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Author Buying a car from a garage - no service history
Danny W
Organiser: East Midlands
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Registered: 14th Nov 05
Location: Northamptonshire
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10th Aug 14 at 14:29   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

That's alright, i don't think I'd explained it very well in the first couple of posts anyway


Smoke Grey 5 Door

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John
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10th Aug 14 at 14:31   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

It probably was taken as part ex at an Audi but I'd be very, very surprised if some guy in his bedroom was handed the car direct from a main dealer and didn't buy it at auction.

Nothing wrong with that on it's own btw, just need to go in armed with all the info.
Danny W
Organiser: East Midlands
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Registered: 14th Nov 05
Location: Northamptonshire
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10th Aug 14 at 14:41   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Yeah see what your saying, beginning the think i could get caught out here though.

Also I've searched the company on the net and I've seen them say they specialise in Japanese performance cars....

So why have they only got an Audi a3, Volkswagen golf mk2, ford fiesta, lexus is250 listed .. None of them are Japanese performance cars. Lol.



[Edited on 10-08-2014 by Danny W]


Smoke Grey 5 Door

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Marc
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Location: York
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10th Aug 14 at 14:41   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

A Lexus garage should be able to look up the history then.

I've just asked my mate who is a Toyots mechanic who said they have access but he isn't sure if it will look up Lexus.
Danny W
Organiser: East Midlands
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Registered: 14th Nov 05
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10th Aug 14 at 14:42   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

The trouble is it's not even a lexus dealer it's just an independent trader :/


Smoke Grey 5 Door

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Marc
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10th Aug 14 at 14:43   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Yeah, but could you ring one up?
Danny W
Organiser: East Midlands
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Registered: 14th Nov 05
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10th Aug 14 at 14:48   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Ah yeah see what your saying yeah, have a local one I could talk to in the hope it's been serviced at a main dealer in the past and they should have the details


Smoke Grey 5 Door

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ChazSXi
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Registered: 26th Jan 03
Location: Waterlooville, Hampshire
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10th Aug 14 at 17:04   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Hmm if its audi and a lexus why not ring lexus cs and ask for service info.

I expect that its been serviced at a local garage and its gonna take some digging around to locate any info
johnny86
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10th Aug 14 at 17:32   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Walk away.
RichR
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10th Aug 14 at 17:44   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Didn't someone on here buy an XC90 with no service history on the cheap and then managed to get it all from the main dealer network and from the garages which had MOTed it and increase it's value accordingly?
Dave
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Registered: 26th Feb 01
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10th Aug 14 at 17:46   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

If service history is that important walk away, doesn't sound like you are going to get the detailed history you want.

If it's cheap enough and you are ok with the sketchy history just get it fully serviced after you've bought it.
Danny W
Organiser: East Midlands
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Registered: 14th Nov 05
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10th Aug 14 at 18:33   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Only real concern is for re sale value & peace of mind.
Ideally I'd be giving it the full 60k service anyway.
I'm going to give lexus a call tomorrow on the hope any previous history can be found, I'm also going to pop over after work and have a look around the car. I know what I would pay for it considering the lack of paperwork.


Smoke Grey 5 Door

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Ian
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Registered: 28th Aug 99
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10th Aug 14 at 18:34   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

WTF walk away.

Look at the oil, brakes and tyres.

Adjust your offer accordingly and drive the car.

Change the oil when you get home yourself = 30 quid.

Fuel filter and cabin if you're fussy.

Brakes and tyres if it needs them.

Dealer history isn't a magic ticket of perfection which means an old car isn't going to break.

Pay less, it'll probably be fine. If he won't move, keep looking.
Ian
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10th Aug 14 at 18:37   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

quote:
Originally posted by Danny W
Only real concern is for re sale value & peace of mind.
Ideally I'd be giving it the full 60k service anyway.
I'm going to give lexus a call tomorrow on the hope any previous history can be found, I'm also going to pop over after work and have a look around the car. I know what I would pay for it considering the lack of paperwork.


