23/06/2008

Online values do not tally with those in the Guide

You valued my Golf at £7,230 in excellent condition for trade-in. Today a reputable VW dealer confirmed it as being in excellent condition but showed me his guide which said £6,600.

He said he pays hundreds of pounds for regular updates and said that if your online service was accurate he could save this money. At the very least i was made to look foolish in hoping to achieve such a price not to mention you have charged me £3.50 for the pleasure.

Is there any link between his prices and and the one you supplied? And, if he is correct should I have saved my money and time?

Hello Christopher,

The numbers in the Guide are not adjusted for mileage, options and condition; those adjustments need to be made manually using the tables at the front and rear of the book, and also a degree of experience in valuing for excellent condition against the 'average' condition the Guide values all cars at. The online numbers are adjusted for all these things. They are derived from the same core data and, if the book is used properly, then both will tally to within a few pounds.

Glass's have nothing to gain by telling consumers that their cars are worth more than our market opinion, whatever that number is. But at end of the day, it's an opinion, and dealers are not buying your car with our chequebook. So while we would say your car is worth x-amount based on what we are seeing with similar cars in the marketplace, we cannot force the dealer to pay this amount for your car. He will decide what he is willing to pay, and will use every angle possible to bring you to that point, as makes commercial sense. This would include debunking our opinion, which he pays 'hundreds of pounds a year for'!

Sincerely,

John Glynn
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