Buy privately or from a dealer?
- Thread starter Jon123456
- Start date
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If you buy from an indi dealer, you are buying a ~£4K car with (at best) a paper thin warranty.
To negotiate (rather than simply haggle), you need to find faults with the car with which you can negotiate the price down from book price.
To negotiate (rather than simply haggle), you need to find faults with the car with which you can negotiate the price down from book price.
A dealer's warranty can be as paper thin as you like, but that doesn't change the fact that as a buyer you're protected under law a lot more so than when buying privately.
I wouldn't worry too much about 'warranty' as an important difference to consider.
I wouldn't worry too much about 'warranty' as an important difference to consider.
At £5k, and from the right dealer you'll have a reasonable level of protection - it's different when buying a 15 year old shed for a grand from a back street place.
That said, if you're buying a reasonably new car and do your research there's nothing to be particularly afraid of with regards to buying privately. Just take someone who has half a clue with you and make sure you hpi the car
If I had no trade in and wanted something that wasn't a "white goods" sort of car, i'd far sooner buy privately at the money, but sometimes it's more about what's actually available
That said, if you're buying a reasonably new car and do your research there's nothing to be particularly afraid of with regards to buying privately. Just take someone who has half a clue with you and make sure you hpi the car
If I had no trade in and wanted something that wasn't a "white goods" sort of car, i'd far sooner buy privately at the money, but sometimes it's more about what's actually available
My advice to people is to always go private for cars around that price. Pick a well written advert, and you are likely to find the person is decent and honest. I don't trust indie dealers who sell cars at that money. Yeah, it has a warranty, and I know friends who have had to use that warranty. But their cars were off the road for weeks while being fixed.
I bought a £7500 S2000 in 2013 from a decent guy, and had no problems with it at all. I also bought a £3600 Clio 172 Cup in 2010 from a well written advert/decent photos and it was also absolutely fine. My personal experience means I won't look at indie dealers ever. But I can't really say it's going to be okay if you do go private - it's up to you to find a good car
I bought a £7500 S2000 in 2013 from a decent guy, and had no problems with it at all. I also bought a £3600 Clio 172 Cup in 2010 from a well written advert/decent photos and it was also absolutely fine. My personal experience means I won't look at indie dealers ever. But I can't really say it's going to be okay if you do go private - it's up to you to find a good car
Don't discount terribly written adverts.
Take each advert on its own merits. As in my experience a terribly written advert was someone who wanted shot of the car quick and I picked myself up an incredible bargain with little to no depreciation for two years.
It's surprising how much dealers make, a friend of mine is a dealer and boasts how much he makes buying a car then selling from a person it's quite scary. The 3 or 6 months warranty you get gives you piece of mind, most dealers will give you 3 months which isn't much at all.
There is another way.
I find it best to search genuine advert how it's written can normally tell a good story, If your certain you want the car call the seller again you can normally ask the seller if he/she wouldn't mind a 'AA' check. If the seller hesitates perhaps he is hiding something. If not and the AA report checks out buy the car. If there are minor issues brake pads discs etc, find out the price fitted for new - point this out to the seller and ask for a reduction in price. Major issues - engine etc walk away.
The best way to pay for the car is to both walk to a bank and do a transfer, the transfer in today's age should take 30 mins max. Then if the car is not up to cleanliness pay for it to be professionally valeted.
If your not lazy, have the time available and do your home work you will save money!! It won't be in the dealers pocket.
Buy a car from a dealer you will be pampered with a welcoming coffee, A clean valeted car, they will offer you finance, it's a less hassle experience in most cases but you'll pay the price.
There is another way.
I find it best to search genuine advert how it's written can normally tell a good story, If your certain you want the car call the seller again you can normally ask the seller if he/she wouldn't mind a 'AA' check. If the seller hesitates perhaps he is hiding something. If not and the AA report checks out buy the car. If there are minor issues brake pads discs etc, find out the price fitted for new - point this out to the seller and ask for a reduction in price. Major issues - engine etc walk away.
The best way to pay for the car is to both walk to a bank and do a transfer, the transfer in today's age should take 30 mins max. Then if the car is not up to cleanliness pay for it to be professionally valeted.
If your not lazy, have the time available and do your home work you will save money!! It won't be in the dealers pocket.
Buy a car from a dealer you will be pampered with a welcoming coffee, A clean valeted car, they will offer you finance, it's a less hassle experience in most cases but you'll pay the price.
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If I'm buying a £10k+ car, I'd much rather buy from a dealer.
We bought a Mercedes C200 not long ago from Car Giant, and after 2 weeks we kept hearing a rocking noise coming from the front of the car after driving over speed bumps also when breaking there was a squeak sound. Turns out it was the front links causing the rocking noise and brake disc/pads causing the squeak noise.
Following our telephone conversation, we currently have the following parts on order; front and rear discs and pads, front and rear shock absorbers, top mounts and front drop links.
The parts are due in on the 16th January. We will update you once the parts are in and work is in progress.
