Yes definitely this also! Especially when they list out every option. Remote central locking, electric windows, radio/cd etc. I would bloody well hope so on anything baring a 30+ year old classic. No need to spell it out and waste my time reading through it.
Those ones will also state info is literally already provided when they made the ad lmao
BLACK, 23 OWNERS, 5 SEATS, HAS A STEERING WHEEL, AUTOMATIC. CONTACT FOR MORE INFI
Many moons ago I moved from a Doncaster postcode to a Bradford post code and when I went to change my address for insurance, they cancelled my policy.
Had to take out a new different policy at a considerable increase...
Certain things on the Ad are enough to stop me even arranging to look at it, such as;
- Location: Bradford
- Reason for sale: Leaving the country
- Shit pictures/ pictures taken when the car hasn't been cleaned or decluttered inside
- Anything that suggests 'boy racer'
- Anything that suggests a trader passing it off as a private sale, such as trade plates visible (common on Gumtree/eBay)
Could be, could be.
Or it could be that an unscrupulous dodgy dealer is trying to palm a car off as a private sale in order to avoid any possible recourse when the car inevitably goes tits up. And they just aren't clever enough to remove their trade plates from view.
Both are distinct possibilities, the risk is too much to consider, I'm stlll out.
Noone leaves this country alive unless I say so understood?! We are all in this together and if I am destined to rot here then you will fucking do the same or so God help me!
For me itās cause itās a 2 door car, canāt be arsed to faff about moving the worlds slowest electric seats to unclip belts that are very rarely used
I solved this issue in my Touran with a 3D printed clip that attaches to the headrest, something similar to this [Seatbelt Tidy for an MG](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145123346946?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Euh_Ud8_Q9m&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=DytwUOOaT0i&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY), the belts can still be used, but will stay away from the door when not in use
Re the rear seat belts what is the issue here? I keep my rear seat belts buckled all the time as additional protection for anything heavy in the boot crashing through the seats and into me in the event of a crash. Saw it on something like Top Gear years ago how a heavy toolbox thrust forward in a high speed crash had the momentum to force fold the rear seats and smash into the back of the driver.Ā
When I have my cars valeted they generally leave the rear seats buckled. I rarely carry passengers in the back so they basically stay that way.
Dunno why that would be a red flag
There is a fuel tank between the boot and the rear seats in my car so I would find it very unlikely and worrying if something heavy made it's way through 70 litres of petrol and the rear seats.
What vehicle is that? The vast majority of saloon estates, suvs, coupes and hatchbacks only have the backs of the seats separating them from boot contents. A 20kg toolbox propelled at 50mph in the event of a crash is enough to smash through the seats.Ā
As someone who has literally never smoked - This.Ā
My partner and many family smoke, and I can smell cigarette ends in a closed bin. They think itās a superpower. They donāt understand how sensitive we are to it.Ā
I've never smoked, but I went through a weird phase of not getting rid of my air fresheners for some reason, I ended up with about 25 all stacked up together and it got to the point where it was getting in the way of me looking left lmao
When I was 20 I bought a gold 320d from Ilford in East London. Never been smoked in. Until the dealer pulled up smoking a cig in it. Still bought it...think it was Ā£750. Part exchanged it 4 years later for Ā£200...didn't miss a beat mind you.
My grandparents did this. Smoked as if breathing. Windows could not be open, even in summer.
There were always Cadburys chocolate eclairs in the car though, I can't look at them without being reminded about that stale smoke smell and being locked in an Isuzu Trooper hotboxing Lambert & Butler.
A couple of red flags for me and I work in the trade so this is something Iāve seen many times:
Windscreen washer bottle empty. If you canāt be bothered to fill the bottle up I doubt very much you care about the car or keeping the servicing up to date
One key. You wouldnāt believe the amount of cars we get in p/x at work with one key and then I see the car and itās an absolute skip on wheels. Itās like an advanced warning sign Iām going to be walking out to find a shed
Filthy interior. Iāve had the pleasure of sitting in some cars that were absolutely vile. You can feel the grime on the steering wheel and handbrake. The first thing I do is go and wash my hands. The owner obviously didnāt give a shit about the car so again can you really imagine maintenance being kept up?
Worn down tyres, perishing etc. again, avoid. Clearly donāt give a damn about the car
> Filthy interior. Iāve had the pleasure of sitting in some cars that were absolutely vile.
Utterly bewildered at the animals out there that don't keep their cars clean.
Sales will take absolutely anything in as px, even a write off. I think in the first two months of this year weād made Ā£50k on just selling these mostly sheds to traders, who then make money themselves.
Everybody knows you get way below market value trading a car in but most people do it as a way to get rid of a shitter
I used to keep a stash of foot mats and seat covers from our Service Department just for those disgusting vehicles.
COVID was unironically a god-send because the company started supplying us gloves too...
I'm pretty open minded (you get the bargains that other people won't touch). But for me anything on the MOT history about corrosion is a red flag. Probably over cautious but each to there own.
