I have recently been tasked with the job a buying a first car for a newly qualified driver. The budget, circa £1k, is the same as the insurance is going to cost, but I was pretty confident I could source something half decent from a private seller. (My own car cost me £995 last Oct and is brilliant).
After looking at 4 cars, all the sellers blatantly lied during my preliminary phone questions. These were just basic questions as to length of Tax,Mot, service history, warranted mileage, condition of tyres, number of owners. Cars 'with service history' had, at best, patchy service books and no receipts. One car, despite being advertised with history, had no service stamps after the year 2000 and 8k miles. It now had 104k miles. MOT certificates were mysteriously lost or mislaid, to be posted on after purchase! Most cars had not had a decent clean, either inside or out, for several weeks. On another vehicle, the advertised two previous owners actually showed 6 on the VRD. Just who are these muppets? Maybe in their muppet world they expect to sell to fellow muppets and I am just sooo annoyed at them for wasting my time.
Anything in excess of group 3 insurance is out of the question, otherwise I'd pick up an old Primera or Mazda 626 like mine.
What am I doing wrong? Maybe I should chance the auctions.
In the meantime I'll take a deep breath and start again next weekend.
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they are probably hoping that once you get there you'll be so desperate for a car you will buy it anyway
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This is infuriating, and has been going on since the dawn of time. In my time, I've had many sellers blatantly lie in their descriptions. Two of the best were a 1.4 Fiesta Zetec in 'excellent condition' for example that was actually a 1.25 with rusty sills and the rear quarter panel a completely different shade of silver to the rest of the car. Then there was the metallic red Cavalier SRi 130 which, after a 50 mile journey to see it was in flat red, and which the 'full service history' consisted of the seller looking me in the eye and saying 'my mate done it, innit'.
Oh, if you're looking for a Fiesta, good luck finding one that's been serviced since the warranty ran out! In fact, good luck finding one that's had any TLC at all. We'd seen so many misdescribed dogs that we were on the verge of giving up when we eventually found the mint FSH'd example we actually bought. My candidate for one of the most abused/neglected cars on the road.
That said, there are a lot of time wasting buyers when you're selling too. It's just part and parcel of buying and selling cars. I hate doing both, personally.
Cheers
DP
Edited by DP on 25/06/2008 at 08:17
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The problem is that these low insurance group cars are almost invariably run by people who can only just afford them, hence they scrimp on servicing, repairs etc.
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When I sold an old Fiesta,I had people queuing presumably because I was honest about it.
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I never bother 'phoning a seller unless they've a landline number.
I always say I'm 'phoning about the car. If they reply "which one" or similar, I don't bother.
I've no doubt missed some good cars, but I feel it's worth it for the time wasters I've avoided.
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And always look for "FSH" rather than "service history" which as the OP found out could be just one stamp (but thats still "service history", just not "Full" SH)!
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Some older Fiesta owners (like me) service them themselves apart from the really tricky jobs.
Getting FSH on small cars under £1k can be difficult, but doesn't mean if no stamp, it has not been serviced. If the Oil and other fluids look OK and there is no smoke or other major problems and owner claims to have done work on car, then do not dismiss it.
If other paperwork is in order, Car drives OK, fluids look Ok and passes all inspections then do not dismiss it due to no FSH.
But I guess there are some people out there making money by buying at auction and then selling car a week later as there own, with a mark up and no additional work done.
Best bet for auction is to find a mechanic that sells cars who has good reputation, he will source one at auction, check it over and repair it , give you 6 months warranty and sell it to you cheaper than a mid size independent (How my friend got his escort, had no problems with it either).
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I service my cars myself, but I at least keep all parts receipts/invoices, and usually scrawl a reminder (or write in the service book) what's been done and when. It's not proof, but it is evidence that the car has been cared for. It's also good from my point of view as a reminder of what I've done to the car, and when the next service is due, for example.
I agree though that sometimes a well maintained car can be self evident, even in the absence of paperwork. You can just tell.
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You can get the odd pleasant surprise as well. I viewed a one owner Forester recently which had no history with it, so I rang the dealer whose name appeared on the number plates and found it had full Subaru service history including a recent timing belt. Sadly it lacked the Sunroof the dealer said it had, and Aircon' that worked.
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Quote; "he will source one at auction, check it over and repair it , give you 6 months warranty and sell it to you cheaper than a mid size independent"
6 months warranty on a car costing grand???
Dream on!!
