New research has revealed the most commonly experienced issues drivers face when trying to sell their car privately, with hagglers being named as the most frequent hindrance. Just over a quarter (28%) of sellers said they have encountered unreasonably low offers and haggling from buyers, making it the most common problem in the poll.

The findings come from Auto Express, which ran a survey across Carwow Group asking drivers about the obstacles they’ve faced when selling their cars. The survey revealed that almost two-thirds (65%) of motorists have sold a car privately, with over a third (37%) experiencing at least one problem during the process.

After haggling, the next most commonly reported problem was no-shows. Just under a fifth (17%) of those who had sold privately encountered time wasters on their car-selling journey – people who arranged viewings or test drives but ultimately failed to show up.

In addition, around one in 10 sellers said they dealt with disputes over their vehicle’s condition, while a surprising 6% reported concerns about their personal safety when engaging with potential buyers.

Less common problems on the poll included challenges with transferring ownership (encountered by 3% of sellers) and issues with advertising or reaching potential buyers (experienced by 2%). The results underline the range of pitfalls car owners face when navigating the open market.

This follows the news that Auto Express has launched its own online car-selling service, where drivers can quickly sell their vehicles to a network of dealers.

Paul Barker, Editor of Auto Express, said: “When you just want to get your car sold, there’s nothing more frustrating that someone that mucks you around and clearly isn’t interested in paying a fair price, if they even show up at all. Getting a new car is the exciting bit, but more often than not you’ll also have a car it’s replacing, and getting rid of that quickly and for a good price when selling privately can be a time-consuming process.”