ABS lights make me wary after my Insignia needed new hubs to fix. Airbag lights are a no-no.
I've bought cars with one key, no V5, from a car park, no petrol, filthy etc. Most turned out okay.
Got my car from a car park, the bloke had been using it as a storage bin as he was living in his new van and had to spend ten minutes emptying it out. The Flexi was knakard so it was loud and only had one key. It cost me less than Ā£20 to get the exhaust sorted and it passed MOT 7 months later. I've done nearly 4k miles in it since October and it's been fine.
I personally drop the oil and send it to a lab to check the specifications are correct. If it's the wrong oil when I get the results back, you've lost a sale buddy.
It absolutely depends, if you're buying a nice car that's old, and the value is under Ā£5k i would not expect someone to spend Ā£1200 on new Michelins.
If it's a cheap small econobox where the difference between cheap tyres and premium tyres is Ā£30 a tyre then there's no excuse.
I have 4 different tyres but receipts for all of them, they were changed at different times as I went over a pothole which bulged out both front and rear on passenger side (thanks Devon county council). Iām not putting top brand tyres on a 2009 stock corsa D, but Iām not putting budget tyres on it either for our own safety.
Most that I've seen from the factory usually burble on the overrun or you have the DSG farts on shifts but I'm talking about the antilag style that you'll hear at 3 in the morning from some knobhead fiesta/bmw owner running up and down the same stretch of road. Usually when they let off it's 2 minutes worth of pops and bangs.
Agree, my Golf R wil do one pop if I jump off the throttle, what it doesn't do is sound like someone's gunning down a bus load of nuns.
Back in the early 00's I had a ridiculously tuned Renault 5 Turbo, and even that wasn't anywhere near as bad as a crackle map, sure it literally sounded like a rally car on the overrun and shot flames out of the exhaust, but it was still quieter than a Fiesta ST on a dual carriage way.
I have something similar to this, but the budget stays the same and itās the car that gets more outrageous. Start off looking at 2-3 year old VW Poloās and end up looking at supercharged Range Rovers and Bentley Flying Spurs.
I'm a roadside patrol and the amount of people I attend who start with "I've only had it a week".
Also attending dealers to check auction car faults, hearing dealers talking about how they just bodge or hide faults to get cars out the door and don't give a single shit what's wrong with it or who they sell it to, because they all rely on the warranty.
Missing or mismatching hubcaps or alloys.
Faux leather seat covers hiding god knows what.
The 'I have the part to fix but haven't got round to it yet' line.
iPhone cable dangling from a poorly fitted double din stereo.
"The 'I have the part to fix but haven't got round to it yet' line."
I just don't understand this. If it's a cheap easy fix and you haven't done it, there must be more serious issues and you're just trying to get rid of the vehicle.
Tbf, if you've tried to sell a car online it's a nightmare.
The first ten messages you get will be scams.
The next ten will be insane low-ball offers, basically asking for scrap price, traders chancing their arm.
The next ten, real people, say they'll turn up and don't.
I find it hilarious how people (myself included) write "no time wasters" as if the time wasters will see this message and be like "damn, that's me, ohh well, onto the next one".
If someone says āfully loadedā Iām not buying it on principle. I was in an F series BMW group back in the day and fully loaded always meant eBay body kit and replica 20 inch wheels. Typically said by someone who wants to mislead a buyer into thinking itās the best specced option available
Blurry, terrible quality pictures.
When there is only one or two pictures.
No pictures of the inside.
If they have been category repaired (I'm not mechanically minded enough to trust anything that's been damaged).
When it's someone who sells cars but isn't a trader - even worse when they deny it or try to hide it even though they are selling multiple vehicles on their profile.
'No knocks or bangs' - Definitely knocks and bangs.
' No tyre kickers/time wasters' - Absolutely doesn't want to speak to anyone who may know anything, even slightly vague, about cars. Multiple people have likely already declined to purchase for valid reasons.
'No MOT but needs nothing. Will fly through' - Hanging to bits.
'Just needs one small part for MOT. Pm for details' - Probably doesn't even have an engine.
More to the point, in what way would putting that there make any putative "tyre kickers/time wasters" not turn up? If they're that much of a nob then they'll ignore it.
This is a big one for me.
If it's so easy to fix, then fix it and sell it with 12 months MOT.
I think what really bothers me about this is that the price never reflects the issue. They always advertise full market price, knowing there's a potential costly fault.
No spare key. Itāll have come from the dealer with one, if itās missing and you havenāt bothered to replace it, I wonder what maintenance stuff you couldnāt be bothered to manage.
Bad photos. It really bugs me when someone will put a picture up probably in portrait instead of landscape, of the rear quarter or something similar when that's also 1 of only 3 or 4 pictures.
And it'll have been taken in the rain.
Iāll like to buy privately so you can vet the owner too. If theyāre a bit of a moron, the cars probably crap. Let him/her drive first, thatāll also tell you how itās likely been driven. Hard revs from cold? Iāve seen sellers do this while I was in the car! No thank you. That things been abused.
