Selling an A2 stressful or not?

robrace

Member
Having decided to keep our 1.4tdi for a few more years (we have had it 15)we spent £600 on paintwork then two days later saw a low mileage A2 with leather trim,pan roof etc.seller described as immaculate so bought it unseen for £3500.and went by trains(4) to collect it.It was as described and we are very pleased with itSo decided to sell our old one!!Put it on Gumtree and ebay at £1495.next day had 7 calls from “Claims management”companies about the accidents we had had!I assume they had read the advert on gumtree that mentioned we had spent £600 on paintwork!!We were also plagued by emails asking about the car including one who asked if car had ever had any welding done!And lots of silly offers like £600 for cash!eventually we had an offer of £1250 which we decided to accept.before I could press accept we had an offer of £1300 so accepted that.5 days later no contact so relisted the car last night.Today lots of questions about the car from people who I assume don’t know about A2’s then an offer of £900! Stressed out with it all.If we had the space would keep it!!
 
Never post personal info on the internet, it gets scrapped by robots and will be added to marketing lists for years!


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Quite typical. It’s a crazy world and inhabited by all sorts of folks. Cheap cars attract jokers. In fact someone who gave me a line about needing a car for work cheap and whom I then sold a car to for buttons (250 of them) went on to put it back up for sale for 3 times more a few weeks later (albeit with a new MOT). Now I don’t want to think he was at it but read into it what you will. Even had calls from 300 miles away saying will you take less than £250!!

Simple reply. If you want to haggle come and see it first. If not then you are not serious.

As always buyer and seller dynamics at play. Get it on here and at a price you think is fair and I’m sure it will find a new owner.


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Agree with @RZX
List it on here there’s new members looking for a looked after A2 like yours.
Seen yours on eBay a moment ago.
 
It´s always stressful to sell a car, A2 or no A2.
:D
The bit I hate is the prospective buyer wanting to take a test drive. I had one guy who couldn’t keep within lanes on a motorway roundabout. Felt a bit like a white knuckle ride and was praying that he didn’t crash it.
 
I sold a set of black suede & leather A2 interior on Ebay, to a guy who came down saying it was for the girl friends car, as a gift, He took them for £350
2 days later they were back on ebay for £695, He had even used my photoes & guess what, He sold them too:(
 
The bit I hate is the prospective buyer wanting to take a test drive. I had one guy who couldn’t keep within lanes on a motorway roundabout. Felt a bit like a white knuckle ride and was praying that he didn’t crash it.

I always ask the seller to drive the car. I learn a lot more from that than driving it.


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It´s always stressful to sell a car, A2 or no A2.
:D
It’s only stressful if it’s your own car, and/or it is an older car, it is actually fairly easy to sell cars nowadays, as pretty much every newish car out there is pretty good. Also most buyers are ‘transaction ready’ so it’s not like the days of pre internet when they had no idea about price, spec, etc etc
 
Read this article if you really want to sell on ebay.

Ive had lots of success in hassle-free selling by basically following the guy’s word to the letter. It was written 9 years ago but still holds true now.

The bigger question however is why you didn't think this club forum would be the ideal first port of call to sell?!
 
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Wasn’t an A2, but sold my TT on eBay last weekend with no fuss at all.
Good photos, good description, only used eBay to be contacted through. Put advert up at midday Saturday and sold it by 11am Sunday!
The guy came and looked round it, took it out for a drive and came back and bank transferred me the money...
 
eBay ups and downs. I have bought both my a2's on eBay and they were both fairly good buys unseen too but went on history and pictures. Recently I have been to look at 2 other a2's one on 37k blue in Essex ouch that was a dog of a car could have done 237k pictures cleverly didn't reveal the different shade of blue door. Selling there are lots of Messer's I'd say get a deposit immediately if they want it holding and state that in the advert and make sure it's exactly as described. I would think eBay gets the most views selling any car now and of course they own gumtree so the cookie adverts pop up too. Good luck
 
Not.

