More Auction advice please | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Tue 20 Mar 2007 14:56

More Auction advice please - jacks

I had some good advice from the BR with regard to selling my 170K mileage BMW with the consensus that it would be best sold on Autotrader rather than my thoughts of sending the car to auction.
BUT !! The new car - Mazda 6 2.0TS -arrives next week, I don?t have room to store an extra car, and my wife is very nervous about possible low life types turning up when I?m not there or returning after a viewing with mates to relook/steal car/burgle etc??????..so auction it is.

I visited the local Manheim Gloucestershire site but they only have one sale for cars per week - on a Saturday - but it seems to sell mainly bangers priced £50- £800 typically and presumably this is all the customers expect to see there.

I have 2 other choices:

BCA Tewkesbury have daytime Wed/Fri sales and can offer a private seller a fixed SureSell scheme with a fixed fee for 2 entries although it appears the sales are mainly made up of fleet disposal. Cars are photographed for the online viewable catalogue.

Westbury Wiltshire (FWIW this is the site features in the TV programme ?Sold in 60 Seconds ? where Auction Buyer Charlie Taupe is filmed searching out good buys for featured members of the public)
Westbury have Friday evening part ex sales plus Tuesday fleet and a viewable online cataloge but no photos.

The fees are calculated differently at each site but are comparable. Similarly both have advised me of a similar reserve to set based on CAP average sale prices.

I?ll be dropping off the (cleaned and polished!) car on Thursday but I?m undecided which one to use.

Anyone had any experience of the above sites either buying or selling - or can help me decide?
The Friday evening sale will presumably have more private buyers (and less Trade?) but is this a good or bad thing.?

As ever thanks for any advice

Jacks

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Tue 20 Mar 2007 15:04

More Auction advice please - pd

My first comment is that without a trade account both Manheim and BCA will charge you dear. IIRC Manheim's standard charge is something like 8% on the first £3000.

On the upside auction prices for just about anything are amazingly strong at the moment. Have you considered some nice photos and a no reserve ebay auction?

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Tue 20 Mar 2007 16:19

More Auction advice please - Aprilia

I've had good success with Ebay - in view of your circumstances that's where I'd put it.

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Tue 20 Mar 2007 16:50

More Auction advice please - agrb

did you know that there is a Manheim auction site in Bristol on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bought mine there and very pleased.In Winterstoke Road near the football ground

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Tue 20 Mar 2007 16:55

More Auction advice please - Vin {P}

I'd Ebay it. You'll have the cash a week or so after you advertise it.

Polish it. Take it to a nice location - woodland works for me. Take photos from every angle - tip: turn the steering so you can't see the tyre tread you'll need to change lock when you go from front to back, but it just makes your car look so much better. Take photos of the inside back and front. Take photos of the dials, etc.

Write up as much about the car as you can think of. Mention every single fault you're aware of - it'll not really affect the sale price and it'll make you look honest. Put all the best photos - doesn't matter if there are twenty - bung them on. If you have had it services regularly, put the mileage of each and every service. Again, you're trying to create a picture where the buyer feels they know the car is going to be a good 'un.

Put it on on a Thursday for ten days, if possible. That gives people two weekends to view if they wish, and two weekends to bid. Put a low starting price on it - that will get people involved in bdding early. Answer any questions from buyers as promptly as you can and as honestly as you can.

V

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Tue 20 Mar 2007 17:00

More Auction advice please - local yokel

I'd agree with Vin. It'll go.

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Tue 20 Mar 2007 19:04

More Auction advice please - Vansboy

& don't forget, the trader that might buy it in auction, will just e bay it anyway!!

So, as suggested, put it there yourself!!

VB