Dealing with Car Salesmen

motorguy

alcot33uk wrote: »

As for dealing with salesman I found honesty works. My BIL wanted a new Astra 1.4 Coupe so asked me to do all the negotiations etc. So I researched, researched, researched. So when we went into a dealer we were able to say 'this is the car, spec etc and this is what we want to pay OTR'. The sales guy went away and 10 minutes later we deposited.

Simples.

Totally agree and thats what i've done in the past.

The problem with the O/Ps scenario is that noone else is bettering £9995 for the car so you dont really have any negotiation there, based on other dealers doing a better price. I suspect they're pretty much on the floor there (as no other dealer is doing it for less either) but theres no harm in poking them and see what happens.

As has been said, the negotiation is going to be around the trade in price so thats where your research, research, research comes in. If the O/P does his homework on that, then he may be able to squeeze some more out of the deal.

The other problem being the o/p just wants the standard car as it sits. So no extra profit for the dealer in metallic paint, engine upgrade, trim upgrade, mats, flaps, tyre insurance, scotchguard, RTI insurance and finance - which is really where the profit is these days - so it will be harder to get movement on the price of their car.

OddballJamie

Hintza wrote: »

This is the vital element but most people can't be bothered doing this legwork.

Same people that rock up with their part-ex caked in mud and the contents of a tuck shop's bin across the rear seats.

motorguy

OddballJamie wrote: »

Same people that rock up with their part-ex caked in mud and the contents of a tuck shop's bin across the rear seats.

I personally hadnt any issues with that when i was trading. And i dont think many salesmen do.

Its going to need a valet anyway so whats the problem with a bit of dirt or rubbish?

Shouldnt impact the value of the car.

I'd rather see an honest car, than one dickeyed up for the occassion.

colino

Can't be bothered raking out the car for valuation? = unthoughtful slobs who wont be fussy about car maintenance and servicing either. It's like getting on a flight and before take-off finding your fold down tray still has a coffee ring on it.

warehouse

So we haven't purchased the car.

The £9995 offer was for the garish red or just about liveable blue colours, and the blue is out of stock. Better colours are available on 64 plates, (not the 14 plate the offer was for), but that's another £800 for the later car and several hundred more for a decent colour. Road tax adds another £220+ and then there was constant pressure for gap insurance, paint thingy and seat thingy, all which they insisted we buy.
They then offered a paltry amount for our car, (a figure of which "we buy any car" offered £300 more for at the worst possible state). I researched well beforehand.

So initially we wanted a £9995 car, hoping to get £2500 for ours and put down another £2500 cash = £4995 balance.
We ended up with a car costing £11,800, offered £1600 for ours and constant pressure to spend much more.
The nail in the coffin came when the salesman said the lifetime guarantee doesn't apply to 64 cars, but I said the website says it covers cars up to a purchase date of December 31st. He said "oh yes, of course", so obviously buying in some negotiation.

The very reason I started this thread kicked in and I just walked away from this pondlife as I couldn't stand another minute in his presence.

mcpitman

Good on you for walking away.

Expect a follow up phone call today (i have had this in the past).

Any other competitor dealers in your local area?

Hintza

From what others have said you were being offered a reasonable deal which you have rejected (as is your prerogative) but obviously they really didn't want your old car.

You have said you think it is worth more but you also say everything is going wrong with it; so perhaps that is all it is worth to them and it would be better selling privately.

BJV

When you spend that much money you have to feel as though you are getting a good deal. Yes the dealer will have to make some money as otherwise they will not be in business. The price was ok ish??? but from what I can tell it was your views on warranty, colour etc that was the final straw.


There will always be deals some are better than others but you will find something.


As for your car. After spending nearly 20 years of my life in the motor industry valuing cars and running dealerships there is a fine line between presenting your car properly and tarting it up to the nines.


Try to keep the car free of rubbish if the sales person or sales manager can not see the carpets for sweet wrappers, if they can not see the overall condition of the paint work because it is covered in mud they will air on the side of caution.


Anyone who has ever had to make a living out of valuing cars and has not made a mistake because they missed paint work when valuing in the rain, mud, snow is lying.


Yes it does not have to be polished to the n'th degree but reasonable.


I really hope that you find the deal that you want and hate to say it but you may have to go through this again in another dealer.


But stand firm, and do not close the door on the deal you walked away from.


Right now the sales manager, business manager will be crunching numbers with a hope that tempt you back.


The motor industry has not had an easy time but this year for the vast part things are on the up. But it is just about to become the slowest time of the year for car sales.


Dealerships will budget to loose mega bucks and the pressure to get rid of stock before the next book drop will soon start so keep an open mind. Your sales person may have been pond slime, most are (but there are still a hand full of really good ones left) but if you get the deal you want fine.

warehouse

Thanks again.

I shouldn't have said he was pondlife, he was just a very pushy salesman who I started to dislike a lot the more he talked. I was going to go for finance over 5 years so there's their profit margin, no need to keep pushing the useless extras and take the mickey over the value of my own car.

Thank You BJV, another excellent post too.

Captaincodpiece

motorguy wrote: »

You're not grasping what i'm saying. The WBAC figure is not to try to beat the dealer with - its to let the O/P know how much better the dealer is doing than the rawest of raw trade prices.

So if WBAC are saying £1600, then a dealer bid of £2000 sounds about right. If WBAC are saying £2000 then the dealer isnt laying a very big egg by offering the same.

As has already been stated if you rock up with a copy of Parkers you're going to look a bit of an idiot.

Just tried wbac for a trade price, not bad at 2.5k more than Parkers but what wasn't very clear until the email arrived was if I do take them up on their offer they charge £75 for the privilege of dealing with them.