Selling an AMG

[Bigrichw]

Im looking for advise please.

I have decided to sell my CLS55 mainly to save some money for a new C63 in a couple of years. I've written a comprehensive ad on eBay and on PH and listed in some forums.
I've looked and there are not many 55ks for sale, especially one like mine with a rare colour combo history and options list.
It's been up for a week and I've not had one bite. Nothing not even a chancer.

Is it just an unpopular model? Time of year? Asking price? Or a mixture of all?
Cheers
Rich


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[daveenty]

Im looking for advise please.

I've written a comprehensive ad on eBay and on PH and listed in some forums.

Just had a look at the advert and it seems fine to me though, having lost money on every car I've ever sold, I'm possibly not the best judge of this.

Is it just an unpopular model? Time of year? Asking price? Or a mixture of all?
Cheers
Rich

Not so much an unpopular model, I love them, as do lots of other people I know, though they do tend to be Mercedes aficionados. Time of year is a possibility, as it's getting closer to the end of it, so people may be saving.

I'm afraid I'd be looking at lowering the asking price. It's the dearest one I found on the bay, and although it's undoubtedly an excellent one, people who go to auction sites tend go off figures and not general condition unfortunately. Just keep it on there for a while longer and see what happens, hopefully the right person will see it and get in touch. If not, you could always part exchange it, though be prepared to take a lot less than you want.

Incidentally, have you got a figure from "We Buy Any Car"? They aren't known for splashing money out, though it would give you an idea of what to expect.

Good luck with it anyway, whatever happens.

 

[Codger49]

I would think its a mixture of all.

Don't think its necessarily unpopular, just that there are simply fewer buyers of supercharged V8s out there and have seen it stated a few times on forums that larger engined cars do take longer to sell. CLS's are an acquired taste anyway, I love the looks, comfort and performance, but they are a wide car and don't fit in parking spaces nor on the narrow country roads where I live.

I think the time of year probably plays a large part, performance cars come to mind when you are expecting good weather and the sap is rising, not thoughts of 'how do I keep this beast on the road if it is wet and slippery'.

Asking price may be the least significant one here, any one interested can always make a lower offer, but an obviously low price will always attract attention.

PS Following Daventy's advice above, just looked up WBAC for it, as it came back with £7,500, it looks like your asking price may be too optimistic.

In any case I would have thought a couple of months is a more likely timeframe for selling this, not just a week or so.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Your asking too much IMO + you could do with some clearer photos or what people want to see, eg wheels/arches, bumpers, every angle. lose the HDR photos.

 

[Bigrichw]

Thanks guys. I dont want to give it away.. But I dont want to price myself out. Given what is available, this one does stand out in terms of options, and colour combo. That coupled with extensive history, recent work done, its got to be worth top end asking price. There is another in Nottm near me, 05 in Silver, higher miles, and not as well speec'd for £11995! Ive dropped the price to under £14k now. Id take £13500, I think its worth that. I paid £14500 6 months ago, and since its had £2300 spent on it.

 

[abar121]

Rich,
I just looked up the Cap values and it's coming out as 7.9k Cap clean. You could try a little more as a private sale, but it looks like you might be better off keeping it.

Whatever you choose, best of luck with it.

Cheers.

 

[Cyclone1]

Hi Rich,

If I was back in the market for a CLS55 then these are the elements of your advert that would put me of a little (being purely constructive by the way, having sold my CLS55 AMG very recently);

Get rid of all of the heavily edited pictures, put in clear crisp pictures showing the car and also the quality of the paintwork / trim.

I like to see close up shots - if the car is in cracking condition then showcase this. For example some close ups of the paintwork, tailpipes, front end, alloys, brakes, tyres, seats, dash etc.

Do not put in derogatory remarks about spec and other cars, just puts me off. Most enthusiasts know their cars and to be honest some may disagree and this could put a buyer off. When I bought my first CLS I only wanted tripple black, but after seeing other colours and interiors it changed my mind. Beige / cream was a big negative as over time it can look dated and worn. Yours actually looks great though, so get some better pictures of the seats showcasing this.

If wear parts and known issues have been sorted then make it clear, eg IC pump, discs, pads, tyres, plugs, gearbox oil change, alternator, airmatic pump etc etc, if buyers do their homework they will have a list of things they "would like to know" have been done. If they have then make it clear.

Not keen on the red highlighting in the script but that's just me possibly lol.

Final one is the alloys, personally I think they look great, but as they aren't OEM then it could detract from the overall desirability / value.

I'd be tempted to do two things;

1) change the pics and some of the narrative and then let the advert run for a couple of weeks.

