Viewing car in a car park?

CarMe

I'm viewing a car that I initially felt very positive about for my first car, its an 02 micra taxed and nct until well into next year, four new tyres and 49k miles for 1650.

The only thing I feel a bit uneasy about is that the seller wants to meet in a car park? Is this normal? Is there a polite way that I can say I'm uncomfortable with it?

mitosis

CarMe wrote: »

I'm viewing a car that I initially felt very positive about for my first car, its an 02 micra taxed and nct until well into next year, four new tyres and 49k miles for 1650.

The only thing I feel a bit uneasy about is that the seller wants to meet in a car park? Is this normal? Is there a polite way that I can say I'm uncomfortable with it?

You are only viewing, so firstly, tell him you won't be bringing any cash. Also, have someone with you. When you decide to buy, insist it is at his home or somewhere else you feel in control. I'd suggest you know where he lives before handing anything over, and bring some support

mozil

meet in car park but dont hand over any cash there, Always be weary of someone who does not want to bring you to their house, Can however work both ways some people dont like random people off the internet knowing where they live. Nothing wrong with saying "id like to see where the car came from" been on both ends of that sentance

visual

CarMe wrote: »

I'm viewing a car that I initially felt very positive about for my first car, its an 02 micra taxed and nct until well into next year, four new tyres and 49k miles for 1650.

The only thing I feel a bit uneasy about is that the seller wants to meet in a car park? Is this normal? Is there a polite way that I can say I'm uncomfortable with it?

Yes tell him you prefer a dark laneway at night.


I had a similar issue buying a car.
Arranged appointment to meet at his house at his chosen time. No car no answer at door mobile turned off hour later wanted to meet in car park. Low mileage diesel at very good price. I said ok only if you have the following.
Picture proof of identity. Proof of registered owner the full NCT cert and log book.

Said he phone me back but never did.

There are some chancers out their


Saying all that I did meet a guy in a wicklow village check over the car and bought it but in this case it was because it made more sense as he lived in the sticks and I would never found the house. Dropped him home as I bought the car and he would have had to walk.


By all means have a look at the car but tell him up front would will only conduct the sale at registered car address. If anyone should be insulted it should be you having to make two visits to conclude a sale.

bazz26

Initial view of a car in a car park is not a problem, as said make sure to bring a friend and definitely don't bring any money with you. Once you have viewed the car and spoken with the seller about it you should have a good idea if you want to proceed with buying the car or not.

Also understand that from the seller's point of view, he/she will also be reluctant to invite a complete stranger to their home without at least vetting them out in a neutral venue too.

Once the initial viewing is over and both parties are happy to deal then I would expect to conclude the final sale and payment at the seller's place of residence that is on the registration documents. If the seller insists on concluding the sale somewhere vague then I would tend to walk. Plenty of other cars out there.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Anan1

Smells of small-time trader to me. I wouldn't, not least because the car will almost certainly be far from as described.

djimi

It depends on the situation. Given the car that I drive Id rather not advertise where it is parked up at night to everyone and anyone who calls looking for a viewing, so I would not bring anyone to my home. Thats just me being paranoid with a high risk car though.

In the case of a car like an 02 Micra I really dont see any legitimate reason why the seller would have an issue bringing you to their home, and it would cause me to be very wary of them if they wanted to meet at a car park.

sean1141

I have said this before but if a buyer insisted on coming to my house to look/do a deal I would tell them to forget about it.. Too risky.

Edit: If they paid in cash I would be worried about them knowing where the sum of cash would be that evening/night even if it was only a micra I was selling

CarMe

Thanks for all the replies, someone is coming with me and the car park in question isn't isolated like its just beside a shopping centre, a busy road and he suggested meeting right by McDonalds which will be open etc.

So will I even bring 100 as a deposit? If all is as it seems then I want the car I just definitely want to buy it at his house but I don't want to seem rude is there a casual way of putting it? "Can I give you a deposit tonight and pick it up at your house tomorrow"?

mgbgt1978

As already stated some people don't want to deal at home because they don't want a stranger to know that they will have a few thousand euros sitting around for a night (or whatever).
Others don't want to meet at their house because either there is a problem with the car or they are part-time traders pretending to be private sellers.
At the very least, if they insist on doing the deal in a car park take a phone photo of their driving licence.....if they have a problem with that then ask them if they would be willing to hand over a relatively large sum of cash to a complete stranger without any proof of identity.
If that doesn't appeal to them then there is something wrong with either the car or the seller, could be a minor issue......could be a bigger problem.

