Keeping records worthwhile nowadays?

[danez_yoda]

I have never kept records on my cars and sell private party most of the time. No one ask for them but I give them a summary of the work I have done on the cars and when it was done. They can figure out the next service interval from the manual even though I'm usually over 150K miles when I sell them.

People mostly look at the paint, tires, how clean the interior, trunk, and engine compartment is. Oil level. I usually point out the fluids and they usually just smile and nod.

I think once they see that I know all the maintenance items they are confident that all were properly maintained. Probably better than they would maintain them.

So have any of you run into a situation that having maintenance records were a major negotiation point on the price of the sale?

 

[CKN]

Car dealers could care less at trade in. While there may be an exception or two-their (dealers) lack of caring about your meticulous maintenance has been posted on here several times. I recently traded in a late-beautiful low millage truck for a new one. They first offered low blue book ($21,00.00) and then I told them (by appearance) how the truck could be worth low Blue Book verses high Blue Book. They countered at VERY CLOSE ($25,000.00) to high trade in. They never once asked about oil changes. Private parties could care even less-they are either vehicle specific or budget buyers (if your talking about most vehicles at 150,000 miles). If you have what they want to spend-or the particular vehicle they want-anything else is secondary.

REMEMBER- we are NOT TALKING ABOUT forum members on BITOG-just everybody else.

 

[Onetor]

That would impress me.

 

[4WD]

I have only had them try to dock me 500 because they could not find online service records - that's when I reached for my iPhone pictures and problem solved ...

 

[eljefino]

Only stuff like timing belts you can't see are important to me.

 

[69GTX]

If I'm buying a used, low mileage cream puff that's 5-15 yrs old, I'd pay more if there was documentation as to fluid changes and scheduled maintenance. Lack of coolant and auto transmission fluid changes are potential car killers. The dealers can afford to buy them w/o any specific knowledge as they work on "volume" and have numerous avenues to sell or "dump" vehicles at a profit that you and I don't.

 

[csandste]

I scan every oil change and repair. It's actually been about eight years since I've sold a used car. Rest went to family or (unfortunately) totaled. Can't remember whether I offered buyer record copies or not. Don't think it came up.

 

[Kestas]

My records have been genuinely appreciated by the buyers.

 

[SevenBizzos]

They matter to me. One private party vehicle I bought I talked with the owner for 30 minutes about the car and the maintenance. I had confidence in buying it and it was a good car. I recently sold one where the guy actually asked what kind of oil I used and took my maintenance folder with him at sale.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I like to know of the service records and look at carfax. The only time anyone really cared about records was when I sold our Honda Accord and it had recenty had the water pump, timing belt and tensioner as well as a belt replacement done. The person that bought it literally wanted to know every detail about that car and she was a single female. She was the most inquisitive buyer I have ever seen in my life and she asked more questions than you can believe. I emailed her stuff back and forth for a couple days such as pictures and receipt copies. That is the only car where anyone really cared about maintenance. I took an 87 Corvette to a dealership to trade in on a 98 Corvette and he took the receipts and threw them in the garbage right there. He would rather not sell the car with receipts so everyone is different. Most buyers just talk with me and are in a hurry to get the vehicle and go with very little small talk.

 

[Kira]

Earlier on, potential buyers acknowledged my mentioning maintenance with a nod.

More recently, buyers seem happy to see my list of maintenance tasks. I list everything.

One guy mentioned that some of my entries were "just for light bulbs". I countered by telling him that an entry gives you a mileage mark on the vehicle's time line and that you can see there are no abnormal patterns to bulb burnouts. He appeared to like my answer. I know he loved the use of dielectric grease.

For the past 20 years however, buyers react positively to an envelope full of receipts and an organized, printed history.
Computers have these chart making programs in them, if you didn't know.
Both my sister's Jeep Cherokees, a '99 Honda, my '95 Subaru and previous 2 Volvos', 2 Chevys I sold for neighbors and my family's Saabs went with an envelope and printed tabulation.

HISTORICAL ANECDOTE:
I lined and headed a stiff, string closure envelope for a pal when he got his Ford truck.
He laughed at the idea of placing a receipt into an envelope and marking it down vs throwing it on the floor.
That bothered me. Helically threaded fastener him.

The things he's done to that truck with nothing but a failing memory to recall them.
Spring shackle, gas tank, brakes & brake lines, trannie pan drop & filter change, spark coil (no COPs on this 4.6), coolant chemical flush & fill, shocks, exhaust manifolds & pipes & muffler and more.
I told him, "This envelope accelerates any sale AND makes you more money....and it's free".

Now that we're older I tell guys it'll be easier for your widow to sell your vehicle with records.

Nobody listens......Happy New Year

 

[Duffyjr]

First thing I do when I buy a vehicle is create a manila envelope and stick every receipt in it. Most of the time when I hand it over to the new owner they don't seem to care but this last time I sold a 1999 LeSabre and the after they handed me the cash I asked him what it was that made him purchase it and he told me one of them was looking at all the documentation I had. The other two things he mentioned were low miles (104k) and it had newer tires.

 

[Oildudeny]

This day with lazy millennial generation that has no money and welfare suckers looking for beaters all they care about is the price. Heck in N.Y.a vehicle valued over $2,000 is a reduction in welfare benefits.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

I never sold a vehicle to Private Party.
Most of my vehicles go to the Junk Yard.

My Brother sold a vehicle to a Private Party.
They didn't even open the hood.

I keep good records, not for a future buyer, but for myself.
These records dictate PM work gets done ontime and also that I don't waste money doing unnecessary work.

If I ever sell my vehicle, hopefully it would be to a person who has - pride of ownership.

 

[dogememe]

I've bought and sold over a dozen cars in the last five or so years and neither bothered to keep records nor ask for them. Now I do keep an Excel spreadsheet, mainly so I remember what I did and when, and I do report DIY oil changes to MyCarFax, but it seems people don't really care.

 

[Eddie]

I keep oil/filter records on the Mazda website as well as new tire/battery dates etc. The Mazda website is updates with dealer service input. Ed

 

[Donald]

Well there are records and there are receipts. I track service on a Excel spreadsheet. I keep a few receipts. Mainly for my own use. I do not think I have given any service records to anyone who bought a car from me in a private sale.

 

[supton]

Doesn't take very much work to write down records in a log book, nor to transfer to Excel when I feel like it. Receipts go into storage with all other receipts; most warranties are for original purchaser and not transferable, thus if I sell a vehicle the buyer isn't going to get those (they're filed away and not of any use to them anyhow). I've only sold a couple of vehicles private party; one buyer liked seeing my scribbles but otherwise didn't care. Then again he bought off a forum where I had participated for years, so maybe that was in my favor, dunno. Otherwise my record keeping hasn't been of any help.

I also buy boring cars. It's not like I'm selling a V12 with 12,000 miles and has been garaged all its life.

 

[Nick1994]

I used to keep paper receipts and records for everything. I'd write the mileage and what I did to it on the back of a manilla envelope. When I sold my truck 5 years ago, the guy told me that because of that stack of receipts and folder of records, he wasn't gonna barter on the price.

Now I keep all records in the Fuelly app and I can export to an Excel sheet.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

I buy a pocket sized spiral notebook and keep in glovebox of every car. Note all maintenance as you do it so you don't forget. Easy and effective. It is for me not the next guy who probably doesn't care. I sold my MINT Cadillac Deville and a week later it was in a hit and run. Title wasn't even transferred.