Inchcape Reading - just how hard is it to buy from them?
Discussion
Had my eye on a 3 series touring to replace my Macan S in a downsizing move. Still want to sit in something half decent and never owned a Beemer in my VW/Audi/Porsche life.
Price tracker shows they hiked the price by £500 then offered a £500 discount on finance deals. The car is already top heavy but I called them, offered £800 less than their previous lower advertised price (£18,500) on a £19,300 car. The "sales" guy said he'd speak to his manager "all cars priced by HQ based on current market" blah blah.
24 hours no call came. Stuck a £99 online deposit on it, no call back. Another day passed so rang to speak to sales director/manager. Nobody in the office. Passed through to another rep, offer repeated and call back promised but another day, nothing.
Are these guys serious about selling anything or is it a game they play with sub asking price punters?
Price tracker shows they hiked the price by £500 then offered a £500 discount on finance deals. The car is already top heavy but I called them, offered £800 less than their previous lower advertised price (£18,500) on a £19,300 car. The "sales" guy said he'd speak to his manager "all cars priced by HQ based on current market" blah blah.
24 hours no call came. Stuck a £99 online deposit on it, no call back. Another day passed so rang to speak to sales director/manager. Nobody in the office. Passed through to another rep, offer repeated and call back promised but another day, nothing.
Are these guys serious about selling anything or is it a game they play with sub asking price punters?
I gave them full opportunity to sell to me at asking, "speak to my manager and call you back". But no call, even a "can't help, take it or leave it". Why entertain an offer rather than be firm and say "sorry, if you'd like the car, pay the price".
WBAC has it at £13k. My Macan sold got £45k, WBAC £40k and expect the Porsche dealer who bought it havebit on for £55k in the next few days.
I guess I'm just rubbed up by their £500 hike when all others are moving south. Play a game or cough up?
WBAC has it at £13k. My Macan sold got £45k, WBAC £40k and expect the Porsche dealer who bought it havebit on for £55k in the next few days.
I guess I'm just rubbed up by their £500 hike when all others are moving south. Play a game or cough up?
PistonBust said:
I gave them full opportunity to sell to me at asking, "speak to my manager and call you back". But no call, even a "can't help, take it or leave it". Why entertain an offer rather than be firm and say "sorry, if you'd like the car, pay the price".
WBAC has it at £13k. My Macan sold got £45k, WBAC £40k and expect the Porsche dealer who bought it havebit on for £55k in the next few days.
I guess I'm just rubbed up by their £500 hike when all others are moving south. Play a game or cough up?
WBAC though are not an indicator of value. They effectively buy cheap, sell through auction with the aim of making a profit, then the buying dealer has to make money, tidy the car up, add a warrantly, have a small amount of wriggle room in price, factor in service, possible remedial work, overheads etc.WBAC has it at £13k. My Macan sold got £45k, WBAC £40k and expect the Porsche dealer who bought it havebit on for £55k in the next few days.
I guess I'm just rubbed up by their £500 hike when all others are moving south. Play a game or cough up?
My experience with Inchcape is they have very little room to move on the sticker price. Happy to throw in no end of extended warranty, servicing etc. but the price is the price. A few hundred quid is the most they'll budge on that.
If you're so far under the asking price they probably think it's not worth the effort.
If you're so far under the asking price they probably think it's not worth the effort.
Going back a bit, I I bought wife's new VW Tiguan from an Inchcape dealer cheaper than they has 0-12mth old ones up for sale.
We needed the car quickly, across the group they had 100 pre-reg to 12mth old models, but they wouldn't enter into any dicussion about the price at all. As it happened, new one came in 8 days (and we'd had quite a discussion on the price of that - they discounted it further f2f than their CarWow offer, to make it near-enough match DriveTheDeal's price).
We needed the car quickly, across the group they had 100 pre-reg to 12mth old models, but they wouldn't enter into any dicussion about the price at all. As it happened, new one came in 8 days (and we'd had quite a discussion on the price of that - they discounted it further f2f than their CarWow offer, to make it near-enough match DriveTheDeal's price).
Edited by Sheepshanks on Thursday 28th March 16:16
Zippee said:
PistonBust said:
I gave them full opportunity to sell to me at asking, "speak to my manager and call you back". But no call, even a "can't help, take it or leave it". Why entertain an offer rather than be firm and say "sorry, if you'd like the car, pay the price".
WBAC has it at £13k. My Macan sold got £45k, WBAC £40k and expect the Porsche dealer who bought it havebit on for £55k in the next few days.
I guess I'm just rubbed up by their £500 hike when all others are moving south. Play a game or cough up?
WBAC though are not an indicator of value. They effectively buy cheap, sell through auction with the aim of making a profit, then the buying dealer has to make money, tidy the car up, add a warrantly, have a small amount of wriggle room in price, factor in service, possible remedial work, overheads etc.WBAC has it at £13k. My Macan sold got £45k, WBAC £40k and expect the Porsche dealer who bought it havebit on for £55k in the next few days.