Use eBay classified: runs for 28 days, about £20 and no other fees. No-one can mess up your listing by hitting the Buy-It-Now, just as many pics, just as much description. Classified allows you to put your phone number in. You can then say all communication via phone number please. That'll get rid of 98% of all messers and low-ball bidders.

Ignore all messages unless they stand out as being particularly well written / spelt etc. Ask this: why would any genuine buyer that wants to drive out and buy a car NOT want to phone you? Surely they'll want to have a natter, sound you out etc before committing their time?

Deposits: I now don't bother. They cause more trouble than they're worth. Better to leave the pressure on the buyer: 'sorry I can't take a deposit and it's first come first serve as I've had so much interest'. I will hold a car if they say they're literally leaving now and the journey is, say, two hours. I'll never hold a car 'until the weekend' or whatever. If they really want it, they'll find a way of making it happen.

If I may critique your eBay ad:

1) You get twelve pictures, use all of them.

2) Never say you've been let down by others: whatever the reality, it simply implies others have been out and not bought for some reason.

3) You say it's had paint, but don't say why. I'd underline the fact you had paint to 'bring it right up to lovely condition' or whatever. As it stands, you might well have needed the paint because you crashed into an oak tree: the buyer doesn't know.

4) Because you've mentioned paint I'd mention that it's HPI clear (I assume it is).

5) Don't mention your age: you're just asking for people to scam you.

6) Be welcoming in your ad: there are loads of cars out there so buyers are more likely to go somewhere that makes them feel as though they're not a hassle / burden etc.

7) I'd also collect the positives into one area and the negatives into another. This makes it easier for a buyer to get things straight in their mind: it's got this (good) but it's got that (bad).

8) You don't mention MOT? BTW, MOT's 'run until xxx', they never 'expire at xxx'.

9) Any options?

10) I like to divide my ads into an intro, the positives, the legal bits and things that come with it, then any negatives. Finally a word about viewings and making contact.

If I may, and purely out of interest, here's my version for what it's worth:


Audi A2 which we have had 15 years, now replaced with another one! It's been brilliant: reliable, very economical and just £30 road tax.

Over last 12 to18 months it's had: full service, full cam-belt kit with water pump and coolant. New battery and 4 new tyres. Clutch was replaced at 100K miles. MOT runs until xxx

We've recently spent £600 on paintwork to tidy some blemishes as were keeping long term and then, by chance, saw and bought a low mileage A2 last weekend.

Comes with V5 in my name, full hand-pack with service book, one key (remote, works) and all tools. Hpi clear.

A couple of things to be aware of: some of the presets on the stereo sometimes stick, and the starter motor sometimes makes a funny noise. This is well known in A2 circles and doesn't affect the operation or life of the starter.

Hoping to sell to someone that appreciates these wonderful cars. No offers unless you've seen the car first hand thank you, viewings very welcome.

Please phone 07700 123456 for details (your mobile number).


Don't use landline and like messages, ignore texts unless particularly well written. Even then, just ask them to call 'when they've got a minute for a chat' otherwise you get into a never-ending stream of individual questions and then usually, either a fantastically low offer or silence.

Anyway, these are just my thoughts as someone with some experience of these matters: hope at the least it's of some interest!
 
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Not.

Use eBay classified: runs for 28 days, about £20 and no other fees. No-one can mess up your listing by hitting the Buy-It-Now, just as many pics, just as much description. Classified allows you to put your phone number in. You can then say all communication via phone number please. That'll get rid of 98% of all messers and low-ball bidders.

Ignore all messages unless they stand out as being particularly well written / spelt etc. Ask this: why would any genuine buyer that wants to drive out and buy a car NOT want to phone you? Surely they'll want to have a natter, sound you out etc before committing their time?

