Reluctant first time second hand buyer...

eldamo

Hi, have been driving 12 years or so, bought the first car off the mammy(she saw me coming) and the second one brand new.

My wife needs a new car, I thought I had until the new year but she has been (understandably) spooked by the recent death of a friend in a crash so it must be now.

We need something with a good boot, I was leaning towards the Skoda Octavia combi. The problem is I don't want to go older than 131 (budget 15-17k) and an awful lot of the ones available at that age are high mileage for my liking 90,000 miles plus (think that's more than on her 05 clio.

I have come across the following ad on all of the sites, http://www.cbg.ie/mobile/Skoda_Octavia_1.6_2013_Longford good condition, reasonable mileage nice price (not sure about the brown but beggars choosers...)
But first I wrote it off because I didn't want to deal with a private seller (cowardice mainly), but since reading the dummies guide stickied here I have been feeling a bit braver.

I checked the motor tax website, https://www.motortax.ie/PSE/pseVehicleSearchReceiving.do and this car has changed hands in June, I just need someone to advise me here, could it just be that he is a small time dealer who is selling it on (is that even legit?) Or is he someone unloading a lemon.

I am torn between this being too good to be true and maybe it is just cheaper to buy privately....

This is my last hope for Skoda's, my wife doesn't think passats are safe (I don't follow her logic), I think she has decided on a kia ceed sporty wagon, maybe I should just embrace that, there are a lot around, reasonably priced and OK miles...

I just yearn for an Octavia....


(Well, a superb, but we can pretend)

James Bond Junior

I would hazard a guess that the Octavia combi you've linked is an old hire drive. D reg but supplied by Luceys in charleville in cork. Being an estate they possibly kept it on hire a it longer than usual. Transferred on the 20th of June would have me asking questions. It could be a part time trader operating under revenues radar. Ring and suss them out. Ask how long they have it and why they are selling, where they bought and see what answers you get. If they add up the take a mechanic to have a very thorough look, if they don't restart the search.

eldamo

James Bond Junior wrote: »

I would hazard a guess that the Octavia combi you've linked is an old hire drive. D reg but supplied by Luceys in charleville in cork. Being an estate they possibly kept it on hire a it longer than usual. Transferred on the 20th of June would have me asking questions. It could be a part time trader operating under revenues radar. Ring and suss them out. Ask how long they have it and why they are selling, where they bought and see what answers you get. If they add up the take a mechanic to have a very thorough look, if they don't restart the search.

Yeah, I think knowing it has been transferred leaves me in an OK position, will give him a bell and see. Thanks.

James Bond Junior

eldamo wrote: »

Yeah, I think knowing it has been transferred leaves me in an OK position, will give him a bell and see. Thanks.

Call his bluff. Say nothing until it's offered up.

George Dalton

eldamo wrote: »

my wife doesn't think passats are safe (I don't follow her logic), I think she has decided on a kia ceed sporty wagon

If the worst were to happen I know which car I'd rather be in and it certainly wouldn't be Korean!

Getting back to the Octavia question, do you really need the Combi? The regular hatch has a huge boot and while the Combi has more volume on paper, in reality not much of the extra space is going to be any good to you unless you regularly carry around wardrobes in the boot.

_Brian

That's a lot of money on a private sale with no comeback at all.
Make sure you have a mechanic give it a good once over before you part with that much money.

eldamo

George Dalton wrote: »

If the worst were to happen I know which car I'd rather be in and it certainly wouldn't be Korean!

Getting back to the Octavia question, do you really need the Combi? The regular hatch has a huge boot and while the Combi has more volume on paper, in reality not much of the extra space is going to be any good to you unless you regularly carry around wardrobes in the boot.

Carry a Labrador and a border collie in the boot is the main reason.

Casati

I've a bit of experience driving those Octavia's and they are a great car- the combi is worth going after too and are in big demand second-hand and it will be easy to sell in the future. The brown isn't bad in them- nice to a have a different colour imo. Its the Ambition spec which is fairly basic but it has the essential a/c, 16in alloys, electric windows and bluetooth

I think the price is cheap but unlike the other poster i seriously doubt its an ex rental as the tow bar isn't something Ive ever seen on a rental. Also they wouldn't keep a car in such demand on the secondhand market for three years

Ask them for the history and try to get them to explain why it was just sold - could be a an honest reason e.g. wife sold car to husband and then he decided it wasn't for him, or it could be a trader poising as a private seller which might not be as honest. It is kind of odd that its being sold in Longford but was serviced recently in Cork, yet has Dublin plates but it might all check out

eldamo

Casati wrote: »

I've a bit of experience driving those Octavia's and they are a great car- the combi is worth going after too and are in big demand second-hand and it will be easy to sell in the future. The brown isn't bad in them- nice to a have a different colour imo. Its the Ambition spec which is fairly basic but it has the essential a/c, 16in alloys, electric windows and bluetooth

I think the price is cheap but unlike the other poster i seriously doubt its an ex rental as the tow bar isn't something Ive ever seen on a rental. Also they wouldn't keep a car in such demand on the secondhand market for three years

Ask them for the history and try to get them to explain why it was just sold - could be a an honest reason e.g. wife sold car to husband and then he decided it wasn't for him, or it could be a trader poising as a private seller which might not be as honest. It is kind of odd that its being sold in Longford but was serviced recently in Cork, yet has Dublin plates but it might all check out

I am actually thinking about relaxing the combi part of the search after having a gawk at the back of my mates mondeo hatch, loads of room and brings way more cars into the bracket, I think on mondeos it brought my pool up from 38 to 500...
Gotta be more bargaining room in that.... really would like to keep the milage low.

eldamo

eldamo wrote: »

I am actually thinking about relaxing the combi part of the search after having a gawk at the back of my mates mondeo hatch, loads of room and brings way more cars into the bracket, I think on mondeos it brought my pool up from 38 to 500...
Gotta be more bargaining room in that.... really would like to keep the milage low.

http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Ford/Mondeo/GRAPHITE-2.0/200714429245877730/

How long do these hang around forecourts?

