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Haggling on a 2nd hand car
Comments
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i dont think playing hardball got you the £1k discount. You will prob have got the same discount, if you had come in, and been a bit nicer to the salesperson. Told them straight off what you were willing to pay, and then see if they could get anywhere near it
Do you think, most dealers arent on speaking terms, and dont ring around each other seeing if people are trying it on? If a dealer knows you have already spoken to another dealer in the same region, then they bow out and let you go back to the person you dealt with orginally. They arent all ogres out to get what they can, unlike Joe Public
All dealers have varying bottom line prices on cars, and no matter how hard you play the ball (??) they cant go below that. You prob only got what you thought was extra money off, because it was a larger dealership with bigger turnover, and therefore bigger handouts from the manufacturer (so prices should have been way lower anyway), or they just needed to tap that one extra punter, to hit target and get a bigger bonus, meaning that the next person after yourself to come in and buy a car, would get an even bigger discount, as the dealer had even more support to play with.
Looks like you could have done even better, if you held onto your ball for a while!
Flea0 -
Hi there gang,(1st post, please be gentle...)
I am that sleazy car salesman(!) that some of you deal with!
If someone came into my dealership and played hardball I would honestly let them walk away, and have no problem with letting them go elsewhere.
However if someone came in and was pleasent, polite and told me their genuine budget I would go out of my way to help them.
Perhaps we are different at the dealership where I work, but we sold and delivered 40 cars in October, 35 in November and 30 in December, so far this month we are on 10 (Jan and Feb being the worst months!).
We do not earn commission in our dealership, so perhaps that is where we differ.
As for cash, we would rather you pay via debit card as car dealers normally have to pay £25 to deposit cash! whereas we pay nothing for debit card.
As for the point ref haggling due to make/model etc, we try to source the most sought after type of the specialist car we keep and therefore do not normally entertain haggling as (For example) Saturday we had three people come in to possibly purchase the same car at the same time! (The first couple did!).
I suppose the point I am making here is people treat car salesmen as second class citizens a lot of the time, and in a majority of cases they are right to! but some of us are different!
Love you all!!
Alex'Just because its on the internet don't believe it 100%'. Abraham Lincoln.
I have opinions, you have opinions. All of our opinions are valid whether they are based on fact or feeling. Respect other peoples opinions, stop forcing your opinions on other people and the world will be a happier place.0 -
Flea, I didn't say I wasn't pleasant to the salesmen involved. You have clearly misinterpreted my post.
My experience of traders (fairly comprehensive) has taught me that you get far more by being as pleasant as possible. This has proved true both in private and professional capacities. In this case you have made many rather silly assumptions, the biggest one being about my intelligence, I fear. The best deal we got for the car in question was actually from a smaller franchise, but one holding franchises for more than one manufacturer. I know how and why I got the deal which beat the others so comprehensively. I also know that the son of a friend bought an identical car but got nowhere near the deal we did, because he didn't listen to advice.
As for Alcot, you make valid points. But we are hardly going to enter a showroom in an aggressive manner. I know my psychology, especially in retail matters, and am never less than pleasant in such cases. But I always know the bottom line I am looking for, and I am not afraid to walk away, unlike some people. I can recall many instances of people getting a poor deal simply because they are to embarrassed to haggle, or that they don't want to "upset the salesman." At the end of it all, if both sides are happy with a deal, it's job done. But members of this website are better at it than most.0 -
Did I say you came in aggressively?'Just because its on the internet don't believe it 100%'. Abraham Lincoln.
I have opinions, you have opinions. All of our opinions are valid whether they are based on fact or feeling. Respect other peoples opinions, stop forcing your opinions on other people and the world will be a happier place.0 -
MrSmartprice wrote:Flea, I didn't say I wasn't pleasant to the salesmen involved. You have clearly misinterpreted my post.
i dont think i said you were unplesant, i meant that by going into one dealership and saying 'ive been here, here and here and been offered this and that, now what are you gonna give me?' isnt really a nice way to try and get someone to help you get a car at a price you want.
im just saying, as Alcot has too, that you dont have to come in guns blazing, swearing the odds. Just give us and idea of what you want to pay, and we'll try and work the figures to help you.
I dont know about you, but im inclined to be alot more helpful, if someone 'asks' me for something, rather than 'tells' me what they want
Flea0 -
Absolutely Flea, if someone came in saying that they had been here and there I would definitely say 'well go on then' and would wish them all the best! Starting off like that puts people instantly on the back foot and they get defensive. We had a guy in here like that on Friday and Saturday trying to get us to do something over and above our competitors. Eventually I suggested that perhaps they would be the best place for him to buy from!
Alex'Just because its on the internet don't believe it 100%'. Abraham Lincoln.
I have opinions, you have opinions. All of our opinions are valid whether they are based on fact or feeling. Respect other peoples opinions, stop forcing your opinions on other people and the world will be a happier place.0 -
Oh dear, I've got all this to come :eek:
I need a new "used" car. Looking at the Ford Puma as a nice option.. but I hate all the haggling ect that goes with it. Need to do it tho' cause i got to part exchange as well as finance another car.0 -
Neither alcot nor flea has bothered to read my posts at all. To clarify again, I certainly do not go in "guns blazing" or "swearing the odds" in any way. You know as well as I do that's a mug's game. I am the essence of politeness, and never mention any previous offers or deals until after test drives, and any other negotiations.
As I have said, it is all about mind games, and I am aware that car salesmen are usually pretty smart. The thing is, I have the psychological advantage because they instinctively underestimate me. They know nothing about me, which is why I can usually win the battle of wits. (I spent 26 years outsmarting tradespeople for a living, and was well trained in what I did.)0 -
Ford Puma,
Top little car. Only thing to look for is FULL FORD HISTORY, plus look very closely at the alloys, they have a tendancy to get kerbed and are VVVV expensive to replace.
We sold one recently that was a trade in, it was the metallic green (In the trade known as a 'bad news' colour).
Ask to take it out for a 1 - 2 hour test drive by yourself. Any GOOD dealer will let you if it has tax (Rent). If he does let you, use the car not abuse it, see how if feels in corners etc etc.
As I said good car, plenty about so make sure you get a deal.
If you need any more info PVT message me.
Good luck
Alex'Just because its on the internet don't believe it 100%'. Abraham Lincoln.
I have opinions, you have opinions. All of our opinions are valid whether they are based on fact or feeling. Respect other peoples opinions, stop forcing your opinions on other people and the world will be a happier place.0 -
but why bother with test drives, and getting prices, if you already know what you want, and are willing to pay? As soon as you mention other quotes to a salesperson, you obviously dont notice the disinterest they now have in you as a customer
We arent out to compete with other dealers. If you can get if cheaper online, or even from a dealer at the other end of the country, good luck to them, because if you have a customer who is prepared to go those lengths, just to save a couple of quid, then they sure as hell arent going to be an easy customer to keep happy, during and after the sale
How great for the salesperson, to give their time to you, when they could have been selling to another customer, who doesnt play mind games. just imagine how much the prices could reduce, if car dealership didnt have to equate into their overheads, the time they have to put into customers like yourself
Do you know what the companys bottom line is, and how much they stand to gain from your purchase? You obviously dont realise you can never 'win', unless you have the above information in your hand, and then, is it still classed as winning, seeing as the car has not been sold for less than they wanted (or i would hope not, and if so, they deserve whatever you sling at them lol)
Come on, theres nothing like outsmarting a know-all punter, who underestimates your selling power!!
Flea0
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