BillyPee Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I am after advice on how to get a good price for my tin top which I am, reluctantly, going to have to sell (for I have a company car arriving in early December). The car is a C220 CDI Avantgarde SE (W203) which I have owned from new (2003) and it cost me a night out short for £30k. With a full Mercedes-Benz service history, very high spec (metallic silver, sports pack, black leather, auto, sat nav, bluetooth phone, bi xenons, etc), and my no expense spared approach to ownership I can see similar cars advertised at around £4995. A friend who values cars for a living says the October retail price was £3500 for a basic spec car with 123k miles (which is what mine has) and that the extras make it more desirable but don't add value. I think I would cry if I only got £3500. Aparently trade in would be £2200 I was planning to get Chip Away to it to give it a spruce up (only stone chips mar a great body) but that seems like an unnecessary expense given the low value the car has. Would you think that would be a couple of hundred quid well spent? I will obviously advertise it on here but is Autotrader going to be the best bet for a car like this (thats where I sold my last car)? Anything else I can do to ensure that the buyer doesn't get the deal of a lifetime? Any advice welcome. Cheers, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Look on Autotrader and set the price between the private (low) and dealer (high) price. Do not use Ebay, all you get is scam enquiries. I'm afraid you'll have to face reality and if that's all they're worth the that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Do not use Ebay, all you get is scam enquiries. My experience of selling "budget" cars on ebay is very good. I recently sold my daughters Ka and it had not one unreasonable query, 12 bids, and reached a price in excess of what I expected. I was completely honest about the good and bad points so the eventual buyer had no false expectations. I'd use it again for cars up to about 5k I think, then probably PIstonheads and Autotrader above that. I do agree with Norm that the market determines what secondhand cars are worth unfortunately, not the owners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue ass fly Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 great photos,and lots of them- in a nice location if poss,not on a petrol forcourt Clean it so its immaculate, check everything obvious works,cause they will take loads of high res pics I often sell on both ebay and autotrader and always put good main pics that draw you in,take them on your knees and a 3/4 front shot Not ones on their side or blurred Then gush how wonderfull it is in the text Youll get the call before the grubby one with the car seat in does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantherman Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Bill Hope I am wrong but looking at Autotrader there are a few traders with similar cars at 2500 ! If it's a manual even less. The thing is there are loads of older cars for sale however using the old salesmans term 'there is an A*** for every seat ' so if you can wait you may get more ! December and January are not great months to sell a car ,all the money has gone on Christmas. GLWTS Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User0083 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I've seen some really good and really bad tests of people selling cars! Always clean it and getting looking the best you can. As with your extra's, won't encreased value, just chances of selling it. Make sure there is nothing, like scratches, that could give a buyer a reason to say "well... I'll need to fix that, so knock £500 off for it..." With digital camera's now, even mobile phone camera's, you can take 100's of pictures, angles, views... Etc. Go out somewhere and take loads... Get home and decide in top 10 pictures to use. Remember you'll value your car £500 higher than what someone's willing to pay and someone buying will want to pay £500 less than it's worth, so get it valued, advertise for the value, take no offers. Lastly, the bit I struggled with when I bought a brand spankers 156 GTA for £32k and after spending masses of cash getting all work done at Alfa Romeo, and never anywhere else! It sold for £9,800 four years later! In total I'd spent an easy £40k on it! So accept that you are going to lose a fortune and take what it's worth. Not sure if it's the same near you, but here, in Birmingham, there's "Hand Car Waah" places that charge about £5 for a full valet and for an extra £2.50 they will steam clean the engine bay. That extra few quid could save you time and money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyPee Posted November 3, 2013 Author Share Posted November 3, 2013 Thanks very much for the input guys. The car is cleaned every week and mini valeted every month so it is always spotless. Just stone chips that need addressing which I think I will have done in advance of the sale. I'm not going to advertise it until the replacement arrives as I don't want to be without a car. If I had the space to store it I think I might keep it; its worth more than double to me that what I will get for it. I will only blow the money on the Westfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I was a self employed restorer/trader and have sold 30+ cars in the past 2/3 years and this way has not failed me once! Has to be classified advert 28 days on ebay - tried both autotrader and pistonheads replies were much fewer and offers lower. Costs 15 quid no other fees. I found a camper wreck and sold it there and have sold high end fuly restored vans there same waytoo. I even found my Westy there. I put my price a bit more than I want and then lower the price weekly if no interest. Usually sell in a week or offers generally came after the first weeks price lowering. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALLADDIN Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 i sold my similar spec and condition 2005 estate recently, 4300. pistonheads gave a few calls but it sold on ebay. iused rhe 5k or make an offer option. be prepared for silly offers tho ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Oh and I agree clean car, good pics. I always do an unpersonalised honest description ( include a fault or 2 but not all of them) as it shows some honesty. Oh and in 7 years of ebay I've had a few silly offers but no scams at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Algar - Competition Secretary Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 It's worth getting it really looking good, if needed even a machine polish. Sold 2 car that looked great in the pictures for the money I wanted. 3rd car I didn;t get too fussy with it and pics didn;t look as good. Struggled to get the right money for it. eBay is fine for the sort of money you are talking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffC Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 ebay works, I have sold 6 cars in the last week from adverts I have put on there , trick is to price right, look at what everyone else is advertising the same year/mileage/spec for and I put mine up cheaper, people are influenced on price and will travel from the other end of the country to save a few quid. if your car is a saloon it trades in cap at £1975 and top retail is £3k add £200 if an estate car. without looking to find a buyer I think £2995 is about the most you going to get unless you can catch someone that will pay a premuim for knowing the car, sad but used cars are bargains at the mo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyPee Posted November 3, 2013 Author Share Posted November 3, 2013 Thanks JeffC. I am resetting my expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I had my Audi A6 on Autotrader and Ebay. I had a winning bid on Ebay but no further contact. I lost count of how many scam offers I had, at least 7 . "I can't get to you but if it's as described I'll send you a bankers draught (or pay by PayPal) and send a shipping company. I'll pay you an extra £1000 if you can hand it over to the shipping company," It sold on Autotrader. to the second enquiry. The first chap said I lied as I said it was MOT'd to next April (I didn't) and the mileage was 157000 when I'd said it was 140000. The trip was 1570 odometer was 140134. The chap who bought it had the result of the century. It was still on French plates and he wanted it for his place in France. In France the car is worth over 6000€ in the UK I got £2800. Maybe it's me or maybe they thought because it was on French plates I would be French and an easy touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Pretender Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I would get the car up on as many car forums as poss. You can really pour out all the tlc you have spent on the car and it's usually being read by people who appreciate it. Not sure I would spend on stone chips myself. They are very infrequently spotted by purchasers imo, there's too much other stuff to look at. That's why when you buy a used car the 'first wash' is always a nervous one because you know you'll find stuff you hadn't seen before. Good luck. Ps looking forward to the ad, wouldn't mind a merc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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