Short questions about selling car, insurance etc.

ApeXaviour · 04-07-2011 02:31PM #1

Hey all,
So I'm selling my car (00 peugeot 406 coupé). Can't afford tax/insurance for the next year, both are up this summer. Plan is to take it to Linders Chapelizod for a service and valet then put it up on donedeal.ie.

So my questions are:
-Are the above choices of dealer/website reasonable?
-I've heard gaps in insurance can make it difficult to get insurance at a reasonable price again. Is it possible to work around this at all? The likelihood is I'll buy another car in a years time or so.

Any other words of wisdom for selling a car?

Cheers

04-07-2011 02:49PM

Don't bother servicing or valeting it, it won't enhance the value. Wash it and spend two hours with a polish and wax yourself. Donedeal.ie is a great site to sell a car from.

_Conrad_ · 04-07-2011 03:14PM

Do you think it may be possible for you to do something like this:

See if you could maybe get a tiny insurance friendly car like a micra as part exhange on the peugeot, and barely scrape by with the cheaper insurance and FAR cheaper tax that a tiny 1 litre car is liable for? Go basic TPFT only.

You'd then still have your own transport, even if you couldnt afofrd to go many places but it'd be there if you needed it and you'd still have had continuous insurance.

It can be a bit of hassle getting a decent price ofr insurance if you have a big gap alright. For example a friend of mine was re-building the engine and restoring a car that he's had for quite a few years. He had gone back to college and wasnt too badly off without a car on the road so he gave up the insurance for a year while he was living in a handy spot for college, shops etc, but a year and a half later, car is sorted and he wants it back on the road but the previous insurance company want 300 more for it and he's ahd a bit of trouble even getting quotes from some places due to not having a consistant history of insurance, it seems they're treating it as if he was refused insurance before or something

ApeXaviour · 04-07-2011 07:00PM

RoverJames wrote: »

Don't bother servicing or valeting it, it won't enhance the value. Wash it and spend two hours with a polish and wax yourself. Donedeal.ie is a great site to sell a car from.

Well that sounds very appealing! Cheers! Is it really appropriate though? I dunno I guess I just assumed it was good manners to have it serviced before selling

_Conrad_ wrote: »

Do you think it may be possible for you to do something like this:

See if you could maybe get a tiny insurance friendly car like a micra as part exhange on the peugeot, and barely scrape by with the cheaper insurance and FAR cheaper tax that a tiny 1 litre car is liable for? Go basic TPFT only.

You'd then still have your own transport, even if you couldnt afofrd to go many places but it'd be there if you needed it and you'd still have had continuous insurance.

Hmm... thanks for the idea. I was intrigued so did quick bit of research! For a 10 year old 1L it looks like it'd cost about 1K, then insurance would be another 500 and tax 200. If I sold my car for 2K (optimistic) it would just more or less break even. I've only another couple of months of predictable (phd low) wages left. Also I really don't need a car (live in city centre, park at parents out in the suburbs).

Knock on wood I've a real job/wage in a years time, I'd be more able to take the insurance hit then... though the hassle of it does seem annoying. Seems like a bit of a dumb rule. Right now the money I get from the car I'd use to give me a bit of a buffer for food and rent!

Otis Driftwood · 04-07-2011 08:07PM

Unless you are badly stuck for the funds Id recommend not cancelling your policy,rather you should suspend it.

Suspension basically puts the insurance on hold (as you wont be driving the car) but keeps your NCB running.

Its a simple process where by you return your cert disc to the insurer along with a letter of suspension,a 2 line letter basically saying

I wish to suspend my policy effective immediately because <INSERT REASON OF CHOICE HERE>,please find enclosed my C+D

and sign it.

That way,you dont get screwed with cancellation fees,your NCB keeps ticking over,plus at the renewal date if you dont have new wheels you will get back whatever is left of your premium from the suspension date - termed a suspension rebate.If you have a new car at that point,the rebate will be written off against your new policy.

Simples!

Edit
Just noticed that your renewal is up this summer so the above prolly isnt applicable.It does stand true for anyone else thats doing it or perhaps you could re-insure it for third party only then suspend as soon as you renew.Obviously if funds are tight this may not be an option,something to think about though.

05-07-2011 10:19AM

ApeXaviour wrote: »

Well that sounds very appealing! Cheers! Is it really appropriate though? I dunno I guess I just assumed it was good manners to have it serviced before selling

Once there are no lights on the dash indicating a problem and it's not mad overdue a service I wouldn't bother at all

Is the car NCTd? How much NCT left on it is a bigger selling point than a recent service. You could spend €200 sevicing it and if the NCT is up in 4 months still struggle to sell it for decent money.

Henry Ford III · 05-07-2011 11:07AM

MOST insurers will give credit for NCB allowing for up to a 2 year motoring sabatical.

Check yours yourself though, and insist on a written answer.

coylemj · 05-07-2011 11:50AM

ApeXaviour wrote: »

Well that sounds very appealing! Cheers! Is it really appropriate though? I dunno I guess I just assumed it was good manners to have it serviced before selling

When you meet some of the people in the market for a 00 car I don't think you'll be too worried about manners!

Short questions about selling car, insurance etc.

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