Trouble selling car

[Cockney_si]

I have been trying to sell my Volkswagen Lupo for ages now and getting a bit down about it as I've have no enquiries about it, not even time wasters.

It's cost me over �6,000 in the time it's taken me to pay off the finance with a loan and its X reg with less than 42,000 on the clock and I have it up for �3850

Being VW it's depreciation is pretty low and It's the better 1.4 16v model low insurance (group 4) and has air bags PAS and electric windows and it's euro Ncap rating of 4 so it's a fairly safe ride.

Where am I going wrong? I've never had a problem selling cars in the past, they were all old compared to this one!

[Loosehead]

It's a bit over priced, not much but there are a lot to choose from. Parkers Good, which means absolutely perfect is �3725 poor is �2930. I went for the 1.4 sport, so possiby I was generous with the spec, if you go to parkers with the exact spec you can be more accurate.

Bottom line is, the main reason cars don't sell is they are over priced. People will not pay more than book to a private seller. The realisticly achievable price is somewhere between the 2 figures above.

[rachela500]

have you advertised on www.autotrader.com?

I sold my car (Ford Fiesta) within 24hours on this site.

Make sure you put loads of photos and detailed description.

Search on the site and see how much others are going for to see if yours is overpriced or not.

[spaced]

also, for the simple reason that the Lupo is probably VW's worst vehicle. Not my words, but VW's and also Top Gear's. So the message has been put out there, that the Lupo is not a very good vehicle. I cant comment on it, as I have never driven one.

[rachela500]

sorry, it's www.autotrader.co.uk for UK site

[Cockney_si]

Have advertised it in the autotrader that cost me �55 and the only phone call I had was from......autotrader asking to advertise with them.

Jeremy clarkson loved the lupo, saying it was a nice motorway drive, good on fuel and pulled in all gears, although he said he wouldn't have one as people would think he was a snob.

[rachela500]

You need to advertise on the website, not in the magazine. More people look at the website as it is up-to-date, unlike the magazine. Advertise it at the absolute minimum you want and state 'NO OFFERS'. Sorry but you are not going to make any money here (as with most used cars).

[Loosehead]

The fact is cockney me old china, it's too dear, that's the main reason you're not even getting the tyre kickers round. Did you go to parkers?

http://www.parkers.co.uk/pricing/used_car/

I used the 1.4 sport spec, I think you've probably got a lesser spec than that by the sound of it.

The car itself gets reasonable reviews so there's no reason it shouldn't sell at the right price. Remember quite a lot of cars in auto trader are over priced too, auto trader don't care because they don't sell cars, they sell advertising.

[Cockney_si]

I have the 1.4 S which has all the spec of the sport but doesn't come with Alloy wheels.

I've checked on the Autotrader website several times before and mine offers a lower milage than most cars that are older and some of the newer ones.

This really gets me down, I've got a perfectly usable car that needs someone to drive it.

[Loosehead]

Ah way way over priced then, 2001/x (less if it's 2000/x) 1.4S Lupo: Private good �2995, private poor �2360. expected milage 40,000.

Why is this getting you down, because you cannot extort �1k more than it's worth? I don't understand.

Advertise it at a reasonable price and it will sell. The prices in autotrader are irrelevant, Autotrader is full of people trying to sell cars at too much money. Auto trader don't tell you this but out of any one issue (Top Gear reaserach some time ago) they'll be luck if 20% sell. As I said above Autotrader do not sell cars they sell advertising.

Honestly cockney it's only the price that's topping it selling.

Try Ebay too,you never know, and adtrader (free)

[Cockney_si]

Parkers is used as a guide only and is usually an average.

I don't think I'm out to extort �1K of anyones money.

I paid �5000 for the car when it was 4 years old and at near 6 years old I've checked with local dealers and main dealers and I'm asking much less than then same spec car that only has a 1.0 engine.

It's the rarer 1.4 and I think the price is reasonable. I can drop it a little more I guess but at the end of the day I need the money as it seems I've already lost a lot on a car that doesn't deppreciate as much as any other car in its class :o(