# Can you sell a car to garage when not buying another



## CD2005 (25 Feb 2008)

Hi,
Just wondering if there are many dealers out there that would buy a car from you without it being a trade in deal.
Tried already on line selling it but proving to be very slow....
Would a dealer completly rip me off?
Thanks


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## WhoAmI (25 Feb 2008)

As with all transactions involving second-hand cars, the short answer is it depends. It depends on the make and model of the car you want to sell, age, mileage, attractiveness to potential buyers, etc. If you go in with a 2007 Ferrari, you will get a better deal than if you go in with a 1986 Ford Granada. You will certainly get a worse deal going to a dealer than selling privately as the dealer is in it to make a profit and the profit comes from buying a car from you at less than the current estimated value and selling it for more. If you are determined to sell to a dealer, then, as always, shop around. Some dealers will have enough stock not to be interested, some won't and will be. As I said above, it depends.


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## better5555 (25 Feb 2008)

HI
EX car dealer here! yes car dealers will give you a lot less than your car is worth......in order to make a large profit....try car zone.ie 30 euro fee until it is sold! all the dealers use this method!!!! however you could try the weekend papers also! and you could also ask the dealers to offer you car for sale on their forecourt. without buying it!!!.at your agreed price and if sold...you can agree a profit with them....which will be far less.....depending on the car...most garages will do this!!! also check carzone to get an idea of what similar cars are going for!!!!
Goodluck!


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## Mr2 (25 Feb 2008)

CD2005, some dealers would buy cars in but would be weary about history of car etc.

better5555, any dealers I have worked for would not sell a car on a forecourt for a private person!? How would you explain that to a customer? what would happen with regards a come back or finance or how would you show it on the books? a profit on a car you never brought into stock. 

If you were a "car dealer"? I don't think you were a main dealership! I'm afraid you don't make large profit's on car sales, when you take in to account, sales, trade in's used car warranties, prep work and stock deperication and then overheads etc.


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## gebbel (25 Feb 2008)

WhoAmI said:


> If you go in with a 2007 Ferrari, you will get a better deal than if you go in with a 1986 Ford Granada.


 
Not being smart but is that not stating the obvious?


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## John Rambo (25 Feb 2008)

WhoAmI said:


> If you go in with a 2007 Ferrari, you will get a better deal than if you go in with a 1986 Ford Granada.


 
I don't think that's true at all. If getting a 'good deal' means getting an amount of money close to the real value of the car (in percentage terms) you'll do far better with the Granada. Most garages sell cheaper cars 'to the trade' immediately, which basically means shifting them immediately to a one man band who'll dispose of it himself.


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## steph1 (25 Feb 2008)

Mr2 said:


> CD2005, some dealers would buy cars in but would be weary about history of car etc.
> 
> better5555, any dealers I have worked for would not sell a car on a forecourt for a private person!? How would you explain that to a customer? what would happen with regards a come back or finance or how would you show it on the books? a profit on a car you never brought into stock.
> 
> If you were a "car dealer"? I don't think you were a main dealership! I'm afraid you don't make large profit's on car sales, when you take in to account, sales, trade in's used car warranties, prep work and stock deperication and then overheads etc.




Funny that.  I have seen a good few ads recently on carzone from dealers selling cars on behalf of customers.


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## ang1170 (25 Feb 2008)

Mr2 said:


> better5555, any dealers I have worked for would not sell a car on a forecourt for a private person!? How would you explain that to a customer? what would happen with regards a come back or finance or how would you show it on the books? a profit on a car you never brought into stock.


 
Just becuase you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

It makes no difference to the customer whether or not the car is actually owned by the dealer (i.e. is held as stock): what they care about is whether they'll stand over it.

It's clearly an advantage to the dealer not to have to tie up cash in something that may or may not sell (i.e. they've no real risk, apart from the space the thing takes up). As they don't carry that risk, they should be willing to give the seller the benefit of this.

I theory, both sides benefit: seller gets a better figure than if they sold it straight to the dealer, and the dealer as I said doesn't have to pay out until they in turn have it sold. The end-customer sees no difference.

I've sold cars a couple of times like this using a dealer (though not a franchised main delear, who are likely to be a lot less flexible about how they do business).


