Are forums the worst place to buy a car?

[nstg8a]

I'm semi seriously looking for a car, either as a new project or as a replacement for my fairlane, and I've noticed that most of the forums I frequent seem to have the highest average prices for cars, and often seem to be a little optimistic as to how they're described.
Whereas gumtree/various fb for sale pages have oodles of lower priced cars, and quite realistic descriptions (usually anyway)

Is it a case of the 'enthusiast' owner valuing their own car higher than the average joe?

I wonder how many cars actually sell through forums these days?

[Shonky.]

My philosophy on price is that if you don't ask, the answers always no.

Many times you see cars listed and then drop by 10% a month, finishing at about 70% of the starting price.

I'd suggest if you see something you like, make an offer that you think is fair.

As long as it's genuine, and you don't criticise the car in the hope of talking them down, then only a douchebag will take offence.

There are some dreamers on forums though.

Just like parents think their child is special some owners think their car is likewise

[xisled]

The problem with most car forums is that the people selling their car think it is worth more than what it actually is. This is due to cars being sentimental to the seller or the sellers are so called enthusiasts and think a car looked after by them is valued more than a car that was looked after by a dealership mechanic, local mechanic etc and just to get to point a to b.

[Sprint347]

Forums generally have enthusiasts as members. As a result seller's price expectations are going to be on the higher end of the scale.

That said I purchased my T3 via FordForums. I knew the seller and the car's history. I knew what he was asking and made an offer - the job was done quickly and pain-free.

If I was buying a daily driver I'd go to carsales and try to get the best possible car for the money via a private seller.

[baboon]

Forums can have history of ownership and modifications. Easy to do a search. Can get the down and dirty or awesomeness of the car. Sometimes this trail of history on a forum could make/break the sale.

Lot of the cars on sale in the forums are advertised elsewhere too gumtree/ebay/carsales etc. In my opinion there is a lot of good value in the used car market these days, its almost crazy how much things have gone down since I was looking at the same cars which I thought was good value 6 years ago!

Good luck on the buy.

[Simple6]

I bought a car of a forum once and it was actually really great because the cars build thread gave so much more mechanical and maintenance history than you could ever hope for. It also gave good insight into the owners attitude.

Different angle to your main thought of just pricing.

[SSVPom]

I've just bought a car through this forum, and was sold to me by an enthusiast for a very reasonable price. Couldn't be happier with the process to be honest !

[blueoval]

I sold my (what I considered) clean supercharged AU to a forum member here. The sale was painless and it went to a good home. I spent about 15k in mods on it and sold it for 6k. (yes I know, that's another story)

I basically advertised my rock bottom price based on realistic market research rather than going through the hassle of setting a higher price hoping for a person with a wad full of cash to turn up and then having to discount it on a week to week basis. I find doing that makes the sale go stale in my opinion and can put a bad taste in potential buyers mouths. Like a house on the market (in principle). If it's not sold within the first 2-4weeks of advertisement at a competitive market price regardless of it's offerings, people lose interest and already have a preconceived idea (yes they judge you as a 'dreamer') of what type of owner you may be and end up looking elsewhere.

I find buying and selling a psychological exercise. If you can convince other enthusiasts you are genuinely looking to sell and not a dreamer with an inflated ego, then you have a higher chance of making the sale.

Finding someone who actually appreciates the work you have put in and the tasteful mods you have done and is willing to show it by paying the higher price is the hard part.

[cro142]

I think that what really matters, no matter where you buy a car, are a couple of fundamental principles:

That the car or the deal is not dodgy in any way.
That the car is the one you want.
That the price and condition relationship is fair.

From the above posts it is obvious that some members have found the right seller or buyer on the forums, so just treat forums as yet another source of advertised cars, and go from there.

[the_scotsman]

Originally Posted by Sprint347

Forums generally have enthusiasts as members. As a result seller's price expectations are going to be on the higher end of the scale.

This is true, but on the same token, car enthusiasts are more likely to look after their car a little better. You'll more often end up with better quality car, so a little bit of the higher price might sometimes be justified. Not always of course.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by baboon

its almost crazy how much things have gone down since I was looking at the same cars which I thought was good value 6 years ago!

Good luck on the buy.

It's insane how much the *** has dropped out of the second hand car market, even in the last 12 months.

My au fairlane cost me 5k 18 months ago, from a dealer. At the time I estimated it's private sale worth at about 4k, going off what others were selling for. These days they are being advertised for as little as $1500-2000 for clean examples.

It's one of those things where it's not worth selling, and it's not worth spending any money on to keep it lol.