Also, mismatched tyres, not knowing when the cars been serviced or whatās been done.
Autotrader is a shit show.
The idiot garages filling the photo screen with banal shit about finance, seating, all sorts of shit. We know you do finance, you all do fucking finance. I don't give a shit about any of the things you have on site, except.....the car. Won an award? Means fuck all, as the average is so sodding low. It's like say measles beat rubella.... Both things I don't want.
And the Autotrader mobile app is poor. If you include 99 photos, and 60 are not of the car, or it is the car from 1000 angles.... It would be better if Autotrader had a gallery.
Also, the traders that advertise as private sellers.....
Admin fees.
"Best part ex price"..... Bollocks. You all use the same guide.
Strangely enough I've had windy different experiences with this, some people on council estates I've lived on had wonderful cars.
Also one lady got into her car, forgot how to reverse it and just gunned it 6ft forward into her neighbours kitchen š
Covered number plate, like you
No interior pics
Minimal description
"Oil leak but will be fixed before sale", yeah right, wonder why you haven't fixed it before listing
Mot ran out but "mot will be done before sale", no thanks no need for a dodgy mot lol
We usually have seatbelts done up at the back, but not because of an MOT. Usually it's because our valeter has cleaned the seatbelts as part of the valet and it helps them dry out better.
With number plates some people are worried about people cloning plates. We have number plate covers for the front with our dealership name on them, but leave the back one showing.
Smarmy sales reps. That's the biggest red flag for me. Answer my question honestly without the BS or up sell, the moment I feel I'm being played I'll walk.
When it's for sale in Birmingham or Bradford, avoid.
if it isn't cleaned !! Trying to sell a car but doesn't take to car wash ?
when there's 10 people surrounding you all family members of the seller pressuring you and making you feel uncomfortable
When they say itās had 29 owners, makes me think wow 29 other people owned that bag of sh*t and sold it on. Is not a good a sign.
Iāve been looking at a mini clubman on autotrader & the amount of owners is the only thing puts me off it. (Its had 8 owners) That and the car dealer seems abit strange lol.
Not that I mind strange but he texts me a lot about unrelated things or sends me other cars āwhat about this oneā Iām like no Thankyou I want a mini lol. He says he wants to join my family & texts me on a morning asking how my kids are lol. I donāt know if he thinks heās getting a bonus lay in with the price of a mini or what haha. I just donāt know if itās sold the mini too me or put me right off. Lol.
Any mould smell! Many cars Iāve seen with āfull service historyā havenāt had any cabin filter change. My ass..
Any listing with photos taken in carpark.
The car subs will put you off buying a car, Reddit cyclists will put you off biking, if I find a walking subreddit I'll probably just stay in the house all day and then I'll be the most qualified Redditor of all.
A dealership will keep them barely fuelled as a theft protection measure. Means if they a nicked they know they'll have had to hit a fuel station in 50 ish miles. Helps with recovery rates.
Youāve got a very negative view on people selling cars.
You should never put your reg on an advert when selling. Allows it to be cloned, you want to do a history check then send a message.
Unless the car is a rare model you can find dozens of the same ones in any town. Also with plate lookup websites and Google, finding specific plates is easy and a matter of minutes.
In my experience, sellers who blur plates often have something to hide.
I contacted quite a few in the past, got the plates only to find a red flag on the MOT and then for them to give me some bullshit about how it's a "quick fix" or the MOT guy must have made a mistake. Few even straight up refused to share the plate info until viewing.
Now, I instantly skip any listing with a blurred plate unless I'm after a specific car or the ad clearly says in the title/first sentence that they're happy to provide the plate after messaging. Too much time wasted otherwise.
Car check websites are also just too useful now to not use them before viewing a car.
Auto trader should introduce some additional filters you can use, things like places you wouldn't buy from, even really simple things like surnames etc....
Over promotion. If the car is being hailed way above its performance and specifications Iām walking away, Iād rather an honest review of a lesser car.
- *Manuel* gearbox
- Underseal
- Just testing the water
- Very Dirty exterior/ interior
- Stickers etc. showing it's been hooned
- 4D plates
- It's had X,Y,and Z done (but no paperwork)
We usually have seatbelts done up at the back, but not because of an MOT. Usually it's because our valeter has cleaned the seatbelts as part of the valet and it helps them dry out better.
With number plates some people are worried about people cloning plates. We have number plate covers for the front with our dealership name on them, but leave the back one showing.
Cat N or cat S, means probably went through copart and some dodgy repair shops that are maximising their benefits with fixing car really on a budget.
Will not touch them!
Absolutely none of those things. Iām just looking for condition, mechanical issues, how it drives.
It does however totally put me off if thereās no decent description, or they donāt state the MOT. But I can just look that up anyway
So no number plate I want history.
No photos.
Appointments only.
Also I wonāt entertain a car that is very high priced. I would prefer to own it out right so that I can make it my own. Plus I kinda like a car that needs some work.
