A DONKEY and a burger van are among some of the more unusual part-exchanges offered to used-car dealers, according to a study.
Speedboats, an amphibious car, mobility scooters, a caravan, 50 barbecues and expensive watches were also among the most bizarre barters.
The peculiar offers came to light in a survey of thousands of second-hand car dealerships in the UK network of the CarGurus automotive shopping website.
It found customers trying to trade in speedboats appeared to be a relatively common occurrence, while several retailers recalled being offered mobility scooters and expensive watches as makeweights for a used-car purchase.
CarGurus.co.uk editor Chris Knapman said: “When it comes to buying a car, people are rightly always trying to get the best deal possible.
“And clearly a rare few are even going to some extremes when it comes to offering something out of the ordinary for part-exchange.
“As is so often the case when it comes to changing cars, the key is to take advantage of online tools and technology to help with your research. Regretfully, our algorithms do not cover donkeys or barbecues.”
The survey also highlighted the things that will negatively impact a car’s value when selling or offering it as part-exchange, according to dealers.
The answer was bad news for our four-legged friends, as many ranked owning a dog or other pets as one of the main things most likely to negatively affect the trade-in value of a vehicle, followed by a smoking habit, both of which can take a toll on the cabin.
The remaining top five things that negatively impact a car’s worth are bodywork damage, incomplete or missing service history and too many previous owners.
