago (got receipt to prove it), so I really don't think this could have worn away when the car hasn't moved for so long.


Anyway, I just want to sell the car now as its proving more hassle than its worth. As she doesn't have a clue about how to sell it, myself and my boyfriend are prepared to sell it, rather than my mum letting the car go for £200! We live up in West Yorkshire and my mum is down south, so can only think of putting my boyfriend (I haven't yet taken my test) as a named driver on my mum's insurance, so we can drive the car up here and sort it out.

But my folks are relunctant to this idea because:
1. My dad has said, the mechanic told them the car shouldn't be used for long journeys because of the brake pads/discs, so the car wouldn't make the 200 mile trip up north. I brought the car from my friend up here in West Yorks and we drove it down south only last August, so I'm not convinced of this. Surely the Honda garage wouldn't be able to issue the current 1 year MOT, if this was the case?
2. My mum is worried that if my boyfriend is a named driver on her insurance and there's an accident whilst he's driving, then she'll be responsible. If named drivers are in an accident, what are the implications for the main policy holder? (Not bothered about the no claims stuff, as my mum isn't likely to need car insurance again or be driving).
3. My mum thinks she has to be physically present when selling the car. I've checked the DVLA website and as far as I can tell she only has to sign her part of the car registration certificate (to transfer the car ownership). Is there any other reason why she'd need to be there for selling the car?

I know the car won't make much money because of its age, but it is in very good condition and, as I paid £800 for the car and its just had a £600 MOT and been fully serviced, I just want to try and re-coop back as much as possible. I've paid my mum the £600 for repairs, so I stand to lose £1400 and as a full-time student, this is alot of money. Surely its worth more than my mum letting it go for £200??!

Any help/advice/your perspective would be greatly appreciated!!

Iamthesmartestmanalive

cs82 wrote: »

I'm having trouble trying to post this, so apologies if its turns up twice!
Hope someone can shed some light/advice on this!

I brought my 60-yr-old mum a second-hand car (1995 Honda Civic coupe in very good condition for £800) as a surprise present last year. I thought it would help her with shopping, running errands, just a little run-around. Unfortunately, despite organising refresher driving lessons for her, she just isn't interested in driving and has only used the car twice, so its just been sitting on the drive for most of the year. The MOT was due last week and my mum took it to a Honda garage, where they charged her £600 for repairs and a service. Weird thing is that the car was only likely to fail on the brake pads/discs (they're a bit rusted due to the car is static for so long) but the mechanic just said they should be done within the next 3ish months. I think the Honda garage has just taken advantage of my mum's age and lack of car knowledge, and just conned out of alot of money for repairs that weren't necessary. The main repair was the exhaust but this had previously been replaced 15 months ago (got receipt to prove it), so I really don't think this could have worn away when the car hasn't moved for so long.


Anyway, I just want to sell the car now as its proving more hassle than its worth. As she doesn't have a clue about how to sell it, myself and my boyfriend are prepared to sell it, rather than my mum letting the car go for £200! We live up in West Yorkshire and my mum is down south, so can only think of putting my boyfriend (I haven't yet taken my test) as a named driver on my mum's insurance, so we can drive the car up here and sort it out.

But my folks are relunctant to this idea because:
1. My dad has said, the mechanic told them the car shouldn't be used for long journeys because of the brake pads/discs, so the car wouldn't make the 200 mile trip up north. I brought the car from my friend up here in West Yorks and we drove it down south only last August, so I'm not convinced of this. Surely the Honda garage wouldn't be able to issue the current 1 year MOT, if this was the case?
2. My mum is worried that if my boyfriend is a named driver on her insurance and there's an accident whilst he's driving, then she'll be responsible. If named drivers are in an accident, what are the implications for the main policy holder? (Not bothered about the no claims stuff, as my mum isn't likely to need car insurance again or be driving).
3. My mum thinks she has to be physically present when selling the car. I've checked the DVLA website and as far as I can tell she only has to sign her part of the car registration certificate (to transfer the car ownership). Is there any other reason why she'd need to be there for selling the car?

I know the car won't make much money because of its age, but it is in very good condition and, as I paid £800 for the car and its just had a £600 MOT and been fully serviced, I just want to try and re-coop back as much as possible. I've paid my mum the £600 for repairs, so I stand to lose £1400 and as a full-time student, this is alot of money. Surely its worth more than my mum letting it go for £200??!

Any help/advice/your perspective would be greatly appreciated!!

1) The Mot is issued at the time of inspection, therefore its possible for it to pass and need something done soon after. The garage tbh have no reason to scaremonger re this as they could have just failed the MOT on it and done the repairs there and then given you seem to have given them carte blanche on this.