I'd happily buy from Car Giant again
I think parts/labor for everything that was changed must've been around £800-900, I didn't pay a penny 
We bought a Mercedes C200 not long ago from Car Giant, and after 2 weeks we kept hearing a rocking noise coming from the front of the car after driving over speed bumps also when breaking there was a squeak sound. Turns out it was the front links causing the rocking noise and brake disc/pads causing the squeak noise.
Following our telephone conversation, we currently have the following parts on order; front and rear discs and pads, front and rear shock absorbers, top mounts and front drop links.
The parts are due in on the 16th January. We will update you once the parts are in and work is in progress.
I'd happily buy from Car Giant again
I think parts/labor for everything that was changed must've been around £800-900, I didn't pay a penny
You'll find most dealers won't even drive the cars. Straight off the trailer from the auction straight onto the forecourt and rely on the MOT or the test drive to pick up any faults. Which I suppose is no different to a private sale but don't think a dealer takes every car for a comprehensive test drive then fixes every rattle and knock.
If I'm buying a £10k+ car, I'd much rather buy from a dealer.
We bought a Mercedes C200 not long ago from Car Giant, and after 2 weeks we kept hearing a rocking noise coming from the front of the car after driving over speed bumps also when breaking there was a squeak sound. Turns out it was the front links causing the rocking noise and brake disc/pads causing the squeak noise.
Following our telephone conversation, we currently have the following parts on order; front and rear discs and pads, front and rear shock absorbers, top mounts and front drop links.
The parts are due in on the 16th January. We will update you once the parts are in and work is in progress.
I'd happily buy from Car Giant again
Then again a well maintained car bought privately, you wouldn't have had to pay a penny or go through the hassle either
At £5k I wouldn't consider a dealer. They will probably have bought the car at auction, simply added a cheap warranty and then a profit on top. If it goes wrong the warranty will likely be useless. I would far rather buy privately from someone who has bills of work for the car and I can judge both the car and the owner.
At that price I would go private and look for a car that's well maintained and has a low number of owners. I know people that work in this field and what you will find is that most cars they sell are bought from auctions. Any faults they pick up after buying they do a bodge job and hope buyers don't realise.
Saying that my last two cars were both from the backstreet dealer type of people and both have been faultless touch wood. But again both had under 60K on the clock and only had 1 owner from new.
Saying that my last two cars were both from the backstreet dealer type of people and both have been faultless touch wood. But again both had under 60K on the clock and only had 1 owner from new.
Soldato
Or it could be a part exchange.
If I'm buying a £10k+ car, I'd much rather buy from a dealer.
We bought a Mercedes C200 not long ago from Car Giant, and after 2 weeks we kept hearing a rocking noise coming from the front of the car after driving over speed bumps also when breaking there was a squeak sound. Turns out it was the front links causing the rocking noise and brake disc/pads causing the squeak noise.
Following our telephone conversation, we currently have the following parts on order; front and rear discs and pads, front and rear shock absorbers, top mounts and front drop links.
The parts are due in on the 16th January. We will update you once the parts are in and work is in progress.
I'd happily buy from Car Giant again
Incredibly surprised that they will change the discs and pads all round for free. Wear and tear item surely. Even a main dealer wouldn't warranty those let a lone Car Giant!
Yes possibly. But either way it will simply be a car bought at no more than trade price and a worthless paper warranty slapped on the top. The dealer offers very little for the extra cost and has the disadvantage that you don't get to meet the previous owner.
Not exactly wear and tear if it has happened in a very short period. Even 2nd hand you can expect the vehicle to be fit for purpose for a reasonable time, including wear and tear items.
Or they shafted him so well to begin with, it's worth keeping him happy to ensure he comes back again.
Either.
Negotiation would depend on how competitively priced it was to start with; assuming it was well priced for the model/age/spec/condition/history etc then I'd probably not be looking for/expecting any more than ~10% off (i.e. a car priced at ~£5500).
Exceptions might be private sellers in remote locations with something a bit unusual, if they need a quick sale then potentially might push for more. But Private sales are typically priced lower to begin with.
Associate
Years ago i bought a Mondeo TDCi froma small garage, it was around £5k, on the test drive I noted that the drivers seat wouldnt go up or down. They promised to fix this, i put a deposit down. On collecting the car, the seat would go up and down, however now, even though I was strapped in, the car kept telling me it wasnt, the garage fixed it.
Within a week of driving I noticed that the engine was not getting up to temperature, and falling when going down hills. Took it back, and they repalced both thermostats on the engine.
No furthre problems, each time i was given a courtesy car, and not once did they put a up a fight about getting these issues fixed. Sadly that garage closed a few years ago, but would have happily bought another car from them, so not all garages are bad.
Within a week of driving I noticed that the engine was not getting up to temperature, and falling when going down hills. Took it back, and they repalced both thermostats on the engine.
No furthre problems, each time i was given a courtesy car, and not once did they put a up a fight about getting these issues fixed. Sadly that garage closed a few years ago, but would have happily bought another car from them, so not all garages are bad.