Dealership asking prices versus private sale asking prices (1 Viewer)

[rattay]

I guess this question is similar to, "how long is a piece of string" in some ways, but hopefully may give me a vague idea!

I am looking to buy a Motorhome on a limited budget of £15000 but could push to £17000 if absolutely required.

I have seen a unit being sold at the asking price of £19950 by a dealer and wondered what dealers would consider dropping to, to sell. I understand there is lot of circumstances that affect the bottom line but on an 'average' how much would you expect to get a reduction down to?

We know there's a mark up involved from Dealer to a private sale so my other question is, if a unit has a dealer sale price of £19950 as the above, what would a private seller be asking for the same van with realistic expectations for a quick sale?

Thanks
rattay

 

[paddymcc]

The dealer might well have bought it for 5k less than the asking price. In normal times you might be able to knock them down a bit but these aren't normal times. A private seller for a quick sale might go for about 14k but might well try higher and see if anyone is interested at say 17k. They might well be more flexible on price than a dealer especially if they think you are honest and not a tyre kicker.

 

[tonka]

Quite often members will post a link to vans they are interested in..
A good way to get feedback ref price and things to look for off past owners of the model.

On my current van I could not get a penny off and I often walk away if i cant get a deal BUT it was the van i wanted so gave in.
Van before that was brand new and I got 20% off !! Long story and a one off.
Prior to that van was up at £34k,,, Got it for £30k but different times to today.

Why not call the dealer, state £17k is max and whats the chances.. If they say no chance then just dont visit..
These are not normal times so its a bit all over the place, if dealers dump stock now they will have little ready for spring.

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[rattay]

Found a van i'm interested in on ebay (I know!)
It's on auction and ends tomorrow with already 19 bids.
eBay item number:
304225261731 (Hope that's allowed to post an item number on this forum?)

How much do you think I should maybe bid on it if it doesn't go up too much in the interim?

Thanks for any advice
rattay

 

[BusyBuilder]

If you cannot go and see it in person, then don't buy it, unless you are willing to risk buying a lemon.

First, check and use your nose in ALL areas and inside cupboards for smell of damp etc. Check MOT's, take it for a run, preferably with someone else in the back. Does it run okay ? is mileage correct ? does everything (gas water toilet fridge cooker etc) all work as they should ?

 

[tonka]

Found a van i'm interested in on ebay (I know!)
It's on auction and ends tomorrow with already 19 bids.
eBay item number:
304225261731 (Hope that's allowed to post an item number on this forum?)

How much do you think I should maybe bid on it if it doesn't go up too much in the interim?

Thanks for any advice
rattay

I see it has a reserve so they could be asking a lot more...
Dont understand why they dont list it as classified and with a stated price.. Sure Auctions going to cost them a lot more money..

Would never buy or even bid without going to see one.. Maybe it will get re-listed.

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[rattay]

Thanks for that, a touch of bidding 'fever' took hold!

How about this classified ad one?
eBay item number:
154710093445

 

[rolosroller]

Thanks for that, a touch of bidding 'fever' took hold!

How about this classified ad one?
eBay item number:
154710093445

Hmm two different mileages 36000 Miles or is it Genuine 42124 miles Looks like a scam to me

 

[pagey]

as above that ad looks bad the other one looks ok but you are not buying a car motorhomes are much more complex ..if you intend to buy any motorhome without viewing and win the auction you could be leaving yourself wide open but you could always walk away if it turns out to be a wrong one and not as advertised, but that van in my opinion has the least mech problems with the 2.8 jtd and the right 5 speed g/box

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[rolosroller]

Good to check the mot history of vehs if you have reg no https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

 

[rattay]

Hmm two different mileages 36000 Miles or is it Genuine 42124 miles Looks like a scam to me

Thanks, I missed that. Could be a gen mistake as it seems a bit silly for a scammer?
I'm 'Fiat-ed' out for today now!

Will start again fresh tomorrow.

 

[rolosroller]

Thanks, I missed that. Could be a gen mistake as it seems a bit silly for a scammer?
I'm 'Fiat-ed' out for today now!

Will start again fresh tomorrow.

Could be. Member since: 03-May-18 i with 6 feedback. send them a message to view it ask for there address

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[Geo]

Bid £111,000 at it.
That will show the reserve met and the figure it was set at.
Then withdraw bid as it was an error you meant £11,000

 

[reckless]

Thanks for that, a touch of bidding 'fever' took hold

Don't panic and do (buy) something you'll regret. It's easy to get obsessed with wanting to get a motorhome ASAP but 15/17K is a lot of money.