I guess I'm just rubbed up by their £500 hike when all others are moving south. Play a game or cough up?
Dealer pays auction sale prices plus auction fees, transport, inspection and any prep or remdial work done before sale, advertising, cost of sale, agreed work in sale price, warranty, VAT on difference between purchase and sale price.
If you want to pay rock bottom prices buy privately where you'll have almost no comeback. Warranty and 6 months of consumer rights alone could cost the dealer thousands in fixes, they dont price cars based on not having to fix something after sale..
Jordie Barretts sock said:
I'd agree a serious offer is.
This offer would get filed along with "Wots Ure lowest for cash m8?"
This offer would get filed along with "Wots Ure lowest for cash m8?"
OP says the car was previously up for £18500, and he's offered £17700 - £800 less than they previously had it up for, that's hardly a piss-take, it's an offer for negotiation.
The clue is in the job title - 'sales' executive/person. They are there to facilitate sales, and to sell the car to you. If I was selling it and felt it was worth the asking, I'd be selling the car to the OP and explaining why it's worth that - well prepped, good service history, owes us £X etc.
If buying a car is now pay the windscreen price or else, then we don't need sales execs in the dealership.
No, car was listed on AT for £19,300. I didn't contact them with any expression of interest until my car had sold and cash in bank. In the meantime, three days ago, they hiked price to £19,800 (other BMW dealers have similar car at £18,700). I offered £18,500 vs £19,300 original asking. Upped my offer today to £19,300, (original asking) but told it's £19,800 but free tank of fuel.
I offered to pay in full today if deal can be done and collect car mid April when back from hols but given bulls
t that they can't count it as a sale until car leaves their premises.
Their staff are not sales people, they are order takers. The car is £1k overpriced comparing like with like on BMW forecourts. £3k compared to one's on Cinch, Big Motoring World etc.
I offered to pay in full today if deal can be done and collect car mid April when back from hols but given bulls
t that they can't count it as a sale until car leaves their premises.Their staff are not sales people, they are order takers. The car is £1k overpriced comparing like with like on BMW forecourts. £3k compared to one's on Cinch, Big Motoring World etc.
PistonBust said:
The car is £1k overpriced comparing like with like on BMW forecourts.
So why are you trying to buy one that you consider overpriced when you could be buying the same car at what you consider fair value from another dealer?My only experience with Inchcape in Reading was when I bought a new 430d there in 2018 and to be honest I had a good experience from start to finish. May be different between new and used departments though. It was Cooper back then, though I doubt that changes anything.
yellowbentines said:
OP says the car was previously up for £18500, and he's offered £17700 - £800 less than they previously had it up for, that's hardly a piss-take, it's an offer for negotiation.
The clue is in the job title - 'sales' executive/person. They are there to facilitate sales, and to sell the car to you. If I was selling it and felt it was worth the asking, I'd be selling the car to the OP and explaining why it's worth that - well prepped, good service history, owes us £X etc.
If buying a car is now pay the windscreen price or else, then we don't need sales execs in the dealership.
Banks did something similar. Branch manager is now quite a junior grade and not authorised to make lending decisions. Cost driven model.
I think the European manufacturers need to up their customer service, both in sales and after sales, because they wont be able to compete with the Chinese on price.
I've bought several cars blind at Main Dealers,and have generally got there eventually with what I'd consider a sizeable discount at a price I wanted to pay,and the dealer obviously still making their money whether that car was a 6k one for my daughter or a 15k one for the other half etc.For those having a pop at the OP, his opening gambit isn't unreasonable, it's a starting point, and there is zero excuse for not returning a phone call in any business. Communication is always key,and they have failed full stop on that.
PistonBust said:
No, car was listed on AT for £19,300. I didn't contact them with any expression of interest until my car had sold and cash in bank. In the meantime, three days ago, they hiked price to £19,800 (other BMW dealers have similar car at £18,700). I offered £18,500 vs £19,300 original asking. Upped my offer today to £19,300, (original asking) but told it's £19,800 but free tank of fuel.
I offered to pay in full today if deal can be done and collect car mid April when back from hols but given bullst that they can't count it as a sale until car leaves their premises.
Their staff are not sales people, they are order takers. The car is £1k overpriced comparing like with like on BMW forecourts. £3k compared to one's on Cinch, Big Motoring World etc.
Buy one of the cheaper ones then?I offered to pay in full today if deal can be done and collect car mid April when back from hols but given bulls
t that they can't count it as a sale until car leaves their premises.Their staff are not sales people, they are order takers. The car is £1k overpriced comparing like with like on BMW forecourts. £3k compared to one's on Cinch, Big Motoring World etc.
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