Shop Around before trading in

Apr 28, 2021
42
20
535
Visit site
I’m upgrading my 2017 Sprite Major (excellent condition) to a 2021 model, the dealership offered me £7500 trade in.
I rang a few We buy any caravan companies and was offered between £11,250 - £12,000. I settled for £11,800.
Worth shopping around before trading in.
 
Jan 3, 2012
9,574
2,051
30,935
Visit site
We did that a few years back got few we buy any caravans companies to give a price for our Elddis Crusader Super Sirocco Twin Axle Caravan the price between some were at least £2,500 difference we settle on a price
 
May 7, 2012
8,496
1,756
30,935
Visit site
It is worth shopping around as what you get for your caravan in part exchange may depend on how well the salesman or dealer is doing and what they need to sell. The model you are buying can affect this as the profit margin can vary on different models. Dealers can sell everything they can get hold off and possibly did not need to give a good figure for the trade in as the new one would go for a good price anyway although some are reputed not to want deals without a trade in except for their oldest models as they need to keep a sensible stock level.
Possibly the buyers are more confident in their ability to turn them round now as prices on the resale is far better but historically they have been regarded as pretty poor. Always remember they have to build in the cost of visiting you so those a long way off can run up quite high costs getting the caravan back to their base.
 
May 29, 2018
280
42
4,685
Visit site
A year ago we were offered a PX price for our Major 6TD which was £6500 lower than what we had bought it for 2 years earlier.

Today, I sold it, to a dealer for cash, it’s now 3 years old for only £4500 less than new.
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,112
6,136
50,935
Visit site
It is worth shopping around as what you get for your caravan in part exchange may depend on how well the salesman or dealer is doing and what they need to sell. The model you are buying can affect this as the profit margin can vary on different models. Dealers can sell everything they can get hold off and possibly did not need to give a good figure for the trade in as the new one would go for a good price anyway although some are reputed not to want deals without a trade in except for their oldest models as they need to keep a sensible stock level.
Possibly the buyers are more confident in their ability to turn them round now as prices on the resale is far better but historically they have been regarded as pretty poor. Always remember they have to build in the cost of visiting you so those a long way off can run up quite high costs getting the caravan back to their base.
The two that offered me a sensible price within a few pounds of each other had purchasing agents relatively local such that they offered to collect the next day. This is akin to how the motor trade work too. Dealers have a network of agents purchasing for them.
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,112
6,136
50,935
Visit site
How does this happen? Why is it that the dealer buys old caravans at such a high price?
I think it’s called supply and demand. Last year I was offered 7k for a 2012-13 van. This year I was offered £8k by dealership/ agents. I sold it privately at a higher price only £1.5k less than I paid the dealership in December 2016. There’s been a large increase in sales of used and new leisure vehicles so stocks were low. Hence the higher asking prices.

If course the market can work in reverse. If this last two years have people who don’t stay with caravans or motorhome then increased numbers being put back for sale could lead to reduced prices. We are seeing economics at work too on used car prices. Shortage of new ones has led to increased prices on newer used ones.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JezzerB
Mar 14, 2005
1,332
321
19,435
Visit site
We changed our care on June 12,because I was in dispute with the supplying dealer as car not as descibed I got a quote from We Buy Any Car, they have been chasing me ever since and todays offer was £2800 more than I paid, although if I take it I still need to find a replacement which is proving difficult.
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,112
6,136
50,935
Visit site
We changed our care on June 12,because I was in dispute with the supplying dealer as car not as descibed I got a quote from We Buy Any Car, they have been chasing me ever since and todays offer was £2800 more than I paid, although if I take it I still need to find a replacement which is proving difficult.

