Dealing with Car Salesmen

colino

You may wish to rethink how you are going to present a Scenic, in its middle-age, with problems already arising as a worthwhile TI. I strongly suspect the trader will move directly to , "better off selling it private sir" and wont entertain any movement on the deal.

motorguy

warehouse wrote: »

Thanks for all the input, really appreciate it from all angles.

The car is for my wife who is a childminder, so needs the extra seats. The idea is new cheap car, car gets battered for 5 years but always in warranty, next new car. Repeat. Old model isn't an issue whatsoever.

Her current car is a Renault Grand Scenic, 07 plate, top of the range, all the toys etc. Everything is beginning to go wrong now, so forced us into a decision. Realised we only need the absolute basics some time back.

Surprised nobody has mentioned buying at the end of a sales term, (unless this is an urban myth)? Otherwise a lot more prepared for tomorrow, will also look around for other offers on the car and happy to sell privately if necessary now.

£2000 sounds slightly lowball for a Grand Scenic, but not desperately so.

I bought an 05 one 18 months ago at auction for £1,000.

I wouldnt get too hung up on the "end of sales period". You need a car now, they have the stock now. Do the deal now.

OddballJamie

Popped in my local Vauxhall dealer after work today for some goodies and found out the lifetime warranty is being canned for new customers at the end of this year. So don't hang about if you do want a new Zafira.

Puttytat

General rule of thumb for car salesmen - if their lips are moving, they're lying!

harveybobbles

Did we find out if this was a left over Zaffy and not the new Tourer?

BoxerfanUK

I ordered a new car today funny enough. Got a deal I was happy with so signed on the dotted line. Had a test drive in one a couple of weeks ago and told them I'd get back to them.


I suppose this mainly applies to franchised main dealers, but the first thing I do is to KNOW what I want and what I don't want in advance, do my research, test drive, look at the specs options and accessories, check the online brokers and see what the best prices are for the new car. I actually go armed with these prices and am happy to show the dealer what I can get the car for elsewhere and then push them for more if they want to win the deal.


If looking to part ex, particularly at a main dealer, I get a realistic idea of what my car is worth and check out their website/forecourt to see what they are asking for my current car on the resale. I find it helps to deflect the bull**** when they try to offer 3 grand less than a near identical car for sale on their forecourt. In essence, be prepared, know your wants and prices.


I guess everyone is different, but my approach is always to be quite calm, friendly and chatty with the sales person. THEY will try to be like that with you so they don't overtly pressure or alienate you, so I just reverse the psychology. Most like to know if you are going to buy today so I go prepared, I say yes I'll buy today if the deal is right. If I'm not happy with the price I'll tell them we are still some way off (or a long way off in some cases), then off they trot to their manager a number of times to see what else they can shave off the price. If the deal is still not good enough then I'll walk away, I haven't lost anything!!


They tend to load the first price with everything so they have room to manoeuvre downwards if they need to. Eg, today, Gap insurance £500... 'no thanks', Supagard paint protection £400... 'no thanks' (buy the kit for £15 and do it myself) 'smart scratch/dent cover £300... 'no thanks' etc etc.


The dealers make massive mark ups on these 'extras', often more than they make on the sale of the car if someone is daft enough to pay it.


You just have to have the confidence to do the deal if you're happy or walk away if not. It's a cat and mouse game with car salesman but I tend to play the cat without them realising it!!!

warehouse

BoxerfanUK wrote: »

I ordered a new car today funny enough. Got a deal I was happy with so signed on the dotted line. Had a test drive in one a couple of weeks ago and told them I'd get back to them.


I suppose this mainly applies to franchised main dealers, but the first thing I do is to KNOW what I want and what I don't want in advance, do my research, test drive, look at the specs options and accessories, check the online brokers and see what the best prices are for the new car. I actually go armed with these prices and am happy to show the dealer what I can get the car for elsewhere and then push them for more if they want to win the deal.


If looking to part ex, particularly at a main dealer, I get a realistic idea of what my car is worth and check out their website/forecourt to see what they are asking for my current car on the resale. I find it helps to deflect the bull**** when they try to offer 3 grand less than a near identical car for sale on their forecourt. In essence, be prepared, know your wants and prices.


I guess everyone is different, but my approach is always to be quite calm, friendly and chatty with the sales person. THEY will try to be like that with you so they don't overly pressure or alienate you, so I just reverse the psychology. Most like to know if you are going to buy today so I go prepared, I say yes I'll buy today if the deal is right. If I'm not happy with the price I'll tell them we are still some way off, then off they trot to their manager and see what else they can shave. If the deal is still not good enough then I'll walk away, I haven't lost anything!!


They tend to load the first price with everything so they have room to manoeuvre downwards if they need to. Eg, today, Gap insurance £500... 'no thanks', Supagard paint protection £400... 'no thanks' (buy the kit for £15 and do it myself) 'smart scratch/dent cover £300... 'no thanks' etc etc.


The dealers make massive mark ups on these 'extras', often more than they make on the sale of the car if someone is daft enough to pay it.


You just have to have the confidence to do the deal if you're happy or walk away if not. It's a cat and mouse game with car salesman but I tend to play the cat without them realising it!!!

Great advice, just what I was looking for when I started this thread. Many thanks BoxerfanUK.

BoxerfanUK

warehouse wrote: »

Great advice, just what I was looking for when I started this thread. Many thanks BoxerfanUK.

No problem glad to be of help.

DoctorFoster

harveybobbles wrote: »

Did we find out if this was a left over Zaffy and not the new Tourer?

Left over.

pvt

-Don't worry about being embarrassed;
-Don't worry about offering a price that's too low and that will make you look silly;
-Do your homework and know where else you can get the car for that price or cheaper - take a printout with you. If it's not comparable (smaller engine/lower spec) let him point that out, and then say it doesn't matter to you;
-Be prepared to walk away - you can always come back;
-Consider finance, they sometimes offer a big discount for this - and you can cancel it after the deal is done;
-If he says he's going off to ask his manager, ask if it wouldn't just be simpler for you to go with him and cut the messenger out.

Just remember you have the upper hand, and the deal can always be struck by you when you decide you've got a decent offer. The salesman is never going to say he's changed his mind and isn't going to sell you the car any more is he? In other words, you can keep pushing until the deal won't work for him, and then back off to the previous offer and do the deal - but the salesman can't do the same, he ever knows when you're gonna walk away and not come back.

Good luck and have fun.