If you have ever had to sell a car, you’ll know how time consuming it can be, which makes the thought of selling your car to We Buy Any Car very tempting. We’ve personally sold cars to the brand multiple times and so have friends and family members too. However, if you haven’t sold a car to the brand before or you simply want to learn more about the process, below is all the information you need along with our We Buy Any Car review based upon our first hand experience.
Who Owns We Buy Any Car?
We Buy Any Car was initially founded by Noel and Darren McKee in 2006 but it was eventually bought out by BCA (British Car Auctions) in 2013. Therefore, as of writing this article, BCA (British Car Auctions) own We Buy Any Car.
What Do We Buy Any Car Do With The Cars?
Due to BCA owning We Buy Any Car, they are able to sell the cars that they buy in their own auctions without any of the fees. Therefore, this makes the purchase of We Buy Any Car a very profitable business acquisition for BCA.
With regards to the cars that go from We Buy Any Car to BCA, they are mostly sold to car dealers nationwide but there are some auctions that are open to the public.
What Cars Did We Sell & How Much Did We Get?
To display our first hand experience with We Buy Any Car, we’ve sold the following cars with the brand and we based our review upon our experience whist dealing with them.
- Audi RS6 (2015) – £43,516.64
- Fiat 500 (2018) – £7,326.09
- Mercedes ML350 (2013) – £14,094.06
As you can see from the above cars, they vary in price and below is the type of receipt you’ll receive.
The grand total is slightly lower than the actual amount received due to the added fees and optional extras (as discussed below). However, we are showing you the above receipt as evidence of using We Buy Any Car for our review.
How Does We Buy Any Car Work
If you want to sell your car through We Buy Any Car, it’s very simple to do. Firstly, you’ll need to enter your car’s number plate into their registration checker along with its current mileage and then click “Value my car”.
After confirming that the registration checker has found your car, you’ll then need to enter your e-mail address, post code (to find your local branch) and mobile number to receive your valuation. Once you’ve confirmed the details, you’ll be greeted with your car’s valuation along with available appointment dates.
However, before booking your appointment, you’ll want to read through the list of assumptions about your car and update it where applicable. For example, you may wish to add details of any damage to your car that may reduce its valuation.
What To Bring With You
If you want to proceed with the valuation, you’ll want to bring the following when you attend the scheduled appointment:
- Key(s)
- Service history
- V5 logbook
- Bank details
- Two forms of ID (passport and proof of your address)
- Finance settlement letter
- Any extras (such as locking wheel nuts, security codes and so on)
What To Do Before The Appointment
Before you go to the appointment, you’ll want to clear out the car and remove any non-standard additions such as roof bars. It’s also highly recommended that you wash your car because the assessor will need to examine your car for damage, which may be hidden by dirt. If you attend the appointment with a dirty car, the assessor will use a cloth to wipe down common damaged areas that are hidden by dirt.
If you have the time to do so, we highly recommend polishing your car (we have a list of some the best polishes) in order to remove any light scratches and other defects in the paintwork.
How Much Do They Knock Off
The main criticism most people have is how much We Buy Any Car knock off the valuation. The decrease of the valuation is a result of the inspection where the assessor will look at the car’s panels, wheels, windscreen and interior for any defects. If they find any defects that weren’t declared in the assumptions, it’ll decrease the final valuation of your car.
In terms of how much We Buy Any Car knock off, there is no fixed amount per defect found. Instead, the assessor will input any defects found into their computer, which then uses a complex algorithm to calculate the final valuation.
The price knocked off the valuation is usually a percentage of the car’s value, which means defects found on more expensive cars will result in larger decreases in the valuation.
Therefore, if you are selling a mid-range or premium car, it’s worth looking at the cost to respray or repair the damaged panels. However, if your car is of low value, the amount that’s knocked off may not be worth the cost of repairing it.
How Long Do They Take To Pay?
After you’ve agreed a price for your car, you may be wondering how long it takes We Buy Any Car to pay you. Depending upon your requirements, the brand will provide you with three different payment options that include:
- Payment within 4 working days – No charge
- Payment within the next working day – £24.75 (as shown in the invoice above)
- Payment within 30 minutes – £29.75
The speed at which you want the payment to be received is a matter of personal preference but we usually opt for the next working day option for peace of mind.
Our Review of We Buy Any Car
As mentioned above, we’ve sold a number of cars to We Buy Any Car that vary from £8,000 to £43,000. This means that we are in a good position to provide a honest review of the brand.
To begin our review, we decided to sell our cars to We Buy Any Car because we didn’t want the hassle of selling the cars ourselves. The fact that you can get a valuation of your car within 30 seconds and book an appointment for the same day is impeccable service. You also don’t need to deal with the countless phone calls and timewasters, which is one of the worst things about selling your car and the reason why We Buy Any Car is so popular.
Some of the benefits we found whilst using We Buy Any Car include:
- Guaranteed sale and cash in your bank
- Over 400 branches, which means there should be a local branch to you
- Higher valuations than most We Buy Any Car alternatives
- Assessors always seem to be very friendly
- V5 is completed instantly online for peace of mind
However, some of the drawbacks we found include:
- Quite “picky” when searching for damage
- Additional fee for a next day transaction
To conclude, we were very happy each time we used We Buy Any Car and we would highly recommend using them if you want a quick and easy sale. If you have read some of the negative reviews online, you’ll find that most people complain about the valuations being a lot less after it has been assessed. However, if you state any of your car’s damage within the assumptions list beforehand, this shouldn’t be an issue when you arrive at the appointment.
Conclusion
Hopefully our We Buy Any Car review has given you an insight of what it’s like to sell your car with the brand. As shown by our review, we would highly recommend them for a hassle-free and quick sale of your car. The only time we wouldn’t consider selling through the brand is if the valuation was too low or the car was a classic, modified or written-off vehicle.
If you feel that you need further information regarding We Buy Any Car or questions about our review, feel free to get in touch and we will try to provide our assistance where possible.
