The Lemon Fool

I have a 2007 Lexus IS (2.5 litre) with around 163,000 miles on the clock.
Any suggestions as to the best way to sell this? I don't want to sell it to private buyers as I don't want the hassle, but I don't have any experience of either selling at auctions, or of the various internet companies (e.g. Webuyanycar.com).
Wondering whether selling to a private garage might be an option. I know Lexus dealers aren't interested because the mileage is too high.

My instinct would be to go with We Buy Any Car or one of the similar businesses (e.g. Motorway?).

First I'd get a rough idea of selling prices via Auto Trader (bear in mind you're comparing selling price with buying price though) to see how much I was being ripped off by, but there is a price to pay for a hassle free guaranteed transaction.

I'm considering using a web based outfit to sell my car rather than trade it in.

I've looked at carwow and cazoo, cazoo seem to offer you a guaranteed price (as long as your description, service history etc matches what you declare).

You're likely to get the best price at auction. Most of the internet outfits just take their cut and sell on at the auction anyway. So you're cutting out the middleman.

But you have to take it there, get home, and bear the risk yourself. So you're paying the internet bods their fee for reducing the risk and hassle. Your choice.

Gryff

zico wrote:I have a 2007 Lexus IS (2.5 litre) with around 163,000 miles on the clock.

Pffft.... it's barely run in.

My Mercedes has done well over 300k and drives like new. As had my previous one.

(Well someone needed to say it!)

If selling via we buy any car, don't expect to get the price quoted on the website. I've been through this a few times and they will always find some random scratch or other reason to knock £500 quid or 10 percent off the value and the "negotiation" is all one way, recognising their buyer power and your own relative weakness in the transaction. I've still used them and would likely use them again in future as it is a hassle free approach to offloading a car, but you need to go in with your eyes wide open.

My sole experience was that the WBAC website offered 30% less than my private sale price (and that's before they 'negotiated')

If you can live with that, then it's great for just getting shot of a car.

Mike4 wrote:

zico wrote:I have a 2007 Lexus IS (2.5 litre) with around 163,000 miles on the clock.

Pffft.... it's barely run in.

My Mercedes has done well over 300k and drives like new. As had my previous one.

(Well someone needed to say it!)

I was going to say the same. 163k in 16 years. ~10k/yr. I’d call that low mileage - for the age.
What the OP means is he’s selling an old(ish) car.

zico wrote:I have a 2007 Lexus IS (2.5 litre) with around 163,000 miles on the clock.
Any suggestions as to the best way to sell this?

It's worth... what... £2-5k depending on spec and service history.
Have a look on eBay to get an idea of price range.

But for what it's worth, if it's running OK you might as well keep it until it pops its clogs.
Otherwise as has been said, one of the car buying sites.

V8

At that age and mileage I'd be surprised if you get a sensible offer from WBAC but it is quick and easy to check.

With that mileage I'd say you were looking around the 2K mark if the exterior is OK, it has a reasonably long MOT and there is nothing wrong with it mechanically.

As some have said, if it conforms to those three test why sell it?

John

There are 6 IS250 on Autotrader, 2007 or older, 125,000 miles or more. Highest is a dealer asking an optimistic £5k, but £2.5-3k is probably more accurate with a warranty, and you can bet the dealers bought the cars at auction for half what they are retailing at.

The 2 private ads at £4k+ are delusional, nobody is going to pay 25% more for a private sale than a dealer one, In fact both private sales have 5+ owners and virtually no personal details about the car, what a joy it has been to own, how long they've treasured it, etc. I'm suspisious these are people who regularly churn cars as "private" sellers.

I expect WBAC would offer you under £1k once they had inspected it, and you might get more going into a local dealer.

If it really is a £2k car, stick it on Pistonheads for £1995 with a nice tale about your ownership, throw in a few comedy tales about holidays etc and with any luck it will feature in their "Shed of the week" spot and you'll be fighting the buyers off.

Paul

wanderer wrote:If selling via we buy any car, don't expect to get the price quoted on the website. I've been through this a few times and they will always find some random scratch or other reason to knock £500 quid or 10 percent off the value and the "negotiation" is all one way, recognising their buyer power and your own relative weakness in the transaction. I've still used them and would likely use them again in future as it is a hassle free approach to offloading a car, but you need to go in with your eyes wide open.

