Author Topic: Best place to sell a car  (Read 6385 times)

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Best place to sell a car
on: January 15, 2021, 07:28:05 AM
So what does everyone use these days when they want to shift their old motor?

I've just gone electric and need to shift on my Prius. I typically use Autotrader or Pistonheads, but was wondering if there are any other worthwhile avenues to explore that involves less tyre-kickers and chancers? I won't use eBay or Facebook marketplace, I can't imagine any of the trading apps worthwhile either (like Shpock).

Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #1 on: January 15, 2021, 11:24:38 AM
It's more about where most people are going to look to buy your car.  There are loads of selling sites, and it depends on what price you're going for.
The free sites like FB Marketplace, Gumtree etc tend to have proper bottom of the barrel cars on there, and you're most likely to get offered a Broken PS2, a phone with a smashed screen and half a mars bar.

Personally, I only check Pistonheads for more enthusiast type cars, I tend to find stuff on there has been better looked after etc.

If it's a Prius, I'd stick with Ebay/Classifieds and Autotrader.  That's where the most people are going to look.

However, there's no harm in having the car up on free sites, as it's more eyes on.  But I wouldn't rely on them.

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Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #2 on: January 15, 2021, 11:51:10 AM
Thanks. I'd like a reasonable price but I'm more interested in shifting it relatively quickly as the MOT is due next month and its a hassle I could do without, though I know it will pass just fine.

It doesn't feel like the kind of car that would sell any better on Pistonheads given its age, mileage and trim - it's certainly not a special example by any means - but it runs without issue, has FSH and one previous owner (log book says otherwise buts that's down to it passing through garage's hands).

I'll probably stick to Autotrader for now just to get the reach and hopefully fewer timewasters.

Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #3 on: January 15, 2021, 13:27:28 PM
That short MOT is going to be the main gambling point.  People are going to think that there's going to be something wrong with it.  Cars are worth less with short/no MOT.
Even if it gets a fail, it gives people an idea of what it's going to need.

Case in point, I had a hateful Clio ages ago, was trying to shift it at £350 with a short MOT, not many takers.  Got loads of folks saying if I put it through the MOT, they'd give me the asking price.
No, it's not a £350 car with 12 months MOT.

So I did just that.  Quick MOT, passed no issues, sold it within a week for £800.

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Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #4 on: January 15, 2021, 14:46:46 PM
Yeah, I do know that's a problem, but the MOT time also rolls right around to the time I have to tax and insure it again as well. It's also not a bag of crap like a Clio so anyone that knows how reliable these cars are won't even bat an eyelid, they'll just offer me £100 less than my inflated asking price as is par for the course and then I'll grit my teeth and say sure.

Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #5 on: January 15, 2021, 16:36:04 PM
sold my last couple on facebook, quite a few time wasters but it went in the end for what I wanted.

Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #6 on: January 15, 2021, 17:40:55 PM
Get the MOT, regardless of age or car, this close to the MOT will put off a lot of people..

Also what electric did you go for?

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Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #7 on: January 15, 2021, 18:17:07 PM
Nissan Leaf N-Tec, 62kW and most of the bells and whistles. Also switching to Octopus Go energy tarriff and getting a charger fitted.

Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #8 on: January 15, 2021, 19:03:52 PM
Out of interest do you see the benefits of the increased torque like in a Tesla? Bought a fun 190 bhp petrol car just before  COVID and has only been filled up twice since!

I’ve been in a model 3 and that thing is insane, but the rest don’t get much of a mention in the full battery arena

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Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #9 on: January 15, 2021, 20:44:54 PM
I haven't actually got it yet, I'll have it on Tuesday. By all accounts though the torque on these newer editions makes it a real winner. I'll let you know if I feel any different, I'm sure the ePedal will need some getting used to first!

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Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #10 on: January 25, 2021, 08:45:40 AM
So the Leaf is a real pleasure to drive, much nicer than the Prius which was always underwhelming. I've not hoofed it or anything as I'm driving pretty economically in ECO/B mode at the moment until I get my wall charger fitted (had to charge her up for 20 hours over the weekend with a granny cable).

