Selling via Motorway - Adampr

I am currently between jobs (by design, and for one week only) so now would seem like a good time to get any car switching out of the way. I have taken the Karoq to various dealers, who have given me a PX value of £15k-£15,500 but I have unfortunately either not liked the car I went to see or it has been sold the same day (why don't they phone you and tell you??) I tried WBAC, who offered £14,500.

Yesterday, I thought I'd give this new-fangled Motorway a go. It is, frankly, a bit more of a faff than they would lead you to believe. Once you've entered all the details, you then need to upload photos. Fair enough, but they can't be any old photos; they have to be taken from the exact angle they require. To assist you with that, you need to download an app that puts a 'ghost' car on your phone screen to line it all up.

Once you have done all of that, you then have to phone them for some reason. The call, as is traditional, goes to someone in a distant, noisy call centre whose English is impeccable but heavily accented and largely inaudible against the background noise and hissing of phone lines.

The person asked me a series of questions that I had previously answered online, sometimes twice during the same phone call. At that point, they finally agreed to list the car.

It was in last night's sale with a reserve of £15,900. The big reveal is at 3:30 today. Will it sell? How much for? I'm sure the tension is killing you too.

If it does sell, I'm intrigued to see how much the dealer chips me on the day. I own it outright and don't have another car lined up at the moment, so I am prepared to tell them to sling their hook.

Updates to follow!

Selling via Motorway - Alby Back
Assuming it does sell at a price you’re happy with, what sort of thing are you shopping for as a replacement?
Selling via Motorway - Steveieb

Reports I have received about offers received from Motorway have been disappointing and in that case declined !

Perhaps the hype was ill founded ?

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

Reports I have received about offers received from Motorway have been disappointing and in that case declined !

Perhaps the hype was ill founded ?

I'm not sure there was any hype was there? Unless you mean a lot of adverts.

I guess we will find out at 3:30. If I get the reserve price and someone comes to collect it I'll be pretty happy. If not, I have the rest of the week to view other stuff and PX it

Selling via Motorway - Falkirk Bairn

Mid November a son sold his car to AutoTrader/Mannheim.

Filled in the forms etc etc

Low mileage 1 owner, 8 year old, 3 series 2 litre, 4WD M sport saloon.

Assessor came promptly - examined the car thoroughly, outside inside, short test drive

sent off photos to the company.

Priced on application at £13,000. Paid £12,950 as the MoT was due in a few weeks. They paid immediately and took the keys. The car was picked up by trailer in 2/3 days.

Others - WBAC, A Clark, local BMW specialist, the BMW garage where he was buying a brand new car - £10,500 to £12,250 subject to seeing the car.

Mannheim sold it by the end of November and it has sat at the 2nd hand car dealer since then - asking price £16,399. Well overpriced IMHO despite it being in immaculate order when my son sold it.

Son was pleased with the price offered, Mannheim & the assessor.

Selling via Motorway - Adampr
Assuming it does sell at a price you’re happy with, what sort of thing are you shopping for as a replacement?

A lower cost, more robust four wheel drive something.

I had a go in a Vitara last week but wasn't impressed with the weird steering. Consensus here was that I might have got a bad one, so I went to see one yesterday and it was sold by the time I got there.

I tried a Panda 4x4, which was hilarious but potentially a bit small and noisy.

I also tried a Subaru Impreza. I have no idea what the reviewers are on about - it's a brilliant car to drive. Only problem was the relatively low ground clearance, so I'm looking out for an XV at the moment. A Forester would work too., but they're more recognised than the XV so.not such good value. I thought about an Outback, but sat in one and felt like an oil tanker captain, so ruled that out.

I would also consider a Duster, but not many 4x4 around. Likewise an Ignis.

There is a hybrid RAV4 not too far away that is still under Toyota warranty. That's tempting, but I'd like something a bit sillier.

An old RAV4 or Grand Vitara is what is in my mind, but the big dealers don't stock them and I tend to avoid Arthur Daley types and private sellers.

If a Seat Leon Xperience dropped into my lap, I'd probably be interested asy.village garage, all of five minutes walk away, is a Seat main dealer.

Selling via Motorway - Alby Back
Our “other” car is a Jeep Renegade (and before anyone starts, yes we know it’s a Fiat!) ;-)
Anyway, three years into ownership we are still enjoying it. Cheerful little thing if that makes any sense?
Selling via Motorway - Adampr
Our “other” car is a Jeep Renegade (and before anyone starts, yes we know it’s a Fiat!) ;-) Anyway, three years into ownership we are still enjoying it. Cheerful little thing if that makes any sense?