And every day you see things like ls1 ss commas on various fb for sale pages, and gumtree for under 5k, same as the statesman.
Even today, I was checking out a cheapy dealer, and they had a vt club sport, admittedly it looked pretty used but it was $2999. I'm guessing it was a s1 5.0, but still it's bloody cheap way of getting into the HSV thing, if that's what you want. Same as all manner of tidy b series xr's for under 5k, turbo ones for under 10k. Really nice turbo ones for just over 10k.

[mik]

Some really exceptional buys on the forums, but you have to still treat every car with eyes wide open.

[uniacidz]

Workmate got his L67 VY Supercharged bout a year ago in great condition.

He swapped it for his Ute but the sale price if the L67 was round $7800 roundabout

Due to circumstances had to sell it a year later and sold it back to that original owner for $4700 after being on the market for months.

Oh well






Sent via HTC Velocity + [HolicsROM v1.3] [SWEEP2WAKE]

[Grippy]

If the car you are buying has a build thread you get a pretty in depth knowledge of the cars background and maintenance. Of course there are things the seller can still hide, but it's information you don't get from a car yard, or an ordinary private seller.

[STINKY NINJA]

Lots of timewasters on the forums,ive found they expect alot for the money when buying and want ridiculous amounts of money for their cars when selling,same goes for spare parts too... being a car enthusiast has nothing to do with it.
Best place to sell or buy is gumtree or carsales if you can weed out the tossers,ive sold heaps of stuff,advertise it here to give the forum people a chance but 99% of the time gumtree is where it gets sold!

[Bossxr8]

I thought this was a Hulk thread

[nstg8a]

Lol no agendas here.

[red_hotxr6]

Car owners will all ways try to get the best price, dollar wise for their car, either be patient or make them an honest offer.

[M&Ms]

Originally Posted by STINKY NINJA

Lots of timewasters on the forums,ive found they expect alot for the money when buying and want ridiculous amounts of money for their cars when selling,same goes for spare parts too... being a car enthusiast has nothing to do with it.
Best place to sell or buy is gumtree or carsales if you can weed out the tossers,ive sold heaps of stuff,advertise it here to give the forum people a chance but 99% of the time gumtree is where it gets sold!

My thoughts exactly.

Amazing how some sellers list their car as Expression of Interest only, then put a dollar figure on it 2 weeks later (say $12k), then drop to 11,500, then 11,250, then $10k, then $9k as lowest price, then $8k, then $7.5k, then sold, then sale fell thru due to finance, back on the market for 7250, then $7k with all reasonable offers considered, then desperation, and then finally SOLD (obviously without saying how much)... sometimes over a period of 3 months for a car that should have been listed for $8k in the first place!

Then there are the absolute low ballers who offer you $4k for the car you've listed at $12k, hoping you'll say yes so they can re-sell it on gumtree for $7k

Carsales is the way to go, otherwise you have to be veeeeery resilient to sell on a forum

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I thought this was a Hulk thread

If there was a supercharger or a turbo involved then it could easily have been. lol

[raised by monkeys]

How much are you asking for your fairlane?

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by raised by monkeys

How much are you asking for your fairlane?

Mine? Not for sale yet. Depends if I find 'the' car I want.

Realistically 2.5-3k would be what I would hope for.

[b2tf]

I've bought and sold cars through here before with no issues whatsoever. I would do it again no worries, it's just like buying anywhere else except I find that you usually get a better vehicle.

[Mainlube]

Originally Posted by Shonky.

My philosophy on price is that if you don't ask, the answers always no.

Many times you see cars listed and then drop by 10% a month, finishing at about 70% of the starting price.

I'd suggest if you see something you like, make an offer that you think is fair.

As long as it's genuine, and you don't criticise the car in the hope of talking them down, then only a douchebag will take offence.

There are some dreamers on forums though.

Just like parents think their child is special some owners think their car is likewise

I agree entirely, if you don't ask you don't get.

Just put my GMC up on Care Sales, priced it 5k over my bottom price.

Have a man biting already, he asked me my bottom price, before I told him

I said don't bother offering under as I won't answer.

You learn more about the car and person on a forum, also peer forum pressure

can make them behave.

Cheers

Steve

[HULK_I6T]

Good thread...

Enthusiasts are a fickle bunch. They ask top dollar but when it comes to selling but are the worst offenders "lowballing" when they are looking to buy

Ive sold plenty of cars advertised on both forums and carsales, people on the forums said they would never sell, lowballed me all day long, then a legitimate buyer on carsales steps up and pays the right price. Car sells.

Further, Some forum members buy the cheapest nastiest b-series (or any model) they can find just to enter the community, then when a mint example is for sale, they come in and tell everyone how they bought a tidy example for cheap etc, when in reality its a roughie.

selling Parts, its a bit of a mixed bag. Some people pay the right price but there are also the lowballer enthusiasts that sniff around.

[sxy677]

No issues here!