car: 53 reg BMW 66 k miles - seller (dealer?) does not have service history but has old MOTs and offers 6 month warranty.
stay clear or worth a look?
Wouldn't be a deal breaker for me but would definitely be a bargaining tool. Would you intend to resell the car at any point or would you run it
in to the ground?
Cheers
Davie
Depends on price really, selling it on without could be a problem when you're done with it.
In reality what does SH mean, I always mark filters and the like before a service, and have caught a main agent on both services they did, an
independent for the last 5 has done fine..... So it is no guarantee all service items have been done on each stamp.
Be careful cars can do lots of miles before first mot!!!!!! How many owners, plus can be clocked before each mot !!!!!!???????
good points. not sure how long I plan to keep it (it is Z4 BTW, £ 6k - it it wee £ 16k then fsh would be a big issue)
For an 11 year old car I'd be looking at overall condition, there will be lots of clues on the cars condition that are worth more than a few
stamps on a bit of paper (and as mentioned, plenty of dodgy service people out there). And yes it does affect value, but while you might not get as
much for it at the end it also means you shouldn't have to pay as much to buy it, so swings and roundabouts really.
You might be able to contact BMW and see whether they have any record of it being serviced?
As above.... in reality a fully stamped service book means bugger all on anything over 10 years old...
I would buy on condition more than what the paperwork says....
oddly I have the origional sales reciept for my 14 year old polo along with every single reciept for every single thing ever done to it along with
every single tax disk..... Doubt it makes the car worth more...
I agree condition is key but if the cars costing 6k I would want some history....as we'll or am I being greedy?
A service history is only as good as the last time it was missed or done on the cheap!
Look at the number plates or window stickers to see who supplied the car and ask them for any SH. Failing that, ask at any franchised dealer and they
should be able to give you a printout.
quote:
Originally posted by ian locostzx9rc2
Be careful cars can do lots of miles before first mot!!!!!! How many owners, plus can be clocked before each mot !!!!!!???????
^ that was the response in my head too.
condition every time for me - paperwork is nice, but not necessary
I service my own cars and don't really keep much paperwork for anything, but I bet you mine are better looked after than any garage serviced
cars...
saying that the two oldest cars I've had came with a full record of all the work done (21 and 11 years old when I got them) mostly invoices from
the local garages, but the only reason I believed what was on the paperwork was I knew the previous owner and the garages !