Yes. I have driven a 2wd drive one as a hire car and test drove a 4xe a couple of years ago. It's another (as is a 500x) that I would happily consider if I could find a 4wd nearby. I found one on Auto trader that would fit the bill, but the wheels have been swapped for roller skates. More fundamentally, I found the 'leather' interior in the 4xe deeply unpleasant so would want to avoid that.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401105429529

Selling via Motorway - Alby Back
Oddly enough, in an idle moment, I was looking at that very car online just last week. Seems nice enough.
How important is 4WD to you?
Just that our 2WD 1.4 petrol Renegade is actually remarkably capable on rough tracks. Ground clearance being the really important thing I guess.
We regularly use ours to transport ourselves and our mountain bikes to the remoter and pointier bits of Wales. The final stages of those journeys often include rough, steep forest tracks and it copes very well with those.
Selling via Motorway - Adampr
Oddly enough, in an idle moment, I was looking at that very car online just last week. Seems nice enough. How important is 4WD to you? Just that our 2WD 1.4 petrol Renegade is actually remarkably capable on rough tracks. Ground clearance being the really important thing I guess. We regularly use ours to transport ourselves and our mountain bikes to the remoter and pointier bits of Wales. The final stages of those journeys often include rough, steep forest tracks and it copes very well with those.

I'm trying to work out how important 4wd is. Not having it would obviously open up a lot more options, but would also beg the question of why not just keep the Karoq. The answer to that is ultimately financial, so I would rather not be thinking I should have bought 4wd further down the line.

Will I ever need 4wd? Not generally, no, but my new job is in the Somerset Levels, which are very wet and flat, accessed via the Mendips, which are very wet and steep. Both are generally quite muddy and my 'office' is at the end of an unmade farm track through a pest marsh.

Selling via Motorway - Alby Back
Aye, that sounds like Somerset alright! (I used to live there many years ago)
Well, good luck with the sale this afternoon.
Selling via Motorway - edlithgow
Our “other” car is a Jeep Renegade (and before anyone starts, yes we know it’s a Fiat!) ;-) Anyway, three years into ownership we are still enjoying it. Cheerful little thing if that makes any sense?

Yes. I have driven a 2wd drive one as a hire car and test drove a 4xe a couple of years ago. It's another (as is a 500x) that I would happily consider if I could find a 4wd nearby. I found one on Auto trader that would fit the bill, but the wheels have been swapped for roller skates. More fundamentally, I found the 'leather' interior in the 4xe deeply unpleasant so would want to avoid that.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401105429529

4WIW Mr O at South Main Auto, who is in a position to know how bad new cars can be, is unusually scathing about them.

For example

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahbPGHkq_PQ

:" I swear these newer Fiat Jeeps are the biggest pieces of junk on the road today. The plastic is brittle and these things fail faster than you can fix them but hey, I guess that is kinda my job right?"

Edited by edlithgow on 18/04/2024 at 02:22

Selling via Motorway - Steveieb

I have a Mk 2 RAV 4 petrol 2 litre which took ages to find one in good condition. But as you say it’s a lot smaller than the latest models , which suits me and by the comments I’ve seen lots of other potential customers .All models built in Japan which is important to me .

The series has a big following all over the world and the permanent 4WD is suitable for occasional trips off the highway..

Rust is the big problem though and the diesel versions are a bit agricultural.

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

I have a Mk 2 RAV 4 petrol 2 litre which took ages to find one in good condition. But as you say it’s a lot smaller than the latest models , which suits me and by the comments I’ve seen lots of other potential customers .All models built in Japan which is important to me .

The series has a big following all over the world and the permanent 4WD is suitable for occasional trips off the highway..

Rust is the big problem though and the diesel versions are a bit agricultural.

Yep. That would be perfect. I don't really have the time or inclination to travel around the country looking for one that's not a rust bucket and hasn't been abused. All the adverts say they are, but I have an inkling they might not be 100% right.

Selling via Motorway - Andrew-T

... (why don't they phone you and tell you??) ...

LOL !

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

... (why don't they phone you and tell you??) ...

LOL !

LOL indeed. I am also considering buying through Cinch just to avoid this kind of nonsense, endless pestering about warranties, gap insurance, Scotchgard etc etc. It's kind of depressing that car sales is at such a low ebb that I would rather buy something unseen.

Selling via Motorway - Orb>>

my 'office' is at the end of an unmade farm track through a pest marsh.

What's a pest marsh ?

A pest to drive through?

When I tried to sell the Kia Stonic I bought by mistake (!) in 2021, Carwow offered £17075 then wouldn't take it as less than 6 months old or i hadn't owned it that long. selling kia dealer offered £15.000, it went to Hammond ipswich who gave me £16750 if i remember correctly

Motorway nowhere near.

