Agreeing a price

How good are you at negotiating? Most used car sellers will have checked the value of their car as a 'private sale' in one of the consumer car price guides available from newsagents. ('Parkers', 'What Car Price Guide', etc.) They are likely to have followed the guide advice to build an amount into the price for negotiation.

The simplest way to check out their bottom line is to ask, 'OK, I know the advertised price, but what's the lowest you're prepared to take for the car?' They may smile sheepishly and tell you straight away, or getting to their bottom line might be like pulling teeth.

Remember, though, that even when you get to what they have told themselves is their 'bottom line', it might not be as low as they are prepared to go. Much will depend on circumstances, such as the urgency of the sale, how long the car has been on the market, and/or how few people have come to see it. So think like a detective. If the bloke's bags are already packed, his furniture gone and his curtains down, he's probably leaving for Australia that afternoon. If he's already bought a replacement car, he may need to sell the older one urgently. Just chatting to the fellow may elicit little hints that tell you the true circumstances.

It's hardly a moral approach, but it's up to you to take advantage of whatever you can.