My experience too. My mum's little low mileage Fiat Panda would have been a cracking little car for a new driver. Autotrader indicated £1k conservatily in a private sale. WBAC estimate was about £500 when declaring every minor cosmetic scratch. We couldn't find a friend or family interested in taking it for nothing and on turning up at WBAC they effectively recounted all the minor scratches and reduced the price to £200 and that was after initially offering even lower. I didn't want her to take it in principle but her new car was arriving the following day so she reluctantly accepted. I'd have to be really desperate to even consider them again.

Dicky99 wrote:

wanderer wrote:If selling via we buy any car, don't expect to get the price quoted on the website. I've been through this a few times and they will always find some random scratch or other reason to knock £500 quid or 10 percent off the value and the "negotiation" is all one way, recognising their buyer power and your own relative weakness in the transaction. I've still used them and would likely use them again in future as it is a hassle free approach to offloading a car, but you need to go in with your eyes wide open.

My experience too. My mum's little low mileage Fiat Panda would have been a cracking little car for a new driver. Autotrader indicated £1k conservatily in a private sale. WBAC estimate was about £500 when declaring every minor cosmetic scratch. We couldn't find a friend or family interested in taking it for nothing and on turning up at WBAC they effectively recounted all the minor scratches and reduced the price to £200 and that was after initially offering even lower. I didn't want her to take it in principle but her new car was arriving the following day so she reluctantly accepted. I'd have to be really desperate to even consider them again.

WBAC is OK for selling a newish car with perfect body work. I sold my 2 year Range Rover Evoque via them and they paid exactly what I was quoted but as I say the body work was perfect. Their offer was a couple of thousand above what the BMW was offering in part ex for my new car.

For selling a car with great bodywork but with a dodgy engine or electrical fault they should be great because in my experience they do not test drive of check any functioning of the car whatsoever.

For selling an older car with a few minor scrapes they will be not so good since they automatically take of a couple of hundred quid per panel that has a problem.

Dicky99 wrote:My mum's little low mileage Fiat Panda would have been a cracking little car for a new driver. Autotrader indicated £1k conservatily in a private sale. WBAC estimate was about £500 when declaring every minor cosmetic scratch. We couldn't find a friend or family interested in taking it for nothing and on turning up at WBAC they effectively recounted all the minor scratches and reduced the price to £200 and that was after initially offering even lower. I didn't want her to take it in principle but her new car was arriving the following day so she reluctantly accepted. I'd have to be really desperate to even consider them again.

So if the car was worth at least £1k in a private sale then why not sell it privately?

Sure a new one might have been arriving the next day but insuring the old one for a week or two would have cost £20 and another £20 for a listing fee on eBay, and if it was genuinely worth the £1k then it would have been snapped up if you advertised it for £750. The last 'shed' I sold I was beating the potential buyers off with a stick after I advertised it on eBay.

And if there was no interest at £750 or £500 or whatever you advertised it at, then was it really worth the £1k in a private sale and were Autotrader simply stringing you along so you paid their advertising fee before finding out that it wasn't worth what they suggested.

AF62 wrote:

Dicky99 wrote:
So if the car was worth at least £1k in a private sale then why not sell it privately?

There was a bereavement involved, 2 cars to sell in order to buy 1 and I live 200 miles from mum which had a significant influence on circumstances.

The point was to share our experience of the price obtained from WBAC relative to it's conservative private sale value.

With very recent experience of WBAC of selling an old car the headline offer bears little resemblance to what they willing to pay. Motorway, on the other hand, met the initial offer (20% higher than WBAC) and were easy, efficient and professional. Price achieved was around 15% less than I'd expect for a private sale. Whole process took 72hrs from initial internet enquiry to the car being driven away. Only tip is to be scrupulously honest about faults and bodywork and have all the paperwork to hand.

airbus330 wrote:With very recent experience of WBAC of selling an old car the headline offer bears little resemblance to what they willing to pay. Motorway, on the other hand, met the initial offer (20% higher than WBAC) and were easy, efficient and professional. Price achieved was around 15% less than I'd expect for a private sale. Whole process took 72hrs from initial internet enquiry to the car being driven away. Only tip is to be scrupulously honest about faults and bodywork and have all the paperwork to hand.

My Mum fairly recently had to give up her licence and a friend helped her sell her low mileage Picanto via motorway. They got a decent amount more than was offered by the local KIA dealer and none of that WBAC business of giving a good price and then offering much less when you turn up with the car. She was happy with thier service.