How Much Success Selling On Loc

[mattyhart]

Hi Guys,

Well I have bitten the bullet and decided to upgrade/downgrade lol my 2002 LS to a 2005 GS. It is a step down in performance and a little in ride but the more modern looks and feel are better for me and I enjoy the look of the GS more.

I love my LS and spent a fortune getting everything sorted (New air sus, new brakes, new aircon pipes for rear, 4 new tyres etc) but I just wish it looked 'younger'. It is hurting me to sell it as it goes against everything I am feeling as the car is faultless and never thrown up an error BUT the GS is now 2 weeks in ownership and has had 3 issues come to surface already and I am about to get an OBD done to see if I have the dreaded O2 sensors and ECU (If so it will be going back!!!).

With this in mind, I am at the point of needing to get serious about possibly selling the LS (If the GS doesn't go back). I know that I wont get back what I paid for the car and the huge money I have spent on the car (Suspension- OUCH, Rear aircon - OUCH) and on top of this I had all the plugs replaced with the top of the range iridium ones at £160 plus all filters etc. The car runs so well................I am nuts..............why even think about it.............

So the question that has to be asked at the moment is, how good is the LOC for selling cars?? I am financially strapped at the moment having had to have back surgery 2 days after my new purchase - not even had chance to drive it properly yet lol. With this in mind, I am not working and need to be careful with funds. I am going to join at some point as I am now an addicted lexus owner and I cant see that changing anytime soon but for now I just need to get back to a single lexus family.

Please advise if cars do actually sell through here or if the other streams are better to spend my money on at the moment. (please say LOC lol that's 2 birds 1 stone)

Oh Well, long message thanks to the morphine, cheers for opinions guys.

Matt

[Bluesman]

Hi Guys,

Well I have bitten the bullet and decided to upgrade/downgrade lol my 2002 LS to a 2005 GS. It is a step down in performance and a little in ride but the more modern looks and feel are better for me and I enjoy the look of the GS more.

I love my LS and spent a fortune getting everything sorted (New air sus, new brakes, new aircon pipes for rear, 4 new tyres etc) but I just wish it looked 'younger'. It is hurting me to sell it as it goes against everything I am feeling as the car is faultless and never thrown up an error BUT the GS is now 2 weeks in ownership and has had 3 issues come to surface already and I am about to get an OBD done to see if I have the dreaded O2 sensors and ECU (If so it will be going back!!!).

With this in mind, I am at the point of needing to get serious about possibly selling the LS (If the GS doesn't go back). I know that I wont get back what I paid for the car and the huge money I have spent on the car (Suspension- OUCH, Rear aircon - OUCH) and on top of this I had all the plugs replaced with the top of the range iridium ones at £160 plus all filters etc. The car runs so well................I am nuts..............why even think about it.............

So the question that has to be asked at the moment is, how good is the LOC for selling cars?? I am financially strapped at the moment having had to have back surgery 2 days after my new purchase - not even had chance to drive it properly yet lol. With this in mind, I am not working and need to be careful with funds. I am going to join at some point as I am now an addicted lexus owner and I cant see that changing anytime soon but for now I just need to get back to a single lexus family.

Please advise if cars do actually sell through here or if the other streams are better to spend my money on at the moment. (please say LOC lol that's 2 birds 1 stone)

Oh Well, long message thanks to the morphine, cheers for opinions guys.

Matt

You need to be a Gold Member to sell on the LOC.

[mattyhart]

Yup that was my point I KNOW I NEED TO JOIN AND THAT WAS WHAT I WAS ASKING - is it worth joining now to sell or are the other roots of sale more effective - This was not a how do I sell my car as I say 'is it worth joining' so I am well aware that I need to be a member MORE 'how successful have people been selling through the FOC'

Thought my post was clear, but guess it wasn't if it was actually read in its entirety and not just the opening gambit.

Again I will ask - Have people had much success here or are the other formats a better option at the moment - although this may be a void question as my new GS has been diagnosed as 2 sensors and an ECU so waiting for the selling garage to get back to me as I think they will say return the car as Lex Reading has quoted the standard £2950 for this work.

It makes me not want to join a site that's gold members support can post this reply and have obviously not read the full post - slightly offended.

[Bluesman]

Yup that was my point I KNOW I NEED TO JOIN AND THAT WAS WHAT I WAS ASKING - is it worth joining now to sell or are the other roots of sale more effective - This was not a how do I sell my car as I say 'is it worth joining' so I am well aware that I need to be a member MORE 'how successful have people been selling through the FOC'

Thought my post was clear, but guess it wasn't if it was actually read in its entirety and not just the opening gambit.

