Selling a Car through Motorway

[cliveb]

Has anyone had any experience selling a car through Motorway?
We're about to change a car and Motorway have quoted about 10% higher price than we've been offered for trade-in.
But I'm sceptical about whether they will knock us down when they come to actually collect it, the way that We Buy Any Car do.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Is that the suggested price or do you have a firm price from a dealer? I tried to sell to them once. They quoted a price, I asked to go ahead, but then it goes out to dealers. They then come back with genuine prices, not a guide, and you choose the one to sell to. In my case, the best price was well below the original Motorway price so I withdrew and ended up trading it through the dealer I was buying from.

I didn't reach the dealer turning up to collect stage so I can't comment about that.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Has anyone had any experience selling a car through Motorway?
We're about to change a car and Motorway have quoted about 10% higher price than we've been offered for trade-in.
But I'm sceptical about whether they will knock us down when they come to actually collect it, the way that We Buy Any Car do.

My brother just sold a car through them.
On the agreed day, 2 "likely lads" as my brother decribed them called, looked over the car lots of teeth sucking. Took it for a quick test drive and came back. Confirmed the asking price then proceeded to say "it needs this, it needs that...".Made a phone call then offered a much lower price. A price was said what was needed for the car, another phone call made then they agreed and car sold.
My brother and his wife weren't particularly impressed by the whole "take it or leave it" pressure. The 2 guys who called don't work for any of the dealers who have bid for the cars, they just go round, assess and then pick up if the car is sold to them.
I have used WBAC a couple of times, and found it a much better process.
I should add that with WBAC, as long as you drive the car to them, thas good enough for that aspect of it. The Motorway thing left my brother and his wife rather cornered, as they needed to sell the car and the things being said were wrong weren't in their eyes. Both will still try and haggle the price down.

 

[doublebogey7]

I sold a car via The Motorway about two years ago. Got an offer slightly higher that the intial estimate. All went very smooth on handover. Very different from my previous experience with WBAC

 

[jim8flog]

As I understand it there is no commitment from anybody bidding to actually buy the car or buy at the winning bid price.
They turn up and inspect the car and then agree a final price with you.

I sold my last car to a local dealer after having advertised it on Facebook Market place and the one before that on EBAY.

 

[jim8flog]

I would add that when I was looking a couple of the big local dealers were advertising that they buy cars.
Just do a net search for 'sell my car' eg Motorpoint, Evans Halshaw, Arnold Clark

 

[Billysboots]

My brother just sold a car through them.
On the agreed day, 2 "likely lads" as my brother decribed them called, looked over the car lots of teeth sucking. Took it for a quick test drive and came back. Confirmed the asking price then proceeded to say "it needs this, it needs that...".Made a phone call then offered a much lower price. A price was said what was needed for the car, another phone call made then they agreed and car sold.
My brother and his wife weren't particularly impressed by the whole "take it or leave it" pressure. The 2 guys who called don't work for any of the dealers who have bid for the cars, they just go round, assess and then pick up if the car is sold to them.
I have used WBAC a couple of times, and found it a much better process.

I’ve collected dozens of cars sold via Motorway, and it’s perhaps fair if I comment on this so your post has some context.

The “likely lads” who collected this vehicle will not, as you quite rightly say, work for Motorway. They will work with a logistics firm whose role in all this is to appraise a vehicle, contact the buying garage to ensure that they are buying what they think they are buying, and then take the vehicle away. They will play no part in renegotiation of the price agreed, beyond providing a full appraisal of the vehicle’s condition.

Ultimately, if the description provided by the seller is accurate, and is supported by the images provided, then the whole process is quick and painless. The only issues arise when the person appraising the vehicle finds damage which has not been reported by the seller. That has only ever happened to me once, and that was when a car had been parked on the road overnight prior to me collecting it, and had been damaged by someone running into it. The seller, to be fair, had not been aware of this until I mentioned the damage to him, and the buying garage renegotiated the purchase price.

