Implementation Of Up To Date Price Database For Autos

[The Don]

I doubt that they will release such details for anyone to use Don. And you are correct on the market conditions effecting all these data available. im just saying that having something like this out there would be somewhat helpful to guess a price of a vehicle for someone who is not going to do an indepth market research.

In Europe this data is provided by specialist companies. In the UK you either follow the Glasse's guide or Parkers guide. I'm sure there is some collusion between insurance companies in this respect as they will all want to be consistent in their valuations in case of total loss.

The fact is a vehicle never has a specific price. You have a manufacturer quoted price from the dealership and on most occasions this also is negotiable (unless when there is massive demand and demand outstrips supply, or in SL when permits are involved). Afterwards it depends on a emotion more than anything else. I see huge variances between quoted prices for cars in Autolanka classifieds, but it does not take too much effort to gain an idea of a rough price or valuation.

If you are really interested in setting up something like this, you should harvest prices from multiple resources regularly and average it and display the daily average which is the most useful bit of information you can provide. But thats up to some capable chap like you to take forward.

[Bracket]

We newbies seriously need more moderators like you, don. This guy had so much potential but got bulldozed so badly he dared not to post anything after this topic. Sad situation.

[rover]

Ironically the best place to get information if you are interested in such a database will be the insurance industry. Their loss adjusters will be maintaining some sort of database which reflect current book values of vehicles. This obviously wont always reflect market value as it is subject to market conditions.

Don, what about the valuation reports by leasing companies and the few garages who does valuation like De S××va motors.

[Devinda_Z]

I don't recall anyone appointing you the official decider of what is rude and not rude. So kindly avoid doing so okay?

based on what i've seen over the years & have been told by the moderators, all of you do a "thankless job" , "for no remuneration" "cleaning manure" - but is that any excuse to go around bullying the newbies?!?!

I know full well & personally that you'll are far above being so unnecessarily short with people, but it's rather disappointing to see the sort of welcome folks get on the forums now!

It's easy to understand the frustration dealing with the odd moron but would it kill you'll to not be so touchy and provide a constructive reply?! after all the topic posters idea was certainly not a bad one!

[Devinda_Z]

There was never an intention of being polite in my post

You don't need an IT degree or anything to know how impractical such a thing is. No human being of a mature/sensible state of mind would even think of something like this. If you can give me a single example of something that is being traded at a fixed price in the 2nd hand market, i'll admit that my comment was out of line. OK?

And this "I did a search but there was no result" BS is getting just has absurd. This WAS brought up before, and shot down due to people having common sense.

There is a range that all second hand cars sell at - there may be the odd anomaly - but there most certainly is a range

It is on that basis that valuation companies & insurance companies make their estimations as Don pointed out as well

It may not seem as arbitrary or vary as greatly as you make it out to be

If there was a way to mine the data on the AL classifieds alone a make - mode - YOM - options would yield a price list that may be able to show such a range with price bands based on the variables taken in to account

[Devinda_Z]

And THESE are the idiot's we're supposed to be nice to?

it's that rather over the top & unnecessarily harsh?

ah but that may not be a question for me to raise now is it......

[Devinda_Z]

Hey Yo'll,

I did some search before posting this and had no results. Although I remember a senior member suggesting to do this.

Has the autolanka admins looked in to this matter as the official facilitator of the forum to implement this? OR

we the members can get to it!

Ideas please

It's not the most straight forward exercise & admittedly an accurate one requires extensive research as well a quantifiable data, but the concept is a good one.

It may not be practical to try to populate one here on AL but the Kelly Blue Book ratings in the USA & the Parkers as well as Whatcar valuations in the UK are good examples of what is possible

[Komisiripala]

Something I observed over the last few months is that the used car market is crashing like the top half of the wtc. A few examples:

The Honda accord 2.4l Indian assembled model was brought down for 9.2 million. A friend just picked one up, agent maintained minter for 2.2 from the first owner. I don't know how U see it but that has to hurt right in the nads.