Again I will ask - Have people had much success here or are the other formats a better option at the moment - although this may be a void question as my new GS has been diagnosed as 2 sensors and an ECU so waiting for the selling garage to get back to me as I think they will say return the car as Lex Reading has quoted the standard £2950 for this work.

It makes me not want to join a site that's gold members support can post this reply and have obviously not read the full post - slightly offended.

Yes that's all you had to ask and leave out all the details on the car you were going to sell.

It slightly offends paid up Gold Members to see other non Gold Members circumvent the system as you have done by putting all the details of the car you are selling thus turning your question about Gold Membership into an advert to sell your car. I am sure had you paid to become a Gold Member you would also be slightly offended.

Only you can decide which is a good medium for selling.

I did read all of your post. Mike

[janey]

LOC is pretty good for selling cars Matthew, lots of guests come on to look at what's for sale and there are obviously members looking to buy or change, there's also places like pistonheads which is pretty good too, so if you decide to 'go gold' you can put up all the info you want and hopefully get a buyer :)

[mattyhart]

Wasn't meant that way at all, just hate that I am selling something that has had everything done on it. If it was an advert then I would have said blah mileage blah service blah colour blah blah but I didn't. It was more a 'my car has had all this work done so I thin the LOC members would understand the value of this in the car - but do they sell here'

No I wouldn't have been bothered as a gold member as I would have read the mail as intended rather than jump to conclusions. In fact I would have just answered with a yes or no rather than a only u can decide - we make decisions based on the facts and that is what I am trying to gather.

As I say this might all be a waste of forum space as the GS might be going back as it needs the ecu and sensors - and yes I tried the fuel cap (replaced with lexus part)

[Bluesman]

Wasn't meant that way at all, just hate that I am selling something that has had everything done on it. If it was an advert then I would have said blah mileage blah service blah colour blah blah but I didn't. It was more a 'my car has had all this work done so I thin the LOC members would understand the value of this in the car - but do they sell here'

No I wouldn't have been bothered as a gold member as I would have read the mail as intended rather than jump to conclusions. In fact I would have just answered with a yes or no rather than a only u can decide - we make decisions based on the facts and that is what I am trying to gather.

As I say this might all be a waste of forum space as the GS might be going back as it needs the ecu and sensors - and yes I tried the fuel cap (replaced with lexus part)

Matty you know what I think. Mike

[mattyhart]

SOOOO, Not sure whats going on with the two cars now but I think I might just join at the end of the month anyway as I am stuck indoors with nothing better to do whilst my back is repairing from this surgery plus I understand that there is a 15% discount at Lexus Readng for members according to the service manager and having spent £400 there in the last 2 months that's my membership paid for lol.

Still not sure about what I am selling though as I don't understand the court process for repair or return in cars and the garage I bought the GS from is doing the 'nothing to do with us' approach to business. So it needs various sensors and height arms or something so any advice on repairs rejection and courts for used cars bought less than a month ago and not used coz the fault came in the first 24hrs and was reported. (been a while as had surgery and been waiting for the garage to sort out repairs)

Cheers

[janey]

Personally I'd talk to trading standards regarding the problems - though I think you now need to go through the CAB (although they are very helpful) by the sounds of it despite wiping their hands they have obligations if they didn't point out the existing problems that were there when you bought the car

[mattyhart]

So, today I called CAB consumer line and they have reported the trader to trading standards for 'illegal terms and conditions on invoice' or something like that - further to this I have been guided through my letters to request repairs or reject and the notice of 14 days to correct or the courts will get involved.

I cant see why a company would do this to themselves. For the sake of taking the car away and fixing it, for which they surely must be insured, and not risking the terrible publicity that will follow - and this is a garage whose average forecourt price is north of £50k !!

[janey]

Great news that they have taken it on & you're getting somewhere with it Matt

Totally daft that the company is risking it's reputation

[harrylime]

Name and shame the selling garage to prevent others using them?

[steve2006]

Have a good read of the link below especially the section "Action to take"

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/brighton-hove/con1item.cgi?file=*ADV0003-1011.txt

[mattyhart]

Just a waiting game now before I can trigger in the small claims court process. In the meantime I am trying to sell my LS as I cant afford to insure both and because of the lovely new laws regards insurance and I cant park it off road...........

[Bluesman]

Just a waiting game now before I can trigger in the small claims court process. In the meantime I am trying to sell my LS as I cant afford to insure both and because of the lovely new laws regards insurance and I cant park it off road...........

Yes, you've already mentioned your trying to sell your car.

To sell on here you have to be a gold member.

[mattyhart]

VERY GOOD - I AM gold member - please read things and check before posting to avoid bad feeling

[steve2006]

I noticed you had,thank you for joining as a gold member, it may be worthwhile putting an ad with pictures in the for sale section and I also understand you can place a classified ad for free.