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## John Rambo (25 Feb 2008)

ang1170 said:


> Just becuase you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen


 
Maybe in back alley operations but otherwise it would be pretty rare. Why have something sitting on your forecourt making money for someone else? By selling that car you're not selling one of your own so it's costing you money. With cars there are two ways to go...sell your own via carzone.ie or some other avenue and then be a cash customer. Or if you don't fancy that or can afford to foresake the potential gains just trade in your own car. This 'will a garage sell my car' nonsense smacks of wanting to have your cake and eat it. Most bigger garages will sell their cheaper trade ins immediatley onto a third party (putting it into the trade), generally a one man band who then sells it on himself. Perhaps a larger garage might put you in touch with their 'guy' but I doubt it. Why not drop your price? Anything you get over and above a trade in price puts you in a better situation, plus you benefit from being a cash customer at the other end.


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## chum (25 Feb 2008)

i have called dealers as i am in the process of selling a car and to be quite honest they have no interest whatsoever, there seems to be a lot of inventory out there.
I did not manage to get one call back using autotrader,carszone or irish independent.
the last resort will be the car auctions.


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## WhoAmI (25 Feb 2008)

gebbel said:


> Not being smart but is that not stating the obvious?



Maybe so - the point seemed valid to me at the time!


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## Mr2 (26 Feb 2008)

ang1170 said:


> Just becuase you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
> 
> It makes no difference to the customer whether or not the car is actually owned by the dealer (i.e. is held as stock): what they care about is whether they'll stand over it.
> 
> ...


 
I didn't say it doesn't happen, what I said is any main dealer I have worked for would not do it. I belive it makes all the difference to the new owner of a car where he/she bought it, when they walk onto our forecourt the assume we know as muck about the history of a car as we can, that we will stand over it (warranty). how car a main dealer does this in this sitiuation? would you belive it if I told you "it's not ours, I'm selling it for someone else" and why would we try and sell it before we sold the other 10 cars on the lot?

And to be honest if your going to back street places and side of the road jobbies and giving them business in this manner, you can guarantee there not declaring the money made to the tax man, hence supporting these people and creating a market we must surive in by trying to keep our trade in values as low as possible and actually supporting the black mark that is against the motor industry.


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## John Rambo (26 Feb 2008)

chum said:


> i have called dealers as i am in the process of selling a car and to be quite honest they have no interest whatsoever, there seems to be a lot of inventory out there.
> I did not manage to get one call back using autotrader,carszone or irish independent.
> the last resort will be the car auctions.


 
Then drop your price. Supply and demand


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## Simeon (26 Feb 2008)

CD2005 said:


> Hi,
> Just wondering if there are many dealers out there that would buy a car from you without it being a trade in deal.
> Tried already on line selling it but proving to be very slow....
> Would a dealer completly rip me off?
> Thanks


If you put the right price on the car it will shift. A bit like the housing market. Regardless how much you think it is worth ...... it is what prospective buyers think that matters. You'll get more for it by selling privately. The dealers have to make a profit ....... and pay tax, insurance, wages etc.


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## ang1170 (27 Feb 2008)

Mr2 said:


> I didn't say it doesn't happen, what I said is any main dealer I have worked for would not do it. I belive it makes all the difference to the new owner of a car where he/she bought it, when they walk onto our forecourt the assume we know as muck about the history of a car as we can, that we will stand over it (warranty). how car a main dealer does this in this sitiuation? would you belive it if I told you "it's not ours, I'm selling it for someone else" and why would we try and sell it before we sold the other 10 cars on the lot?


 
Sorry for implying you said it never happened: point taken.

However, I can't really see your point about the car's history. A dealer would know as much or as little about the car's history if they took it in as a trade-in.

It's a straigtforward transaction: a dealer can spend a large amount to buy stock (or more likely forgo part of the cost of another car), put a margin on it and sell. In this case, it's exactly the same, only there's no cash outlay up-front, which is a benefit to the dealer. As far as the end customer is concerned it's irrelevant who actually owns the car when they view it: all they care is that they own it after the transaction, and the dealer will stand over it (in exactly the same way as any other car in on the lot).

As I said, I've done it a couple of times, and not at some side of the road outfit either: at a long established and reputable (SIMI member) dealer (well, as reputable as any: you can PM me if you like and I'll send you the details, and judge for yourself).


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## Sloppy (28 Feb 2008)

What year make and model is it?


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