WBAC Ridiculous offer?

[Deleted member 113659]

Commercially, your comment is spot-on.

Early-on in my working career, an old trader once told me that you should never be in the business of selling goods that you actually like - because there's nothing worse than a seller that falls in love with his stock.

Which is perhpas why I don't work in the motor trade... I'd be hopeless :d

If you wanted a logical explanation, I'd call in the science of psychology. Owners like me enjoy making the effort involved in keeping their pride-and-joy in pristine condition, e.g. 'as-new' as far as possible.

Now, all of us car affectionados know deep down that all we are doing is in effect take good care of our cars for the benefit of the next future owner, nothing more.... but a Mercedes Benz isn't a Patek Philippe, and so it gets sold to a stranger.

But if we can put a name and a face to this stranger, we'll feel that our efforts have not been wasted. We did good for someone we (now) know. Perhaps it's the same as the difference between paying taxes that in-part will ultimately be used to care for elderly.
and volunteering to serve hot meals at a local care home.

So...... yes, I would like my car to go to a good home. I would like to know that whoever buys it will appreciate the sound system upgrade (Comand UK did a stellar job), the near-ferfect paintwork (the result of years of parking in remote spots, annoying all members of my family), the pedantic full dealer service history (a 2 hour round trip to Brooklands every year....), etc etc.

I work in computers. Our support contracts say that any piece of IT kit that is older than 5 years, is out-of-scope. So we regularly get recycling contractors to come on-site and collect piles of laptops and desktop, and issue a certificate of destruction for them (having shredded the hard drives). I feel nothing... it's just sound business advice. Old kit is a pain to support, not worth the cost to the customer. And yet, I can imagine that quite a few members on here will cringe in horror at the thought......

To each his own.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

No offence, but this always amuses me. A car is a car, if you love it that much, keep it. Otherwise who care where it goes next?

I sold a Ferrari to a colleague of the wife, it was spotless when I sold it, he used it as a daily, two years on you’d not have recognised it. Wasn’t my problem

You owed a Ferrari???? Wow!!!!!

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Does make you think!

I have an old satellite box in the house we made ~20 years ago that still works and we still use for the standby time indicator so we can look and see time.

Recently had Pitney Bowes tell us our 4 year old franking machine with a low battery is junk and we need a new machine. No longer a PB customer.

 

[markjay]

Does make you think!

I have an old satellite box in the house we made ~20 years ago that still works and we still use for the standby time indicator so we can look and see time.

Recently had Pitney Bowes tell us our 4 year old franking machine with a low battery is junk and we need a new machine. No longer a PB customer.

You're telling me...?

When I started my career in the computer industry, a Cherry keyboard or an Omron keyboard or an IBM keyboard cost around £100, so when a key went, we refurbished the keyboard. This involved replacing the faulty microswitch, redoing the soldering for the remaining keys, cleaning each key-cap with solvent, than putting it all back together and testing each key. One hour labour and you get an as-new keyboard.

These days, even branded keyboards cost peanuts in trade price, while labour is expensive... so the old keyboards just get binned. Not very eco-friendly, granted, but it's business. Sad but true.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

You're telling me...?

I'm big on recycling.
Just recently collected lots of stuff (block/monoblock) from building sites that was going in the skip.
Does make you think when they are throwing brand new product in the skip because they ordered the wrong stuff and the supplier can't (wont) take it back and it costs them money to send to waste.

I'm not complaining though, works for me.

I'll also always have a go at repairing anything.
[after considering all the health and safety implications] yeh yeh yeh

 

[nyssa7]

You owed a Ferrari???? Wow!!!!!

Not that impressive, it was a 348 Spider bought in 1997 when prices were sensible, kept it for 9 years and sold it for £33k in tip-top condition. How prices change

 

[Flyinspanner]

@pmcgsmurf - spot on, I built my summerhouse (26x12) buying all the wood from a recycling yard near us, all framed in 4x2, rafters in 6x2, it was only 30% of the cost from lumber yard, and was all building overstock, C24 tannalised.
Got all the Kingspan insulation from there too 50%.
And a cheap roll of tyvek vapour barrier wrap
The french doors & windows were all eBay, - people are removing them when extending and fitting bifolds instead. I got 13 window units for £5, mine was the only bid!
I did clad it in new 8x1 treated feather edge, and kept a spreadsheet of all materials & costs.
inc the concrete base, and plaster boarded inside, full electrics, and a bank of built in base cupboards with an oak worktop, it came to just under £4800.