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

my 'office' is at the end of an unmade farm track through a pest marsh.

What's a pest marsh ?

A pest to drive through?

When I tried to sell the Kia Stonic I bought by mistake (!) in 2021, Carwow offered £17075 then wouldn't take it as less than 6 months old or i hadn't owned it that long. selling kia dealer offered £15.000, it went to Hammond ipswich who gave me £16750 if i remember correctly

Motorway nowhere near.

It's a peat marsh. I overwrote the autocorrection once, and it did it again. Now on a computer, rather than phone to try to avoid that sort of stuff...

Selling via Motorway - edlithgow

my 'office' is at the end of an unmade farm track through a pest marsh.

What's a pest marsh ?

A pest to drive through?

When I tried to sell the Kia Stonic I bought by mistake (!) in 2021, Carwow offered £17075 then wouldn't take it as less than 6 months old or i hadn't owned it that long. selling kia dealer offered £15.000, it went to Hammond ipswich who gave me £16750 if i remember correctly

Motorway nowhere near.

It's a peat marsh. I overwrote the autocorrection once, and it did it again. Now on a computer, rather than phone to try to avoid that sort of stuff...

I was assuming malaria, which was once a thing in The Yook, and could be again.

bjgp.org/content/70/693/182

Selling via Motorway - Will deBeast

I sold my 2016 Sorento to Cazoo, back in 2021.

The local dealer offered £16k. Cazoo gave me £19050. And the money was in my bank account before their truck left my road.

I hope your experience of motorway is just as good.

Edited by Will deBeast on 15/04/2024 at 13:39

Selling via Motorway - Falkirk Bairn

Today

Cazoo seem to have 1 foot in the grave and the other on a bar of soap.

www.am-online.com/news/dealer-news/2024/03/07/cazo...r

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

Today

Cazoo seem to have 1 foot in the grave and the other on a bar of soap.

www.am-online.com/news/dealer-news/2024/03/07/cazo...r

That's old news now. Cazoo is dead. It's now just a portal to Motors.com and a dealer chain called Carsa.

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

The eagle has landed and I have accepted an offer of £15,910 from a Skoda and Seat main dealer hundreds of miles away.

Let's see what happens next!

Selling via Motorway - Will deBeast

Let's see what happens next!

Good result. Hope it works out when they arrive.

Selling via Motorway - Will deBeast

Oh yes, I should have added that they're no pretty much no longer.

The Cazoo share price is down 99.97% in the last 5 years!!!!!! From $27,000 a share in early 2021 to under $10 now.

They thought they could change the world of car retailing forever. Only to find their model didn't quite work in practice.

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

Oh yes, I should have added that they're no pretty much no longer.

The Cazoo share price is down 99.97% in the last 5 years!!!!!! From $27,000 a share in early 2021 to under $10 now.

They thought they could change the world of car retailing forever. Only to find their model didn't quite work in practice.

I think it probably could work in practice. The problem with starts-ups like this is that they are always money-hungry and dependent on investors' faith.

Amazon lost money for the first five years it existed. Ocado has only ever made a profit three years out of 22.

These companies need investors to believe that they're going to make their money back. As soon as they lose that belief, they pull the plug.

To me, it looks like Cazoo had two big problems:

  1. They spent an awful lot of money unnecessarily buying up old car showrooms and brand new delivery trucks. They also sponsored a lot of high profile sports teams.
  2. They were competing against Cinch, who had a better supply of used cars and weren't spending money all over the place.

My wife works in web development and sees this all the time. She has worked for various companies who get a massive cash injection, spend it all on offices, branding and sponsoring stuff, never make a profit and make everyone redundant after six months.

Selling via Motorway - Orb>>

Anyone remember BOO.com.?

Selling via Motorway - alan1302

They thought they could change the world of car retailing forever. Only to find their model didn't quite work in practice.

Seems to be working for Cinch though - helps that they know the market very well and had a good supply of cars already.

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

Update - complete waste of time.

The 'terms of sale' were that I had 24 hours to accept the offer. I think I accepted within two. The dealer has 48 hours to get in touch. They did not. I emailed them, they didn't respond. I called the (mobile number) I was given, they didn't answer or call back.

I have called Motorway and cancelled the sale. They were very nice and very efficient about it. However with 'over 6,000 dealers', I only got one offer and that was from a firm that is wildly unprfessional.

Selling via Motorway - Steveieb

So disappointing Adam.