Pictures are September 15...

bazz26

Probably a bit longer than the names of some garages in that area.

eldamo

bazz26 wrote: »

Probably a bit longer than the names of some garages in that area.

Dodge?

bazz26

eldamo wrote: »

Dodge?

I've no knowledge on the particular garage in question but dealers in that area have bit of a poor reputation and have been known to change names regularly.

exaisle

Would you consider importing from the uk now that the pound sterling is at a more reasonable rate?

https://www.cargiant.co.uk/car/skoda/octavia/LB62TSU

This might fit the bill...and would come in well under budget, even allowing for travelling over and back and about €2300 in VRT...

eldamo

exaisle wrote: »

Would you consider importing from the uk now that the pound sterling is at a more reasonable rate?

https://www.cargiant.co.uk/car/skoda/octavia/LB62TSU

This might fit the bill...and would come in well under budget, even allowing for travelling over and back and about €2300 in VRT...

it is a bit high mileage for my liking, I might be being unrealistic but my own 2010 fiesta only has about 80,000km on it.

I think im just gonna have to go out there and start kicking some tyres.

eldamo

bazz26 wrote: »

I've no knowledge on the particular garage in question but dealers in that area have bit of a poor reputation and have been known to change names regularly.

In liquidation.... next......

Well not necessarily, if I knew a mechanic but I know no mechanics.

bazz26

eldamo wrote:

it is a bit high mileage for my liking, I might be being unrealistic but my own 2010 fiesta only has about 80,000km on it.

Your going to find a lot of similar aged diesel cars with that sort of mileage on them, it's what they are bought for.

optimist16

I asked if price included VAT by mail and reply was yes. On that basis I viewed vehicle. When it came to payment, I paid price to be handed an invoice with 0 VAT. When I asked I was told I was mistaken and that price was ex vat. Came home to check mail and it states price including VAT. Now what?

bidiots

Exactly.

grogi

optimist16 wrote: »

I asked if price included VAT by mail and reply was yes. On that basis I viewed vehicle. When it came to payment, I paid price to be handed an invoice with 0 VAT. When I asked I was told I was mistaken and that price was ex vat. Came home to check mail and it states price including VAT. Now what?

Sale of used vehicle acquired from non-VAT vendors is exempt from VAT. Otherwise the dealer would have to charge extra 23% on the cars taken as trade-in.

I think that applies to all used goods.

eldamo

looks like we are back to the ceed after getting a few insurance quotes on the mondeo and octavia

sigh

NinjaTruncs

George Dalton wrote: »

If the worst were to happen I know which car I'd rather be in and it certainly wouldn't be Korean!

I got rear-ended (the car behind me was hit and it hit into us) in a 2012 Kia Cee'd SW, the car was written off and all 4 occupants in the car walked away with minor bruises. I even had some glass bottles (think Calpol bottles) at the point of impact and they survived. You may have your theoretical preference but I've had it first hand and would have no hesitation getting myself or my family back into a "Korean".

George Dalton

NinjaTruncs wrote: »

I got rear-ended (the car behind me was hit and it hit into us) in a 2012 Kia Cee'd SW, the car was written off and all 4 occupants in the car walked away with minor bruises. I even had some glass bottles (think Calpol bottles) at the point of impact and they survived. You may have your theoretical preference but I've had it first hand and would have no hesitation getting myself or my family back into a "Korean".

I was just pointing out that fact that ruling out a Passat on safety grounds in favour of a Ceed isn't really very logical. I didn't say the Kia isn't a safe car.

eldamo

George Dalton wrote: »

I was just pointing out that fact that ruling out a Passat on safety grounds in favour of a Ceed isn't really very logical. I didn't say the Kia isn't a safe car.

she was going by the euro NCAP results, think the passat got 77% for child safety

I think it was retaliation for me pointing out that the c4 grand picasso result she was referencing was for a newer model and the one she was looking at wasn't that great

buying a car is a minefield for relationships!

she originally didn't wamt the kia when i mentioned it a few years ago because and I quote "Koreans eat dogs"

i thought this was a joke, until i brought it up 6 months later and she stood by it

now last week a mate from work suggested a kia and she thinks they sound wonderful

i would love to bring up the dogs thing, but I know that would mean i was right back to the drawing board...

Vic_08

George Dalton wrote: »

I was just pointing out that fact that ruling out a Passat on safety grounds in favour of a Ceed isn't really very logical. I didn't say the Kia isn't a safe car.

Ruling out a Passat on safety grounds in favour of an Octavia is completely illogical as they are practically the same car under the skin. But then logic and car choice rarely go together.