Hi again
Thanks for all the recent replies when we were considering a Ford Focus for SWMBO last weekend.
Bizarrely the car she's now decided she wants is a Toyota Avensis Mk2 (not much of a stretch there I know!)
I'm quite happy with this though and having discounted the 1.8 vvti due to the well documented oil consumption problems once they hit 50K or so and the 2.0 simply because it's a bit thirsty we fancy the diesel.
Test drove a clean 2.0 d4d colour collection (post-facelift 130 bhp 6 speed job) this evening 44K on an 56 plate full Toyota S/H one private owner, which had a sticker proce of £6995...not unreasonable I know)
Because we're not trading-in and paying cash, I had expected at least £400 off the asking price but after trying various negotiating tactics, nowt, nada, nothing, £6995 take it or leave it mate.
I suppose this might have been because another customer allegedly had it out earlier in the day, so there may well be a fair bit of interest in the car, but I was a wee bit disappointed in the not budging policy.
How common is this?
The car even at £6995 seems good value, there's nothing much I can nitpick over, should I just swallow my hurt pride and buy the thing?
My decision at the end of the day I know but any thoughts as always very welcome even just out of interest
cheers
Steve
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At that price it will get a lot of interest. Its a good choice for a sensible, spacious and comfortable family car that is cheap to run in all respects.
To put it in prespective, there is an 05 with 41k on the clock for £8,999 at my local toyota. Now i reckon that they need to adjust there pricing and you could get that for around 7.5k or just above. So that gives you an idea on price for the 56 plate you have found. Plus there aren't many 56k 2l diesels around at that mileage.
However like you i would expect a discount. Even only a small discount. If you want to gamble i would walk in there tomorrow, with your cheque book and say i will write this cheque out right now if you do it for £6750. Then at least you can walk away thinking you got a bargain (providing it drives ok?) instead of a very good price.
Edited by OldSkoOL on 07/05/2009 at 21:31
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Once dealer understands that you started liking the car, they won't budge.
If you can show them you are free to walk away unless they give £500 discount, then they might negotiate.
It's up to you how much you want to pay really.
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If you can show them you are free to walk away unless they give £500 discount then they might negotiate.
....but I did walk away...that was my final 'tactic', with each step I expected to hear "can you give us your contact number?"
alas no!
you're all right though, it is a fair price for the car.......however there is an identical one a few miles down the road (so guess what I'm doing tomorrow?)
...............all good fun!
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identical one a few miles down the road >>
Stirling work. Dun fer ..... now.
Ochay the Noo, Jimmy.
p.s. one in Stockport and another one in Sheffield too.
Edited by jbif on 07/05/2009 at 23:03
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SQp.s. one in Stockport and another one in Sheffield too.
I'm speechless........ well done Sherlock!
on a (semi) serious note, I hope the dealers don't read this forum!
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/05/2009 at 01:54
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There IS always another similar model down the road. Such dealerships don't deserve to be in business as they, and we, know what the car buying game is all about.
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Screen prices are (a) a round number of £ usually less 5 (b) set with a margin for allowing something above book for a part-ex. You have no part-ex, so you must guess whether the dealer sets keen screen-prices and makes meagre offers, or high screen-prices and cons punters by making them think their part-ex is valuable. Your dealer seems to be the former, prepared to take the chance that a buyer will turn up soon who won't haggle. How long has the car been there?
But if there other examples in the neighbourhood looking equally tempting, why bother with this one?
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'£6995...not unreasonable - £6995 seems good value there's nothing much I can nitpick over'
Sounds like you think the car IS priced fairly.
So why would they want to lower the price??
the used market is fairly buoyant at the moment, unlike new, so they will be sure that someone willing to pay the sticker price will be along soon.........
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Its your choice really. You can risk loosing it by walking away over a 400 quid discount or you can pay up and take the car. If *YOU* are happy with the price paid - thats all that really matters.
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I would leave the price as it is and haggle over other things like mats,tank of fuel,road tax etc etc.
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I run a little business. I have a strategy of pricing very keenly but try very hard not to be beaten down even further. In most cases I would have to sell at a loss if I did. My regular customers know that I'm charging a fair price and come back as a result. Maybe this trader has a similar point of view ? Some people prefer transparent pricing.
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I would also think that the dealer could be more flexible on any future niggles / faults / warranty / goodwill issues if it breaks; if they had made some margin on selling it in the first place.
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Would imagine this car would be sought after for the private cabs?
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Because we're not trading-in and paying cash, I had expected at least £400 off the asking price but after trying various negotiating tactics, nowt, nada, nothing, £6995 take it or leave it mate.
Not necessarily so. In fact, you're probably not the most sought-after customer type - you're not generating any commission from 3rd party finance & not providing any stock for them to sell ( or more likely sell-on..) - they can make money on both currently. Maybe, in fact, the sticker price was set with p/ex & finance in mind. They've got bigger (or maybe more succulent) fish to fry!
Edited by woodbines on 08/05/2009 at 10:30
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Maybe in fact the sticker price was set with ........ finance in mind.
Absolutely. When buying cars I've frequently been asked "How would you like to pay, sir." When I've given them a questioning look and asked whether they objected to cash their smile has all but disappeared.
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The Avensis has been very strong at auction the last few months with a 20-30% increase and the correct spec models going well over book.
The dealer is probably thinking that once they've sold this one, its replacement on the forecourt might have to be £7495.
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once they've sold this one, its replacement on the forecourt might have to be £7495. >>
So why not put the current one up at £7495?
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its all about cash flow in this job at the moment and its more keener than ever,the banks are treating us like lepers
ie get it in
check it out
sticker it up
sold
next
so if it is cheap just buy it
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Car dealers have a sixth sense which detects whether or not you really want what's on offer. If the flag is raised, nothing on earth will shift the price.
You have to decide whether the deal is favourable to you. If it is, pay the price - looking further afield because you feel disgruntled has considerable costs. What you can do if you are dealing with a dealer and paying full price is negotiate for extras. Forget sillies like full tanks of fuel and floor mats. Go for something which the dealer can fit for relatively little money (he won't be paying what you pay for labour and OE parts are cheap to a dealer) and which will materially enhance the value to you of your purchase.
In one instance, I negotiated the fitment of a cruise control to a standard VAG barge mobile. As it was being bought as a motorway cruiser, it transformed it - cost to dealer was minimal and I felt that that and a few other things made the deal a good one. The version of the same car with cruise as OE was outside my budget.
659.
Edited by 659FBE on 08/05/2009 at 12:17
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Car dealers have a sixth sense which detects whether or not you really want what's on offer. If the flag is raised nothing on earth will shift the price.
But surely nobody ever goes to the effort of agreeing a deal on a car they don't want??
Or am I missing something?
Isn't it more a combination of sensing if you're not willing to walk away or not, and if you do, whether they reckon they can find another punter quickly enough or not?
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Update on 'the (identical) car down the road'
Basically sound, fine to drive.
missing the 30K intermediate service stamp (other three are main dealer Toyota)
very slightly more signs of cosmetic wear and tear (odd scuff nothing major) and 5K more miles.
However, dealer willing to go to 6.7K, years dealer warranty, years MOT and a fresh service and there's 5 months tax remaining.
I suppose the missing stamp invalidates the remaining 5 months of the Toyota warranty but hey ho!
Might just go for it.....
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Personally I would rate a service, less miles and less wear and tear as worth much more than £295.
I have made mistakes where the old cliche "pride comes before a fall" could be applied. Make sure that isn't the case this time - and then enjoy the car.
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Having read the thread, my money would go on the first, tidier car. £295 extra is well worth paying for all the advantages the earlier car present IMO.
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listen to brettmick OP
you seem to have found the car but want the moon on a stick
i take great joy when an earlier customer comes back and i say the immortal words
"its sold"
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Give him his £6995 and get on with your life (IMHO)
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The similar spec car in slightly poorer condition is a little less money which suggests both cars are priced correctly.
If you can afford it, buy the better one.
Unless they are thoroughly unprofessional, the dealer is not going to make you eat humble pie/feel bad about going back.
"Sign here and thanks for your business," is what I expect you will hear.
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One of the things that really used to irritate me when I sold cars was when the customer seemed more interested in the discount than the actual price!
If you can negotiate a discount then good luck, if you can't then you need to decide whether it's worth a couple of hundred quid to buy from a dealer further afield. Personally I always try to buy local even if it costs a bit more (I'm not just talking cars) as you definitely have a better chance of good after-sales service, which can add up to a lot more than your "discount"
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>>.. as you definitely have a better chance of good after-sales service>>
I cannot, for the life of me, understand your logic in this instance.
On what grounds should a local dealer provide "a better chance of good after sales service" than one a little further afield?
The dealership's sales rep is hardly likely to know whether you are a local or come from some distance to buy a particular vehicle.
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On what grounds should a local dealer provide "a better chance of good after sales service" than one a little further afield?
You're more likely to go back in the future to a local dealer if you've been given good after-sales service.
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OP - you say the first car is 56 plate, and also that the second car has 12 mths MOT. As 56 platers are not yet 3 years old then the second car is presumably 06 plate? Or am I wrong and it is possible to MOT a car at less than 3 years old?
IF it is 3 years old, then is it definitely the facelift model - I thought that didn't appear until July 2006 or so?
The first car sounds a better deal anyway, but if the 2nd one is 06 plate it imakes the 56 plate one look even better priced. If the 2nd one isn't the facelift then the gap widens further....
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the second car is presumably 06 plate? >>
Stirling and Dunfermline dealers both illustrate the cars in question with 56 plates fully visible. It makes it easy then to check those reg numbers on the DVLA website.
Edited by jbif on 09/05/2009 at 13:04
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