Mazda 3 - Nearly new car

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 08:37
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - Tumbledown

I'm trying to buy a nearly new car from a manufacturer main dealer. The car I wanted that they had on site turned out to be not quite right.

The salesman asked if I wanted him to look for a nearly new one from the manufacturer that matched the spec I wanted.

I said yes and he came back with the perfect car. One catch - he wants me to pay for it in full (or rather pay the large deposit and sign the finance agreement for the full amount) without actually seeing the car. He says they will then order/buy it from the manufacturer and it will take ten days to deliver.

I've always bought cars for around £5000 from private sellers in the past and obviously would never do that without checking the car over.

But this is nearly new, manufacturer approved with two and a half years left on the manufacturer warranty and from a main dealer and I have no experience of buying like this.

The salesman acts as though it is almost unreasonable of me to want to see the car first but that seems crazy to me.

I guess I wouldn't see a new car before a bought it - or would I?

Has anyone got experience of this? What should I do? Any thoughts/tips gratefully received.

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 10:20
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - andyfr

We normally buy new or pre-registered and you just pay a deposit to order and then pay the balance when going to pick it up, so you do see it before paying the rest.

I would be very wary of paying the full amount, sight unseen. Have you checked out the price of a new one through a broker? Very often they are cheaper than a pre-registered one. Have you tried ringing round franchised dealer in other parts of the country to see what they have in stock?

We did that last time for my wife's car. Contacted a dealer over 500 miles away and did the deal via email and phone. Agreed a price for our part exchange by providing photos, paid a small deposit to hold the car, then drove down to complete the transaction with no problems at all.

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 10:23
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - scot22

In theory there isn't really much of a problem. I'm sure thousands of cars have been bought in this way.

However, it is not something that I would be relaxed about doing. I would have to have driven in the actual car to be confident it was right for me. I once test drove an A class which had been brought from another branch ( not that far away). I had been told the sports seats were comfortable and were good if you had a back problem. I did not find it so. Although my £500 deposit was returned it was not done with good will.

I am ultra cautious now. If the salesman is that sure of the car why is he not happy to make a conditional sale ?

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 10:26
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - RobJP

Write a letter which states that, if the car is not as described or has faults or damage then you have the absolute right to cancel the sale, the finance will be cancelled and that you will receive a full and immediate refund of any deposit paid.

If they won't agree to that, then walk away.

If, on the other hand, your reason is more the possibility of "buyer's remorse", then I'm afraid you're on your own. The dealer has to pay to get the car transported to them, and in the case of a lot of dealers they have to agree to buy the car from the manufacturer, so can't send it back if you did just change your mind. As such, the dealer is just trying to safeguard themselves, which is entirely reasonable.

I bought my current BMW this way. Saw it on BMW GB website, had a chat with someone from the dealership I had dealt with before. Car brought up from wherever, they spent a day prepping it (was an ex-press car 6 months old with 3k on it), I came in and paid and picked it up. I think I had to put down a £500 deposit, but it was on a signed order form, so I was committed to buying.

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 10:38
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - gordonbennet

RobJP's post is spot on, the cost involved of buying or if they can returning the car/pre prep etc have to be borne by the garage if you decided you didn't like it, or you've seen something better in the meantime and just going through the motions...not suggesting in any way you would do this but they don't know you from a bar of soap, and the public are a fickle bunch these days.

One thing i might add is that you pay at least part of the (refundable if not as described) deposit on a credit card to gain some hopefully added protection that way should the dealer go broke or this all turns sour for some reason.

Check and get confirmation about previous ownership and use before signing and get it written in, it could be an ex renter and that might not be obvious from the first owners title, whether that bothers you is another question.

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 13:14
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - slkfanboy

The modern car sale man is play games with you. Trying to commit you to a purchase from him.

I always say no see no buy. The margins are so low and sales of goods act so good that it's the best way to purchase a car. Private sales save you so little it hardly worth the risks. I tend to look for 3 years only ex. mobility car or ex. demo. Always 1 owner and full service history.

Selling makes them less money than other thing like;

1) Car finance

2) Extended warranty

3) Service Plan

4) GAP Insurance

5) Scotchgard

So the process I follow is exactly the same as it would be buying privately. Check the car and paperwork.

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Mon 15 Jun 2015 00:04
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - Tumbledown

Thank you everyone for your replies. I went back armed with the knowledge I'd got from here and the salesman instantly backed down and said all I'd need to do was put down a small deposit. However it turned out that after all that, the car had just been sold anyway.

I've now bought a new one!

I'm now wondering whether to take up their main dealer paint and leather protection. Any thoughts? Is it worth it?

Thanks again - a great forum and a great help.

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Mon 15 Jun 2015 10:22
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - andyfr

They are usually overpriced packages and I wouldn't bother myself, unless it was part of the deal and only then if I was happy with the price.

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Thu 18 Jun 2015 18:54
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - waffler

I am in the same position as you, offered pre-registered etc. This is via the internal auction and my dealer reckons is perfectly normal. I've looked into the various add on insurances and found them all cheaper from specialist on line firms.

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Thu 18 Jun 2015 23:00
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - Andrew-T

However it turned out that after all that, the car had just been sold anyway.

Hmmm - I wonder ....

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Thu 18 Jun 2015 22:55
Mazda 3 - Nearly new car - Andrew-T

Private sales save you so little it hardly worth the risks. I tend to look for 3 years only ex. mobility car or ex. demo. Always 1 owner and full service history.

Disagree - private sale can save quite a bit (buying or selling) but I don't think it's likely in this case - nearly-new.

The newest car I ever bought was about 6 months old, ex-rental with about 13K miles, about £5K below list. Hasn't given me a problem yet after 6 years. I test-drive and examine every car before buying, and I think it would be inviting trouble otherwise.

If you were to order brand-new, you would have to at least test-drive an identical car before signing on the dotted line. But when you have talked the salesman into doing what you want, beware when he starts offering 'extras' - he is probably trying to recover the cost of some of the concessions he has made.

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