Has anyone sold a car via Motorway recently, or know someone who has?
If so, how did it go?
Most of the reviews I've found haven't been negative, and a few were distinctly positive.
They anticipate a much higher price (c 20%) than WBAC or the part-ex the dealer is offering, albeit I can't get the actual price as you need to take the pics from which they value it using their app and I'm not in England till November... but once I'm back I need to move quickly...
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Not yet.
However we're on the cusp of going to one car in which case my 2016 Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo Estate will be the one that goes. Current valuation is £7k which considering I paid £9.5k or thereabouts before the pandemic is pretty good.
Right now it's got some wear/rip damage to the o/s bolster on the driver's seat. It's an overly sporty setup for me overall but the car was a distress purchase when my Roomie was written off and it was best match on offer.
Just waiting for local car upholstery outfit, the female half of which was at school with my daughter, to sort out a fabric match. They're away for a bit so next week before we can move on.
Will keep the rest of us posted.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 7 Oct 24 at 21:23
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Only heard a couple of anecdotal stories...
1. Agree a price and turn up and pick out every single speck and drive the price down from what was agreed after seeing photos.
2. Agree to take the car then come back some time later saying that there is a fault and want their money back - a common scam - but the buying garage trying it on. (Take the car a away and try to get a discount or return the car having swapped out a good part for a bad part - the one I heard about was a gearbox).
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1. Nothing more than might be expected.
2. Their problem. We closed a deal at £x, car and all cards on the table. Absent blatant fibs/concealment it's their issue to sort out.
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We sold the wife’s I20 to them a couple of years ago.
They gave me a price online which was okay.
They then came to the house checked the car and documents and offered me more than the online quote. The money was in our account the same day.
Unlike WBAC where I had to take the car to a local industrial estate and was offered less than the online quote.
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Nice result maltrap!
It's worth pointing out that it's not Motorway that buy the car but one of the dealers who subscribe to the service and therefore quality and experience may differ.
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Agree with both your points Brompt. but just goes to show that one might not always be dealing with a reputable dealer.
In an extension to no 1 and not applicable to Smokie's electric motor, I have heard of buyers of cars having a good look around and popping the bonnet to disconnect a HT lead or similar and then claim the car is faulty and negotiate a discount on that basis.
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They do collect but I'd assumed it was by one of those drivers you see with the trade plates rather than a mechanical person.
After his demise we sold FiL's car to WBAC. When we took it in the price was downgraded but mainly because of the poorly repaired dings he'd put in it which we hadn't noticed. The bloke showed us (using magnet) where it had been filled. Their starting point for mine was very low.
Motorways system seems quite good. You give a description mostly by ticking boxes but anything not covered you write some prose about. You use their app to take the pics, which puts up a template in which you fit your car at the right angle.
Most online reviews were pretty favourable. Generally cars are auctioned within a day or two. Money is in the bank before the car goes, and the dealers understand it's an auction and there is no comeback (unless you've misled them, which would be a pretty daft thing to do).
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Skoda Fabia estate….Ive had one twice as a hire car in Spain, not the Monte Carlo edition, and thought it excellent for the 6 weeks in total I had it.
Why not try to sell it on here…I know some are averse to buying privately but personally I’ve bought lots of cars off friends & contacts having known their history.
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>> Why not try to sell it on here…I know some are averse to buying privately
>> but personally I’ve bought lots of cars off friends & contacts having known their history.
I know of at least one friendship killed stone dead by a car sale - it was a Dolomite Sprint though - and a couple of other deals that caused friction down the line.
Advertised a couple in the local rag late eighties and again c1999. The idea makes me shudder now.
Given how easy Motorway and their ilk are - do the paperwork and the car's gone with no comeback - nothing else appeals.
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It's due a 3 yr service and MOT, booked in at local dealer for £150 when I return as selling it privately without is likely tricky.
Plus it could do with visiting the eastern Europeans for a spruce up for a private sale - another thick end of £100.
Then no-one might come and see if, and I'd be stuck with the part-ex price minus £250. Or if tey do I have the potential hassle of how to securely transfer the money.
I have advertised it on a couple of other forums but no nibbles. Put it up at £11700 which is a real bargain IMO.
When I get back there'll be a new car waiting for me so potentially two cars to insure while I sell (I think I can stall for a week while I try to do the deed via M'way or someone else).
I think Motorway (or similar) is the likely option.
But here it is in case anyone is interested.
www.speakev.com/threads/71-reg-mg5-lr-exclusive-pre-facelift.187492/?post_id=3671319#post-3671319
Last edited by: smokie on Tue 8 Oct 24 at 09:11
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A son used AutoTrader/Mannheim last November.
Paid in full minus MoT fee of £60 which was due in less than a week.
Better price than WBAC, Local Garages by £1,000+
Mind you the car was immaculate for an 8 year old car
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I have just sold my car - 2018 Peugeot 308 auto, 66k - to WBAC. Their online valuation was £6700, downrated to £5700 on inspection.
I was told by their valuer that online valuations are for a car in "showroom" condition - not good order for the year. All deficiencies, even those normal for a 6 year old car - scuffed alloys, trolley dings, etc - are deducted. A little dishonest in my view.
