Planning to buy my son a repo car through Ballinliss Transport any advice?

[StephenWright84]

Hi everyone!

Is Ballinliss Transport safe ? I’ve been searching around for a decent first car for my son and came across a listing on eBay for a 2021 Audi A3, at first I thought it was just a private seller, but it turns out it’s being handled by Ballinliss Transport and apparently they specialise in selling repossessed vehicles sourced from finance recovery auctions

They offer delivery, which would be ideal since I’m based in Bristol but I’m not overly comfortable sending money before seeing the car in person. Has anyone actually dealt with them? Are they genuine, or am I right to be cautious?

[James_Cam00]

Hi can’t say I’ve used Ballinliss Transport myself, but whenever it comes to repo cars, always do your homework. I bought a Ford S-Max from an auction near Reading last year and it turned out great. If the deal looks unusually cheap take your time and verify everything

[Jul4ster]

Do they have a physical location you can visit? Even if it’s a long drive seeing the car in person and checking it over properly is always the safest option before transferring funds

[StephenWright84]

They’re based in Northern Ireland, so driving up isn’t exactly realistic for me
They mentioned doorstep delivery anywhere in mainland UK, but wiring money without physically inspecting it is what’s making me hesitate

[IanHarris87]

Never heard of Ballinliss Transport before this. I’m old-fashioned I like to shake hands and see what I’m buying if I can’t stand next to it, I don’t pay for it. That’s just me

[MBcarOWNER]

Same here! I know everything’s online these days, but a car isn’t exactly a pair of trainers, some things feel better done face2face, especially when you’re spending thousands

[Thomas_Green78]

Not saying it’s dodgy, not saying it’s perfect either

I did a quick check on companies house and Ballinliss Transport are properly registered and seem to have a reasonable online presence with reviews from previous customers

Personally I prefer buying in person, but if distance makes that impossible and they offer a solid return policy, I’d consider it!

Also worth mentioning, since October 7th 2024, under the Payment Systems Regulator rules, UK banks have a reimbursement limit of up to £85,000 per claim for authorised push payment scams. It covers the vast majority of cases. Not a guarantee, but it does give some level of protection if something genuinely goes wrong

Cheers

[Hunger_for_love]

Hey Stephen, I actually bought a repo 2022 Peugeot 3008 GT for my wife from Ballinliss Transport about six weeks ago and I was sceptical at first too but they explained that payment goes into a segregated client account and only gets released once you confirm you’re happy with the car after delivery
My bank flagged the transfer initially, which I suppose is normal with large sums going to a new payee and after confirming it was authorised everything moved smoothly.
Car arrived 6 days later and was cleaner than expected

[StephenWright84]

Thanks for that

Weren’t you nervous sending the money upfront though?

[Hunger_for_love]

Of course I was and I rang them a couple of times beforehand, checked their registration details, and looked through forums to see if anyone else had posted about them.
The segregated account setup was the part that reassured me. The funds don’t go straight into their operating account they sit there until you confirm acceptance within the inspection period