High Owner Cars

[EPV 631]

What's everyone's opinion on them? I don't mean sky high, something along the lines of 5 owners on a 2008, 89,000 BMW 330i, last owner having had the car for 4 years etc.

In your lengthy experience, would lots of people be put off from buying such a car?

I trend to look at an average, 2 years per owner seems reasonable but that's just me, what is your perception of what joe punter thinks?

[rich89 11]

I'd say 5 owners in 10 years to be completely average.

We've had 2 year old cars with 3/4 owners before.

Completely depends on the car for us.

[umesh 336]

I'd be more than happy to retail that car if every else ticked the boxes , no problem at all.

More concerning is when its a 2015 with 4 previous , usually a genuine reason but difficult to explain to the next customer they're going to be the 6th! 

[Mark101 536]

It's quite easy to rack up a few owners - demo (1), first real owner (2), sold to dealer, maybe registered? (3), second real owner (4), dealer, third owner, etc (5).

This is how I sell it and a direct copy and paste of my response to my last customer whim asked about number of owners:

Customer: Concerned about number of owners:

Me: I completely understand; what I would say is that often a multiple owner car is good news - what does everyone do when they get a new car? They clean, polish, service, get new tyres - all that lovely stuff. Single owner cars often start life like that, then the owner gets complacent, forgetful and the car just becomes a mode of transport.

Does that help?

 

[EPV 631]

3 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

It's quite easy to rack up a few owners - demo (1), first real owner (2), sold to dealer, maybe registered? (3), second real owner (4), dealer, third owner, etc (5).

This is how I sell it and a direct copy and paste of my response to my last customer whim asked about number of owners:

Customer: Concerned about number of owners:

Me: I completely understand; what I would say is that often a multiple owner car is good news - what does everyone do when they get a new car? They clean, polish, service, get new tyres - all that lovely stuff. Single owner cars often start life like that, then the owner gets complacent, forgetful and the car just becomes a mode of transport.

Does that help?

 

Every little helps!

[justina3 518]

Its not ideal and sometimes a sign of headaches or expensive mot repairs so does ring alarm bells for me, that said everything about this industry rings alarms bells latley

 

[It's me 615]

many owners show many trubles

troo sayin flom far away clountry

[Arfur Dealy 823]

Depends on the car and history and price.  Every car is a punt..

[Tom 164]

19 minutes ago, s and b said:

many owners show many trubles

troo sayin flom far away clountry

What?

For me its max of 3 owners what ever the age unless its  a convertible. I've had 5 owners car before customers turn their noses up at a perfectly good car.  

[justina3 518]

I have had customers turn there noses up at three but thats ok at that point i have already tuned my nose up at them

[SC Derby 259]

Loads of owners? Yes it’s a really popular car this one!

[MattR 177]

I dont like more any more than 5 owner cars, which on my stock is an average of 2 years per owner. Always love a low mileage 1 Owner car, most punters will pay the premium for one of them, but I guess on some cars multiple owners isnt an issue. I'm never surprised to see lots of keeper changes on a 'look at me ' car - the owner has their fussy out of it and sells it to the next show off

[David Ayers 171]

2 hours ago, Mark101 said:

It's quite easy to rack up a few owners - demo (1), first real owner (2), sold to dealer, maybe registered? (3), second real owner (4), dealer, third owner, etc (5).

This is how I sell it and a direct copy and paste of my response to my last customer whim asked about number of owners:

Customer: Concerned about number of owners:

Me: I completely understand; what I would say is that often a multiple owner car is good news - what does everyone do when they get a new car? They clean, polish, service, get new tyres - all that lovely stuff. Single owner cars often start life like that, then the owner gets complacent, forgetful and the car just becomes a mode of transport.

Does that help?

 

I would also tell them what we as dealers do to a car when we sell it.

Valet, touch in, service, warranty, etc. Basically get the car as good as we can.

How many owners do that every 2 years

 

Worst cars are 1 owner 10 year old examples.

[grant8064 219]

Doesn't really bother me too much. Most of ours are 3 or 4 owner units being around 8 years old average. Demo, PCP and then an owner or two...hardly unusual. We get the odd screamer when they ask but then they're not the kind of buyer I want anyway. Done plenty with 5 - 7 owners...as the ownership implies they're always a good seller!

I get what everyone worries about with high owners. I don't care one bit if the cars sellable and a good colour. What we do avoid is the ones with two owners within the last six months...screams trouble that has been handed back to the supplying dealer a couple of times recently. Just done a seven owner VX 61 plate and they've been back to buy another because they trust the car so much. Our best is eleven owners but i'm sure some of you can beat that?

