Haggling with a motability dealer?

happycatuk

After a long wait to sort out my DLA renewal (they sent me the wrong forms the first time, so ~I didn't get my Award review brought forward, to have sufficient left to be eligible), am looking to get my first Motability car.

I've always thought Hondas were good, but - I guess because the scheme's new prices etc are about to come online - non of the cheaper/no upfront deposit cars are available.

What do folks think, are up front prices set to rise again? I'd like a Jazz or Civic, but I think I've got to start looking at other manufacturers just in case

matelot123

By Longhotbath "as an aside... the motability poster behind the volkswagon dealer had a picture of an estate car with a mother and 2 children with no visible disability. I commented to OH that it might have been better if they showed a picture of someone with a disability with the car. The salesman said that the people in the picture are in the photo because they are glamorous!!! Cant people with disability be glamorous - personally I think they can be. Arent the paraolympic team?!!!
Perhaps Ill just find a different dealer!"

conversely can't someone "glamorous" be disabled? Perhaps those pictured in the poster ARE disabled! How about those with disabilities that aren't apparent? Does everything related to disability have to have a wheelchair or walking aids in it? I think we get enough prejudice, discrimination and narrow minded nonsense from the general public without other disabled people taking that kind of stance as well.

longhotbath

Thankyou matelot123, yes indeed . Disability isnt just about wheelchairs or walking aids but to get a mobility car, you need to get high rate mobility element of dla, or equivalent, which usually implies help of some kind with walking. The comment was really aimed at the general attitude of the salesman who only showed us details of the diesel model when we asked for petrol, wanted to charge us extra for any colour other than black, and told us that there was no point in them taking our car to pay for the advance payment as they would make a loss on it and they make no profit at all on motability cars. He wasnt the motability rep and very obviously didnt wasnt us to get a car from him. The glamorous comment was HIS not mine. My sons disability is visible, mine is not!!

We have used a different dealer with a different attitude, ordered the car suitable for our needs, are NOT paying extra to have it in the colour that we want, and have used our existing car as the advance payment (with some left over to go towards the down payment of the next car in 3 years.)

matelot123

longhotbath, im lad you got it sorted out to your satisfaction in the end.Your experience with the other dealer doesn't surprise me it's as if their attitude is one of willingness to try it on especially with us as a group BECAUSE we are disabled.Good on you for standing your ground and going to someone else.
take care
mac

spider125

how I wish I had found this formum, our 1st motability car had enough fuel to get us to a garage around the corner! no extras and now into our2nd year only K6 on clock its a Ford cmax nil depost then but not now! we will looking around when next due but because of OH dissability we need an MPV for the height but not many with nil advance so looks like a lot of saving up to do! I will try the haggle approach might even get to 7 seats then can accomadate the grandkids!!

baccyman

i have just been looking at the motability website and it is horrendous to what it used to be,
they used to have tables to show you what cars were available and what the cost would be and if their was any advance payments,
now they have got this search engine and it does not show all the cars available, my present cars is a zafira with auto transmition and this does not show up any more,
when i first got the car it was £2000 advance payment which i managed to get a grant for and last year when i was looking to renew my car the advance was £600 in the end i got my lease extended by 2 years so i did not have to pay a advance,
it looks like i might have to go to the dealers when the time comes to renew because the motability website is that bad i cant make head or tail of it.

covlass

baccyman wrote: »

i have just been looking at the motability website and it is horrendous to what it used to be,
they used to have tables to show you what cars were available and what the cost would be and if their was any advance payments,
now they have got this search engine and it does not show all the cars available, my present cars is a zafira with auto transmition and this does not show up any more,
when i first got the car it was £2000 advance payment which i managed to get a grant for and last year when i was looking to renew my car the advance was £600 in the end i got my lease extended by 2 years so i did not have to pay a advance,
it looks like i might have to go to the dealers when the time comes to renew because the motability website is that bad i cant make head or tail of it.

It took me ages to work it out also you have to scroll down to manufactures to find full list AT stands for automatic
Zafira 1.9CDT 120 Exclusiv MPV AT MP is showing as £999 advance payment but these prices change on 1st April.
I have been looking for a new car and so far have found Vauxhall & peugeot to be very helpfull.
However
Citreon in Coventry where so bad that I complained to the head office, I have been made to feel so angry at a level of customer service like I did there. The man was rude never offered any help walked off and only returned as I was walking out. A very nice lady from head office called me back she could not say sorry enough times even though I said it was not her fault. She informed me that although the dealer ship isnt actually owned by them they have contacted them and a meeting has been set up as at the end of they day they are giving their cars a bad name.
Im off to look at ford today

space_rider

Covlass. I had a citroen picasso 3 years ago. The salesman was really rude and if it wasn`t for the fact that I needed the larger boot and the space I wouldn`t have bothered. I then went for a Mercedes A class as the boot was big enough for my daughters disabled childs pushchair. The salesman was fantastic, couldn`t have done any more for me and I was even given bottle of champagne, flowers and golf brolly together with full tank of petrol.

This time I stuck with Mercedes but different dealership. Salesman was ok with me and was great with my 8 year old.

My 16 year old daughter new to the scheme really wanted the Citroen C1 which was ordered back in Jan. Well I had to chase him for updates, calls were hardly ever returned and he was never available. One day after being fobbed off on the phone by the receptionist we actually went down there. That way he had no where to hide! We were finally given a provisional date and even on the day of the handover I had to ring him twice. I am so glad it`s all over and done with for a few more years.

I wrongly assumed that in this day of age car salesman would be falling over themselves to win and keep customers.

longhotbath

Hi - I also found Citroen really uninterested. We asked 3 times for a colour brochure for the c4 picasso - we were send a b/w photocopy eventually. the demo was really poor - the salesman preferred chattimg to the receptionist!!
Thankfully, my sons car seat - recarro cannot be fixed in place as there is a plastic tray at the back of second row seats. :T

Thursdays_child_3

Do any of you have a crystal ball or inside information on the April new deals please for motorbility cars?

Love to hear your views.