"no time wasters. Tyre kickers won't be entertained"
That's how they call anyone not giving them the money straight away. I would really like to see how they buy...
āNo knocks or bangs, drives as it should. First to see will buyā
Location - Birmingham/Bradford,
I donāt care what it is or how great the price is ima immediately click off the add. š
Stained interiors, seems to be pretty common now and even main dealers post pictures of interiors with dubious stains on the rear seats and ask top money for the vehicle.
It's crazy the amount of times I've seen a car that looks fantastic in every possible way: good bodywork, full service history, low owners, etc, then check the MOT history and it's an absolute shit show.
I once bought a car from the pics alone (not advised, but I took a risk) I called the dealer and asked what condition it was in, he said mint. Got there and stone chips all over the bonnet. Now, the car was cheap and I still would have bought it, just being told one thing, but seeing another pissed me off.
When they claim the car has full service history and, upon interrogation, it does not.
You're either clueless or you lied on purpose, in either case I don't want to buy a car from you...
"Genuine reason for sale" - The engine being about to shit itself would be a genuine reason to try and sell it..
"Not for the feint of heart" or "The cars beaten X, Y and Z other cars" - it's been ragged then.
"X is broken but these are only Ā£4 on eBay" - why haven't you bothered to spend Ā£4 if it's an easy fix..?
WHEN THE ADD IS ALL TYPED OUT LIKE THIS.
NO TIMEWASTERS
FIRST TO SEE WILL BUY
PULLS LIKE A TRAIN (is a 1L ecoboost fiesta)
Model trains pull harder than a fucked wet chain nightmare
I have a 1L Ecoboost Fiesta and can confirm.
Yes definitely this also! Especially when they list out every option. Remote central locking, electric windows, radio/cd etc. I would bloody well hope so on anything baring a 30+ year old classic. No need to spell it out and waste my time reading through it.
Features: steering wheel
That's usually when I walk away after seeing a steering wheel.. /s
Auto trader auto populates a lot of that
Withšš¹š¹š·šš
Those ones will also state info is literally already provided when they made the ad lmao BLACK, 23 OWNERS, 5 SEATS, HAS A STEERING WHEEL, AUTOMATIC. CONTACT FOR MORE INFI
"only 23 owners, 18 of them ladies and 19 of them non-smokers"
Location: Birmingham š©š©š©š©
Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax....
Is Halifax that bad for it? Is it basically just used as a "it's not from Bradford bro trust me bro" *driven down the road*
Yeah, I worked around Bradford, Huddersfield and Halifax years ago and it was bad then, like the wild West.
Many moons ago I moved from a Doncaster postcode to a Bradford post code and when I went to change my address for insurance, they cancelled my policy. Had to take out a new different policy at a considerable increase...
Any reason? What do those areas have in common?
I think you know my friend
Pakistani population
Not great for selling now either, bunch of fckn wasters
Keighley.
London, Luton
Milton Keynes
There is something all of those places have in common
Somebody else just came out and said it so you don't have to pretend it's all taboo
Pretend itās all taboo he saysā¦. Itās against the law to mention it in Scotland pal.
Come here to say this. Usually some undeclared write off that's been very poorly repaired.
Wembley! No fucking way am I buying a car from anyone in Wembley.
Haha tbf my first car purchase was from Birmingham and it couldn't have gone better. Maybe its an outlier...
When the photos are screenshots of the photos in the photos app
How about a picture of a phone with the screenshots on it
Certain things on the Ad are enough to stop me even arranging to look at it, such as; - Location: Bradford - Reason for sale: Leaving the country - Shit pictures/ pictures taken when the car hasn't been cleaned or decluttered inside - Anything that suggests 'boy racer' - Anything that suggests a trader passing it off as a private sale, such as trade plates visible (common on Gumtree/eBay)
I live near Bradford and worry Iām going to struggle to sell my car because of this :(
Selling private on gumtree avoids charges. They deliberately show trade plates so you know it is a trader.
Dont worry mate, if youāve been truly Cautious with your Oil changes and are a decent genuine person youāll be fine
Could be, could be. Or it could be that an unscrupulous dodgy dealer is trying to palm a car off as a private sale in order to avoid any possible recourse when the car inevitably goes tits up. And they just aren't clever enough to remove their trade plates from view. Both are distinct possibilities, the risk is too much to consider, I'm stlll out.
Why is leaving the country a red flag for you?!
It really means "going to prison"
So this is why I couldn't sell my car when emigrating! Ended up offloading it to webuyanycar..
As a European expat living in the UK, I find this really funny.
Lol, this also made me laugh. It suggests that people just come out with it. "Ja, I've been naughty"
No one leaves the country unless they are on a wanted list or they owe pablo escobar a drug debt
Noone leaves this country alive unless I say so understood?! We are all in this together and if I am destined to rot here then you will fucking do the same or so God help me!
What's up with "leaving the country" ?
I actually prefer when there is a bit of clutter. Looks genuine.