It surely isn't the only Micra for sale in Ireland today. If you aren't happy then buy from someone else.

ps. seems to be a lot of guys buying garage trade-ins (around that year, and money) nowadays. Usually nothing wrong with the cars, just saves the dealers the hassle of selling and providing a (short) warranty. Normally you will only be paying much the same as you would on a private sale so no problem there.
Simple question to the seller, 'is the car registered in your name'....if not, why not ?

coylemj

As has been pointed out, there are various reasons why buyers and sellers do and don't want to meet at each others houses so it's down to you but at the very least, tell him to bring the registration cert and either his passport or driving licence so you can establish that he is who he claims to be. This will also flush him out if he's a small time dealer and the cert. isn't in his name. If he says he's selling it for a 'client' or 'friend' then he's a dealer, no matter how he describes it.

If the cert. is in the name of a female and he claims it's his wife, tell him to bring her passport.

Paying a deposit in a private sale means absolutely nothing, he can still go away and sell it to someone else the same evening and believe me, there's no honour when it comes to selling a car - 'a bird in the hand .....'.

CarMe

So if he's a dealer I shouldn't buy it? Sorry if I sound clueless, I actually am! Really appreciate all the advice!

colm_mcm

The thing when you buy a used car from its actual owner is that firstly you can tell a lot about the car by looking at the owner.
Secondly if you ask the owner a question about the car, eg has the timing belt been done, you're more likely to get an honest answer.
Used car salesmen are better at shining up a car for sale and have a technique to close the sale.
Problem with buying from a guy who turns over a car a week is that they have no idea what problems the car has or anything about its past.
If the seller is a dealer and legitimate then they wouldn't pose as a private seller.

mgbgt1978

I think it's time to look for a friend (or work colleague) who knows something about cars.
Perhaps it would be better if you could ask them to accompany you to view the car.
If it's a part-time dealer it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the car, just that you should probably check the car out properly.

_Kaiser_

CarMe wrote: »

So if he's a dealer I shouldn't buy it? Sorry if I sound clueless, I actually am! Really appreciate all the advice!

If he's posing as a dealer it's so he's trying to get out of the obligations that puts on him.. simply put:

Private seller (you or me) = car sold as seen, you have no comeback if anything is wrong afterwards

Dealer = must stand over the car, covered by consumer legislation etc

Have a read of the buying (and selling) a car stickies at the top of this forum. It'll give you some good info and things to check when you go for a look

CarMe

He's texting confirming I want to see it cos someone else really interested etc.
Ugh I'm finding this whole experience so off putting, my da knows about cars and he's coming with me but I hate dragging him away from work etc.
Just wish I got a better vibe.

colm_mcm

Tbh I'd go with your gut.

PM me a link to the ad

_Kaiser_

CarMe wrote: »

He's texting confirming I want to see it cos someone else really interested etc.
Ugh I'm finding this whole experience so off putting, my da knows about cars and he's coming with me but I hate dragging him away from work etc.
Just wish I got a better vibe.

The "someone else really interested" bit could just be a sales tactic - whatever you do, don't feel under pressure to commit to buy, especially if you feel anyway unsure about the car itself - a 02 micra isn't exactly rare and you have your pick really so take your time and don't rush into buying the first one you see.. especially if it's "just to get it over with"

tallaghtmick

I do it all the time when selling mine, main reasons being its easier to find the Square than my house, 2nd my road is quite tight with cars everywhere I would prefer to let them have the space in a open carpark and 3rd reason I had a problem with a buyer coming back weeks after buying the car blaming me etc even though he had a good look at the car. If someone asks to meet at the house ive no problem at all.

d9oiu2wk07blr5

CarMe wrote: »

He's texting confirming I want to see it cos someone else really interested etc.
Ugh I'm finding this whole experience so off putting, my da knows about cars and he's coming with me but I hate dragging him away from work etc.
Just wish I got a better vibe.

Go with your gut instinct, if you're not getting the right vibes, run.

coylemj

Small time dealers tend to end up with the dross that main dealers won't touch - cars that were involved in crashes, cars that failed the NCT and would require too much money to be fixed up, cars with finance outstanding etc.

A lot of the independent dealers that have fixed premises are shysters who fob you off with evasive answers, the ones that operate from their own homes and do their selling in car parks are complete cowboys, it's why donedeal has such a bad reputation. You simply can't believe a word they tell you, it's all about churning the stock and making a quick buck.

You need to be seriously on your guard buying off one of those people because chances are that you'll end up with a turkey and you'll have no comeback.