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What am I doing wrong?
You're expecting too much. For a car that costs less than £1,000, you'll be lucky to get a full service history - which is not the same as "service history", which generally means "some service history". "Good tyres" means "they're legal" - ask about how much tread there is! Some people won't know, though, so it's really down to you to have a look. Clean? Not cleaned for "weeks"? Well, I can't remember when I cleaned my car - the current one, probably never (a couple of years). I very much doubt that anyone will give you a "warranted mileage", especially on a car that's had a couple of owners. Paperwork is nice, but not everyone keeps it.
So, on the 'phone, ask when the MOT is due, when the tax is due, any chatty questions you feel maybe worthwhile, and see the thing. I think that at an auction you'll have at least as much trouble, & you won't be able to go for a drive - I'd rather buy from someone's house, any day.
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I've found main dealers can be just as bad - I travelled 200 miles return to Northampton to look at a £25k car which the main dealer said was immaculate and had full service history, just to find it was an ex-hire car with lots of scuffing internally and had been at least 3,000 miles late on the 10,000 mile service.
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All I expect is good, old fashioned honesty! For that price I do not expect a main dealer history, but a few independent stamps, and maybe receipts from a factors if a DIY service would be acceptable.
After some 30 years of selling my own vehicles privately, often every 3 months when younger! I have only ever owned two cars which took more than a fortnight to sell for an acceptable price.
Dishonesty is one of my pet hates.
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I bought a car with FSH for less than a £1000 - £650 to be exact. So it is possible.
The buying experience with both private and trade sellers was quite depressing as I live in Dorset and normally have to travel quite a distance to see vehicles. So after asking a lot of direct questions designed to elicit key information, then travelling 50 miles to find out you have been lied to is annoying.
The worst one was a well spoken gentleman, whos definition of good condition, perfect bodywork (in his ad), 2 owners and a FSH was a bumper literally hanging off, a wing rusted through, 5 owners and no history.
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My 214 may well be advertised soon and will no doubt be a bargain for someone. I have every receipt/record of repair since it left the factory - including every tyre, exhaust, oil change, windscreen wipers etc etc. It doesnt have a service book though as Reg Vardy kindly kept that at a service and then lost it. Bills, receipts, invoices are far more appealing than a book anyway!
If you look hard enough they will be out there somewhere and its probably no surprise that my old Rover looks in good nick despite its 132,000 miles and drives as if it has done just 32,000 of those.
I went to look at a Puma a few weeks ago that had a book full or invoices - trailing through I found one for new wings, slam panel and suspension leg. Well repaired but I bet he wished he hadnt kept that one in!!
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My 406 has been in the family since nearly new (was hand me down from dad) and it only has main dealer stamps up to the warrenty, after that its all been done by either him or me. Can't actually think of anything its been in the garage for... have done a few repairs myself as things have worn out etc, but it still drives well despite having 120k on the clock. Had some troubles a few months ago and was on the verge of getting rid but after £200 of parts its gone back to been totally dependent and reliable. Its not worth much over £1500 but when I do come to sell it someone will get a bargain, service history or not, of course that person may well have to take a gamble on my word of saying its had an oil change every 6 months.
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As we speak if you search for a 2007 Mondeo on Autotrader you will find a muppet selling W reg Mondeos under the title 2007 Mondeo.
Why?
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More laws present to protect the criminal than those to protect the victim.
That's what's wrong.
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Re ads, I hate it when you are doing a search for a low mileage car and you have to cope with loads of advertisers putting in car mileages without the zeros. i.e. 135,000 is 135.
Can't Autotrader have a mileage from field to stop this?
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I was in the same predicament as you earlier this year legacylad. I was searching for a first car for my daughter. What is it about old Fords (especially KAs) that makes their sills/doors/wheel arches turn to rust so easily?
Anyhow, settled on an R Reg, 67k Nissan Micra, 2 owners, no rust but a couple of minor dings on the doors etc, proper fsh for 950 quid. Insurance group 3 and it cost 900 quid for my 18 year old daughter fully comp with breakdown assistance in Wiltshire. The insurance gits did up this by another 100 quid when she passed her test though! The make of car wasn't my first choice but of the 3 I viewed they all seemed to be low or nil on rust and ran sweetly. After a major service by my local independant dealer, it has the all clear and is quite nippy to drive. However, the Roxy Girl stickers in the rear window means I try and avoid driving it!
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Can't Autotrader have a mileage from field to stop this?
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