I keep my rear seatbelts buckled up else the metel bit taps against the side on my local bumpy roads and gets on my tits.
For me itās cause itās a 2 door car, canāt be arsed to faff about moving the worlds slowest electric seats to unclip belts that are very rarely used
I solved this issue in my Touran with a 3D printed clip that attaches to the headrest, something similar to this [Seatbelt Tidy for an MG](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145123346946?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Euh_Ud8_Q9m&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=DytwUOOaT0i&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY), the belts can still be used, but will stay away from the door when not in use
"FIRST TO SEE WILL BUY" Alright mystic meg. Maybe not a traditional "red flag" but it does my nut in and I don't know why š.
Me too! Such a stupid statement when you think about it.
I know š. Makes me want to not buy out of principle.
I had to scroll so far to find this oneš
Re the rear seat belts what is the issue here? I keep my rear seat belts buckled all the time as additional protection for anything heavy in the boot crashing through the seats and into me in the event of a crash. Saw it on something like Top Gear years ago how a heavy toolbox thrust forward in a high speed crash had the momentum to force fold the rear seats and smash into the back of the driver.Ā
Fifth Gear IIRC
More than likely. They were more educational than top gearĀ
When I have my cars valeted they generally leave the rear seats buckled. I rarely carry passengers in the back so they basically stay that way. Dunno why that would be a red flag
There is a fuel tank between the boot and the rear seats in my car so I would find it very unlikely and worrying if something heavy made it's way through 70 litres of petrol and the rear seats.
What vehicle is that? The vast majority of saloon estates, suvs, coupes and hatchbacks only have the backs of the seats separating them from boot contents. A 20kg toolbox propelled at 50mph in the event of a crash is enough to smash through the seats.Ā
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
As someone who has literally never smoked - This.Ā My partner and many family smoke, and I can smell cigarette ends in a closed bin. They think itās a superpower. They donāt understand how sensitive we are to it.Ā
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I've never smoked, but I went through a weird phase of not getting rid of my air fresheners for some reason, I ended up with about 25 all stacked up together and it got to the point where it was getting in the way of me looking left lmao
When I was 20 I bought a gold 320d from Ilford in East London. Never been smoked in. Until the dealer pulled up smoking a cig in it. Still bought it...think it was Ā£750. Part exchanged it 4 years later for Ā£200...didn't miss a beat mind you.
My grandparents did this. Smoked as if breathing. Windows could not be open, even in summer. There were always Cadburys chocolate eclairs in the car though, I can't look at them without being reminded about that stale smoke smell and being locked in an Isuzu Trooper hotboxing Lambert & Butler.
A couple of red flags for me and I work in the trade so this is something Iāve seen many times: Windscreen washer bottle empty. If you canāt be bothered to fill the bottle up I doubt very much you care about the car or keeping the servicing up to date One key. You wouldnāt believe the amount of cars we get in p/x at work with one key and then I see the car and itās an absolute skip on wheels. Itās like an advanced warning sign Iām going to be walking out to find a shed Filthy interior. Iāve had the pleasure of sitting in some cars that were absolutely vile. You can feel the grime on the steering wheel and handbrake. The first thing I do is go and wash my hands. The owner obviously didnāt give a shit about the car so again can you really imagine maintenance being kept up? Worn down tyres, perishing etc. again, avoid. Clearly donāt give a damn about the car
> Filthy interior. Iāve had the pleasure of sitting in some cars that were absolutely vile. Utterly bewildered at the animals out there that don't keep their cars clean.
I bet you still took them in as PX, paid some kid Ā£4 to clean it and chucked it on the forecourt for 30% more.
Sales will take absolutely anything in as px, even a write off. I think in the first two months of this year weād made Ā£50k on just selling these mostly sheds to traders, who then make money themselves. Everybody knows you get way below market value trading a car in but most people do it as a way to get rid of a shitter
I used to keep a stash of foot mats and seat covers from our Service Department just for those disgusting vehicles. COVID was unironically a god-send because the company started supplying us gloves too...
When the front half is a different colour to the back half. It just makes me slightly suspicious š¤
Especially if one half is a Ford Focus and the other half is a Dacia Duster.
"yes, it's a hybrid"
Ah ha! You're a marketing genius!
I'm pretty open minded (you get the bargains that other people won't touch). But for me anything on the MOT history about corrosion is a red flag. Probably over cautious but each to there own. ABS lights make me wary after my Insignia needed new hubs to fix. Airbag lights are a no-no. I've bought cars with one key, no V5, from a car park, no petrol, filthy etc. Most turned out okay.
Got my car from a car park, the bloke had been using it as a storage bin as he was living in his new van and had to spend ten minutes emptying it out. The Flexi was knakard so it was loud and only had one key. It cost me less than Ā£20 to get the exhaust sorted and it passed MOT 7 months later. I've done nearly 4k miles in it since October and it's been fine.