The torque is very nice based on the couple of times I've had to put my foot down a little harder. I think in equivalence this model is about 214 PS which is not slouch territory. I can fully imagine a model 3 given a heavy right foot feels insane.

What surprised me most though is how light the car feels with no body roll. It's just extremely agile and not wallowy like most runabout hatchbacks. Also getting into a car preheated to 21 degrees this morning was a nice feeling  ;D

I ended up flogging the Prius to a trader and taking a knock just to get shot of it, I was getting no interest at all on Autotrader and decided its not worth the hassle of dealing with people and juggling cars about on the driveway. I didn't realise just how stagnant the market is with lockdown and everything but even the trader said its quiet, no one is buying at the moment.

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Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #11 on: January 27, 2021, 10:13:07 AM
I ended up flogging the Prius to a trader and taking a knock just to get shot of it, I was getting no interest at all on Autotrader and decided its not worth the hassle of dealing with people and juggling cars about on the driveway. I didn't realise just how stagnant the market is with lockdown and everything but even the trader said its quiet, no one is buying at the moment.

A friend of mine did similar with his Auris before Christmas, he also took a knock but it sure as hell beats trying to move it in this market :ptu: I've had my eyes on a couple of marquees for a while now and due to some modern entertainment systems showing the time/day/date it nicely shows you how long cars have been sitting in stock! I've seen seemingly really nice cars sat since last summer, so I think you've done the right thing by letting selling it become someone else's problem :thumbup:

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Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #12 on: January 27, 2021, 10:22:42 AM
Yeah, when I first listed it I thought I had full service history but it turned out a couple of years were missing, combined with the general tattiness of the bodywork it would have been a hard sell without taking a knock so I'm confident I saved myself a lot of bother even if not recoup of my costs.

From a 3.6L 7 series to fully electric Leaf in the space of a year is pretty crazy  :lol:

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Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #13 on: January 28, 2021, 16:19:00 PM
From a 3.6L 7 series to fully electric Leaf in the space of a year is pretty crazy  :lol:


 :lol: :lol:

I'd be interest to hear your thoughts on charging points, I've heard people on the internet moan that public charging spaces are often full, yet my mate with a model X has the gear to charge at home (as you do now) And says it's really not a problem now.

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Re: Best place to sell a car
Reply #14 on: January 28, 2021, 16:40:45 PM
Well I haven't actually tried any public charging points as I've plugged in at home with the granny cable at the weekend, so I couldn't really comment on availability. However, within range of Fareham there is only two sets of free charge points, one is a PodPoint at Tesco and the other is run by a eco/e-vehicle trader who will kindly allow you to use his rapid chargers for free if you ask him nicely :lol: The only one that is truly rapid is the one run by EcoMan as I'm now calling him. The others are all 7kW equivalent to what you would have at home, somwhat negating their usefulness unless you want to sponge free leccy while doing your Tesco shop - it might just about cover your trip there and back.

There is one more 'free' but its at a local bistro so you would need to be dining there to make use of it - 3kW like using a granny cable, so maybe just enough to get you home once you've had your meal? Bear in mind 25% to 95% on my 64kWh leaf took 20 hours charge on the granny cable.

Other than that there is a handful of expensive charging points in some town centre car parks. Let's use an example, so the closest one for me in Fareham town centre is a mix of Type 2 (43kW), CCS (50kW) and CHAdeMO (50kW - and makes me think of something like this :lol: ) but while they are rapid charge it's £1 connection fee then 30p/kWh, £10 overstay charge after 95 mins. So honestly the number and cost of them is still so crap I wouldn't be looking to rely on any of them at all. Roll on getting my home wall charger fitted.

You can get a very good idea of what is around in your area using https://www.zap-map.com/live/ - I do find it quite shocking not just how few there are still but how many seem to be frequently listed as Out of Service too...

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