Last week, I told you all I was selling my Land Rover Discovery, for obvious reasons. I was flooded with supportive comments and a few from you overseas folks saying “Well my Range Rover has never left me stranded.” Okay, well your Range Rover was probably kissed by Queen Lizzie herself to ensure a life of longevity. Mine was cursed by a guy named George as he frantically tried screwing the thing together at the plant in Solihull.
I decided that I would submit my Discovery to Bring A Trailer and Cars and Bids, just to see. It’s a unique and classic vehicle, right? You don’t see many of them around anymore and someone would be happy to have it. Well, I guess there’s a reason why you don’t see many of them up for sale on those sites. It’s simply a liability.
Listing a car at the auction house is a detailed, time-intensive procedure. I am not surprised that these two major auction houses rejected my car. They both have rather intricate application processes, but in their own unique ways. Cars and Bids has a simpler, less rigorous application compared to Bring A Trailer. There are two steps for submitting your vehicle on C&B.
Cars and Bids Application Process
They first questions ask for general information like the vehicle’s VIN, make, model, noteworthy features, mileage, and location. Simple enough, right?
I figured my Discovery would be able to pass this part at least. No mechanical flaws, at the moment. A+.
The second part asks for pictures, title status, and if you’d like to place a reserve on the vehicle. When submitting, I opted for no-reserve. Risky, but if someone were to win my Discovery for $500, I’d shrug my shoulders and wish them luck in further maintenance.
Cars and Bids, replied almost instantly to my application within two days. Perhaps Doug didn’t pity my ownership as a young Land Rover owner? So my Disco did not pass Cars and Bid’s application; did I expect it to get accepted at Bring A Trailer? No. Did I still submit it? Absolutely. Their process was a bit more strict and tedious, take a look at some of the differences.
Bring A Trailer Application
Bring A Trailer required additional information about engine replacements, bodywork, and rust, something that Cars and Bids did not ask or require to be shared in the application. I particularly like the line “Be thorough- you don’t want commenters to do this for you.” These folks are the heroes of any auction. They expose the truth about a potentially lying seller. Good job BAT for recognizing this. They’d probably find out my Disco was used in a murder car chase through Manhattan back in 2005.
After inputting this information, it took about a week to hear back from BAT. I suspect they were speculating on whether or not they should pity this kid and his old Land Rover. Eventually, they must have all laughed, said the hell with it, and sent me that letter they had on standby.
Anyway, why do I speculate the auction houses rejected my Discovery?
Why Did They Reject Me?
An old 165,000 mile Land Rover on an enthusiast website? Sure that’s typical, but a Discovery? Yikes. I bet the liability of taking perhaps the worst Land Rover in terms of reliability onto an auction site is greater than the $2 profit an auction house would get out of it. These cars aren’t worth a lot in this condition for a reason.
It also doesn’t help that I am the fourth owner. The first owner had it as a company vehicle for two years. The second owner had it for the longest, from 2003-2021, when he must’ve sent it to the auction once he got sick of it. The third owner, whom I purchased from, had it for only a few months, if that. I, the fourth owner, swooped in July 2022 and have had it ever since. It’s been tossed around like a hot potato. I wonder why!
Then there are cosmetic issues , which typically don’t bother me. The headliner is sagging, the front bumper is cracked, and it’s covered in dings and scratches. It was a New York City truck, after all. I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point someone took a whiz on it while parked on 34th Street. Someone even scratched their name into the paint. It looks like George. Why, George, just why?
“overseas folks saying “Well my Range Rover has never left me stranded.” “
Either they lease from new (thus avoiding the aging issues these have), have selective memory or they don’t drive much. Can’t get stranded if you don’t go anywhere in the first place.
I’ve observed the same kind of behavior from VAG owners.
And I would reject your old Land Rover too. With its age and mileage, it’s only fit for Craigslist… and Kijiji.
I’ve sold 3 cars on C&B. Positive experiences for the most part. My MINI Cooper Clubman S sold for a LOT more than I expected to to. Dude flew from LA to east TN and drive it back to LA. My other two sales went for about what I thought they would.
I’ve submitted a few to BaT, but they have declined.
It would be interesting to see if Carmax would offer you money for it.
youd probably have to pay carmax to take it
Am I the only one who finds it a bit funny that a site who’s name implies you’ll be towing the vehicle home won’t even take this Disco?
Exactly! More like “Bring A Trust Fund”
Is bringashovel.com a thing?
