Hello everyone, it’s time for me to go and buy a used car.
There is a backstory to all this and the details are bound to emerge about just how I have got myself into this situation. Right now all you need to know is that I have to buy a car, that I will drive, but I am not the primary pilot.
Therefore it needs to be neat, tidy, reliable and be subject to the half-chance Bangernomic borderlines that I usually specialise in.
Because of that I’m not sure whether to buy a really well-looked-after example from a fine, upstanding private seller or a motor-trade type who has to deliver what they promise.
Now I have bought cars from every possible source, and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. The problem I have with this purchase is that I can’t buy just anything, as there are certain inviolable requirements. So in the past I could get a phone call about an unsuitable part-exchange which cost buttons, but that won’t do. So I have to hit the search engines and the road to do it the hard way.
Now, I’ve only had good experiences buying privately. I find if you pick the crunchy drives and one-foot-thick service histories it is hard to go too far wrong. With the car trade, though, getting the payment sorted and paperwork done is less of a faff. And the car is often all buffed and ready, too. The bottom line is that you can even pay a tad less from the trade with realistic pricing depending on where the car actually came from.
The question is, then, do you have a preference about where you shop? Private or trade?
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The shoe is on the other foot for us.
We're thinking of selling a vehicle privately.
We have just put in an order for a F31 320d Touring. Delivery will be early September.
Problem is, we have a E81 123d. We have been offered as part-exchange £4,000 less than what I have seen similar vehicles advertised. That is a huge, tempting difference - surely that is worth the inconvenience of advertising and selling privately?
We are put off though by stories of car theft, insurance uncertainties and the unreliability of potential purchasers, not to mention the hassle of payment and paperwork, as noted in the article.
What to do? Any advice?
Generally i prefer private.
Generally i prefer private. You can suss out the seller and how well they've looked after the car, etc. Gravel drive is always a bonus too. That said, right car, right price is key. My last one was bought from a trader who was just earning a quick buck selling on a car traded to a BMW main dealer. I paid no more than a private sale, and in theory had some come back although I think he'd have made me work hard to get anything from him so in truth no big difference to a private sale.
Spending a lot more money though and I might want some more come back, certainly anything I've bought at a year old has been main dealer, but then nothing really is for sale privately at that age anyday.