Bit nervous just bought a car through Cardwell Transport anyone else done the same?

[Mututing]

Hi all,

I’ve just gone and purchased a Toyota Hilux Invincible from Cardwell Transport, based in Belfast. Saw it advertised on eBay and they said it was an ex-finance repossession, recently picked up from auction.

Price wasn’t stupid cheap but definitely under what I’ve been seeing elsewhere so I went for it. They told me it should be with me within about a week. Payment went into a business account they described as a “segregated account” until I receive and ok the vehicle!

All sounded fine at the time but now the money’s gone through I’m starting to overthink it a bit

Anyone here actually dealt with them before or done this sort of thing???

Thanks!
 

[Bitxx]

I get why you’re feeling like that as there’s loads of dodgy listings floating about these days so it’s hard not to question it after the fact
If they’re genuinely using some sort of holding account that’s already a better sign than most. Still, I’d be checking everything twice
 

[HushedGamer]

Yeah I’d trust your gut on these things buying a car without seeing it in person isn’t something I’d normally do, but that’s just me...
 

[Hypabl]

Did you ask about going up there to see it yourself? Usually if a company has nothing to hide they won’t have an issue with you viewing or even collecting in person
If they try to dodge that question, that’s when I’d start worrying

[Mututing]

I actually did ask spoke to them on the phone and they said I was welcome to come up, even gave me directions to where they’re located near to George Best Airport in the end I couldn’t justify the trip so went with delivery instead.

Had a look around online as well and found a few people saying they’d used them, nothing screaming “avoid” which is what pushed me to go ahead.

Still feels a bit strange though not gonna lie!
 

[LunaCraze]

I’ve been around transport/logistics for years and the Cardwell Transport name has popped up before. They’ve been more known for moving stuff rather than selling cars from what I’ve seen, but a lot of these firms have started adding vehicle sales on the side
Doesn’t automatically mean anything dodgy
 

[TraumaLaugh]

It always sounds a bit too neat when they explain it, but not every company doing repo cars is out to rip people off as long as you’ve actually spoken to them and checked details, you’ve probably done more than most

[Accomis]

I actually bought through Cardwell Transport got a 2022 Mercedes GLC from them, no complaints from me if I’m honest.
They sent loads of photos and even the v5c document before I paid
Took about 8–9 days to arrive and it turned up in very good condition

[HeadlinesQuick]

To be fair, companies like that have a hard time these days, so many fake sites and scams about that even legit ones look suspicious! I had a look at their site out of curiosity, doesn’t look like one of those thrown together overnight jobs, and they’re properly registered as well which is something with all the details matched.
 

[Kiddokt]

My experience was alright, not perfect

Bought a 2018 Audi A4 from them, the car itself is great mechanically, no complaints there. Only thing was it had a few more marks than I expected from the pictures. Delivery also took a bit longer than they first said, think it ended up being around 11 days

To their credit though, I raised it and they offered me some money towards getting the cosmetic bits sorted, so they didn’t just brush it off!

[HushedGamer]

That’s the sort of thing that would annoy me more than anything, photos never tell the full story
 

[Kiddokt]

You got that right! They really handled it like pros, even offering me a full refund and saying they'd swing by to pick up the car from my place. But honestly, with a few dings here and there, it's no skin off my nose. We're talking about a 7 year old ride here, after all! 

[Mututing]

the Hilux arrived this morning ! Going to get it checked over properly tomorrow just for peace of mind but so far no issues.
 

[HeadlinesQuick]

Nice one, sounds like it’s worked out then
 

[ZappaZeek]

Bit off topic but I’ve used Cardwell Transport for moving stuff before had them bring a classic arcade machine up from Belfast to Glasgow earlier this year. Handled it properly, packed well, kept me updated the whole way
If they run their car side the same way it doesn’t surprise me people are having decent experiences

[engrol]

Good thread this

Always useful seeing real experiences rather than just guessing

Not everything online is a scam, just need to be a bit switched on with it