CarMe

Well I'm home,

So everything was as it seemed, nice little car, spotless, full service history, loads of tax on it, long nct.
I asked was it his and he said he buys and sells cars, seemed a nice fella.

My da offered him 1400 which to be honest I was embarrassed about. He said he couldn't let it go for less than 1550 so we left it and I'm kinda kicking myself I didn't take it.

What do you all think?

colm_mcm

Would your dad have been happy at 1550 if yer man had been a asking €1700?

Tbh I wouldn't lose sleep over it, you can't move for second hand micras around the place.

Don't be embarrassed about making a genuine offer.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

ironclaw

CarMe wrote: »

Well I'm home,

So everything was as it seemed, nice little car, spotless, full service history, loads of tax on it, long nct.
I asked was it his and he said he buys and sells cars, seemed a nice fella.

My da offered him 1400 which to be honest I was embarrassed about. He said he couldn't let it go for less than 1550 so we left it and I'm kinda kicking myself I didn't take it.

What do you all think?

Big red light for me to be honest. Someone who buys and sells cars on the side is rarely honest in the lower end market. Obviously there are exceptions. But there is a big difference between someone who flips Micra's and someone who deals in say classics or rare Jap imports.

And €1550 is worryingly cheap. Did a quick tot there, and the average Nissan Micra from 2002 is guiding closer to €1800 which is pretty surprising to be honest.

CarMe

colm_mcm wrote: »

Would your dad have been happy at 1550 if yer man had been a asking €1700?

Tbh I wouldn't lose sleep over it, you can't move for second hand micras around the place.

Don't e embarrassed about making a genuine offer.

This is it, he was only telling me last week about a micra his mechanic had for 1600, no tax and no nct and much more miles yet he thought that was a great deal!!
He's just too negative and I'm way to positive I just wish I could take these things at face value.

CarMe

ironclaw wrote: »

Big red light for me to be honest. Someone who buys and sells cars on the side is rarely honest in the lower end market. Obviously there are exceptions. But there is a big difference between someone who flips Micra's and someone who deals in say classics or rare Jap imports.

And €1550 is worryingly cheap. Did a quick tot there, and the average Nissan Micra from 2002 is guiding closer to €1800 which is pretty surprising to be honest.

But I might have missed out on a really good deal? Only 49k miles too!

I'm so frustrated with myself for not having a clue, I really can't afford to be ripped off

colm_mcm

Talk to your dad, figure out what you're prepared to pay for one and make a note of it. You may need his help again looking at other cars again so keep him on side,


By the way is it the 90s boxy model or the weird newer one?

dingding

THere is a scam that a friend of mine nearly got caught with. What happens is the fraudster buys the car on a friday with a dodgy bank draft.

They sell the car over the weekend, the car passes all carcheck etc as it is not stolen.

They sell the car cheap over the weekend / Monday.

By the time the original seller discovers the bank draft was dodgy and the car was stolen, the thief has moved it on.

In this case the guards will take the car of the new owner and give it back to the original owner.

It is classic in this situation that the meet in a carpark so that the seller is untraceable.

The person selling the car may not know it is stolen and he may just be delivering it for 100 euro.

Unlikely to be on a 1,500 Micra, my friend was buying a 7K car and this car was a bit cheaper.

coylemj

dingding wrote: »

THere is a scam that a friend of mine nearly got caught with. What happens is the fraudster buys the car on a friday with a dodgy bank draft.

They sell the car over the weekend, the car passes all carcheck etc as it is not stolen.

Understand what you're saying but that's a different matter and has been covered by multiple threads in this forum.

The consensus is that when selling a car and the buyer wants to pay with a draft, you need to go with him to his bank and see the bank draft being passed over the counter, better still you take it from the bank clerk.

In this day and age with all the advice flying around the internet, anyone who accepts a dud bank draft doesn't get any sympathy from me.

dingding

The point I was making was that someone similar to the OP could be buying a car for cash, the transaction with the bank draft would be a different previous transaction.

mozil

also another little trick when your ringing the add just say "im rining about the car you you have for sale"
if there unsure as to what exactly they are supposed to be selling chances are there a dealer also type there mobile into donedeal, should bring up if they have any other adds on the go

166man

bazz26 wrote: »

Initial view of a car in a car park is not a problem, as said make sure to bring a friend and definitely don't bring any money with you. Once you have viewed the car and spoken with the seller about it you should have a good idea if you want to proceed with buying the car or not.