Resale you can offset when you buy it - 500 quid will well cover it.

Peace of mind - service won't prevent major failure so you're not better off - and you can do stuff yourself anyway so its not going to skint you either way.

Ask him when he wants his cash, see how he feels. Plenty more if he's holding out for more and you can always offer him 200 quid less in two weeks.
Mattb
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10th Aug 14 at 18:53   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

ANY audi dealer can check an audis service history for you. When invoiced it should be logged onto the history log on ELSA. Just ring your local dealer and ask what info they can give you.

I would do it, but I'm off work for a week
Brett
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10th Aug 14 at 19:13   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

I'm with Ian, service history is kind of irrelevant to me. All about the condition of the car at that moment in time. Just have to bear in mind there's lots of people that do care so make sure you get some money off.

[Edited on 10-08-2014 by Brett]
Dave
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10th Aug 14 at 19:32   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

quote:
Originally posted by Mattb
ANY audi dealer can check an audis service history for you. When invoiced it should be logged onto the history log on ELSA. Just ring your local dealer and ask what info they can give you.

I would do it, but I'm off work for a week


The fact it's a Lexus could be a bit of a stumbling block though
Danny W
Organiser: East Midlands
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Registered: 14th Nov 05
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10th Aug 14 at 19:59   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Appreciate all the replies guys, given me something to think about and work towards with the seller tomorrow.


I dont want to go to far off topic but what if the car in question was something a bit more desirable? Say an Evo or similar would that change your views on the lack of service history


Smoke Grey 5 Door

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Brett
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10th Aug 14 at 20:07   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Not if the price was right. If you're willing to buy it then when you come to sell there'll certainly be someone else who will...for the right price.
Ian
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Registered: 28th Aug 99
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11th Aug 14 at 00:39   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

The thing for me is that service history is just a bit of oil and some ticks.

There's nothing in there that says its not been ragged, nothing in there about whether the bushes are goosed because the guy lives on a road with speedramps, or the underneath because he parks it on grass.

I'd definitely factor it in to the decision, but its a complete fallacy to pay more because its been serviced. Unless its also a good car, that's a complete waste of money.

It'll still do a clutch when that's worn. It'll still throw a rod if its been chipped. It'll still wobble if the wheels are 50p on the inside. Service history tells you none of that.
am4nf
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Registered: 27th Jul 08
Location: South Ayrshire Drives: Corsa Sport
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11th Aug 14 at 13:49   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

at the end of the day though if you do find out it has history etc..... dont let on to the guy in his bedroom
Danny W
Organiser: East Midlands
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11th Aug 14 at 17:25   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Spent a bit of time trying to chase the history of the car today with no luck, also popped over to view it. Interior and body work look straight, oil does look dirty though, tyres are pretty much shot and will need brakes all round aswell, to me it looked like it's been run on a shoe string and had a hard life.
walked away anyway the seller wasn't willing to budge on price either


Smoke Grey 5 Door

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colonel_g
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11th Aug 14 at 17:26   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

If he isn't willing to give the name of the dealer he got it from, he quite clearly didn't get it from a dealer. No dealer would not want to be contacted as that is just stupid. They could upsell a service etc with you on the phone. He bought it cheap at auction, probably ASM, spun a line about service history may follow and is upping the price to sell it.
Danny W
Organiser: East Midlands
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11th Aug 14 at 17:27   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Also the rest of the cars he had for sale were very similar in terms of lack of history/documents


Smoke Grey 5 Door

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Corsa_Sport21
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Registered: 13th Apr 08
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11th Aug 14 at 17:44   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

On a car like an IS250, service history will play a big part in the re-sale. Its a higher end motor and most would just pay the extra for a car with history over a cheaper car without any history. Its the nature of the buyer.

You can't just assume because its priced lower than the rest, its going to sell as quick as others with service history.


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