So, I’ve listed our much-loved Focus on Autotrader after getting precisely *no* hits in E&M. It’s priced a fair ways under the Parkers’ guide price, and below that of lower spec examples with the same mileage.

So far, I’ve had calls from one guy who likes it, wants to see it, but can’t get the finances together, and emails from someone claiming t be a marine engineer who wants to PayPal me the money and have a ‘delivery agent’ pick it up. Second chap is definitely a scammer, and I’m pretty sure the first one will suggest something creative with Western Union in a couple of days’ time. 🙄

So, here’s the problem: the car I’m selling is a reasonable motor, but nothing special. Should I dare to plonk it on Pistonheads, or is there somewhere else you chaps can recommend I list it?

Any advice gratefully received.

there are about 4,000,000 ‘reasonable motors’ up for sale mate.

TBH the only way i’ve found is either a manufacturer forum, Talkford for yours. Or Gumtree for ridiculous money.

Gumtree
Ebay? on a classified
http://www.motors.co.uk

Your local paper?

I would have thought Autotrader would be your best bet like you are advertising already.

When I was looking for a car recently I didn’t really find many other places to look.

For a start PH is free (or has been every time I’ve used it) so no harm sticking it there. It’ll soon be off the first couple of pages though.

Persevere with AT but face the reality of having to drop your price.

Check out places like ”We buy any car” but be prepared to get fisted over a barrel.

Ah, sorry – I meant ‘reasonable motor’ in terms of ‘not terribly exotic or special or speedy’. I should have been clearer. It’s reliable and quite fun to drive, but nothing to write home about, so I assumed it would not be terribly interesting to people on a site like Pistonheads.

Talkford sounds like a plan – many thanks.

I auctioned my last banger on eBay – lost £250 on what I’d paid for it three years before! I’ll look in to a classified.

Many thanks for all the suggestions, Iain and Weeksy!

Next task: think of a suitable reply for Mr Marine Engineer Paypal-only dude. I might tell him I’m in the same line of work, so ship-ship cash transfer via trained albatross is the way forward…

Ta Spacemonkey. We buy any car’s price was hilarious – I’d probably get more in scrappage. Already dropped the price once on AT.

Looking through Autotrader and doing a search for private ads reveals hardly any, as the majority of cars available on there are from dealers! I’d say Ebay, more people are searching on there these days and the prices people are willing to pay are daft!

what about the classifieds on here it is where we sold our vectra estate, and both motorbikes?

I ebayed mine and got more than I expected for it. Far less timewasters too.

I’m in the market for a new car, and after a less than great experience with a used-car dealer i’m looking at used cars but finding it very difficult to find much for sale privately! Whats going on? There used to be lots more private ads. Are people just trading them in with lots of problems which would otherwise make it difficult to sell?

Horatio, I’ve not idea. I bought this one off Autotrader – the chap selling it had had very little interest. I think people are just trading cars in these days. I also get the impression that there’s also a smaller number of people buying privately, which is a bit odd. When I bought this one, all it took was an AA inspection and a check-over with my local garage (a really lovely one-man-band ouotfit) to get a quote for some work, and we were sorted.

Mrs Poddy, Pepper and Northwid – many thanks for the advice!

I advertised my car in autotrader and on gumtree, with no interet. But I got quite a few enquiries from people, and eventually sold it on the stregth of a bit of paper stuck in the car window.

Autotrader website worked for me with two cars in the past few years. Tried ebay, gumtree, local paper etc but had no interest at all.

Only nice car I had was sold on Autotrader, but was a little exotic and priced to sell.
Cheap ones have sold with a piece of paper in the window / ad in gumtree.

I auctioned my last banger on eBay – lost £250 on what I’d paid for it three years before! I’ll look in to a classified.

Sounds fair.