There's an euro r for sale, one that I considered buying 3 years ago for 2.5 mil, up now for 1.75.

On the flipside, there's an auto r34 sedan, which went a begging for many years at a car sale in kotte for 2.5, now on at fast and furious website for 4 million.

Just wanted to summarize the mindrape that is the sl car market for op.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Komisiripala

[charithtg]

Well, then someone who doesn't care enough to do his due diligence before spending that much money, deserves whats coming to them

Geez, you cant expect everyone else to bend over backwards to save your money if you cant be bothered to make an effort yourself. pfftt...

Agreed..

[charithtg]

In Europe this data is provided by specialist companies. In the UK you either follow the Glasse's guide or Parkers guide. I'm sure there is some collusion between insurance companies in this respect as they will all want to be consistent in their valuations in case of total loss.

The fact is a vehicle never has a specific price. You have a manufacturer quoted price from the dealership and on most occasions this also is negotiable (unless when there is massive demand and demand outstrips supply, or in SL when permits are involved). Afterwards it depends on a emotion more than anything else. I see huge variances between quoted prices for cars in Autolanka classifieds, but it does not take too much effort to gain an idea of a rough price or valuation.

If you are really interested in setting up something like this, you should harvest prices from multiple resources regularly and average it and display the daily average which is the most useful bit of information you can provide. But thats up to some capable chap like you to take forward.

Don, what do u mean by specialist companies. are they like the brand agents over here or do they have registered brand new and second hand dealers as well on this, providing prices for vehicles. if that do you know how they make sure the dealers are providing them with the right price. not like the SL vehicle dealers over here, they do one thing and say another ne..

[nato23]

i would like to extract what codexdj is saing that if there is a mechanism to identify used car prices we can come out with a Avg. going price for the vehicle for someone to have an idea about. and then to mark up or mark down from the sold rates.

[Watchman]

i would like to extract what codexdj is saing that if there is a mechanism to identify used car prices we can come out with a Avg. going price for the vehicle for someone to have an idea about. and then to mark up or mark down from the sold rates.

Let me rebut you with one simple point.... "Average" of what?

All Corollas?

Or all Corolla 121s?

Or all Corolla 121s with YOM 2003 ?

Or all Corolla 121s with YOM 2003 and X-grade?

The segregation is endless.

[Crosswind]

First up, vehicle prices don't appreciate and depreciate in random in other countries like Sri Lanka. There is no cut throat competition to buy and sell vehicles by random Johnnies in the said countries which maintain fairly accurate databases. Also there is no consistency in valuations by the so-called valuers in Sri Lanka. Believe me, I have taken dozens of valuations. Only Godwin Yapa gives consistent valuations. Everyone else, including the major player in the valuation industry are inconsistent (to the extent that two vehicles of the same brand and model with the same options and same YOM may have differences of even 300-400k, unless its a very common model like Corolla). Example: Two Proton Wajas of same YoM, same option, same condition, were valued at 14/50 (KF-XXXX) and 19/50 (KD-XXXX) by a famous valuer (the second car was from a buy and sell guy). I can quote a dozen examples but don't really need to.

Insurance industry is even worse. You can slip something to the assessor and get a car condemned. You can slip something more to the guy who handles the tender and get the same car back to you for a pittance.

And what if such a database is implemented, it will only be used as a tool for folks to artificially inflate prices and fool people by buy and sell guys here in Sri Lanka. Right now, check the number of fake ads in ###### for mobile phones and cars.

If a database gives higher or lower than a realistic value, soon it will be rejected by people.

Things may sound like a great idea when you have zero practical experience in a subject. You need to be involved in something to understand how it can be used and abused in Sri Lanka.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Crosswind

[Watchman]

Well said indeed crosswind!!

And aon a slight OT note, it reminds me of that fellow who came here looking to get advice on buying/selling cars. We told him to do an honest decent job by taking an effort to improve the car and he didnt even have the decency or courtesy to follow up with a thank you.

[Charith H Jayasinghe]

well said crosswind....