My own personal experience is that, if sellers are candid in their description of the vehicle they are selling, then they will get a good price - certainly better than the likes of We Buy Any Car - and they receive their money in minutes. Every single seller, even the one whose car had been damaged overnight, have been more than happy with the deal they have got.

 

[Billysboots]

As I understand it there is no commitment from anybody bidding to actually buy the car or buy at the winning bid price.
They turn up and inspect the car and then agree a final price with you.

See my post above. That’s not how it works.

Dealers will bid on a vehicle and the highest bidder wins. The price is finalised and agreed with the seller in advance of it being collected. The only time a price is renegotiated is when the collecting agent reports damage to the buying garage which they had not been made aware of. Otherwise absolutely no price negotiation takes place at the point of collection.

 

[cliveb]

I’ve collected dozens of cars sold via Motorway, and it’s perhaps fair if I comment on this so your post has some context.
...
My own personal experience is that, if sellers are candid in their description of the vehicle they are selling, then they will get a good price - certainly better than the likes of We Buy Any Car - and they receive their money in minutes. Every single seller, even the one whose car had been damaged overnight, have been more than happy with the deal they have got.

Thanks to everyone for their comments. Since Billyboots has actually been on the collection end of things, I'm reassured that it might be worth giving it a go.

Is that the suggested price or do you have a firm price from a dealer?

It's just Motorway's estimate at this stage. We haven't got to the point of listing it.

I would add that when I was looking a couple of the big local dealers were advertising that they buy cars.
Just do a net search for 'sell my car' eg Motorpoint, Evans Halshaw, Arnold Clark

Ah right. Might give that a go. Thanks.

 

[stevied]

I sold a car via motorway , they paid the agreed price . Was the dealer who collected not an agent . Was very smooth and I would use them again.

 

[PJ87]

Thanks to everyone for their comments. Since Billyboots has actually been on the collection end of things, I'm reassured that it might be worth giving it a go.


It's just Motorway's estimate at this stage. We haven't got to the point of listing it.


Ah right. Might give that a go. Thanks.

Best thing to do is list it. You are under no obligation to sell it for the price. I listed mine and was offered 9800 for it. Would have accepted but someone at work offered 10,000 as it would cost him 12,000 to buy it. So worked for us both

 

[D-S]

We did, smooth process, significantly more than WBAC and trade in offered by dealer we were buying the new cat from. Would definitely give it a go with them again.

 

[Pants]

As @stevied and @D-S above. Good price, seamless, dealer collected and money in my account before he left my address. Condition was as I described (including aircon not running cold) so no negotiation needed.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Went really well for me

Forget We Buy any Car - Motorway is the way to go!

Wanted to sell the wife's Smart a while ago. 18 years old, 18,000 miles. Wasn't expecting too much for it & put it on W B A C. Came up with £1,500. I knew we wouldn't get that but was hoping for something close. Took it along to the local place. Guy looks around it & says "It's got a few...

forums.golfmonthly.com

 

[Paperboy]

When my Dad passed away, we used motorway to sell his car. It was local to us and we took it too them.
Checked it over didn't find anything not in the pictures and gave us the price quoted.

They initially wouldn't take it, as my Dad was deceased. They phoned there sales manager and they created a document for my mom to sign as the Executor. Money was in my Mom's account in 4 working days. Definitely couldn't fault the process.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Has anyone had any experience selling a car through Motorway?
We're about to change a car and Motorway have quoted about 10% higher price than we've been offered for trade-in.
But I'm sceptical about whether they will knock us down when they come to actually collect it, the way that We Buy Any Car do.

