private sale (1 Viewer)

ann01

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Oct 6, 2011
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I have bought the book the motorhome buyers guide. Seems to be very helpful.

I phoned about a m/h that i was interested in buying. It looked like it was a private sale, but, he said he was selling it for his brother, and later he said he bought and sold a few m/h. So according to the book I should leave well alone. BUT, does this mean that the m/h is dodgy or is it the seller that is a bit dodgy and just trying to avoid a little bit of tax and vat etc. This is my first try at buying privately and I am slightly put off. Help and advice please.
 
Nov 30, 2009
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Anne , if i had someone with me who knew about engines and what to look out for , we had a damp meter etc , and the seller had all the previous history of the van , I would be confident.
If there was just me there , put it this way , i'd walk away.:winky:
Bev

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RKE

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Sep 21, 2011
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I have bought the book the motorhome buyers guide. Seems to be very helpful.

I phoned about a m/h that i was interested in buying. It looked like it was a private sale, but, he said he was selling it for his brother, and later he said he bought and sold a few m/h. So according to the book I should leave well alone. BUT, does this mean that the m/h is dodgy or is it the seller that is a bit dodgy and just trying to avoid a little bit of tax and vat etc. This is my first try at buying privately and I am slightly put off. Help and advice please.

I agree with the 'book' !.... My gut instinct would be to leave well alone!
 
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ann01

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Oct 6, 2011
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Anne , if i had someone with me who knew about engines and what to look out for , we had a damp meter etc , and the seller had all the previous history of the van , I would be confident.
If there was just me there , put it this way , i'd walk away.:winky:
Bev

It is only one year old, so it would have the manufactures warranty, and I would have someone with me that knows about cars and engines.
 
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darklord

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Apr 28, 2011
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"selling for my brother"........why? I he not able to punch a keyboard, stand upright for a few minutes and say hello?

I would'nt worry about it only being a year old, or whether i had someone with me who knew what they were doing, the fact that a someone is selling a oneyear old van "for his brother", who also happens to "buy and sell a few vans" on the side..would already be telling me that this sale may not smother me with peace of mind. I think i would err on the side of caution....and walk away.

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Terry

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Hi Ann if you do all the checks-outstanding finance ? stolen ? numbers all match ? v5? etc.etc
then if it's at the right money you should be OK.(YOUR BOOK SHOULD TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW)Provided it all checks out and you are sure it is the right price then go for it.You may want to try a couple of dealers that sell the same make model vans to see what they are asking for one year old vans :thumb:Be aware that lots of dealers will only carry out warranty repairs to vans that they have sold so this should reflect in the price you pay.:thumb:Compare model van with new van price you can buy a last yrs model new at a good discount :thumb: so bare that in mind
It may be worth putting make model and year so that some of the trade members can advise price wise ?
terry
 
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Oct 1, 2007
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I have bought the book the motorhome buyers guide. Seems to be very helpful.

I phoned about a m/h that i was interested in buying. It looked like it was a private sale, but, he said he was selling it for his brother, and later he said he bought and sold a few m/h. So according to the book I should leave well alone. BUT, does this mean that the m/h is dodgy or is it the seller that is a bit dodgy and just trying to avoid a little bit of tax and vat etc. This is my first try at buying privately and I am slightly put off. Help and advice please.

at the very least have hpi check done not by the vendor
But By you not conclusive proof

Check round vin plate to see if its been interfered with:thumb:
And ask to see the log book take the time to visit the address
In the log book to see if its a relative
(probably log book will be missing)
And not related in any way
 
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Welsh girl

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Just to add, not that I know much but doesn't the warranty apply just to the original buyer?

