Used car news

Used buyers have never been so content – that’s the verdict from one of the UK’s leading vehicle retailers. According to Brit-ish Car Auctions (BCA), a huge 72 per cent of second-hand customers were “very sat-isfied” with their new motor last year.

A further 24 per cent were “quite satisfied”, which means 96 per cent of res-pondents were happy with their used buy – that’s more than ever before.

Figures from BCA’s Market Report 2007 reveal that only one per cent of customers were “dissatisfied” with their purchase, while the remaining three per cent were “neither happy nor unhappy”. The survey of 2,900 drivers also shows that, when it comes to selling privately, word of mouth is the most popular way of finding a buyer. Thirty-six per cent who shifted their car privately relied on friends and relatives to tell potentially interested parties.

Fifteen per cent took out classifieds in the local paper and 11 per cent advertised in Auto Trader, making it the third most popular selling method. The age-old trick of placing an advert for the car in one of its windows was used by seven per cent of private vendors.

Such a high number of owners choosing not to put money towards expensive ads shows that getting rid of your motor could be cheaper than you think. Only 15 per cent of respondents spent more than £25 advertising their vehicle.