Used car price haggling tips

PapaJas

Hi all

Has anyone got any good tips regarding haggling down the price of a used focus on the forecourt of a ford main dealer please.

Many thanks

mandi

I dont know about the price , but if you buy , you should ask for 6 months tax, a full tank , and floor mats .

harveybobbles

Do your homework first. Have a look around at what prices they everywhere else and you will then know if it's a good price or not...

ukjoel

Agree with Harvey - You are buying the car thats been the best seller in the UK for the last 10 years. Therefore there is lots and lots and lots of choice.

Normally with a second hand car you need to make compromises as its not a factory order but with the focus you should always be able to find the spec and colour you want.

Your Ford dealer will always charge a premium - In terms of ignoring the obvious stuff and giving you some tips I have seen work before.

1 - Dont go to the dealer - May sound silly but if you like the car try going to their sister dealer in next town along. Salesman there will see car on computer and if you say it sounds great I will buy it blind the lazy salesman may be happy to negotiate a lower price as he doesnt have to do any work. Key here is not to let the original dealer know you love it as he may then say I have someone on it already. I find this tends to work best Sunday morning as sales guys are more hungover and also they are on skeleton staff.

2 Go in with 5 set of details of local cars you are seeing today. It shows your serious and also gives them something to aim for in terms of price. Asking them for their BEST PRICE just winds them up. Do your research and say this similar car is 5k, You have been nice to me and looked after me I would like to buy the car from you but cant justify paying 6k for it. They will either explain why there car is worth the extra thousand or bring their price closer to the original.

ukjoel

Any decent used car salesman will ask you whether you want the car with 6 months or 12 months tax. Its their way of avoiding giving you it as a freebie.

In my experience the days of free mats, tax, and fuel are long gone and if you can squeeze it out of a deal it usually means they have made so much out of you they cant risk saying no.

Ebe_Scrooge

You need to get a balance between letting the salesman know you're serious about the car, but don't make out that you're so desperate for it that you'll pay anything. First off you need to get an idea of the market price. Parkers guide is OK for this, but use it only as a rough guide. A better option is to browse through Autotrader or similar, see what similar cars are going for. Bear in mind you will pay more at a kosher dealers than a private sale. Also take into account the mileage and general condition of the car, as compared to what the guides say is "average".

You need to negotiate the price a bit - despite what they may tell you, a salesman always has some wriggle-room. When you've haggled it down as far as you think you can, try a final clincher - if the screen price was 4995, lets' say you haggle down to 4650. You need to um and ah for a bit, then say "If we can agree on 4500 then you've got a deal". You need to adjust the figure to be reasonable based upon the earlier research you've done, but that's the basic ploy.

Finally, if the salesman won't budge any further on price, and you really want it, try and get some extras thrown in - a full tank of fuel, a new MOT, a year's road tax, car mats, accessories, things like that. May not be a huge amount of money ( though a year's tax is well worthwhile ), but every little helps.

Anihilator

I love how everyone recycles advice from idiots like the dom guy on bbc and states it as their own as if its a major idea.

Firstly research. Find out the price of the car you want, compare it to other dealers etc and have hard facts i.e its £3995 at such and such.

Secondly know the value of any trade in and dont be manipulated, remember minor damage shouldnt have much deduction.

Thirdly be respectful. Don't try and act an idiot. A dealer isn't going to like a smart !!!! and go out their way to help and give a good deal. Yes you need to know your stuff but being argumentative etc wont help.

Remember not to buy the extras like warranties etc and make this clear to the dealer up front.

Start by asking for his figures and see what he offers you. Remember your key is the prices of cars and any finance. Don't be hassled into "monthly budgets".

Once you have a starting point then negotiate your deal. Dont bother about mats, petrol etc. These are all set costs therefore negotiate on a cash discount on price.

Autotrader isnt the best negotiating tool as you are negotiating with figures that are rarely achieved.

If your willing to buy that day then let them know as they will likely find better incentives than if its just an enquiry.

Remember that salesmen need to make money and if you !!!! them about they will lose interest. Its in your interest for the dealer to be chasing a sale.