Selling your car with Cazoo Cars
If you’re thinking of selling your car but don’t want to go down the route of selling it privately, then you might want to consider Cazoo.
Selling your car privately is likely the best way to get the most money for it. But it can be time-consuming and pretty daunting too. The thought of showing strangers around my car wouldn’t sit too well with me. My Dad, who’s pretty clued up on these things, was actually the victim of an attempted scam when he tried to sell my Uncle’s car after he passed away. Three men turned up to view the car and whilst my Dad was talking to one of them, another put something in the exhaust to make it smoke so that they could try to get the car much cheaper. Fortunately, my Dad realised what was going on, but the men then turned quite nasty. After they left they continued to call my Dad and threaten him. Thankfully, it all ended pretty quickly, but it does worry me.
Companies such as Cazoo and We Buy Any Car and other alternatives offer a way to sell your car quickly without any of that hassle. But before you sell your car, if you have a private number plate that you think could be worth some money, consider selling this separately, before selling your car to Cazoo or We Buy Any Car. This way you will make some extra money on top of your car sale.
Who is Cazoo?
Cazoo is a British online car retailer based in London. The company was first founded in 2018 by internet entrepreneur Alex Chesterman OBE. In 2021, the company went international launching their used car marketplace in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. However, in September 2022, Cazoo closed all of its international operations leaving just its UK business to continue.
How does Cazoo work?
Cazoo work in a similar way to We Buy Any Car. You enter your car registration details into their website along with details of the car’s service history, mileage and current condition. Cazoo will then give you a price and it’s up to you to decide whether you’re happy to go ahead or not.
If you’re happy with the price, you can then go on to make an appointment to drop your car off at one of their customer care centres. Alternatively, you can arrange for them to come and collect your car, but they do charge a fee of £149 for collection.
Why use Cazoo?
There are a number of reasons why people choose to sell their cars through companies such as Cazoo.
- No risk of being scammed
- Quick sale
Part exchange
As well as buying cars, Cazoo sell cars too and you can part exchange your car when you buy a used car through them. In order to part-ex your car, you will need to have at least two weeks remaining on your current MOT certificate.
Pros of using Cazoo
- Quick sale
- Convenient – arrange a time that suits you
- Cazoo will collect your car for a fee
- Guaranteed sale as long as your car meets their criteria
- Cazoo will make sure all of the required paperwork is completed properly
Cons of using Cazoo
- You won’t get as much as you would if you sold privately
- You may get less than the original quote if the Handover Specialist finds any extra scratches or damage to your car
Do Cazoo charge any fees?
If you take your car to one of the customer centres then you won’t pay any fees. However, if you’re unable to get to a customer centre and you need your car to be collected, you will be charged a fee of £149.
How do you get paid?
You will be paid via bank transfer into your personal account. They cannot make payments into business accounts or accounts registered outside of the United Kingdom.
How do Cazoo valuations compare with other companies?
I did a little research into the prices offered by Cazoo and similar companies for my Vauxhall Zafira and my husband’s Vauxhall Corsa. These were the prices I was quoted.
| Company | Vauxhall Zafira | Vauxhall Corsa |
| Parkers | £2,305 – £2,900 | £1,485 – £2,285 |
| Exchange My Car | £2,850 | £2,000 |
| We Want Any Car | £3,735 | £2,701 |
| Motorway | £3,574 | £2,486 |
| The Car Buying Group | £3,395 | £2,377 |
| Cazoo | £3,025 | £1,925 |
| Cinch | £3,008 | £1,982 |
| CarWow | £3,623 | £2,547 |
| Money4YourMotors | £3,752 | £2,616 |
As you can see, the prices varied quite a lot between companies, and Cazoo sits fairly centrally amongst them all. I would definitely take the time to get a wide range of different quotes before making a decision when the time comes to sell your car.
Cazoo Adverts
Cazoo launched their Cazoo Yeah campaign a few years ago and used this for their advertising for both buying and selling secondhand cars. “Can you sell your car online with a guaranteed price? Cazoo yeah you can.”
FAQ
Here are some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Cazoo.
Will Cazoo pay the amount they quote?
As with all of the companies offering to buy your car in this way, the quote you receive initially is always subject to change. Cazoo will carry out their own inspection of your car and the Handover Specialist will then give you a new updated quote. This is often less than the initial quote so it’s worth bearing this in mind. You can reject the new quote though if you’re not happy with it.
Will Cazoo collect my car?
If you can’t get your car to a customer centre, Cazoo will arrange a time to collect your car but this will incur a fee of £149. You will be given a four-hour time slot and receive a message to let you know when they are on their way. Cazoo calls their agents Handover Specialists. They will arrive wearing a Cazoo uniform and have an ID card on them so that you know you’re dealing with the right people.
Note that Cazoo will only collect cars that are valued at less than £25,000. If your car is valued at £25,000 or more, you will need to arrange to take it to a Cazoo customer centre.
Will they buy my car if it’s on finance?
Yes. But the valuation must be higher than the outstanding amount of finance in order for the finance to be cleared. You will need to have a settlement letter from the finance provider which you will need to send to Cazoo via email before handover.
Will Cazoo buy any car?
Unlike other online car buyers, Cazoo doesn’t resell the cars they buy at auction or to other trade companies. Instead, they sells them directly to consumers. For this reason, they is a little pickier than some of the others. They have a list of reasons why they won’t buy certain cars. According to their website, they won’t buy cars that:
- Are different from the description you gave us
- Have issues identified by a car history check
- Have major accident damage, been stolen or scrapped
- Have mileage discrepancies
- Have tyres that aren’t road legal
- Have been used for taxi, private hire, chauffeur or rental purposes
- Have been used for driving lessons
- Have been used as a police vehicle or by a local authority
- Have insurance issues
- Have been written off
- Have been imported or exported
- Have mechanical or electrical faults
- Haven’t got a valid MOT
- Haven’t been first registered in the UK
- Are valued by us at £65,000 or more
- Are older than 15 years old
- Have been modified
How long is a valuation valid for?
A valuation is valid for 7 days.
Will Cazoo buy a car that isn’t taxed?
They will buy untaxed cars but only if you arrange for them to be collected from your driveway, garage or private land. You cannot drive an untaxed vehicle to a customer centre, and they will not collect an untaxed vehicle that is parked on the road.
