Buying a Used Car - Negotiation on Price with Dealer

cwcw

I have seen a used car I would like to buy. It's priced at £8,500. It has been for sale since around October at £9,000 and recently reduced.

I have a car to trade in. Book value for part exchange is around £3,800, and private sale around £4,500. Over the phone, the dealer valued my car at "up to £4,000" (probably lower once they get me in there). However, the reason for wanting to change, as well as being about ready for it, is that I've recently got 2 electric type problems which a proper test drive by a private buyer would flag up whereas a dealer doesn't usually give such a close inspection. Cost to repair around £500 for both faults. On the flip side, it's in otherwise perfect condition with full dealer service history and MOT until Nov.

I would not like to spend any more than £4,000 difference. It would be cash (or debit card at least). The dealer is a car supermarket although not a major chain.

How realistic am I being? If I could trade in for £4,000 and buy for £8,000, say. Is that expecting too much, or not enough? I have never really tried proper negotiation with a dealer before - any tips would be appreciated too. And I am prepared to walk away.

:money:

motorguy

cwcw wrote: »

However, the reason for wanting to change, as well as being about ready for it, is that I've recently got 2 electric type problems which a proper test drive by a private buyer would flag up whereas a dealer doesn't usually give such a close inspection. Cost to repair around £500 for both faults.

So just to clarify, you're going to unscrupulously pass this car off to the dealer as being 'fault free'?

Hintza

And then come back and moan when the new car needs new brakes. :rotfl::rotfl:

cwcw

No, I'm not going to pass it off as anything. Its up to them to inspect it properly, I won't lie if asked anything. The problems require 2 cheap parts, but I will have labour costs and they won't. They give knock down p/x prices not expecting it to be perfect.

Anyway, I'm seeking advice on price negotiation, not sympathy for used car dealers.

samba

As this is a money saving forum, I should point out that it would be cheaper to spend the £1000 to fix the faults rather than spend at least £4000 on a new car, which may or may not have faults of its own.

I would also like to add that I feel sorry for the poor guy who buys the car next, and then spends weeks going through all the hassle of getting the dealer to sort out the problems you passed onto them.

Maybe it's just me, but not mentioning something you clearly know about to any interested parties is no different to lying in my book.

cwcw

It would be the dealer's problem, and a buyer would test drive it and see the warning light. The garage would fix it before they could sell it, at a cost of around £50 for the parts, as opposed to my £500 parts, labour and vat.

Please can I have some negotiation advice? My trade in is fine.

Hintza

cwcw wrote: »

Please can I have some negotiation advice? My trade in is fine.

Not from me.

How can anyone advise on negotiation, you are selling substandard goods and the expect help in how maximise the deception in your favour.

How will your negotiation go if the dealer susses your deception?

cwcw

Jesus, if they see the warning light I have a copy of a main dealer quote showing what the problem is, how much the parts are, and how much the VAT and labour is. I can just show them that up front for the sake of £50 parts, the cost to me is much higher. They knock off over a grand just for trading in and sell on at big profit, £50 parts is nothing to them.

GolfBravo

A friend of mine is a car salesman. He always says to watch the 2001 movie "Suckers" before buying a car from a dealer. The movie is definitely not an Oscar winner, but apparently 99% of the selling "techniques" in there are true.

Check this out, the best bits from the movie: How to sell a car from the movie SUCKERS Warning: strong offensive language

Anyway, if you really want £4K changeover, tell them you are happy to commit at £3K and start from there.

motorguy

cwcw wrote: »

No, I'm not going to pass it off as anything. Its up to them to inspect it properly, I won't lie if asked anything. The problems require 2 cheap parts, but I will have labour costs and they won't. They give knock down p/x prices not expecting it to be perfect.

Anyway, I'm seeking advice on price negotiation, not sympathy for used car dealers.

Garages have labour rates too - do you think they work for free?

Very typical customer attitude these days - try to bluff off a car with problems but no doubt the dealer will be a c unt in a months time because the car you buy has something go wrong with it.

Terrible terrible attitude.

motorguy

cwcw wrote: »

Jesus, if they see the warning light I have a copy of a main dealer quote showing what the problem is, how much the parts are, and how much the VAT and labour is. I can just show them that up front for the sake of £50 parts, the cost to me is much higher. They knock off over a grand just for trading in and sell on at big profit, £50 parts is nothing to them.

!!!!!! the dealer has labour costs too - probably HIGHER than yours as they will be expected NOT to use some back street garage to get the work done.

So they could end up spending MORE than you to fix your substandard goods your happily trading in