[Bluesman]

VERY GOOD - I AM gold member - please read things and check before posting to avoid bad feeling

Perhaps had you of joined first before even a mention on the forum that you had a car for sale you could have avoided alot of bad feeling.

Mike.

[Bluesman]

VERY GOOD - I AM gold member - please read things and check before posting to avoid bad feeling

Had you've read the rules of the forum which you are invited to do when you first join and before you started dropping hints as a non gold member you had a car fore sale then you could have avoided all the bad feeling you generated for paid up gold members so please don't try and shift the blame onto me because of your short comings. Mike.

[mattyhart]

I am finding your tone aggressive and intimidating - MODERATORS please dal with this member - It was clear from my original post that I was just asking if this was a good place to sell a car and, as it is a forum, a comment was made on how disappointed I was that I had bought a car with issues and it mad it hard to decide what I was doing with my perfect LS. It is members like mike that will stop people from joining this site.

Currently I haven't had any serious enquiries on my car ad so I guess I was right to ask the question.

[Bluesman]

I am finding your tone aggressive and intimidating - MODERATORS please dal with this member - It was clear from my original post that I was just asking if this was a good place to sell a car and, as it is a forum, a comment was made on how disappointed I was that I had bought a car with issues and it mad it hard to decide what I was doing with my perfect LS. It is members like mike that will stop people from joining this site.

Currently I haven't had any serious enquiries on my car ad so I guess I was right to ask the question.

The truth is often hard to swallow. When you first joined this forum as you say you were asking if the selling of cars on here was worth joining so you clearly new it was wrong to mention you had a car for sale until you had paid to become a gold member but you didn't stop there you put the model you were selling together what you felt were some important points that to me was an invitation to enquire further about what you were selling and therefore circumventing the rules of the forum.

You have now

I am sorry if you feel my tone is "aggressive and intimidating" it is not for one single second but rules are rules and they are there for all of us to adhere to too make it a happy and enlightening experience for everyone.

Mike

[janey]

Right ! That is enough - Mike you have a pm

[harrylime]

Lot of pettiness creeping into this forum in my humble opinion. Personally, I don't understand why it is necessary to pay to become a member, in order to advertise a car. I haven't been on every other car forum, by any means, but I'm not aware of any other forum on which you have to pay to advertise. I believe that BMW, Jaguar and Audi forums are free. Any forum should be for the benefit of all, and run by enthusiasts. This is why cars are almost never advertised on our forum. I believe the last was in February of this year and a quick look just revealed no posts, as they are so old they do not show up. I am considering changing my LS400 (no details, this is not an ad) and there are plenty of places I can legitimately advertise. The policy of having to pay just demonstrates a stingy, non inclusive attitude, in my view, which serves only to reduce the amount of traffic, and of people who will even take an interest in Lexus and look in from time to time. Who will bother on the off chance of a car coming up for three or four months? I never look to see what's available. No wonder people surreptitiously drop hints on other threads, I don't blame them.

[Bluesman]

Lot of pettiness creeping into this forum in my humble opinion. Personally, I don't understand why it is necessary to pay to become a member, in order to advertise a car. I haven't been on every other car forum, by any means, but I'm not aware of any other forum on which you have to pay to advertise. I believe that BMW, Jaguar and Audi forums are free. Any forum should be for the benefit of all, and run by enthusiasts. This is why cars are almost never advertised on our forum. I believe the last was in February of this year and a quick look just revealed no posts, as they are so old they do not show up. I am considering changing my LS400 (no details, this is not an ad) and there are plenty of places I can legitimately advertise. The policy of having to pay just demonstrates a stingy, non inclusive attitude, in my view, which serves only to reduce the amount of traffic, and of people who will even take an interest in Lexus and look in from time to time. Who will bother on the off chance of a car coming up for three or four months? I never look to see what's available. No wonder people surreptitiously drop hints on other threads, I don't blame them.

You do of course get access to discounts on various other things. Entrance to many of the main theme parks are heavily discounted for GMs which if you have young families has to be worth having. Mike

[harrylime]

That's all well and good. Members can work out whether it is worth it for them. In my view, advertising on the forum should be free of charge. There are enough people including main dealers, insurance companies, eBay, autotrader etc trying to get their hands in our pockets without being charged on our own forum. BMW, Jaguar, Audi forums et al can do it.Are they looking after their members better? How much revenue does it bring in? Make it free - less moderation as fewer inferior non Gold members will have the gall to mention they have a car for sale in the wrong forum, lot more ads in the for sale section, for cars and parts, lot more interest, lot more traffic from external visitors. Simple commercial sense. It would also reduce friction and the apparent sense of superiority felt be some Gold members (and tempting as it is, that is not a euphamysm). I may start a new thread on this, to open it out for discussion, as I am slightly off topic here.