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1948

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obviously not a stright guide
one year old va does not mean a lot , many things can still go wrong /broken / accident repairs
think about the aggro factor dealing with him after sale
WALK AWAY
plenty other vans out there, it is a buyer's market
 
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jhorsf

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May 15, 2009
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If the person selling it cannot tell the truth about the sale IE: selling for brother and you know he is a trader and he is not selling as a trader then you know what to do, plenty of vans for sale by honest people private, if you are to buy one from a trader go to a proper dealer with the back up and good reputation .The van may only be a year old but may have been a van with loads of problems and the last owner got rid of it because of this!Be very very careful read up on the internet on all the problems with the base of the van you are looking at they all have them so you know what to look for .The time and effort you take now in choosing a van is critical do not rush into anything far more vans than buyers
 
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Minxy

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Just to add, not that I know much but doesn't the warranty apply just to the original buyer?

No, it should transfer with the vehicle - the manufacturer might require you to tell them of a change of owner, but other than that it shouldn't make any difference so long and the owner/seller has kept to the terms of the warranty ref servicing (base & habitation) etc.

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Feb 27, 2011
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Without going through my thought process on this (not long but boring).
Something has caused you to think twice.. Trust that judgement and don't buy it. Another van will come along that appeals to you and this one may not ping the radar....
 
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Wildman

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Traders who pose as private individuals do so to avoid liability, (for tax, VAT, and and subsequent problems you may find with the van). That is illegal and also points to the response you would get should you find anything wrong. such a person will never tell you the whole truth about known problems. So walk away.
 
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flatpackchicken

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Hi ann01, Please be very carefull with this sort of sale, as i went to look at a motorhome and was told by the seller the same thing, selling for his brother, but then started to tell me that he had spent months in the motorhome traveling around Italy, but could not even tell me how many batteries were on the coach side, and could not turn on the aircon to show me if it worked, therefore he was obviously telling lies, but my point is that i had noticed that the sidewall of the motorhome was delaminated, and would have cost £1,000s to have put right, more that what the motorhome was worth, and he did not even know what delamination was so he said:Doh: but he was lying like mad, and making things up as we went along with the conversation and my viewing, If i had not known about the delamination thing, i could have bought the motorhome and had a pile of junk, with NO COME BACK as not a dealer, therefore be very carefull with this sort of sale, as may be a right off and rebuilt?????, just please be carefull, Best Regards Garry Flatpackchicken

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ann01

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Oct 6, 2011
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is an imported m/h a bad thing?

Thought I had found the perfect m/h to buy today. Drove nearly three hours to view it.

Really nice, until my partner noticed that the mileage on the dash was in kilometres instead of miles.

He thought straight away that this was a grey import, and therefore should be avoided.

Please help.
 
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Jul 28, 2010
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I have bought the book the motorhome buyers guide. Seems to be very helpful.

I phoned about a m/h that i was interested in buying. It looked like it was a private sale, but, he said he was selling it for his brother, and later he said he bought and sold a few m/h. So according to the book I should leave well alone. BUT, does this mean that the m/h is dodgy or is it the seller that is a bit dodgy and just trying to avoid a little bit of tax and vat etc. This is my first try at buying privately and I am slightly put off. Help and advice please.
if there is a lie or somthing fishy walk away
use your commonsense
it is a lot of money to risk loosing

if every ting is not above board walk away
do not think it will be all right it might not be
 
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Jul 28, 2010
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Thought I had found the perfect m/h to buy today. Drove nearly three hours to view it.

Really nice, until my partner noticed that the mileage on the dash was in kilometres instead of miles.

He thought straight away that this was a grey import, and therefore should be avoided.

Please help.
walk away many more to see

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Hollyberry

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Apr 24, 2011
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Ann, I know how frustrating it is. I've been looking for a few months now, have driven miles to find the van was a heap of problems!
If there is anything that seems suspicious, walk away. There are plenty for sale, it might take a while to find the right one but that will be worth it.
Good luck--you will find what you want & you'll know because it'll feel right.
 
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Jul 28, 2010
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I got my RV private sale in 2009 i knew things would need doing so i paid £10,000 less than a dealers price i got a great deal and it is still worth more than i have paid including the extras i have fittted
solar panel roof box charger system alarm tracker 6 new tires and a new Fridge new TV 5x120HA bat pack new front brakes and air suspension
lot of change from the £10K saving :thumb:
 
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