Given Internet Rule 34, I’m afraid to do that search…
Or bringatowtruck.com
I always thought it was trying to imply higher quality cars. like Trailer Queens.
Right?! I feel that BAT has gone way upmarket. Maybe they changed the reason to bring a trailer from “It doesn’t run” to “It’s a trailer queen”.
If it’s any consolation, BaT passed on my 10AE NB Miata (though Cars & Bids did accept it, but there were some sale complications). Ended up selling it on Facebook Marketplace for more than I paid for it to another Miata enthusiast. Hope you can eventually sell it!
I’ve listed 3 vehicles on BaT and sold 2 on the platform. All great experiences. I would recommend it to anyone that has an enthusiast vehicle that they accept.
The fact it is still running? Miracle from 34th street.
I don’t know if Triple AAA comes on 34th street
Hmm, how does yours compare to this one?
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-land-rover-discovery-ii-39/
3 previous owners, over 100k miles, in what appears to be good shape though.
This Range Rover had 8 previous owners. 8! And some repairs needed it looks like.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1998-land-rover-range-rover-16/
Lot’s o work done on that one. Including the heads…
Not a big fan of Land Rovers, but even less of Doug de Muro.
Agreed, that guy should be forced to drive this disco and only this disco in perpetude.
You may find Doug annoying, but this is way over the line.
Hi Rob!
I know of an auction site that might take it. I think it begins with an E or something.
E-some random field in the middle of nowhere? That’s the one you must be thinking of
Did you try Carvana? They might give you $20,000 for it.
Okay, you got me. I laughed immediately.
Thank you. This is the 2nd highest star rating i have gotten. The other was like 80. You would think COTD would consider the readers opinion? But nooo writers get COTD because they work there.
I’m laughing in class right now.
This one?
https://ewaste.com/
Im not sure what could have really been the issue, but I’ll absolutely throw ya $1000 bucks and update you on my adventures with your old Landie!
Throw in a cup of tea and a biscuit. Then we can talk…
Buddy I’ll whip up the finest Matcha Tea and Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits (a highly underrated combo) right in your yard. I just got my Ancestry back, my last name is Byron and my bloodline comes straight from Nottinghamshire. It’s destiny for me to write poems about this thing broken down on the side of a Trail in Appalachia.
If you English a biscuit is a cookie. But yeah those Red Lobster biscuits are like crack, oops sorry like no dice.
I used to work at a Red Lobster, and the secret is staggering amounts of the cheapest grade of butter. Although they may have changed the recipe since; I have not eaten at a Red Lobster since about 1998.
I see what you did there…
Ugh, I was going to offer $250.
A $1000.00? Rob just spent $1500.00 on repairs in the last month alone.
Sunk cost….
I’m trying to help Rob out, but he will have to learn his lessons the hard way!
(´･_･`)
Considering a used Disco isn’t worth the risk unless it’s free and includes a briefcase with $8000, I’d say a $1000 offer isn’t something to sneeze at…
If he can’t find anyone to buy it , I think he should just donate it to a charity and enjoy a little tax deduction.
Good news, I have a buyer. Y’all are way off. Let’s just say Rob is taking home a little profit; enough to buy a few Discos and even into Land Cruiser/Grand Wagoneer territory 😉
A profit? Even factoring in the $1500.00 repair bill and the original purchase price, you’re still going to make profit? (☉̃ₒ☉)
Stay tuned for an update…
I eagerly await an update 🙂
Projected Update:
How Some Scams Work
Overpayment
In an overpayment scam, a scam artist posing as a buyer sends a bad check or money order to a legitimate seller for more than the asking price of the car, instructing the seller to pay the overage to a third party for shipping or a commission. In reality, that third party is a fake entity set up by the scam artist buyer. Because sellers are often in a hurry to finalize the vehicle’s sale, the seller will typically cash the check or money order and make the payment to the scam artist’s third party before discovering that the original check or money order was fraudulent. Victims can be bilked out of thousands of dollars.
🙁
I’m truly sorry for accidentally lowballing you, I saw where you wrote (If someone wins it for $500 I’d wish them luck) and I thought, I could probably come up with a grand to buy it and another 1000 or so to go get it and get it legal and the wife wouldnt murder me THAT hard lol! I wasnt aware you fixed the blown Head gasket from the last article on this I read.
Watch a charity refuse it…
Charity worker: “Sir, we’re trying to HELP the poor!”
Someone could live in it.
“Skylit Tiny House on 34th Street – Full of British Charm”