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Mods feel free to merge, but I couldn't find that Facebook Marketplace thread.
Have a cheap car to sell. Probably worth little more than scrap as it's ancient and just failed its MOT, but thought I'd take a punt on trying to sell it for £350.
My god. Facebook Marketplace! What have I unleashed?! My phone has been pinging since about four o'clock. I'm now just ignoring it. Don't know if I've accidentally listed it on Facebook Azerbaijan but I can't make head nor tail of most of the messages. The few that do seem to be written in English are 'Best Price mate?' or "My small family are very poor, and we put our trust in god, that you accept our last £100, god bless you jambourgie". Or, my fave so far, after confirming that the item is still available, 'GIVE GOOD PRICE". Then a million "Is this still available?" messages, and an alarming number enquiring about 'the cat' (catalytic converter one assumes) and repeated requests for my address and/or phone number.
What to do? There's far too many messages, I can't see the wood for the trees. And I just know the ballache is going to ramp up should I invite any of these people over to look at the car. Anyone had success with this? Thinking of deleting it and trying eBay.
You need to do some heavy duty screening. Ignore any nonsense posts and any of the rare reasonable sounding ones get a question or two in your response. This helps weed them further. Do not agree to anyone coming round until you've had a few messages back and forth. It's a pain but it can all be done from the sofa in your own time. You eventually get a good buyer
Thanks. Another guy offered more than the asking price. Then when I ignored that, they offered nearly double. Assume if I'd agreed they would've turned up and offered £50...
This is nuts. I always thought the FB Marketplace stories were exaggerated as the only time I'd ever used it was some grade two piano books that I gave away for free to a nice lady who came and collected them for her daughter.
I gave away a fridge freezer a few weeks ago.
10 years old, working fine, just bought a new one.
My god! You'd have thought I'd listed the crown jewels. So. Many. Messages.
"Can you deliver?" No
"Is it stainless steel?" No, look at the photos.
"Is it still available?" again and again.
"Is it new?" Er no. Read the listing.
"What's your best price?" Er, it's It's free.
Best and oddest was "will it run off a leisure battery?" I have no ****ing clue mate.
I’ll keep repeating this, but the “is this still available” automatic question is perfectly fine. You need to realise that the amount of times I’ve asked a question of availability, when I can collect, extra photos, etc. to have the reply “nah, sold mate” or more often “gone”, generally shows that there is a fair number of below average individuals that frequent FB Marketplace.
To answer the OP, if you want to sell the car then you’ve got to put the work in and filter out the obvious time wasters. My ploy is to reply with “yes, still available” and then forget about them. I’ve even set up keyboard shortcuts to add address and collection instructions so the apparent not-time wasters can gauge whether location and times are suitable. How else can a buyer make a decision about whether they want to give you money or not.
Today’s idiot offered to collect within the hour, turned up, asked how much lithe item was, then proceeded to try to negotiate the price because he didn’t have the right change. He left without the item in a foul mood.
To answer the OP, if you want to sell the car then you’ve got to put the work in
Oh I'm quite prepared to put in some graft to make a sale. I was just unprepared for the onslaught 🙂
Also, assuming all these people have read my listing where I comprehensively catalogue the car's many many faults. They would know that It also has no MOT, having failed on four illegal tyres amongst other things. So I guess they'll likely just drive it away and risk it. But how do I cover myself?
But how do I cover myself?
Against what, you have no need to as a private seller.
Ah ok, Just thought it might get pinged on an ANPR or something. Or if they run over a robin's face with bald tyres... I mean, who's to say I wasn't driving? I've not sold a car in decades. Last couple were run into the ground and then collected on a low loader by the local scrapyard.
If you sell in working hours you can do the V5 thing online and instantly
but thought I’d take a punt on trying to sell it for £350
you'd probably get that as scrap value nowadays.
I sold my last car without mot. It was cheap so got quite a few replies. After a bit of messaging and screening I got someone who had trade plates so they can legally drive it. They paid a deposit online, came when they said they would, paid the balance in cash and took it away. If you've got a lot of interest someone will be able to take it legitimately. Trailer, truck, trade plates, etc.
Either way make sure you fill out the v5 correctly, keep the right bit and tell your insurance.
Always in the advert put something like *if you’re reading this then it is still available.
This means serious buyers now have to ask you a proper starter question. Ignore the ones that don’t.
Scrap prices have gone through the roof recently. Ignore all the messages you've got- revise the listing and increase the price by £100. Repeat until you wheedle out the idiots and chances are you'll make a whole chunk more cash out of it.
As @nickjb says, screen the replies. I'd ignore anyone with a sob story or is asking for best price. It's a £350 car, you don't haggle, you offer it to the first person who will come and pay cash at asking price and take it away, no tyre kicking or attempts to chip the price.
I'd be very blunt in the advert. £350 for a car - what do people expect.
No timewasters or offers - take it or leave it type thing.