Trade in value for the car I actually bought - Seat Ateca through main dealer - was £5000. I suspect they simply did not want the hassle, knowing I had the WBAC offer.
Autotrader price (dealer) for the Peugeot I sold is typically ~£8500-9000. I assume these are somewhat negotiable - could probably purchase for £7500-8000.
Any dealer selling 6 year old cars has costs - vehicle preparation, premises, insurance, sales staff, warranty costs, interest etc etc. They also want to make a profit. A dealer buying the Peugeot at £5700 has ~£2000 margin to cover costs and profit - probably fair.
Had I sold privately I may have achieved £6500-7000 - about a £1000 more. Debatable if it is worth the hassle - although others may feel rather differently about £1000.
What does the above demonstrate - changing cars costs money. Perhaps there are attractions in PCP deals - change every 2/3/4 years with no problems.
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I was offered a deal (I think PCP) where they'd only give me half the trade-in for my car, I'd pay £173 a month for 48 months, then either have nothing at the end or pay £8k to keep the car.
Seemed not a good deal to me, my neighbour does PCP and has to watch his mileage and spent about £2k last time with Chips Away and getting the alloys refurbed before end of contract. I think his Kia Niro is £350ish a month for 2 years, so in monthly cost I see that as about what I've paid in the unexpectedly large depreciation in my car since new, but I have an asset to sell and no upfront payment.
I wouldn't be surprised to have to sell somewhat nearer the part-ex than I am hoping, ideally without the hassle of a private sale. But I have just booked service and MOT in case I decide to try that, as I think a car with an MOT and service imminent would not look as attractive to a private buyer as one which has just had it done.
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PCP works if you want a new car every few years and have the cash to spare. Daughter's in laws do this in spite of having plenty cash to buy outright; it suits them.
We had our first Berlingo on PCP as it suited us at the time when we needed a replacement second car asap. At the time intention was that it would be car#2; Mrs B would use it to move her around the locality as a supply teacher. Nine thousand miles per annum, up from the proffered six thousand, should have been enough.
We'd had it about 3 months when car #1 threw a wobbly and the 'lingo had to step into the breach for camping trip to southern France. Probably 2-3000 miles return. That and other stuff meant it hit 9k in not much over 6 months and at three years was on 36k.
We just paid the balloon payment, about £4k I think, and ran it into the ground at around 10 years/150k. Handing it back would have cost a fortune in excess miles and money off for dings etc.
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I sold daughters 9 year old Picanto via Motorway. Nice tidy car. Good history, lots of new consumables and fully refurbished alloys.
Dealer bid on it. Cant remember the figures now. He was coming by train and wanted me to pick him up. Collection was delayed a couple of weeks as I contracted Covid.
Eventually arranged a pick up and he went for a test ride. Came back and claimed to be 2 issues. One was that I had fitted a battery which was not big enough for the Stop Go technology and the Air Con needed a re gas. We negotiated a reduction in price, concluded the deal and off he went. I found his website and it was on in 24hrs for almost 2K more. At this point I realised that perhaps I should have tried moving it on myself first.
A few weeks later i received a phone call from a lady. She had bought the car for her daughter and was having starting issues. I had pleasure in ascertaining that the battery had not been replaced. Advised her that she should be looking for him to replace with the more expensive correct battery and also to ensure the AC was up to scratch.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Tue 8 Oct 24 at 14:36
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If you're going to finance a car on PCP look at leases, for me, (your milage may vary) they have always worked out significantly cheaper than the equivalent PCP.
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I had my short lived Focus estate..x trim with the 1.5 3cyl. Ex management car with every conceivable extra.
Think I had it for 15/18 months and sold it to Arnold Clarke Vauxhall dealer in Kendal.
I lost £50 in depreciation. They marked it up £2k and it was gone within 3 days.
If I didn’t have the Vitara I’d be tempted by the Fabia estate…ticks most of the boxes for my 4 k mile jaunts across France, Andorra & Spain.
Currently pool side in Moraira with tinnies of Alhambra..rest day between big walks. Sail home from Bilbao Tuesday…looking forward to my off motorway scenic drive up north.
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WBAC are owned by/part of British Car Auctions (BCA)
They know what your car is likely to make, offer a few hundred under this, and any further deductions they can gouge out are pure gravy (plus commission for the agent).
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>>WBAC / BCA
Another money making scheme:
Dealers buy cars - this ties up a lot of capital, so BCA loan the dealer the money to by the car at nice and steep interest rates. The dealer has to repay the loan when the car is sold.
They visit the dealers regularly to ensure that the cares are still there and not sold off without repaying BCA.
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I've also heard that fleet buyers take a BCA person along to the purchase negotiations with the dealer/manufacturer, and BCA give the buyer a guaranteed price at end of lease. I expect businesses would like that, knowing exactly what the asset will be worth when it's done with.
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Fleet buying is all about 1/manufacturer discount support, 2/ residuals. Residuals is 1/ease of disposal 2/ price. Those last two are dependent on what the second hand dealers can shift quickly with profit.
The big auction houses have all that skill and knowledge so makes sense to be consulted.
Tho it has to be said the days of the big fleet buyers are dwindling.
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Selling car via Motorway - Bromptonaut
