Buying a car from Birmingham

[Dave]

I know Birmingham, like Bradford is a no go area for buying cars privately but do you think the same applies to a main dealer?

I've seen an Audi that I fancy in Birmingham Audi, do you think I'd be better saving myself a wasted day and not bothering looking at it?

It's not a particulary rare car so I've no doubt one will turn up a bit closer to home, but it's the car I want with the spec I want and at my target price. I'm just really nervous it's it's had a hard couple of years before it went back at the end of it's PCP

With that in mind do you think there are certain areas that are better to buy from as the original owners of the cars aren't potential crack dealers?

[The Radman]

ex pcp cars ive looked at have been shit, the owners dont seem to look after them at all as they have no intention of keeping them and just have a couple yrs of fun then start again with the next one , quite a few are modded or remapped then returned to standard when the time comes

[R1cey1]

Also many of them have a hair cut on the mileage

[JIM_I]

I went to see a 2 year old x5 at a bmw dealer 2 years ago and the state of it was unbelievable for an almost 50 k car the interior had been wreaked, by the kids, I couldn't believe it, but on the other hand there is a young guy at work who has a golf on pcp and adores it, washed cleaned every week and drives it like a 60 year old, the only way you would know is to have a look

[stevenebm]

It's a minefield regardless mate,make sure it's got good service history and then go have a look.you will know yourself when you see it if it's been looked after or tarted up at the dealers.

[AdamM]

Main dealer should be okay as there’s comeback but absolutely no way from a private seller or dealer imo. I went down to Manchester 2 years ago with a mate to buy an Audi A3 from a “Dealer” after he spotted the advert on eBay, it had a company name ect and car was pictured on a forecourt, we followed the sat nav to a car park at some high rise flats, then pulled up a Range Rover with a bunch of Asian guys in it.

First thoughts where it was one of the many stolen cars and this is how they get rid of them, I did notice that the paint on the bolts that hold the front passenger wing on had cracked off which shows they have been removed.