Manheim Assured - why do they do it?

[metcars 395]

If I were entering cars at auction I would only Surecheck cars that I 'knew' had a fair chance of passing. Because a fail is worse than not having a check at all? Even if the vendor gets an incredible deal, or if Manheim stand the cost in an attempt to promote a vehicle, a fail is worse? I wonder if the vendor can decide if the 'failed' surecheck is mentioned or thrown in the bin?

[Tom 164]

Sure check is complete rubbish to be fair I just use my eyes and ears. 

[Lakeside 94]

Before I got into this game I had an interview with the AA to become a vehicle inspector for BCA assured. I’m not sure if it’s the same at Mannheim but the checks they do really are bare minimum and nothing you couldn’t do yourself whilst the car was driving into the block. It only benefits online bidders really.

The chap giving me the interview also told me Bca we’re going to stop them assuring cars from certain vendors as they were finding to many faults and it was putting buyers off.

[D&M 66]

2 hours ago, met said:

If I were entering cars at auction I would only Surecheck cars that I 'knew' had a fair chance of passing. Because a fail is worse than not having a check at all? Even if the vendor gets an incredible deal, or if Manheim stand the cost in an attempt to promote a vehicle, a fail is worse? I wonder if the vendor can decide if the 'failed' surecheck is mentioned or thrown in the bin?

Not necessarily.

Car's got a burnt out valve - it's missfiring and has the engine light on. Surecheck says this.

Buyers assumes it'll only be a coil pack failure... Same symptoms... Bids to account for a new coil pack and set of sparks.

Can't have a moan, you knew the engine light was on and a missfire.

[Lakeside 94]

1 hour ago, D&M said:

Not necessarily.

Car's got a burnt out valve - it's missfiring and has the engine light on. Surecheck says this.

Buyers assumes it'll only be a coil pack failure... Same symptoms... Bids to account for a new coil pack and set of sparks.

Can't have a moan, you knew the engine light was on and a missfire.

The way I see it is if it’s as simple as a £30 coil then the previous owner would of sorted it. Always expect the worst, that way if it turns out a cheap fix then bonus.

[metcars 395]

2 hours ago, Tom said:

Sure check is complete rubbish to be fair I just use my eyes and ears. 

Well yes, we all know that. But, the vendors must be applying some thought process into whether a car is sold on a surecheck or not? I don't think they prefer to surecheck a car with 'issues'. Basically if you are going to 'cherry pick' the cars to surecheck make sure the cherry isn't a rotten one?

2 hours ago, D&M said:

Not necessarily.

Car's got a burnt out valve - it's missfiring and has the engine light on. Surecheck says this.

Buyers assumes it'll only be a coil pack failure... Same symptoms... Bids to account for a new coil pack and set of sparks.

Can't have a moan, you knew the engine light was on and a missfire.

Sorry, I don't think you understand the point i'm making

[trade vet 697]

Why do they do it ?.....It has to be a great income generator for auctions aswell as to encourage online buyers to pay more and please their vendors.They have also worked out that they do not necessarily need to be accurate as their complaints fob off systems appear to work.

[metcars 395]

22 minutes ago, trade vet said:

Why do they do it ?.....It has to be a great income generator for auctions aswell as to encourage online buyers to pay more and please their vendors.They have also worked out that they do not necessarily need to be accurate as their complaints fob off systems appear to work.

Is it just pure bad luck that the cars the vendors choose (for whatever reason) to surecheck, fail on serious points. I can't see how that would be an aid to selling?  Better to not bother unless it passes with flying colours. The fact they they cherry pick the surecheck cars implies they are trying to exclude the problem cars?

[MattR 177]

Some of the assured checks cover next to nothing anyway. car goes in first and reverse? Check. No drivebelt faults? check. Fluid levels? check. Dashboard warnig lights? check. Steering? Check. Engine operation? check.