Deposits: I now don't bother. They cause more trouble than they're worth. Better to leave the pressure on the buyer: 'sorry I can't take a deposit and it's first come first serve as I've had so much interest'. I will hold a car if they say they're literally leaving now and the journey is, say, two hours. I'll never hold a car 'until the weekend' or whatever. If they really want it, they'll find a way of making it happen.

If I may critique your eBay ad:

1) You get twelve pictures, use all of them.

2) Never say you've been let down by others: whatever the reality, it simply implies others have been out and not bought for some reason.

3) You say it's had paint, but don't say why. I'd underline the fact you had paint to 'bring it right up to lovely condition' or whatever. As it stands, you might well have needed the paint because you crashed into an oak tree: the buyer doesn't know.

4) Because you've mentioned paint I'd mention that it's HPI clear (I assume it is).

5) Don't mention your age: you're just asking for people to scam you.

6) Be welcoming in your ad: there are loads of cars out there so buyers are more likely to go somewhere that makes them feel as though they're not a hassle / burden etc.

7) I'd also collect the positives into one area and the negatives into another. This makes it easier for a buyer to get things straight in their mind: it's got this (good) but it's got that (bad).

8) You don't mention MOT? BTW, MOT's 'run until xxx', they never 'expire at xxx'.

9) Any options?

10) I like to divide my ads into an intro, the positives, the legal bits and things that come with it, then any negatives. Finally a word about viewings and making contact.

If I may, and purely out of interest, here's my version for what it's worth:


Audi A2 which we have had 15 years, now replaced with another one! It's been brilliant: reliable, very economical and just £30 road tax.

Over last 12 to18 months it's had: full service, full cam-belt kit with water pump and coolant. New battery and 4 new tyres. Clutch was replaced at 100K miles. MOT runs until xxx

We've recently spent £600 on paintwork to tidy some blemishes as were keeping long term and then, by chance, saw and bought a low mileage A2 last weekend.

Comes with V5 in my name, full hand-pack with service book, one key (remote, works) and all tools. Hpi clear.

A couple of things to be aware of: some of the presets on the stereo sometimes stick, and the starter motor sometimes makes a funny noise. This is well known in A2 circles and doesn't affect the operation or life of the starter.

Hoping to sell to someone that appreciates these wonderful cars. No offers unless you've seen the car first hand thank you, viewings very welcome.

Please phone 07700 123456 for details (your mobile number).


Don't use landline and like messages, ignore texts unless particularly well written. Even then, just ask them to call 'when they've got a minute for a chat' otherwise you get into a never-ending stream of individual questions and then usually, either a fantastically low offer or silence.

Anyway, these are just my thoughts as someone with some experience of these matters: hope at the least it's of some interest!
I must make a mental note of this if ever I have to sell anything on the old bay
 
I must make a mental note of this if ever I have to sell anything on the old bay

Yes, it's really very good. You don't get any shocks from extra fees later on, but by far the main thing is no-one can mess up your listing. You can have people out to look at the car and your listing just happily sits there until either it runs out or you cancel it.

Also, by putting 'Make Offer' on an ad what are you doing? Asking for exactly what we don't want: low ball offers without seeing the car. It might be good for eBay and for the traders but it's no good for all but the most desperate sellers.

I think it shows confidence in your car NOT to invite offers. Pick a fair price and stick to it. They don't make A2's any more, they're only getting rarer. Sure, if it needs a ton of work, that's one thing, but if it's nice someone will want it and be happy to pay a sensible price. If they've come out and found genuine issues not highlighted in the ad, then that's fair enough of course.
 
Yay!! I've put Rob out of his misery and just done the deal on his car. Hopefully a fair deal for both of us.

This will be my long distance runner and (hopefully) keeper, in addition to teaching my 17 year old lad to drive (not looking forward to that).

I can feel a trip to timmus coming on at some point for a few mods if the car is as good as she looks.

Looking forward to being part of the forum, particular thanks already to MrBroon for advice and guidance in the purchase (his car for sale looks gorgeous, but just too nice to let a 17 year old learn in it!!).

Kind regards

Pete :)
 
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