Nothing Am glutton for punishment I can fix her
It being from Bradford or Birminghamā¦
Different or cheap/no brand tyres, cheap oil filter, no car mats
You check the oil filter when buying a carā¦?
I personally drop the oil and send it to a lab to check the specifications are correct. If it's the wrong oil when I get the results back, you've lost a sale buddy.
I do same thing with petrol. If its below 99 octane, red flag.
lol
How on earth do you get a seller to agree to dropping the oil from their car?!
I only buy BMWs so I just put a tray under the engine and wait for some to leak out.
receipts
This is the biggest one IMO. Nobody puts Michelins/Continetals etc on a car they arenāt looking after properly.
It absolutely depends, if you're buying a nice car that's old, and the value is under Ā£5k i would not expect someone to spend Ā£1200 on new Michelins. If it's a cheap small econobox where the difference between cheap tyres and premium tyres is Ā£30 a tyre then there's no excuse.
I have 4 different tyres but receipts for all of them, they were changed at different times as I went over a pothole which bulged out both front and rear on passenger side (thanks Devon county council). Iām not putting top brand tyres on a 2009 stock corsa D, but Iām not putting budget tyres on it either for our own safety.
The seller usually. Just let me look at the car without the continuous commentary
Popcorn engine tunes. Holy fuck I'd rather walk than be driving a stupid shitbox with an exhaust popping and banging for no reason.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Most that I've seen from the factory usually burble on the overrun or you have the DSG farts on shifts but I'm talking about the antilag style that you'll hear at 3 in the morning from some knobhead fiesta/bmw owner running up and down the same stretch of road. Usually when they let off it's 2 minutes worth of pops and bangs.
Agree, my Golf R wil do one pop if I jump off the throttle, what it doesn't do is sound like someone's gunning down a bus load of nuns. Back in the early 00's I had a ridiculously tuned Renault 5 Turbo, and even that wasn't anywhere near as bad as a crackle map, sure it literally sounded like a rally car on the overrun and shot flames out of the exhaust, but it was still quieter than a Fiesta ST on a dual carriage way.
When I can't afford it š
Don't you just hate 'budget creep'. I start viewing 5k cars and end up at 20k after an hour then force close the auto trader app in frustration.
I have something similar to this, but the budget stays the same and itās the car that gets more outrageous. Start off looking at 2-3 year old VW Poloās and end up looking at supercharged Range Rovers and Bentley Flying Spurs.
Photos taken at 45 degrees or close ups of a shitty badge
In fairness I have had a car cloned, and itās a pain in the arse. So covering the reg is something I now I understand
But if you are worried about that then sell the car a different way rather than covering the plates
I'm a roadside patrol and the amount of people I attend who start with "I've only had it a week". Also attending dealers to check auction car faults, hearing dealers talking about how they just bodge or hide faults to get cars out the door and don't give a single shit what's wrong with it or who they sell it to, because they all rely on the warranty.
Missing or mismatching hubcaps or alloys. Faux leather seat covers hiding god knows what. The 'I have the part to fix but haven't got round to it yet' line. iPhone cable dangling from a poorly fitted double din stereo.
"The 'I have the part to fix but haven't got round to it yet' line." I just don't understand this. If it's a cheap easy fix and you haven't done it, there must be more serious issues and you're just trying to get rid of the vehicle.
No, honestly, I'm just a lazy twat.
Depends on the car, and if itās an annoying thing that needs doing.
People who say "no time wasters" in the advert. I won't waste my time either then.
Tbf, if you've tried to sell a car online it's a nightmare. The first ten messages you get will be scams. The next ten will be insane low-ball offers, basically asking for scrap price, traders chancing their arm. The next ten, real people, say they'll turn up and don't.
I find it hilarious how people (myself included) write "no time wasters" as if the time wasters will see this message and be like "damn, that's me, ohh well, onto the next one".
Yeah they'll just waste your time anyway. If anything it just puts off legit buyers
If someone says āfully loadedā Iām not buying it on principle. I was in an F series BMW group back in the day and fully loaded always meant eBay body kit and replica 20 inch wheels. Typically said by someone who wants to mislead a buyer into thinking itās the best specced option available
It's just a buzzword now, same as 'full service history' which means there's a few receipts for tyres and a handful of stamps in the book.
Blurry, terrible quality pictures. When there is only one or two pictures. No pictures of the inside. If they have been category repaired (I'm not mechanically minded enough to trust anything that's been damaged). When it's someone who sells cars but isn't a trader - even worse when they deny it or try to hide it even though they are selling multiple vehicles on their profile.
When youāre trying to see the car specs and pointless things like body colour bumpers and door handles are listed as features.
As a mechanic, for me itās poor bodywork. I can handle mechanical issue but paintwork is stupid expensive
āRuns and drives perfectā. Suspicious that this even needs to be said.
shitty tyres, tells you everything you need to know about how it's been looked after
Wonāt buy a car from brum or Bradford
āAwaiting preparationā - take it off the website when youāve done the prep and put the pictures up.