My mother did couple years back, highest price offered and they did knock a tiny amount off, but not in the count every scratch the way that We-Fleece-Any-Car-Owner does

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not quite the same but our car was at the end of the Ford lease and they wanted £8,500 to own it outright. We bought a car off Cinch and they agreed to pay off the money owing to Ford as part of our finance package. Arrived and took the car after an inspection and no haggling for knocks, scratches etc

 

[PNWokingham]

I sold a car via motorway , they paid the agreed price . Was the dealer who collected not an agent . Was very smooth and I would use them again.

same here. Sold a BMW M240 in March/ April 2021, just coming out of covid. At that time WBAC were £20.5k and Motorway came in 22.5k. I had to take lots of photos and from memory a minimum level was then sent through. I agreed to proceed, they sent it out to dealers and BMW garage in Cardiff cae in at almost the same level. I said yes. a guy came and collected it a few days later - i don't remember him doing anything more than a cursory check. The deal was not complete until they checked it at the garage, with one thng they looked for was to check it had not been remapped.

FYI - i regularly update my newer "boring but very practical Skoda Octavia" on both websites and values here have been almost identical.

My only experience with WBAC was 2016 when i sold an AMG e63 - this 2007 car looked in great nick and the only mechanical test they di was reverse and go forward 5 feet - they then knocked me a couple of hundred on minor scratches - and the car was in amazing condition for 8 years old - but they missed the 2.2k needed to repace front disks, aircon needing some work, service due etc - so knocked 200 off for being over criotical of a car that could be described as exceptional for year, but was not interested in maybe up to 4k of mechanical issues that were neede!! But i checked BCA Blackbush the next week and they still made a grand on the deal!

 

[stevied]

same here. Sold a BMW M240 in March/ April 2021, just coming out of covid. At that time WBAC were £20.5k and Motorway came in 22.5k. I had to take lots of photos and from memory a minimum level was then sent through. I agreed to proceed, they sent it out to dealers and BMW garage in Cardiff cae in at almost the same level. I said yes. a guy came and collected it a few days later - i don't remember him doing anything more than a cursory check. The deal was not complete until they checked it at the garage, with one thng they looked for was to check it had not been remapped.

FYI - i regularly update my newer "boring but very practical Skoda Octavia" on both websites and values here have been almost identical.

My only experience with WBAC was 2016 when i sold an AMG e63 - this 2007 car looked in great nick and the only mechanical test they di was reverse and go forward 5 feet - they then knocked me a couple of hundred on minor scratches - and the car was in amazing condition for 8 years old - but they missed the 2.2k needed to repace front disks, aircon needing some work, service due etc - so knocked 200 off for being over criotical of a car that could be described as exceptional for year, but was not interested in maybe up to 4k of mechanical issues that were neede!! But i checked BCA Blackbush the next week and they still made a grand on the deal!

I used a pound coin in my pictures as a size ref for any dings which they liked and was very honest and didn't try and hide anything. Things like a windscreen chip I thought about getting a new screen as it was not repairable but you can be sure it would get a chip right away again . Rear pads getting close but I wasn't spending money for someone else .

Looks like he made about 2.5k on the car, but obviously dealers can offer extras like warranty and finance to make more on top.

 

[PJ87]

I used a pound coin in my pictures as a size ref for any dings which they liked and was very honest and didn't try and hide anything. Things like a windscreen chip I thought about getting a new screen as it was not repairable but you can be sure it would get a chip right away again . Rear pads getting close but I wasn't spending money for someone else .

Looks like he made about 2.5k on the car, but obviously dealers can offer extras like warranty and finance to make more on top.

My colleague I sold the Alhambra to made 2k on the car as he flipped it within 2 months. Few of the lads are like doesn't that annoy you? Not really .. I sold him it fully disclosing a leaking sunroof (sealed with flashing tape so it didn't leak anymore) he took the tape off himself (I didn't want to risk it as I knew how hard it was stuck down and didn't want the paint to chip, plus I never was paying 2k to fix the darn roof) I believe he sold it to we buy any car with the tape now gone

Good for him lol no way was I taking that risk .. I don't have the time or patience for heat gunning flashing tape off a roof