I’ve seen stuff (not as pretty, nor as strong) starting at £25k…..

 

[Rich764089]

Back on topic...

I tried Motorway for the first time yesterday after reading this thread, for one of my cars I'm selling. They didn't want it as the mileage is too high (75k)

 

[rich1981]

Have had good experiences with Motorway ended up with 10% over WBAC prices with no messing about

 

[poormansporsche]

So the wife washed her car today and actually ended up looking pretty good so she has no decided to give motorway a go especially as the motorway valuation has gone up a grand in a week. Will keep you all informed !

 

[Harrythedog]

Looks like MB are getting in on the act, this is a text I received from them today
Due to a significant reduction in levels of used cars in the market place, Mercedes-Benz of Sunderland are offering 'Exceptional Prices' for stock. Please call *************************for a valuation.

Text STOP79429 to 60033 to unsubscribe.

 

[uumode]

My WBAC valuation keeps going up every month.
Can't get Motorway quote as their old? number plate database shows the model of a car I had 5 year ago, and doesn't show my current car unlike WBAC.

 

[Tramper]

My local dealer rang to ask if I was considering selling and as it happens I am. Motorway has offered me £2250 above what I paid 9 months ago. Dealer had matched this and said don’t bother with the B service either.

 

[markjay]

A friend bought a new Volvo in 2019. The Motorway suggested price today is £2k below what he paid for the new car 2 years ago. WBAC are offering £3k below the original purchase price.

 

[poormansporsche]

An update on our motorway experience. Wifey installed the app and registered. The suggested price was £21630 which was £1000 more than a week or so ago ! She started the process and was actually assigned a human contact with a telephone number which was nice. You use their app to upload photos. We had to email across the finance settlement figures. The 1 day auction started and we received a email at 7pm to say our car had achieved the full £21630. The "winner" was a local former Proton / Hyundai (before Hyundai went upmarket) main dealer now a smallish car supermarket. The miserable dealer contacted us the next day and asked a few as to expected questions. As we still have 2 weeks til our new car arrives we have fobbed him off for a week which he wasn't happy about but collection arranged for Saturday. We informed the dealer who we are buying our car from and they were unable / unwilling to up their offer of 19.5k.

Will update on Saturday after collection

 

[jdrrco]

An update on our motorway experience. Wifey installed the app and registered. The suggested price was £21630 which was £1000 more than a week or so ago ! She started the process and was actually assigned a human contact with a telephone number which was nice. You use their app to upload photos. We had to email across the finance settlement figures. The 1 day auction started and we received a email at 7pm to say our car had achieved the full £21630. The "winner" was a local former Proton / Hyundai (before Hyundai went upmarket) main dealer now a smallish car supermarket. The miserable dealer contacted us the next day and asked a few as to expected questions. As we still have 2 weeks til our new car arrives we have fobbed him off for a week which he wasn't happy about but collection arranged for Saturday. We informed the dealer who we are buying our car from and they were unable / unwilling to up their offer of 19.5k.

Will update on Saturday after collection

As long as you keep to your side of the deal now, the buying dealer is committed. They are not allowed to attempt to renegotiate the offer unless the car is significantly not as described. If they do, Motorway removes them from being able to access future auctions, whereas your selling dealer, even if they would match the new bid, would have no such commitment to honour the higher price.

On the other hand, if the winning bidder sees this forum and reads that you have tried to gazump them post-auction, that may be considered reasonable grounds for them to back out if they feel like it.

 

[markjay]

I am tempted to offer my car to forum members for the price that WBAC Motorway are offering me.... it's a great car, and it will be a shame to see it go to an auction house....

 

[Deleted member 113659]

............We informed the dealer who we are buying our car from and they were unable / unwilling to up their offer of 19.5k.

Yikes, I'll bet that went down well with the buyer!!!

 

[E55BOF]

On the other hand, if the winning bidder sees this forum and reads that you have tried to gazump them post-auction, that may be considered reasonable grounds for them to back out if they feel like it.

I'd say the OP was simply trying to get the supplying dealer to offer a trade-in price that matches the winning bidder's.

 

[jdrrco]

I'd say the OP was simply trying to get the supplying dealer to offer a trade-in price that matches the winning bidder's.

...with a view to...?