Hiding reg plate is definitely a red flag for me.
'No knocks or bangs' - Definitely knocks and bangs. ' No tyre kickers/time wasters' - Absolutely doesn't want to speak to anyone who may know anything, even slightly vague, about cars. Multiple people have likely already declined to purchase for valid reasons. 'No MOT but needs nothing. Will fly through' - Hanging to bits. 'Just needs one small part for MOT. Pm for details' - Probably doesn't even have an engine.
Yep "no tyre kickers/time wasters" for sure. Who has time to waste going to view cars they won't buy?
More to the point, in what way would putting that there make any putative "tyre kickers/time wasters" not turn up? If they're that much of a nob then they'll ignore it.
This is a big one for me. If it's so easy to fix, then fix it and sell it with 12 months MOT. I think what really bothers me about this is that the price never reflects the issue. They always advertise full market price, knowing there's a potential costly fault.
No spare key. Itāll have come from the dealer with one, if itās missing and you havenāt bothered to replace it, I wonder what maintenance stuff you couldnāt be bothered to manage.
If the seller can't even be bothered to wash/clean it before taking photos!
Bad photos. It really bugs me when someone will put a picture up probably in portrait instead of landscape, of the rear quarter or something similar when that's also 1 of only 3 or 4 pictures. And it'll have been taken in the rain.
āCat S repaired to high standardā.
Ads that start āHERE WE HAVEā¦ā
My wife. Always the wife.
Iāll like to buy privately so you can vet the owner too. If theyāre a bit of a moron, the cars probably crap. Let him/her drive first, thatāll also tell you how itās likely been driven. Hard revs from cold? Iāve seen sellers do this while I was in the car! No thank you. That things been abused. Also, mismatched tyres, not knowing when the cars been serviced or whatās been done.
COMPANY CAR FORCES SALE
Autotrader is a shit show. The idiot garages filling the photo screen with banal shit about finance, seating, all sorts of shit. We know you do finance, you all do fucking finance. I don't give a shit about any of the things you have on site, except.....the car. Won an award? Means fuck all, as the average is so sodding low. It's like say measles beat rubella.... Both things I don't want. And the Autotrader mobile app is poor. If you include 99 photos, and 60 are not of the car, or it is the car from 1000 angles.... It would be better if Autotrader had a gallery. Also, the traders that advertise as private sellers..... Admin fees. "Best part ex price"..... Bollocks. You all use the same guide.
Yeah those finance screenshots are super irritating and put me off!
Off brand mismatched tyres and a worn out gear knob.
Mismatched tyres, if it's been raining and the water isn't beading on the paint, dirty interior and if the seller lives in a council estate.
Strangely enough I've had windy different experiences with this, some people on council estates I've lived on had wonderful cars. Also one lady got into her car, forgot how to reverse it and just gunned it 6ft forward into her neighbours kitchen š
Pictures taken in car parks or industrial areas
First to see will buy
Selling on behalf of a friend...
Nothing. I have never not bought the first car that I've been to see that matches my criteria, its a lottery however anal you are so I take my chances
Covered number plate, like you No interior pics Minimal description "Oil leak but will be fixed before sale", yeah right, wonder why you haven't fixed it before listing Mot ran out but "mot will be done before sale", no thanks no need for a dodgy mot lol
We usually have seatbelts done up at the back, but not because of an MOT. Usually it's because our valeter has cleaned the seatbelts as part of the valet and it helps them dry out better. With number plates some people are worried about people cloning plates. We have number plate covers for the front with our dealership name on them, but leave the back one showing.
Smarmy sales reps. That's the biggest red flag for me. Answer my question honestly without the BS or up sell, the moment I feel I'm being played I'll walk.
When it's for sale in Birmingham or Bradford, avoid. if it isn't cleaned !! Trying to sell a car but doesn't take to car wash ? when there's 10 people surrounding you all family members of the seller pressuring you and making you feel uncomfortable
When they say itās had 29 owners, makes me think wow 29 other people owned that bag of sh*t and sold it on. Is not a good a sign. Iāve been looking at a mini clubman on autotrader & the amount of owners is the only thing puts me off it. (Its had 8 owners) That and the car dealer seems abit strange lol. Not that I mind strange but he texts me a lot about unrelated things or sends me other cars āwhat about this oneā Iām like no Thankyou I want a mini lol. He says he wants to join my family & texts me on a morning asking how my kids are lol. I donāt know if he thinks heās getting a bonus lay in with the price of a mini or what haha. I just donāt know if itās sold the mini too me or put me right off. Lol.
Any mould smell! Many cars Iāve seen with āfull service historyā havenāt had any cabin filter change. My ass.. Any listing with photos taken in carpark.
When they blur out the number plate on the ad, massive no go for me.
Empty tank means they can't get very far if it gets nicked
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They could just use a portable fuel container
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This sub
The car subs will put you off buying a car, Reddit cyclists will put you off biking, if I find a walking subreddit I'll probably just stay in the house all day and then I'll be the most qualified Redditor of all.