It can be a huge risk to buy a motorhome sight unseen unless you're really confident of your ability to sniff out the scams and scoundrels.

 

[Geo]

Son has made 4 offers of Circa £750 OFF A £26995 at various dealers two said an emphatic NO Thanks
two have not even replied despite willing to buy and take as is ie unprepaird

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[Diabalo]

Be aware, there is normally a very good reason somethings seem to good to be true.

Happy hunting, I hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[doodlesmum]

Take a look at the MOT history on this one, it's scary and doesn't smack of a well-loved and looked after moho, in fact it makes the whole thing look suspicious; imho.

 

[82125]

the dealer i bought from stuck £14k on what the paid for it privately (i spoke to the previous owner before i bought it!)
Anything the dealer has is valuable, anything you're selling isnt.

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[rattay]

Take a look at the MOT history on this one, it's scary and doesn't smack of a well-loved and looked after moho, in fact it makes the whole thing look suspicious; imho.

Guess you don't mean the Lunar Roadster 630 as the only recent advisory is the offside jacking point in 2020 that's not mentioned again in the 2021 MOT? Otherwise it has very few advisories from previous years?

 

[rattay]

Bid £111,000 at it.
That will show the reserve met and the figure it was set at.
Then withdraw bid as it was an error you meant £11,000

I tried putting in a 'mistaken' bid but it referred me to contact ebay before it was accepted. Good idea though! Guess if I decide to bid I will have to take my chances near the end.

 

[LouthMick]

Always remain conscious that when buying privately, you will not have any legal recourse under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Some people don’t fully understand the statutory rights they have when buying from a dealer if/when things go wrong / buying a lemon. Its one of the reasons why dealers will charge much more than private, because they factor in any repair charges they may be legally obligated to sort out (especially on a MH). On the other hand, it is also a point of negotiation with a private seller if they are advertising their MH at the same as dealer prices - its surprising how many private sellers do this, but don’t take into consideration the considerable risk the buyer is taking.

Having said that, I recently purchased a LHD 2018 Hymer B534 from a private seller based in France.

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[doodlesmum]

Guess you don't mean the Lunar Roadster 630

This one you were looking at -
eBay item number:
154710093445

Seems to have disappeared this morning.

 

[rattay]

I was asking for opinions on it but had then honed it down to the lunar Roadster that I may bid on, although the price is rising steadily with over 100 watchers and 20 odd bidders!

Yes the item number you mentioned has disappeared!

 

[mitzimad]

dont pay until the van and documents are in your hand anyone whose working offshore or abroad is almost certainly a scam

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[rattay]

If all is reported correctly on the Lunar Roadster it would be worth £15000 to me but I have a feeling it will go around the £18000 price?
eBay item number:
304225261731

Any opinions?
rattay

 

[SpeedyDux]

I echo the advice to go and inspect it before bidding. Bring a mate who knows what to look for.

Beware strong air freshener scent. The seller might say that it is because the previous owner is a smoker, but in many cases it's a trick to cover up damp smells.

In the end, the question always boils down to whether you prefer buying the motorhome or keeping the money for another day. Price discovery is not really feasible because there are no consumer guides you can rely on.

 

[BusyBuilder]

My brother had a Lunar back in 2000's, he called it the leaky Lunar.....

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[rattay]

Decided to rein it in for now and keep searching.

I've taken on board the necessity of seeing and full inspection. It seems to be the old story though, prices just out of my reach for what appears to be the better vans.

 

[Rapido925M]

Decided to rein it in for now and keep searching.

I've taken on board the necessity of seeing and full inspection. It seems to be the old story though, prices just out of my reach for what appears to be the better vans.

That will always be the case (unless you hit the jackpot on Lotto)

I'm afraid that it is going to be "compromise, compromise, compromise" for you. So decide what you are not prepared to give way on and take it from there. Our experience of tents, trailer tents and caravans allowed us to buy our one and only MH 15y ago privately for a good price. We thought fixed beds were a waste of space and enjoyed the space created by a drop-down bed in our small Aclass but age is taking its toll, both on us and the van. We spend weeks looking through adverts for alternatives with fixed beds and then toured dealers whilst driving almost the length of England. We found a lovely second-hand model which we really liked, although the new, slightly different version standing next to it was several thousand pounds cheaper. However, we couldn't quite stretch the finances so we still have our trusty MH and I guess we will keep it for a few more years.

Good luck with your search but be realistic - Gordon

 

[CazPaul]

Be realistic but most importantly don’t panic, there will always be another one come along.