Why sell to Off Road Buyers, and when not to
Why sell to Off Road Buyers when you could advertise the machine yourself or put it through an auction? A dealer trade-in is the fourth option. Below we set our offer against each one, including the times a private sale will earn you more.
Your four ways to sell
A used quad in the UK can go four ways, and the same is true of a UTV or an electric dirt bike. Each suits a different seller.
Selling to us
You describe the machine and our offer arrives within 24 hours. Say yes and we collect it free, sending a bank transfer before loading. Nobody haggles on the day. Our offer does have to leave us a margin, though. It's a trade figure, and it will usually sit below the asking prices you see in adverts.
Facebook Marketplace and eBay
Selling direct to the next rider usually gets the most money. It's also the most work, and the most risk. You write the advert and take the photos. Then come the messages, and strangers walking round your yard. Some won't turn up at all. Someone will offer you half.
Some sites charge to list. At the time of writing, Autotrader Farm private adverts start from £22.50 plus VAT. Free sites cost nothing but draw time-wasters and scammers along with genuine buyers.
Entering a farm sale or auction
Auctions suit farm kit, and a sought-after machine at the right sale can do well. You still have to get it there. Then you wait for the sale date, pay the seller's commission plus any entry fee, and take whatever it makes over your reserve. Miss the reserve and it comes home with you.
Trading it in at a dealer
If you're buying new from a dealer anyway, a trade-in is easy. The drawback is that the allowance is wrapped up in the new machine's price, so it's hard to see what you're really getting for the old one. If you aren't buying from that dealer, it isn't an option at all.
How the four routes compare
How sure the price is and how fast the money arrives. Then what it costs you.
| Feature | Off Road Buyers | Facebook / eBay / ads | Auction | Dealer part-ex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed price | Yes, once agreed | No, buyers haggle on the day | No, only a reserve | Only against a new machine |
| Time to cash | Offer within 24 hours, paid on collection | Whenever a buyer turns up | Weeks, waiting for a sale date | When you buy new |
| Fees | None | Listing fees, e.g. Autotrader Farm adverts from £22.50 + VAT | Seller's commission and entry fees | Built into the deal |
| Time-wasters | None | No-shows and silly offers | None | None |
| Scam risk | None, paid before we load | Fake payments, stolen-to-order | Low | Low |
| Collection | Free, from home, farm or yard | Buyer collects, or you deliver | You transport it to the sale | You take it to the dealer |
When a private sale makes more sense
Sometimes selling privately earns more, and we'll say so. A clean, recent farm quad from a big-name make, low on hours, will find a private buyer who pays more than we can. So will most machines in real demand. That only works if you can wait for the right buyer and put up with the calls and the test rides in the meantime, and if you know how to take payment safely and never let the machine go until the money has actually cleared.
We make more sense when you want a fixed price on a fixed day. Non-runners and machines with finance owing are easier with us too. So is any sale where you'd rather not have strangers at home. Ask and we'll tell you honestly which way we'd go. For a neutral view, read our guide weighing up every selling route.
Paid before we load: why it matters
In a private sale, the dangerous moment is payment. These are the tricks that turn up most.
A buyer shows you a "payment sent" screen on their phone. Nothing arrives. By the time you notice, the machine has gone.
Then there's the courier scam. Someone who can't come in person, often because they're supposedly working away, says they've paid through PayPal or an "escrow service" and sends a courier to collect the machine from your drive. The payment email is fake.
With an overpayment scam, the buyer "accidentally" pays too much and asks for the difference back. Later, the original payment is reversed. And there's the test ride that doesn't come back: a quick blast up the lane, and that's the last you see of it.
Paying first removes every one of those. You check the transfer in your own banking app, and the machine stays put until you've seen the money. Read the warning signs of a selling scam for more.
We check every machine
ID and proof of ownership
Photo ID, plus the logbook for a road-registered machine or the bill of sale for one that never had plates. Most farm UTVs and off-road e-bikes were never registered, so an invoice is completely normal.
Frame and VIN checks
We locate the stamped frame or VIN number and compare it with the paperwork. Tampered numbers mean we don't buy.
Why this protects you as the seller
Stolen quads get sold on. So do stolen UTVs and e-bikes, because a buyer who checks nothing will buy from anyone. That hurts honest sellers. We check every machine the same way, so none of it is aimed at you. Each stage is explained in how our buying process runs.
The team behind the offer
We're a Kent company that only buys. Quads mostly, and side-by-sides like the Gator and the Mule. Buggies and e-dirt bikes as well. There's no showroom and no auction ring. The company background page has more on who we are. You can also see the machines we've bought so far, or read what sellers have said about us. When you're ready, request a no-obligation offer.
Before you choose us: questions
Would I make more money advertising it myself?
Sometimes. A clean, sought-after model plus an owner willing to host viewings can beat any trade figure, and we'll tell you when we think that applies.
Once agreed, is your price fixed?
It is, provided the machine is as you described it. Anything you didn't mention gets explained on the spot, and you can still say no.
Why do you check ownership so carefully?
Quads and e-bikes are stolen often. Checking every one is what lets us pay honest sellers quickly, and it keeps stolen machines out of the next owner's yard.
Do you charge a commission like an auction?
There's no commission. The figure we offer is the figure you receive, and collection is free too.
Can I sell to you if I'm buying a new machine from a dealer?
You can. Sell to us and buy the new one separately. Keeping the two deals apart also shows you what you're really paying for the new machine.
See what we'd pay
Get a real offer within 24 hours, compare it with anything else, then decide. No fees and no obligation.