[Tom 164]

What about a real clean grade 2 car with clean mechanical report but no service history. yay or nay?

[EPV 631]

None at all? I wouldn’t touch that personally. 99% of people would walk away from a car that has zero service history, even if you put a full one on yourself. 

[Mark101 536]

Because there’s no history doesn’t mean there has not been any servicing, just that the owner was unorganised or not bothered about keeping the records up to date.

You get a feel for a goodun or a totter and if the car looks right and the price reflects the lack of proveable servicing - I’m in

[It's me 615]

13 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

Because there’s no history doesn’t mean there has not been any servicing, just that the owner was unorganised or not bothered about keeping the records up to date.

You get a feel for a goodun or a totter and if the car looks right and the price reflects the lack of proveable servicing - I’m in

well for your sake i hope your fall is only small

saying that my cousin fell off a 6inch wall back in 69 and still walks with a limp

[EPV 631]

6 hours ago, Mark101 said:

Because there’s no history doesn’t mean there has not been any servicing, just that the owner was unorganised or not bothered about keeping the records up to date.

You get a feel for a goodun or a totter and if the car looks right and the price reflects the lack of proveable servicing - I’m in

Yeah I was thinking more about joe public mate, whom you’re selling the car too. 

[Autolink100 34]

Customer: Concerned about number of previous owners:

Me: What doe you want to do with it sir ? Drive it or marry it !

[Wood235 36]

This reminds me of someone I knew that replied to;  "That's a lot of owners"

He said;  "Was your wife a virgin when you met her?"

How he never got a punch in the mouth I will never know!!!

[justina3 518]

9 hours ago, Tom said:

What about a real clean grade 2 car with clean mechanical report but no service history. yay or nay?

wouldnt bother me to much, but i would have to be there watching it start from cold and listen to it run, 

[Mark101 536]

Of course, everyone (I imagine) likes to advertise 1 owner, low mileage, FSH cars - but try and buy them right!

Who really believes that a car with NO history has NEVER been serviced - it is bound to have been serviced at some stage and just the owner(s) haven't bothered to keep records.  It's up to us to "convince" sorry, sell the car on it's merits and the car is surely only as good as its last service report and level of service performed.

Would I sell a £10k with loads of owners and no history - no but would I sell a £2,995er - prepped right, full service? then yes and generally make a better margin because of the lower procurement cost.

Full service history is subjective - 1 stamp in the book on 100k could be the cars "full" service history - it doesn't say (although it is interpreted as such) FSH to the servicing schedule.

 

[Earunder 69]

I made a boo boo on owners when I thought a R/R Sport was going through cheap a few years ago.  Was a 2010 (6 years old), Grade 4 (Needed both bumpers sprayed and drivers door card repaired), in black, black interior, HSE, shitty wheels, 77k miles, starting @ £16,000 - Dropped it to £15,000 and I got it for £15,450.  Didn't really look like I should have but it was well under CAP.

Anyway, got it back and still didn't look at things properly as I was a little chuffed.  1st call I got, "How many owners?", I was like erm, let me check....  10!! TEN!!!!!  How can a 6 year old car get 10!!?!???!

Anyway, still made £19,495, so lovely profit in that one but... TEN!?!

[Rory RSC 596]

1 hour ago, Mark101 said:

Of course, everyone (I imagine) likes to advertise 1 owner, low mileage, FSH cars - but try and buy them right!

Who really believes that a car with NO history has NEVER been serviced - it is bound to have been serviced at some stage and just the owner(s) haven't bothered to keep records.  It's up to us to "convince" sorry, sell the car on it's merits and the car is surely only as good as its last service report and level of service performed.

Would I sell a £10k with loads of owners and no history - no but would I sell a £2,995er - prepped right, full service? then yes and generally make a better margin because of the lower procurement cost.

Full service history is subjective - 1 stamp in the book on 100k could be the cars "full" service history - it doesn't say (although it is interpreted as such) FSH to the servicing schedule.

 

Don't really discuss owners much to be fair. nor history. Irrespective of car, price point and type of vehicle I find nearly all buyers I deal with are simply only bothered about cosmetic condition, alloys not having a mark and the car not having any chips on the paint.

Sporty stuff can have quite a few owners just due to it being a fickle market for the next best thing.

 

I buy stuff with no history and take the punt 95% of the time I can turn something up for it. Like you say its never completely not been serviced it will have had it for first 3 years with main dealers generally which you can track down and something in between. We service everything anyway pre sale and offer warranty on cars with full history or no history to the same level so makes no odds.