Also understand that from the seller's point of view, he/she will also be reluctant to invite a complete stranger to their home without at least vetting them out in a neutral venue too.

Once the initial viewing is over and both parties are happy to deal then I would expect to conclude the final sale and payment at the seller's place of residence that is on the registration documents. If the seller insists on concluding the sale somewhere vague then I would tend to walk. Plenty of other cars out there.

This in a nutshell.

You have to look at these from two parties opinions. The seller is as reluctant to have a stranger come to his home as the buyer is (usually) to meet in a carpark.

Tbh, I don't have much of a problem meeting in a carpark but as always would bring a friend with me when viewing and of course never bring the cash with me. If you really like it and build some trust with the seller he/she should have no problem with you going to an ATM etc.

ironclaw

166man wrote: »

This in a nutshell.

You have to look at these from two parties opinions. The seller is as reluctant to have a stranger come to his home as the buyer is (usually) to meet in a carpark.

I'd be in that camp alright. I'd be very hesitate of bringing someone to my home to view anything. Personally I would feel, and I suppose I'm looking at this from the honest side, if I produce enough photo ID (Which the buyer can keep a copy of) and all the relevant car docs, then its up to the seller to trust me. I don't feel any pressure to bring someone to my home. I'd actually be wary of someone that absolutely insisted to see the car at my home. Even more so if it was a higher end car or a theft magnet.

colm_mcm

In this case the guy was a dealer and possibly just didn't want the OP to know where he lived or draw his neighbours attention to his business. His name almost certainly wasnt on the tax book of the micra and it'd be reasonable to assume he's not paying income tax etc.

This is the worst of both worlds tbh. The same comeback as a private sale (none) without being able to properly sus the car out

_Kaiser_

ironclaw wrote: »

I'd be in that camp alright. I'd be very hesitate of bringing someone to my home to view anything. Personally I would feel, and I suppose I'm looking at this from the honest side, if I produce enough photo ID (Which the buyer can keep a copy of) and all the relevant car docs, then its up to the seller to trust me. I don't feel any pressure to bring someone to my home. I'd actually be wary of someone that absolutely insisted to see the car at my home. Even more so if it was a higher end car or a theft magnet.

+1 to this

Even when buying/selling stuff on Adverts I'll meet someone in a neutral public location like a shopping centre car park as opposed to my home.

It's not that I am buying/selling dodgy or broken stuff but I wouldn't want a complete stranger in my front room either.

In my experience anyone I've dealt with has been the same.

CarMe

So I've been speaking to a few friends who thought I was kinda mad to walk away, I think my dad just likes to feel he's getting something for nothing.

So... I texted him and asked if I could take it today and he said yeah.

So here are the positives, its a great price, taxed until next May, nct until the end of March, drives perfectly, immaculate inside, full service history and only 49k miles.

The negatives, well the fact he buys and sells cars, I don't know where he lives (and the final sale will be at my house because I've got nobody to drive it for me today)

Am I mad for going ahead with it?

_Kaiser_

CarMe wrote: »

So I've been speaking to a few friends who thought I was kinda mad to walk away, I think my dad just likes to feel he's getting something for nothing.

So... I texted him and asked if I could take it today and he said yeah.

So here are the positives, its a great price, taxed until next May, nct until the end of March, drives perfectly, immaculate inside, full service history and only 49k miles.

The negatives, well the fact he buys and sells cars, I don't know where he lives (and the final sale will be at my house because I've got nobody to drive it for me today)

Am I mad for going ahead with it?

Personally I wouldn't buy from a dealer (which is what this guy is) without some kind of warranty (generally in this case you'd get a 3 month engine and gearbox warranty but it's at least something), and to have some sort of comeback if the engine falls out of it a week from now or something.

Other posters above have also listed their concerns and personally I'd pass as there's no shortage of 2nd hand Micras of that age out there, but it IS cheap and it's your money.

Valetta

The most important thing is to establish that the car is his to sell in the first place.

pete4130

Yeah, you're mad. In 2 weeks time you might be posting about how the car you bought has broken down and is going to cost X amount to fix and you were ripped off. Is it really worth it?

You're caught up in the "I just want that car I sat in" first car syndrome.

It's a 2002 micra, lots out there.
Be prepared to spend an extra $200-300 and not take the punt on it. If it does all go wrong then you can only blame yourself for being ripped off.

CarMe

Valetta wrote: »

The most important thing is to establish that the car is his to sell in the first place.

