Car Raffle

daRobot

Like many private sellers, i'm finding it hard to shift my car at the moment, so i'm trying to think outside the box somewhat, for ways to try and sell the car.

I remembered a feature that Newstalk did a while back, about a guy who decided to have a raffle for his 650k+ house in the UK. It was 50 pounds to enter, and he needed about fourteen thousand tickets to start the draw.

In order for his raffle not to fall under Gambling regulations, he had to get participants to complete a simple sudoku puzzle before it.

I wonder could something like that work for a car?

Say for example a 30k car, with 3,000 tickets for ten euro each.

I'd be up for it, but the question is, would you?

Biro

How would we know that the raffle isn't going to be won by a cousin or friend of the seller, therefore you're essentially throwing €10 away?

Owen

I'd imagine it's a legal minefield, you'd really want to speak to someone in the know about the technicalities of it, especially as most draws for cars/bikes are usually new, and provided with warranty, it would be hard to motivate people to buy tickets for a raffle involving a second hand car IMO.

Stevie Dakota

Afraid not, would you go for it if offered?

daRobot

I think I would actually if I had any desire to own that car.

Say a used 335i at 40k was in a raffle for 10 euro per ticket, i'd chance it.

Obviously as Biro said, the tricky thing is to convince people that it won't be a rigged draw.

Owen

Number 11, that's number 11, anyone have number 11, what's that Father McGuire, you have it? Congratulations!

Eoin

There was a thread quite recently about it from someone in the trade, it may be worth while doing a quick search.

A few problems off the top of my head:

1) it would have to be a very desirable car to sell 3K tickets, especially if there is no feel good charity aspect involved. If it's the car in your sig, then that could be a pretty limited market
2) people might expect a warranty with that, and it's a second hand car that could have any number of problems
3) €10 a ticket is steep. The millionaire raffle is €20. You have a 600 to one chance of winning at least €500.

Biro

Lets say you set up the raffle, you need 3,000 tickets sold. Lets say in 2 months time you only have 1,254 tickets sold. What do you do then?

Henry Ford III

Your car, nice and all as it is, is unfortunately virtually saleproof currently.

p.s. There's a main dealer selling a similar car to yours advertised for below €20,000 btw. I know the spec. is lower and it's pre facelift, but the gap is huge.

daRobot

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Your car, nice and all as it is, is unfortunately virtually saleproof currently.

p.s. There's a main dealer selling a similar car to yours advertised for below €20,000 btw. I know the spec. is lower and it's pre facelift, but the gap is huge.

I think that you may be right unfortunately, hence why raffle ideas are entering my head :pac:

It is a big gap indeed, but the two other facelift models from main dealers, are at 26-33 k, both with poverty spec and 1 year less warranty.

I still hugely enjoy the car and it certainly won't pain me to keep it, but the one year itch is just begging to be scratched.

Stevie Dakota

Get some cream for that itch and save 1000's.

Henry Ford III

daRobot wrote: »

I think that you may be right unfortunately, hence why raffle ideas are entering my head :pac:

It is a big gap indeed, but the two other facelift models from main dealers, are at 26-33 k, both with poverty spec and 1 year less warranty.

I still hugely enjoy the car and it certainly won't pain me to keep it, but the one year itch is just begging to be scratched.

Keep it, because you'll miss it when it's gone. I certainly miss mine.

bookerboy

I'd risk a couple of tickets providing i am sure everything is above board and that the draw will go ahead no matter how few tickets are sold.
Perhaps get a professional company or somebody to organise things on a commission basis would help.
I'd also want to be sure the numbers of tickets is restricted to 3000
What's to stop you selling alot more if the interest is there.
Either way,i'm in