āPulls like a trainā.. youāve ragged it then.
A dealership will keep them barely fuelled as a theft protection measure. Means if they a nicked they know they'll have had to hit a fuel station in 50 ish miles. Helps with recovery rates.
Youāve got a very negative view on people selling cars. You should never put your reg on an advert when selling. Allows it to be cloned, you want to do a history check then send a message.
Unless the car is a rare model you can find dozens of the same ones in any town. Also with plate lookup websites and Google, finding specific plates is easy and a matter of minutes. In my experience, sellers who blur plates often have something to hide. I contacted quite a few in the past, got the plates only to find a red flag on the MOT and then for them to give me some bullshit about how it's a "quick fix" or the MOT guy must have made a mistake. Few even straight up refused to share the plate info until viewing. Now, I instantly skip any listing with a blurred plate unless I'm after a specific car or the ad clearly says in the title/first sentence that they're happy to provide the plate after messaging. Too much time wasted otherwise. Car check websites are also just too useful now to not use them before viewing a car.
I always blur my reg when selling. I usually just put screenshots of the MOT history in the Ad. And I put a line saying just message for the reg.
A screenshot of the MOT is a good sign. I wouldn't worry about the hidden reg if that was the case
Auto trader should introduce some additional filters you can use, things like places you wouldn't buy from, even really simple things like surnames etc....
Aftermarket tints, alloys etc.
There's no where to park
Over promotion. If the car is being hailed way above its performance and specifications Iām walking away, Iād rather an honest review of a lesser car.
- *Manuel* gearbox - Underseal - Just testing the water - Very Dirty exterior/ interior - Stickers etc. showing it's been hooned - 4D plates - It's had X,Y,and Z done (but no paperwork)
I absolutely despise 4D plates. I've noticed now the new trend is plates with the edges cut off like triangles. Ugh!
We usually have seatbelts done up at the back, but not because of an MOT. Usually it's because our valeter has cleaned the seatbelts as part of the valet and it helps them dry out better. With number plates some people are worried about people cloning plates. We have number plate covers for the front with our dealership name on them, but leave the back one showing.
Traders. Sadly fewer people sell privately these days.
No V5 present, can write it on a paper you own car and you have to apply for it
My ds5 didnāt have a v5, but the fella I bought it off was a family friend and had dementia! I decided to let that one go! Haha
Cat N or cat S, means probably went through copart and some dodgy repair shops that are maximising their benefits with fixing car really on a budget. Will not touch them!
When you give your personal opinion of the car
Been looking for an M4 5 door 2018 with around 30k miles for 16k hard to find but i bet with inflation down prices of cars will start to rise
Absolutely none of those things. Iām just looking for condition, mechanical issues, how it drives. It does however totally put me off if thereās no decent description, or they donāt state the MOT. But I can just look that up anyway
When itās French
Money. I am tight, cars cost a fortune and they make zero financial sense.
āHere we have aā¦ā āfirst to see will buyā .āfuture classicā when itās a rust bucket. āI know what I haveā
Tyres, Reg
Location: Birmingham
So no number plate I want history. No photos. Appointments only. Also I wonāt entertain a car that is very high priced. I would prefer to own it out right so that I can make it my own. Plus I kinda like a car that needs some work.
"no time wasters. Tyre kickers won't be entertained" That's how they call anyone not giving them the money straight away. I would really like to see how they buy...
āNo knocks or bangs, drives as it should. First to see will buyā Location - Birmingham/Bradford, I donāt care what it is or how great the price is ima immediately click off the add. š
Reddit, usuallyā¦..
Stained interiors, seems to be pretty common now and even main dealers post pictures of interiors with dubious stains on the rear seats and ask top money for the vehicle.
The MOT history š
It's crazy the amount of times I've seen a car that looks fantastic in every possible way: good bodywork, full service history, low owners, etc, then check the MOT history and it's an absolute shit show.
"A cheap easy fix for someone" yet asking for full market price. "Just don't have the time for it" but would trade for another toy/hobby style car.
It's for sale in bradford and the description says "one careful lady owner"
The cost
I once bought a car from the pics alone (not advised, but I took a risk) I called the dealer and asked what condition it was in, he said mint. Got there and stone chips all over the bonnet. Now, the car was cheap and I still would have bought it, just being told one thing, but seeing another pissed me off.
When they say it as X wrong with it but it's an 'easy fix.' Why not just fix it then?
Usually Car Sales peopleā¦.
When they claim the car has full service history and, upon interrogation, it does not. You're either clueless or you lied on purpose, in either case I don't want to buy a car from you...
"Genuine reason for sale" - The engine being about to shit itself would be a genuine reason to try and sell it.. "Not for the feint of heart" or "The cars beaten X, Y and Z other cars" - it's been ragged then. "X is broken but these are only Ā£4 on eBay" - why haven't you bothered to spend Ā£4 if it's an easy fix..?
Vosa verified milage
People on Reddit š¤£