When I asked he just said he buys and sells cars but knew the owner that he was an old man who just used it to go to the shops.
I don't want to be too cynical but I don't want to be an eejit either, I wouldn't have come back with a private seller either so this isn't much different?

CarMe

pete4130 wrote: »

Yeah, you're mad. In 2 weeks time you might be posting about how the car you bought has broken down and is going to cost X amount to fix and you were ripped off. Is it really worth it?

You're caught up in the "I just want that car I sat in" first car syndrome.

It's a 2002 micra, lots out there.
Be prepared to spend an extra $200-300 and not take the punt on it. If it does all go wrong then you can only blame yourself for being ripped off.

I know what your saying, I'm trying not to be all excited but other than the fact he buys and sells cars, everything else just seems perfect (nct, tax, miles etc) will I not be just as unsure if I buy of a completely private seller or from a dealers four courts?

I'm honestly taking everything you're all saying on board so don't think its falling on deaf ears!

_Kaiser_

CarMe wrote: »

When I asked he just said he buys and sells cars but knew the owner that he was an old man who just used it to go to the shops.
I don't want to be too cynical but I don't want to be an eejit either, I wouldn't have come back with a private seller either so this isn't much different?

To be honest it sounds to me like you just want us to tell you it's all fine and go ahead with it.

- The guy is a dealer but not offering you a warranty or any sort of comeback. Why not if it's such a good car?
- What happened to the other person that was also interested? So interested in fact that you were feeling pressured to commit to buy
- An old man who used it for the local shopping run is also a default line

As I said, it's your money but I think pete4130 has it right above.. you've already said you don't know about cars, feel this is more like a "hassle" so now that you've sat in/tested one you're trying to justify it regardless of the warning signs.

As I said, it's your money after all and maybe it'll be ok.. but there's too many red flags for me and no shortage of these cars so I'd recommend you keep looking personally

Padraig Mor

CarMe wrote: »

When I asked he just said he buys and sells cars but knew the owner that he was an old man who just used it to go to the shops

LOL. They all say that.

CarMe

Yeah I suppose I do not only see it as a hassle but I feel really vulnerable like I don't even like putting on the act that I know what I'm talking about I just wish I could meet a seller I could be honest with and that was honest with me, because I just want something small and cheap that's genuinely a decent little car and little scratches and bumps wouldn't even bother me.
So yeah I suppose I am just trying to get it over with which I know isn't the best way to be.
It was only nct-ed the other day, is that any saving grace?

tallaghtmick

I think the AA have a service where a mechanic can come out and check it for 30 euro or around that figure, would you not call them out? trust Tallaghtmick ive been stung for over 1000 in the last few months on cars.

_Kaiser_

tallaghtmick wrote: »

I think the AA have a service where a mechanic can come out and check it for 30 euro or around that figure, would you not call them out? trust Tallaghtmick ive been stung for over 1000 in the last few months on cars.

I could be very wrong but if I'm not mistaken that AA service is more like €300? Checked their site there now but it just allows you to email for a quote, whereas it used to give pricing.

tallaghtmick

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

I could be very wrong but if I'm not mistaken that AA service is more like €300? Checked their site there now but it just allows you to email for a quote, whereas it used to give pricing.

Seriously? fook I must be wrong, guys on gumtree and donedeal advertise too, had a sound Polish lad help me before for 40 euro.

_Kaiser_

CarMe wrote: »

Yeah I suppose I do not only see it as a hassle but I feel really vulnerable like I don't even like putting on the act that I know what I'm talking about I just wish I could meet a seller I could be honest with and that was honest with me, because I just want something small and cheap that's genuinely a decent little car and little scratches and bumps wouldn't even bother me.
So yeah I suppose I am just trying to get it over with which I know isn't the best way to be.
It was only nct-ed the other day, is that any saving grace?

To be fair I do totally understand where you're coming from. I recently changed my car as well and looked at several (many of which were described as "perfect" but turned out to be anything but except a waste of both our time!) before I found the right one

Even then, I ended up sending it back as there were problems the first week, but to be fair to the dealer, he stood over it completely and refunded me in full so all credit to him (a rarity in the used car market).

You have 2 options as I see it..
- Trust your instinct that something seems not quite right and keep looking
- Accept the idea that you're buying an 11 year old car for what is fairly little money and that if it goes pear-shaped you will have to start again/pay even more

I've already said what I'd recommend but good luck either way

Supergurrier

When buying silence is your friend.

Don't worry about making the seller feel comfortable or even nod or offhandedly agree with whatever spin they give you.

Make them do all the work and sweat a little.