Similarly I got a quote from WBAC.COM only £1500 less than I paid in November 2019. Not planning a change though until 2025 when the Kia‘s 7 year warranty runs out and Forester will have served its purpose. Going down to one car, and I’d like to think it will be a BEV as by then there will be a far higher number of charging points (Shell to install 50000 on street by 2025 plus fore courts and supermarket charging points too), charging rates will be universally higher and battery range may have increased even further, so Range Anxiety will have reduced and time to charge too 👍
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,112
6,136
50,935
Visit site
What they offer and what you receive when they have looked at it are often very different amounts
But the choice is yours. Accept or reject. For my caravan both purchase agents asked for a recent damp report, which I had carried out only two weeks previously. The also asked did it have service records which it did, with the most recent six months earlier. That’s when both offered to pick it up the next day and transfer the payment to my account at the time of sale.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JezzerB
Jan 31, 2018
1,783
850
5,935
Visit site
What they offer and what you receive when they have looked at it are often very different amounts
Not in every case-certainly not in mine-they offered 1500 more than the dealer v a px and ended up paying slightly more-within an hour their quote had gone up-and that's what they paid me-when he said-we check the car for marks etc and you may get less-I was happy to let him go over it with a fine tooth comb-he couldn't find a scratch! Mind the people before me had an Audi that looked very tatty and once stopped wouldn't restart-think they accepted substantially less!
Needless to say I was very impressed with wbac-this was last November btw.
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,112
6,136
50,935
Visit site
Not in every case-certainly not in mine-they offered 1500 more than the dealer v a px and ended up paying slightly more-within an hour their quote had gone up-and that's what they paid me-when he said-we check the car for marks etc and you may get less-I was happy to let him go over it with a fine tooth comb-he couldn't find a scratch! Mind the people before me had an Audi that looked very tatty and once stopped wouldn't restart-think they accepted substantially less!
Needless to say I was very impressed with wbac-this was last November btw.
They’ve been going long enough now that sometimes I think it’s like the old Skoda jokes, they can’t shake off what might have been the situation at one time. People often have an inflated view of what their car is worth. A dealership automatically factors in aspects that affect the purchase trade in deals. At the end of the day if people don’t like the offer they do not have to accept it. If they really want to test the market sell it via BCA and then see what it fetches.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JezzerB
Mar 14, 2005
1,332
321
19,435
Visit site
WBAC used to be the go to for a lowest price guide, before going to dealer for trade in, recently they have I think become part of a much larger group with links to BCA the car auction people and also I think there is a link to Cazoo, our experience with them has been positive, both occasions paid the price they quoted,tempted to order another car from the dealer I got mine from and flip it to WBAC and take the profit. I think the secret is to be honest with the description of your car and also keep your expectations realistic,must admit I wasn't expecting them to offer more than I paid
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,112
6,136
50,935
Visit site
WBAC used to be the go to for a lowest price guide, before going to dealer for trade in, recently they have I think become part of a much larger group with links to BCA the car auction people and also I think there is a link to Cazoo, our experience with them has been positive, both occasions paid the price they quoted,tempted to order another car from the dealer I got mine from and flip it to WBAC and take the profit. I think the secret is to be honest with the description of your car and also keep your expectations realistic,must admit I wasn't expecting them to offer more than I paid
Thanks for that, I hadn’t realised they may be linked to BCA. That would make sense as it then provides another source of cars for auction. Two forum members with good reviews based on personal experience , is that statistically sound? LoL My daughter plans to use WBAC when her new lease car arrives as there is no trade in available and she doesn’t want to sell privately given its woeful history as a cruncher of Powershift boxes.
 
Nov 6, 2005
7,341
2,046
25,935
Visit site
What they offer and what you receive when they have looked at it are often very different amounts
Dependent entirely on how accurately the car has been described - when I sold my Santa Fe I got what they first offered, but the car was absolutely pristine and went through the auction with no preparation work, bought by a Hyundai dealer and sold on in days.

Many owners think that visible marks of "fair wear and tear" have no effect on value, but they do.
 
  • Like
Reactions: otherclive
Jan 3, 2012
9,574
2,051
30,935
Visit site
Bb have you had any experience with WBAC ?
otherclive We brought a seasonal van when we come to sell we had to ring companies a couple gave a price on our Elddis Crusader super sirocco twin axle our van came with full service history one owner had the damp tests + service stamps to prove it . well we got one gave us a price we thought was great he came and offered less but the second one was not to far out . i said everything would come out so we got in contact with our mobile caravan engineer he would take the movers off ,air conditioning unit, and Satellite dish , that not part of the deal but he said if you left them how much so we sorted a price we were happy . we had enough to buy a conservatory for our bungalow
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,112
6,136
50,935
Visit site
otherclive We brought a seasonal van when we come to sell we had to ring companies a couple gave a price on our Elddis Crusader super sirocco twin axle our van came with full service history one owner had the damp tests + service stamps to prove it . well we got one gave us a price we thought was great he came and offered less but the second one was not to far out . i said everything would come out so we got in contact with our mobile caravan engineer he would take the movers off ,air conditioning unit, and Satellite dish , that not part of the deal but he said if you left them how much so we sorted a price we were happy . we had enough to buy a conservatory for our bungalow

So actually you did alright by the deal. That’s good.
 
Jun 20, 2005
17,267
3,487
50,935
Visit site
I am in agreement this is all very confusing jargon talk.😜
BEV
EV
Hybrid
PHEV
HEV
E10
E5
Blue motion
CAMC
CMHC
I think I forgotten English🤣🤣🤣🤣
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts