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Used car traders both independent and brand related always have and always will attempt to minimise the amount of work they carry out before selling a car. Most will make it look nice and hopefully sort any problems that require immediate attention but as for doing any work on parts that are currently functioning as intended forget it even if they are approaching the end of their life.
This is why you need to carry out a careful inspection before buying and then get the seller to sort any issues or adjust the price accordingly. If you don't feel confident enough to check yourself get a 3rd party to do an inspection.
Just remember the 3 rules of buying a car, they ahve been quoted often enough:
Rule 1: All dealer are liars
Rule 2: All dealers are liars
Rule 3: Refer to rules 1 & 2
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My 18 month old Civic (Honda Approved) with which I am otherwise delighted came with a few faults. Most annoying were transit film marks on the bonnet that the valeter must surely have noticed but I missed until I did my first wash of the car and looked "into" the paint. Needed a bonnet respray under warranty. Other faults were rear seat belt warning (false "unoccupied") and magic seat not staying up (a known problem on drivers side I've since found out). Despite my checks before purchase I missed these. I suspect an AA or similar inspection would have found them but as the dealer fixed without quibble I saved myself the cost of an inspection. A bit irritating though.
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Used car traders both independent and brand related always have and always will attempt to minimise the amount of work they carry out before selling a car. Most will make it look nice and hopefully sort any problems that require immediate attention but as for doing any work on parts that are currently functioning as intended forget it even if they are approaching the end of their life.
This is why you need to carry out a careful inspection before buying and then get the seller to sort any issues or adjust the price accordingly. If you don't feel confident enough to check yourself get a 3rd party to do an inspection.
Just remember the 3 rules of buying a car, they ahve been quoted often enough:
Rule 1: All dealer are liars
Rule 2: All dealers are liars
Rule 3: Refer to rules 1 & 2
The problem SKidpan is this:
If you have two cars. Car (A) has tyres at 2mm, needs all round brakes, hasn't had a service in 30000 miles, is way overdue for a cambelt, has worn suspension bushes, smells a bit of wet dog and the aircon doesn't work but car (B) has new tyres, brakes were a bit low so dealer replaced them, just had a full service and a new cambelt, suspension overhaul so drives really nicely, everything works.
Now, I totally, 100% guarentee if two dealers advertise these two cars and the dealer with Car B advertises it at £500 more than Car A they will not get a single phone call. Not one. Probably Ever. And, in the unlikely event they do, 99% of buyers will absoultely refuse to pay more for it than Car A is advertised at.
The truth is the market and buyers are 100% totally, utterly, obsessed by the headline price and as long as they are everything will always come down to the lowest denominator.
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Just remember the 3 rules of buying a car, they ahve been quoted often enough:
Rule 1: All dealer are liars
Rule 2: All dealers are liars
Rule 3: Refer to rules 1 & 2
I agree, although I was surprised and pleased by the experience when I recently bought a used Suzi SV650 from Single Tracker in Crewe.
They said that they would do a full, major service on the bike before I picked it up. Not only did they change oil, filter, spark plugs, coolant etc, I also got a list of what the valve clearances were (so I could see they were within spec). They added that they like to fit a fresh battery when selling a used bike, but didn't have the correct one in stock at the time. So they ordered one for me, which I picked up a week later at no cost to me.
They'd even greased the sliding pins on the brake calipers, which is not a listed service item. I was very impressed: there are still businesses that look after customers and go the extra mile.
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Rule 1: All dealer are liars
Rule 2: All dealers are liars
Rule 3: Refer to rules 1 & 2
Normally I would assume this remark was tongue-in-cheek, but I suspect with Skidpan it may not be :-) If he had said 'crooks' it might have been slightly more libellous. Either way, his sentiment might be better expressed as 'Assume that all dealers may be liars (or crooks if you prefer) and make allowances'.
I may have been lucky, but I have never been lumbered with a lemon, not because I am a brilliant judge of cars; I try to detect any snags before signing anything, and make sure anything the seller agrees to do gets done before I drive away. Hopefully the car doesn't have to go back afterwards.
But all dealers are slaves to the 'market value', and many buyers expect all cars for sale to be near-perfect examples so the cheapest is no worse than the dearest - except maybe for what is on the clock. Not so.
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Normally I would assume this remark was tongue-in-cheek, but I suspect with Skidpan it may not be :-) If he had said 'crooks' it might have been slightly more libellous. Either way, his sentiment might be better expressed as 'Assume that all dealers may be liars (or crooks if you prefer) and make allowances'.
When dad bought the Micra the dealer promised several items one of which did not appear despite it being on the order. Salesman kept promising to sort but nothing appeared. Eventually I happened to ring on his day off, spoke to sales manager who was not aware of issue and it was sorted within 24 hours with a sincere apology.
When I bought my Leon 2 years ago the dealer told me several lies which eventually got escalated up to Seat Customer Services. They were most aplologetic and I receieved a £200 voucher to spend on whatever I wanted.
When we bought the Mrs new Note a few weeks ago I researched everything thoroughly including the PCP T & C's yet the dealer still told me a pack of lies about paying it off early. Even Nissan were unable to answer in a manner I could understand. Eventually found the relevent part of the Consumer Credit Act on the internet, showed the dealer and he appeared very surprised. Expect Financial Ombudsman would be very interested but why should I bother, sorted now.
So despite being well aware of the salesmans habits we can still get caught. Makes me wonder how punters who believe anything they are told manage.
My remarks are anything but tongue in cheek, believe a salesman at your own peril.
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There are of course some honest people in the motor trade but in the 8 years of my career that involved dealing with mainly new car franchises, I learned that there are a lot who will tell a lie even when the truth would do the job.
Some couldn't help it even when I knew they were lying, and they knew I knew.
If it's important, get it in writing.
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Not all dealers are liars. N.B. I have no connection with this guy. His preparation is an example to others. www.w124.co.uk
Also aware his after sales service is excellent too. I know someone who bought a car from this guy.
Edited by Trilogy on 22/07/2015 at 19:51
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Not all dealers are liars. N.B. I have no connection with this guy. His preparation is an example to others. www.w124.co.uk
Also aware his after sales service is excellent too. I know someone who bought a car from this guy.
Looks like a blatant advert to me. Or a virus.
Dont click on it.
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It's not a virus, it's the site of the best known W124 sales specialist (estates mainly) in the country, who has contributed reams of info on the model to the relevant section in HJ's car reviews above.
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Not all dealers are liars. N.B. I have no connection with this guy. His preparation is an example to others. www.w124.co.uk
Also aware his after sales service is excellent too. I know someone who bought a car from this guy.
Looks like a blatant advert to me. Or a virus.
Dont click on it.
Really ? You'd expect Trilogy to do that ?
It's a website for an independent Merc specialist down in Sussex. Nothing more suspicious than that.
Being careful is one thing. Being insanely paranoid and not trusting anyone is another matter altogether.
What's next, the tinfoil hat ?
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Perhaps not a virus but still a blatant advert which is against forum rules.
k****** anyone?
Bit Off topic innit!
So, with my knowledge of Jaguars and Rovers you would say that as a regular longtime contributor there are those of us who would "advertise"...
As Mr Blair said on the news today, GET A TRANSPLANT.
I would ask avant to delete your comments, they are unfair, ungentlemanly and positively discourteous.
If I recommend a particular trader, as do others it is because of our own experience, but there again, maybe you are having a "provocative" day.
:-)
(Edit - Offending post deleted: thanks ORB. Trilogy is a long-standing member who wouldn't do that sort of thing: indeed he said he has no conenction with the Mercedes dealer in question.)
Edited by Avant on 22/07/2015 at 23:37
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I worked in the trade in the early 90s and have been on the "other side" since.
Yes, many a salesperson will lie but, boy! You ought to see what some customers will try!
Works both ways really.
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A used car outfit (largest of its kind) in Kent has sold a record 827 cars in one month. Most were BMW (64%) with the remainder made up of Mercedes. Perhaps I should have put asterix instead of BMW and Mercedes, just incase skidpan thinks I am blatantly advertising. S******, I was not advertising, only giving an example.
Apparently people travel from Aberdeen to Kent to buy. Hope they do the right thing when it comes to selling cars.
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Yes, many a salesperson will lie but, boy! You ought to see what some customers will try!
It does, have seen it too! (since 1976) British Leyland Truck and Bus sales...
then Parts depts and various higher responsibilities,
But does not excuse a prestige or any other make trying it on.
Best example was a customer swearing we had swapped his tyres, followed by someone who bought a starer motor supplying the old one and saying he "wanted one like that" and then tried to take us to court.... the customer who filled the oil filler with water to the brim...
But I have seen the opposite and not very attractive picture, excepting my late and lamented boss, who would very much give anyone the benefit of the doubt...
CAVEAT EMPTOR..
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One Beemer dealer told me in my innocent days that the company (i.e. BMW, not the dealer) was not like VW and Mercedes but was a private company, and owned by the "Quant" family.
I asked if that was 'as in Mary Quant', and was told yes. I now know better - the QUANDT family members own about 45%, the rest is publicly owned.
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Just spotted this at the end of an ad for a 1990s Mercedes.
"On the whole a very practicable Car that will give years of good trouble free motoring."
I wonder if the vendor will put the last ten words of that on a receipt.
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One Beemer dealer told me in my innocent days that the company (i.e. BMW, not the dealer) was not like VW and Mercedes but was a private company, and owned by the "Quant" family.
I asked if that was 'as in Mary Quant', and was told yes. I now know better - the QUANDT family members own about 45%, the rest is publicly owned.
A friend once worked for the local Jaguar dealer located on a 'garage farm' site. He maintained that his best recommendations came from the BMW dealer opposite. Customers were so fed up of the snooty attitude of BMW salesmen they used to walk out, see the Jag showroom opposite and head over for a look. He reckons he sold lots of Jags in this situation.
Hard to Quandtify I know!! Ouch....
Cheers Concrete
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