So suitably vague that you still pay them £40 but with next to no comeback. So when you buy a car that needs a clutch, strut top mounting, has a broken coil spring etc, it money for nothing. I'd rather buy the cars without wasting my money and if something needs doing, its down to me anyway. The problem is, they still put it on anything thats less than 10 years old, even saw it on a cat c car recently! I know that can still be 'mechanically sound' but it hardly promotes the benefit of the product...

[Auction Buyer 1]

I've learnt about SureCheck the hard way. Bought a 320 with timing chain issue and claimed but was told it was failed on the sheet for engine noise so was down to me. First i assumed they only pass the ones without any faults (naive, i know). Read the SureCheck brochure in detail and now understand it and use the QR code on the flash to read the full report that's available online which shows fails on the inspection. I find it better than BCA Assured. Get 7 days on it vs 2 with BCA. I've had a clutch done on a Gold cover Surecheck that was slipping when driving but all the rest of auction cover is static check. Im not paying £40 either - its less than that. 

[BHM 994]

I believe the scheme has nothing to do with vendors, it is simply an add-on by Manheim. Any ‘failure’ checks are simply thrown in the bin BUT what their definition of a failure is open to debate. A few weeks ago I saw a SilverAssured (not worth a toss) car with 32 out of 37 - a sad joke that some poor mug will of had no choice other than to pay for. 

Personally I think the ‘inspections’ are an insult to a proper trader’s intelligence, charging me for an unwanted substandard check performed by morons who often couldn’t assess a lump of coal. As for charging for checks with less than a 100% pass is verging on criminality in my opinion - not that most of the checks are any good. I mean, what’s this static test of 1st & reverse gear??? Barely worth a toss & a slipping clutch as you pull out onto the main road or missing gear won’t be covered. 

 

[Lakeside 94]

10 hours ago, BHM said:

I believe the scheme has nothing to do with vendors, it is simply an add-on by Manheim. Any ‘failure’ checks are simply thrown in the bin BUT what their definition of a failure is open to debate. A few weeks ago I saw a SilverAssured (not worth a toss) car with 32 out of 37 - a sad joke that some poor mug will of had no choice other than to pay for. 

Personally I think the ‘inspections’ are an insult to a proper trader’s intelligence, charging me for an unwanted substandard check performed by morons who often couldn’t assess a lump of coal. As for charging for checks with less than a 100% pass is verging on criminality in my opinion - not that most of the checks are any good. I mean, what’s this static test of 1st & reverse gear??? Barely worth a toss & a slipping clutch as you pull out onto the main road or missing gear won’t be covered. 

Bca assured 1st to reverse isn’t static, again when I went for my interview I was shown the complete process. It’s select first gear, fast acceleration up to 20mph, stop then reverse back to the start line. 

Then brake test is hard acceleration to 30mph then hard braking at a marked stopping point.

A slipping clutch would be picked up on either of these tests.

Turned the job down in the end because even though I’m a fully qualified mechanic any faults I found had to go through a supervisor and the money was crap.

 

Edited April 21, 2018 by Lakeside

[BHM 994]

If only a slipping clutch was always found in first gear. Nowadays I’m getting more & more that feel fine at rest but the springs have gone weak and only start slipping after a few miles when warm & in higher gears. In the last couple of months I’ve had this courtesy of a Honda FRV, Galaxy TDCi & Saab Aero - in every one the clutch plate friction material was barely half worn. 

[sparky 274]

On 19/04/2018 at 4:08 PM, Lakeside said:

Before I got into this game I had an interview with the AA to become a vehicle inspector for BCA assured. I’m not sure if it’s the same at Mannheim but the checks they do really are bare minimum and nothing you couldn’t do yourself whilst the car was driving into the block. It only benefits online bidders really.

The chap giving me the interview also told me Bca we’re going to stop them assuring cars from certain vendors as they were finding to many faults and it was putting buyers off.