2)She will have the hassle of dealing with the insurance company

3)She doesnt need to be there but it may put off buyers if its being sold from miles away or the owner isnt present

in2deep_2

Just put it on Ebay with a starting price of say £300 then let the buyers worry about collection and insurance and all that jazz.
Only take cash im sure being a honda and with a full service just done it will sell without any problems.

vaio

cs82 wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]……..But my folks are reluctant to this idea because:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1. My dad has said, the mechanic told them the car shouldn't be used for long journeys because of the brake pads/discs, so the car wouldn't make the 200 mile trip up north. I brought the car from my friend up here in [/FONT][FONT=&quot]West Yorks[/FONT][FONT=&quot] and we drove it down south only last August, so I'm not convinced of this. Surely the Honda garage wouldn't be able to issue the current 1 year [/FONT][FONT=&quot]MOT[/FONT][FONT=&quot], if this was the case?[/FONT]

Any rust on the discs due to being parked up will disappear with the first couple of brake applications so nothing to worry about there

cs82 wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]……..2. My mum is worried that if my boyfriend is a named driver on her insurance and there's an accident whilst he's driving, then she'll be responsible. If named drivers are in an accident, what are the implications for the main policy holder? (Not bothered about the no claims stuff, as my mum isn't likely to need car insurance again or be driving). [/FONT]

Her insurance company will be responsible and she will have to deal with them to get everything sorted out although the insurance company will be quite happy for you to deal with it on her behalf. If BF has his own car does he have “driving other cars” cover?

cs82 wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]……..3. My mum thinks she has to be physically present when selling the car. I've checked the DVLA website and as far as I can tell she only has to sign her part of the car registration certificate (to transfer the car ownership). Is there any other reason why she'd need to be there for selling the car? [/FONT]

Nope, get her to sign the form in advance and you can fill the rest in when it sells, some people might be suspicious because the car is not being sold from the address on the V5 although on a car this old it might not be a great problem

cs82 wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]……..I know the car won't make much money because of its age, but it is in very good condition and, as I paid [/FONT]£800 [FONT=&quot]for the car and its just had a [/FONT]£600 MOT [FONT=&quot]and been fully serviced, I just want to try and re-coop back as much as possible[/FONT]. [FONT=&quot]I've paid my mum the £600 for repairs, so I stand to lose[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£1400 and as a full-time student, this is a lot of money. Surely its worth more than my mum letting it go for [/FONT]£200??

Spending £600 on an £800 car doesn’t make it a £1400 car but assuming it’s in good nick you should certainly get your £800 back and maybe some more. I’d be tempted to advertise it at £1400 expect to get 1000 or 1200. Depends how quickly you want to sell it.

Miseryschild

vaio wrote: »

If BF has his own car does he have “driving other cars” cover?

You'll probably find that alot of insurers have removed that due to abuse.

My father has had it removed from his but my mother still has it on hers for some reason.

For those who don't know - people would abuse it easily - they would insure themselves on something like a 1.0l corsa or something small and cheap to insure then drive around in something like a subaru impreza, mitsubishi evo or even a vauxhall senator (as powerful as an impreza/evo (i know ))

~MC

tomstickland

Exhausts can rot away more quickly on a static vehicle.

You're not going to use the brakes much on a motorway journey. If they said "change within 3 months" then it's going to survive a single motorway journey.

vaio

Miseryschild wrote: »

You'll probably find that a lot of insurers have removed that due to abuse.

My father has had it removed from his but my mother still has it on hers for some reason.

For those who don't know - people would abuse it easily - they would insure themselves on something like a 1.0l corsa or something small and cheap to insure then drive around in something like a subaru impreza, mitsubishi evo or even a vauxhall senator (as powerful as an impreza/evo (i know ))

~MC

I’ve heard this before still don’t believe it.

I run a group 20 car and if I wanted to do this I would have to…..

• Give the good car to someone else who would have to insure it so it could be taxed and covered against fire & theft.

• Buy a small cheap car and insure that fully comp as well as keeping it taxed and MOT’d.

• Then I could run around in my good car on the “drive other cars” bit of the cheap car insurance but I wouldn’t have any cover for accidents that were my fault.

All seems like way too much hassle, expense and risk to even come close to making it worthwhile for any but a tiny, tiny minority. So because of abuse by a tiny tiny minority they take a very useful facility off the rest of us.

Keith

I met a bloke who owned a Sierra Cosworth a few years back and we chatted about the insurance of it, he admitted it was insured via a Fiat Uno!

anewman

Miseryschild wrote: »

For those who don't know - people would abuse it easily - they would insure themselves on something like a 1.0l corsa or something small and cheap to insure then drive around in something like a subaru impreza, mitsubishi evo or even a vauxhall senator (as powerful as an impreza/evo (i know ))

~MC

It's not possible to abuse it like that. The Imprezza would still need to be insured by the owner to be legally driven. So you can't insure a crappy car and drive any performance car you like - without risking it being scrapped as it is technically uninsured, and untaxable.

Keith

eCar don't insist that the car is insured to use the tp drive any car cover, so all the other car needs to be is in your mums name or similar.

A one month policy on the car once a year buys tax.

And (I think) the tp cover would be in force whilst parked as the car is still be used by the other driver, this is a grey area I don't understand

goldspanners

the car will have to be insured by someone,if its not insured by someone,sooner or later it will be picked up by a police car with ANPR and will be scrapped after 7 days of not being able to produce insurance cover.
hardly worth it is it?