Market farces
I recently contacted webuyanycar.com to obtain a valuation for my December 2006 BMW 325i and received a valuation of £14,250. This was a lot more than the dealer was going to offer as p/x and also more than the BCA sure-sell reserve price of £13,350. I therefore decided to proceed with webuyanycar.com and made an appointment for them to inspect the car in August. When they came, I was told that the Internet figure was incorrectly based on a 2007 car and the correct valuation was £13,850 as my car was December 2006. I accepted this revised valuation, my car was then inspected and I was told it was in excellent condition with no faults or defects. The inspector then contacted his "backroom" staff who were trying to place the car with the trade, and he told me he could only offer me £12,500. Owing to the fact that I needed the money to fund my new car and the new September 59 registration plates would be out the following week, possibly reducing my car's value, I reluctantly agreed. Reading through webuyanycar's contract details, they state that you will receive the amount offered if their inspection shows that the car is as described on the internet, and there is no mention of a further valuation based on the trade price. I am therefore very aggrieved that I was not offered anywhere near the revised valuation of £13,850 even though their inspection confirmed that my car was in excellent condition. I am therefore seeking your advice as to whether I should contact Trading Standards or perhaps use the small claims court to see if I can obtain the difference. Interestingly, my car still produces a value of £13,540 on the webuyanycar website.
Asked on 21 November 2009 by
![](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/pad/120x120/media/16477727/537450_458533677529584_1473549666_n.jpg)
That's bad news, following a lot of positive reports of webuyanycar. I generally recommend www.sure-sell.info in preference because, though it's a gamble, and though you will be liable for commission, at least the car is competitively bid for, and there may be a private buyer bidding against the trade. The 325i is not a very wanted model, being "neither one thing nor another" with neither diesel economy nor significant petrol performance. That's probably why the final money was low. I don't think you have a case. I think you will be advised that if you weren't happy with the £12,500 offer you should not have accepted it.
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