Then I'd get annoyed with the rubbish as you have, and probably just scrap it.
Edit. I'd write up, date and sign from both of you once it is sold and taken away. Photo of buyer with the car and a copy each. Bit of a faff but covers you reasonably well should anything then happen with the car.
Ah ok, Just thought it might get pinged on an ANPR or something. Or if they run over a robin’s face with bald tyres… I mean, who’s to say I wasn’t driving?
Had exactly this with a speeding fine 30 minutes after selling the car. DO the v5 online, take a photo of the exchange (get buyers details, ideally their car reg and face etc in a photo as well). The timestamps on these were sufficient to show the police that the speeding fine wasn't mine.
I sold a motorbike on a Friday, on the Monday I got a speeding ticket for it for the Saturday.
Correct paperwork is your friend on these occasions.
the v5 correctly, keep the right bit and tell your insurance.
Thanks. I’ve already swapped my insurance on to my new car as the one for sale is on the drive.
Thanks. I’ve already swapped my insurance on to my new car as the one for sale is on the drive.
Make sure it is SORNed then. Even having a car on a drive without insurance is an automatic fine through the post now if it's not declared off road.
Eh? Really? Why?
Whatever, It can't be an automatic fine as I've just bought a car from a guy who had it on his drive for ages, taxed but not insured. He didn't say anything about getting fined.
Facebook market place! Lol
“is this still available” is the default response offered by Facebook to potential buyers, i.e. FB messenger pre-fills that text in the reply box if you hit "message seller".
It is annoying to be on the recieving end of multiple availability messages though!
I’m selling a large wheelie bin from work. Clean, dry, hardly used. Pics in the ad show this.
I got the following message last night ‘What is the condition? Can you tell me more about it? How long have you used it?’
It’s a bin, you’ve got pictures, I can’t tell you it’s life story FFS!
I’m selling a large wheelie bin from work. Clean, dry, hardly used. Pics in the ad show this.
I got the following message last night ‘What is the condition? Can you tell me more about it? How long have you used it?’
It’s a bin, you’ve got pictures, I can’t tell you it’s life story FFS!
I'd see that as a positive response personally. They are asking genuine questions and actually sound like the sort of person that will actually turn up. Pictures can be deceiving so I'd have no problems with someone checking further. Way better than most ad responses.
They then started talking about sending a courier to my house. Despite the pics showing a commercial unit and cash on collection.
So the car's finally gone. A couple of traveller lads turned up in a taxi from Leeds and just drove off in it 🙂
Now I've noticed that they've not given a house number on the V5, just a street and postcode in Ireland...
Poor lad could barely write his name. What could possibly go wrong?..
Do the v5 online at DVLA now. Even though you have done the paper bit, get it done online.
Fb marketplace is a really bad platform unless its for local buyers.
Best i find for cars is autotrader or classified ads.
I listed a caravan in very good order, free to good home. 🤪🤣🤪🤣🤪🤣🤪
Now I’ve noticed that they’ve not given a house number on the V5, just a street and postcode in Ireland…
Poor lad could barely write his name. What could possibly go wrong?..
You've been had. You won't be able to register the car at the Irish address with the DVLA, they will want you to register it as exported. You can only do that with the correct paperwork which requires a signature at the point of departure while they can physically see the car. Until you provide a legitimate new address you are liable for the car and what it is used for. I would immediately phone the police (non-emergency number) and get it logged as sold but false details provided. Then email the DVLA with the details, make sure you have a paper trail of this. If you have any insurance or tax on the car cancel them immediately. Then hope nothing nasty drops through the letterbox.
Been a few horror stories over on Pistonheads of people having had the same thing down to them and then them being liable for speeding tickets, parking fines and one with a motorbike who ended up having to claim on his insurance for a crash the new owner had while riding it home.
So some untraceable lads with a dodgy address in Ireland have just driven off in a car that is still registered to you and you that you know is uninsured and doesn't have an MOT?!
What could possibly go wrong? The only way that car should have left you is on a trailer but agree, about the only thing you can do is get on the phone to the rozzers and cover your arse best you can.
Steady on chaps.
My mistake, it was Scotland not Ireland. And there was a house number of sorts, Just hard to read amongst the scribble. I made a receipt and made the fella sign and took a photograph etc,
Honestly, you're so mistrustful of our itinerant caravan dwelling dag enthusiast friends. I'm sure they were just driving it round the corner to their low-loader.
one with a motorbike who ended up having to claim on his insurance for a crash the new owner had while riding it home.
Might have been this one.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.visordown.com/news/general/biker-may-be-forced-pay-thousands-after-banned-new-owner-has-fatal-crash%3famp
I do love the way a "legal loophole" is being blamed, rather than "the law". That could have been a few grand of repairs to the Yaris, or it might have been a few tens of thousands with injury claims for its occupants. All of it recoverable in full from the previous owner.
TL :DR if you get rid of a car or motorbike, cancel your policy immediately.