buying new car with online dealer

fat_boy_fat

Hi Guys, I'm looking to replace my car with a new Ford Focus 2011 model as it's so new there aren't any demonstators in my required spec or colour yet. Trolling thru the usual main dealers on the interweb I've come across "UK-Car-Discount.co.uk" who are under cutting the main dealers so much I can go from Zetec to TitaniumX and still be cheaper than the Zetec from any main dealer. They seem to be going since 2002 and I can't find a bad word said against them online in reviews or complaints. Seems too good to be true. Only issue seems the V5 takes ages to eventually come thru then lists you as the second owner not first. Not too much of a problem to us a we want to keep the car for some time so having 2 owners over 5+ years isn't a problem.
Has anyone used them, are they too good? Their web page looks comprehensive and answers all the questions but still not sure. Putting it out to the Forum. Any one had dealings?? would love to know? many thanks Rich

neilmcl

Have you tried the likes of drivethedeal.com or autofinders.co.uk, these will be genuine "new" cars, not the pre reg that you'll be getting.

pinkteapot

They are selling pre-reg cars. Nothing wrong with that - I know a few people who have bought pre-reg. Many main dealers also sell pre-reg cars so it might be worth ringing around your local area and seeing if anyone has one, just to work out if the online place is very much cheaper...

There are some downsides of pre-reg which you should be aware of before making a decision:

1) When you own a brand new car, if you write it off in the first year your insurer will replace it with a brand new car. However, by being the second owner they can get out of this and pay you the 'used' value which will be significantly below the price of a replacement brand new car.

2) Some dealers will give you the V5 straight away with pre-reg cars. Others have a delay (e.g. 3 months, 6 months). Dealers pay a cut price to the manufacturer to buy a demonstrator, on the agreement they own it for at least three or six months. They then sell the car on instead, and get around their manufacturer agreement by delaying giving you the V5. This is technically illegal - change of owner must be registered promptly with the DVLA.

3) It gets sticky if you need to produce your documents for the police or claim on your insurance during the period in which you don't have your V5.

General advice if you want to buy pre-reg is to buy from someone who is prepared to hand the V5 over straight away. Just saves any potential difficulties. A dealer who has bought the car but has hung on to it for as long as they should have will give you the V5.

EDIT: This thread is comprehensive: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2045889

neilmcl

pinkteapot wrote: »

They are selling pre-reg cars. Nothing wrong with that - I know a few people who have bought pre-reg. Many main dealers also sell pre-reg cars so it might be worth ringing around your local area and seeing if anyone has one, just to work out if the online place is very much cheaper...

They're also selling pre-reg cars on the sly, hence the need to retain the V5.

Kilty_2

pinkteapot wrote: »

1) When you own a brand new car, if you write it off in the first year your insurer will replace it with a brand new car. However, by being the second owner they can get out of this and pay you the 'used' value which will be significantly below the price of a replacement brand new car.

Not all insurers will - Admiral Group insurers will not.

daveyjp

If you own a car you also need to own the V5 - companies which keep possession of the V5 to retain ownership and in effect forward sell a new car are best avoided.

I would wait until this time next year. The old Focus models will all have sold (a colleague picked up a brand new 1.6 diesel for £11k) and the new Focus will be available through Drive the Deal etc at 25% below list.

neilmcl

daveyjp wrote: »

If you own a car you also need to own the V5.

That's strictly not true. The V5, as it clearly now states on the front page, is NOT proof of ownership.

mikey72

neilmcl wrote: »

That's strictly not true. The V5, as it clearly now states on the front page, is NOT proof of ownership.

I still wouldn't buy a car if the seller didn't have the v5, no matter how much he told me that, and no matter how much he said he owned it.
On the other hand, I never ask to see all the bills of sale from the previous onwers to prove they all owned the car to sell it on down the chain.

v5 is fine for me.

fat_boy_fat

Thanks to all. It seems the original quote from "UK Car Discount" and "DrivetheDeal" is for business or VAT registered users so as a private buyer the quote was only £400 cheaper that Perrys quote. with a lot of hagling and playing a few off each other ended with a Titanium X with option Candy paint at a very good price from Perry in Aylesbury. Just got to wait 6-8 weeks now while they make it ...............doh.

stuartroberts

I have had a focus on order for over 10 weeks through the ford centre , ipswich.

not even been given a build date yet.

from what i have read it could be 28 weeks from order to get my car

2.0 tdci silver titanium with all the xtras bar sunroof and sat nav