2) drop the price, or do the above and drop the price.


It's a lovely car and certainly one of the best CLS55's out there, there will be a buyer who wants it but the amount of buyers for these cars is always low.

Good luck
Jules

 

[Bigrichw]

Ive just run a valuation on various different sites, Parker, Autotrader, What Car, WBAC - and the valuations vary from as low as £7148 to £12750..
Therefore, given this information and feedback above, I will revise the ad, and drop the price to £13k with best offers considered. Cheers all.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

I agree about the alloys, have you got the OEM ones still? - although you like them, they wont be to everyones taste.

Also, id remove the AMG badge off the front grill if it were mine

I reckon £12k ish

 

[abar121]

Ive just run a valuation on various different sites, Parker, Autotrader, What Car, WBAC - and the valuations vary from as low as £7148 to £12750..
Therefore, given this information and feedback above, I will revise the ad, and drop the price to £13k with best offers considered. Cheers all.

Rich, forget the comics, as the are known in the trade.

Use CAP or Glasses. If you have full access, you will see the retail price along with the trade in poor / ave / good. Or as a rough guide, add 15-20% to the trade in price for a Dealer retail price (including prep, warranty / support, finance options, etc etc).

 

[C36fan]

Ive just run a valuation on various different sites, Parker, Autotrader, What Car, WBAC - and the valuations vary from as low as £7148 to £12750..
Therefore, given this information and feedback above, I will revise the ad, and drop the price to £13k with best offers considered. Cheers all.

PM me if you selling the wheels

 

[Bigrichw]

I bought it with the wheels on - its the one thing that made it stand out from the rest. I think they really suit the car, and I get nothing but compliment on them. Ad narrative updated, but I need to take some better pics. Price dropped to £13k! If it dont sell - ill keep her

 

[DSB SL AMG]

All valid point above from the guys...unfortunately we are now in November and not a great time to sell, personally i would take it off and relist end of March for spring buyers...i did this with my E55K and it sold fairly quickly, like anything... condition, mileage, history, price is king when selling...

 

[SamW]

Lovely car with all the right bits and seems like it's cherished.

These are very very specialist cars in my opinion and generally a very considered purchased. Big power, big looks, big status but also big repair bills and big running costs.

The reason you're selling it may well be the reason people aren't buying it and sadly the rules of supply and demand mean only one thing needs to give - price.

Try and step back from whatever it owes you or whatever sentiment there is or whatever money you need back for it.

For example, my buying motives when I've looked for 10yr old + lumpy cars in the past, I usually just buy with my eyes and ears and as cheap as poss to leave some meat on the bone if it breaks. . I know I'm not gonna keep it more than a year at best and when I do sell it I want it to go quick so will then make it the cheapest on the market. Colour and spec 'for me' are only a small motivation, I want to know I can get it bought, have some fun and get it gone as quickly as possible without bankrupting me.

You need to find that one person who has dreamed of that car, that spec, wants to keep it forever, has a £3k pot per year incase things go wrong, and is happy to pay what you want for it.

 

[Bigrichw]

Thank you for all your help



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[b1g1an]

May not help that you were on the forums moaning about all that was wrong with it when you first got it. I know you said they were all fixed in the end but getting shot so soon will make a lot of people nervous that it's a lemon. People who buy these ted to be enthusiasts and they will do their research.

All those options don't always help as many will see them as big bills looking for somewhere to happen and those seats are a matter of taste that will actually limit your market rather than open it up. Most out there are triple black because that's what most people want.

As others have said the wheels don't help, anything non factory will put some people off and generally devalue it although i wouldn't have thought it would be a lot with those.

96k miles isn't low mileage though it may be lower than some for the year, many will see it as high so saying it isn't doesn't help.

As other have said though, winter isn't prime time for big horsepower, rear wheel drivers (admittedly I did buy mine when there was snow on the ground!), so spring is probably your best bet, it's not like you'll lose anything between now and then

 

[Bigrichw]

As a wise man said it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I was prepared to pay £14500!! I obviously had my pants pulled down. Oh well. I may just eBay auction it and let it find its own price.


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[JohnnyAMG]

As a wise man said it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I was prepared to pay £14500!! I obviously had my pants pulled down. Oh well. I may just eBay auction it and let it find its own price. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You beat me to it.

As a friend of mine in sales keeps telling me "The market sets the price not the seller"

 

[Grovsie31]

Agree with everyone else. Its a niche car and winter is coming. There is probably less demand for the CLS than E, C etc's because of the shape.

Just have some patience, the right buyer will come along.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I can't imagine it will depreciate much in two years. Keep it, enjoy it, and sell when you're ready to buy the 63.