They are chalk and cheese. I get them checked by one of the sales guys who knows his stuff at one manheim branch and it makes a mockery of the reports. 

BCA on the other hand, well I have great faith in them. That's not to say I don't get bitten but I win far more than I lose. 

For me the complete report would be a hybrid of manheim's bodywork and interior report and the bca mechanical report.

[Mark101 536]

2 hours ago, Lakeside said:

Bca assured 1st to reverse isn’t static, again when I went for my interview I was shown the complete process. It’s select first gear, fast acceleration up to 20mph, stop then reverse back to the start line. 

Then brake test is hard acceleration to 30mph then hard braking at a marked stopping point.

 

What’s the point of 0-20 if in the very next test you do 0-30? 

[grant8064 219]

3 hours ago, BHM said:

If only a slipping clutch was always found in first gear. Nowadays I’m getting more & more that feel fine at rest but the springs have gone weak and only start slipping after a few miles when warm & in higher gears. In the last couple of months I’ve had this courtesy of a Honda FRV, Galaxy TDCi & Saab Aero - in every one the clutch plate friction material was barely half worn. 

Snap. Had a Mini, Mazda 3, ix20 recently that were all minters on the forecourt but on a run to the petrol station a couple of miles away they'd be like a wet fish in 3rd or 4th. Luckily they were all customer swappers/sales so you get the opportunity to go for a run in them first.

[Lakeside 94]

2 hours ago, Mark101 said:

What’s the point of 0-20 if in the very next test you do 0-30? 

No idea. Only difference is they fit a brake force meter in the car for the brake test so maybe it only works at a certain speed.

[AVON VALLEY 3]

Manheim surecheck "static gearbox check " whats that? 

[BHM 994]

A load of old boloney. 

[andymc1973 199]

it all boils down to how many cars you buy, always has done always will do

[DHill 16]

1 hour ago, andymc1973 said:

it all boils down to how many cars you buy, always has done always will do

Most definitely. I get looked after by BCA, manheim don't want to know when I've had issues. Their surecheck is useless to me.

[D&M 66]

On 4/19/2018 at 6:45 PM, met said:

Well yes, we all know that. But, the vendors must be applying some thought process into whether a car is sold on a surecheck or not? I don't think they prefer to surecheck a car with 'issues'. Basically if you are going to 'cherry pick' the cars to surecheck make sure the cherry isn't a rotten one?

Sorry, I don't think you understand the point i'm making

Apologies, didn't read the last sentence.

I do see your point (reading properly this time), would be interesting to find out if a vendor can just bin a pants surecheck.

I'm sure we've bought a car from BCA that wasn't Assured, but couldn't see the reason why it wouldn't be online. 2009, 50k miles.

Bought it, knackered gearbox!

[Lakeside 94]

28 minutes ago, D&M said:

Apologies, didn't read the last sentence.

I do see your point (reading properly this time), would be interesting to find out if a vendor can just bin a pants surecheck.

I'm sure we've bought a car from BCA that wasn't Assured, but couldn't see the reason why it wouldn't be online. 2009, 50k miles.

Bought it, knackered gearbox!

But on the other hand I’ve seen some cars with a bca assured report that are mostly red and still gone through assured, especially UKCGR. If they were cherry picking then surely bca would of binned the report? Especially as UKCGR are their own cars.

[andymc1973 199]

I buy a lot from Manheim hence they look after me, its simple business 

[Tom 164]

On 19/04/2018 at 6:45 PM, met said:

Well yes, we all know that. But, the vendors must be applying some thought process into whether a car is sold on a surecheck or not? I don't think they prefer to surecheck a car with 'issues'. Basically if you are going to 'cherry pick' the cars to surecheck make sure the cherry isn't a rotten one?

 

I was just stating pal,

Most cars are checked but some slip through the net I guess. I'd rather save £40 or so and not buy one with a report waste of time unless its BCA then I have had refunds on those.