FAQ

Any listing for a motor vehicle carries basic Terms & Conditions but for further information please see below:

Who are you?

We are a long established company based in Colchester, Essex. Our main business with regard to motor vehicles has been management & sourcing of vehicles to corporate clients. We have a lot of cars pass through and access to many sources and in 2005 started offering them on ebay and other direct sales methods as a means of disposal via our direct sales outlet Webcarmart. Since then we have built up a significant local and national customer base with many repeat purchases. Our specialist area is Volvos but we also deal in other selected sports cars and also often have a range of vehicles we have taken in part exchange. We are not a showroom or a retail outlet and don’t pretend to be but neither are we a trader operating from home masquerading as a private seller. We operate from offices and vehicles are stored in a secure depot. We are a VAT registered company which has been in business since 1984.

The company is run by 3 principle people, Nigel (sales), Paul (purchasing) and Chris (web design) plus John our ever reliable man with a spanner. None of us are car salesman - we are are just normal car enthusiasts who love working with cars. We never try to sell somebody a car - we present it as is and allow them to make up their own mind. If you want high pressure salesman, pot plants, acres of block paving, to be force fed GAP insurance, expensive finance and warranties you don't need we're probably not the people for you. If, on the other hand, you prefer to deal in a straight manner with honest normal friendly people who won't try to sell you anything and who know their cars then maybe you should give us a try. Sometimes, we've even remembered to switch the coffee pot on in the morning!

We are very proud to say many of the people we have sold cars to have become friends who call in when passing for a chat.

Classified or Auction

Most of are cars are sold via conventional methods - local and national advertising including classified advertisements and "buy-it-now" on ebay. We have sold cars to all over the UK and Ireland - because of our proximity to Stansted Airport we have a large number of customers in Scotland and Ireland. All cars advertised at a fixed price include a 3 month parts/labour driveline warranty. We usually have many more cars in stock than advertised on ebay - if you are after anything in particular, particularly if it is a Volvo, please call or email us.

We often offer some cars via ebay auctions, frequently with no reserve. These cars are in no way inferior to those offered at fixed price but are often part exchanges we want to release our capital from as fast as possible, stock cars which have been in stock for some time or sometimes just a particularly appealing car we think will do well on an auction. Because of the usual prices realised in auctions we can only offer a basic 45-day/2000 mile fault coverage and we recommend you consider an auction sale as a sold-as-seen purchase.

Do you offer viewings and test drives?

On auctions, because of the way we operate as a general rule, no, we offer very comprehensive and honest descriptions instead. However, we will make exceptions if we have the time available – please contact us if you really want to view a car. Any winning bidders will be given a good opportunity to view the car and offered a test drive (we have fully comprehensive cover for test drives) before completion. If you wish to discuss a car please call us on 01206 570191 during office hours. Classified advertisements are of course available for viewing.

Do you offer used car warranties?

No, we do not sell 3rd party warranties. We find them poor value and generally misleading. These can be purchased directly from various suppliers and we recommend you do this if you want a warranty and you should consider any ebay auction sale primarily as “trade basis”. Most listings will include an estimated figure for a comprehensive warranty as a guidance which is provided for information only and shouldn’t be considered an endorsement of a particular product.

What guarantees do you offer?

We recognise our obligations under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 as a trader which, in summary, means that (a) customers can expect and are entitled to a vehicle that is of satisfactory quality i.e. a vehicle must be of a standard a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory quality for the age and mileage not including any faults or defects pointed out at time of sale, (b) the vehicle is suitable for reasonable European road driving excluding any faults pointed out at time of sale and (c) the vehicle corresponds with the description, i.e. a 2001/51 Renault Clio 1.2 Expression is of that age, type and model.

Do you offer finance?

No, we do not. We recommend buyers obtain finance independently if needed. Dealers are usually only keen to sell a finance package because they make money on it - you will almost certainly get a better deal going directly to a financial institution. Please ensure this is in place before bidding. We do accept credit cards subject to a 2.5% fee (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and Debit cards which have no extra fees.

Do you take part exchange?

Very rarely on no reserve auctions. We recommend you sell any cars privately. If you are absolutely desperate to move a car on, contact us with the details and we may consider it. We will take part exchange on fixed price cars in the same manner as any dealer. Naturally, as we specialise in them, we are always interested in good condition Volvo's.

What is the reserve?

Some vehicles are offered for sale with reserves. In all cases the reserve will be below the current CAP Black Book trade price. In the event of a reserve not being met we may offer the car to the highest bidder.

Where do I collect the car?

Cars can be collected during normal office hours from Colchester, Essex. Out of hours collections are sometime possible by prior arrangement. We are happy to collect buyers from the local station. In the event of delivery being required this must be paid for in advance and is non refundable. Delivery will either be carried out on trailer or trade plates.

Are cars taxed?

In the event of a car not being taxed (most are not) we recommend you bring an insurance certificate with you and we will assist you to tax the car at a nearby post office at time of collection or make arrangements with us to tax it in advance for you. It is the buyers responsibility to ensure the car is road legal in terms of insurance and tax after purchase.

Car Descriptions

We try and be as honest as we can with descriptions. We are not infallible and may occasionally miss something as we see a lot of cars but if the car does not match the description in any major way the winning bidder is under no obligation to complete and any costs (including deposits) will be refunded immediately. These are used cars and we do not list every single tiny mark or imperfection – we point out anything major we spot but a reasonable assumption should be made for wear and tear based on age and mileage.

Contact Details

Our address is: Webcarmart, Dugard House, Peartree Road, Colchester, Essex CO3 0UL. Tel 01206 570191, Fax 01206 579082, email cars@webcarmart.co.uk

Our parent company was Established in 1984. VAT Registration No. 898 7743 35.

Useful Links

Parkers Guide Valuations

What Car? Valuations

Warranty Works Used Car Warranties

Wisebuyers Used Car Valuations

Warranty Direct

Warranty Wise

Our promises

We aim to keep to high standards and give buyers confidence in our cars. To that end, unless specified otherwise in the listing, we aim to sell cars on ebay with:

Full and traceable service histories
Verified Mileage
In retail or close to a retail standard you would find on a dealer's forecourt

We do not sell cars that:

Have been written off ("Insurance Total Loss")
That do not have verifiable mileages
That have known major mechanical faults (unless specified in the listing)
That have any outstanding finance
Are not owned outright by ourselves
Are not UK registered
Do not have a valid MOT
Are on any "condition alert" registers