But I must say everyone I have spoken to selling cars to WBAC have completed on the deal even if the terms weren’t exactly what they espxpected.

Isnt there a selling site restricted to dealers, which may be useful if you can employ a broker.

But lots of high end cars seem to be sold by dealers on behalf of the owners ?

Selling via Motorway - Alby Back
Pity. Why not just buy a set of steelies and some chunky rubber for the Karoq. I commuted from Bath to Street for 6 years across the Mendips and the levels in a various cars and they were fine. But, if you need to negotiate a rough track as well, some rufty tufty tyres would help.
Selling via Motorway - Adampr
Pity. Why not just buy a set of steelies and some chunky rubber for the Karoq. I commuted from Bath to Street for 6 years across the Mendips and the levels in a various cars and they were fine. But, if you need to negotiate a rough track as well, some rufty tufty tyres would help.

Now that I know the headlamps are made of chocolate and cost a grand each, I'm frightened of damaging the Karoq.

Selling via Motorway - Will deBeast

Oh that's a disappointing outcome. And so rude not to even answer.

Selling via Motorway - Dingle232

Sorry to hear of your woes.

I recently used Motorway to sell my Audi and managed to get the sale completed for £5k over what I was being offered, pretty much everywhere, to trade it in so that sweetened any minor gripes i had with the process. I agree that the initial stages are irritating with you being asked to repeat what you have already given them.

In my case the whole thing happened pretty seamlessly with the money in the bank instantly once the fella collecting the car rang the dealer to confirm its condition. I guess the experience is largely determined by the dealer who 'wins'.

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

Sorry to hear of your woes.

I recently used Motorway to sell my Audi and managed to get the sale completed for £5k over what I was being offered, pretty much everywhere, to trade it in so that sweetened any minor gripes i had with the process. I agree that the initial stages are irritating with you being asked to repeat what you have already given them.

In my case the whole thing happened pretty seamlessly with the money in the bank instantly once the fella collecting the car rang the dealer to confirm its condition. I guess the experience is largely determined by the dealer who 'wins'.

I suspect it's someone's job at some of the big franchise chains to go on there every night and place the minimum bid on every car that is from their brand. Any they miss out on, they don't care. Any they secure, they then decide whether to contact the seller.or not once their manager has taken a look. It's what I would do.

Motorway really ought to stop that sort of behaviour, but I guess they're making a good income from these dealers overall.

Selling via Motorway - Steveieb

BBC Watchdog highlighted problems with Cinch customers getting faulty cars fixed after attempts at garages recommended by Cinch failed.

Eventually they received refunds once Watchdog intervened.

Not a great advert for Cinch but is the procedure for returning the cars within the first fourteen days straightforward ?

Selling via Motorway - Chris M

The cases highlighted on Watchdog didn't appear any different from the experience some have with bricks and mortar establishments. As has been highlighted here very recently.

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

I went to see some more cars today. On the way home I popped into a Skoda dealer and asked if they would like the Karoq. Ten minutes and one hair-raising test drive later and we agreed on £15,300.

I'm taking it to them tomorrow to complete the deal. Then I have to work out how to get home (it's 60 odd miles away) and how I'm getting to work on Monday (the Twingo will be in the garage). Fortunately, the dealer is in the middle.of a huge estate of car dealerships, so I think I will be spending my afternoon walking around with money burning a hole...

Selling via Motorway - bathtub tom

No problem, if they ageed to that deal so soon, I'd expect them to be more than agreeable to a lift home

Didn't you negotiate that?

Selling via Motorway - Adampr

No problem, if they ageed to that deal so soon, I'd expect them to be more than agreeable to a lift home

Didn't you negotiate that?

A lift to the station, yes. An hour on the M5 with a car salesman? No thanks.

Selling via Motorway - Wasabi
My attempt to use Motorway to sell a car was *exactly* the same. Took two weeks and got me literally nowhere. I’d be interested to know how Motorway makes money, doesn’t seem to be through facilitation of car sales
Selling via Motorway - Alby Back
Do you have a bike Adam? Bit of a pull over the Mendips but the flat bits of Somerset should be alright. You’ll be fit as a flea by next Friday…
;-)
Selling via Motorway - Adampr
Do you have a bike Adam? Bit of a pull over the Mendips but the flat bits of Somerset should be alright. You’ll be fit as a flea by next Friday… ;-)

I do, and I'm thinking about it. The Strawberry Line bike path comes through my village. It's the old railway line and would get me as far as Cheddar on reasonably level ground. From there on, it's pretty flat. It's also pretty hazardous!

Selling via Motorway - Alby Back
Good chip shop in Cheddar, if you needed to refuel on the way home.
;-)