Do you haggle when buying a used car?

[Matt UK]

POORCARDEALER said:

I will remember that as I am choosing which car to go to work in in the morning, thanks for the advice

Game, set and match

[6fire]

Flying machine said:

There's an interesting potential conflict between the opinions people express regarding their ability and enjoyment in offering very low prices (which I imagine must be combined with sucking of teeth and tutting for some reason) and how they go about selling - I wonder if they are the same people who post up threads regarding time wasters and get all cross when others do the same to them? Just a thought

I'm not bothered come sale time. It'll go on eBay with no reserve and sell for what the market thinks its worth. Makes for easy sales - if everyone did that though I wouldn't get the joy of a haggle when I was buying.

[All that jazz]

POORCARDEALER said:

I will remember that as I am choosing which car to go to work in in the morning, thanks for the advice My only comeback is that I am a powerfully built company director and have more money than you so I am going to brag about it and try to make you look all inferior. There, that should do it. Yep

EFA.

Edited by All that jazz on Friday 13th July 17:46

[lgw]

If I'm happy with the asking price I'll pay it and buy it, if not I won't, really can't be arsed to haggle

[Birdster]

POORCARDEALER said:

You will find many dealers (Evans Halshaw in particular for one) advertise cars at odd exact prices, they 99/100 wont move on those prices which they claim to be cheapest in the area etc etc.....they will try and get you to pay more with add ons etc....So if a car is cheap to start with, then its cheap, there is nothing macho about missing a cheap car that you want becuase you cant get £200 off...

Thanks. Nothing macho at all. I based my offer on them not going that low and then bringing my price up so we met in the middle. This lowering of the price was to cover the tyres and getting the car prepped by a detailer. Or them not really moving on price, but servicing the car and putting four matching tyres on the car.

Worn Bridgstones on the front and some budgets on the back is not what I expected. If the car was mint and had four decent branded tyres on and was taxed I wouldn't have even offered anything I would have taken it. I really was taken with the MX5. WhenI see it like that it just says to me. "Put the cheapest tyres on so we can sell it legally".

[FLGirl]

Yes, I always haggle and I've always bought used cars. Generally, I'm looking to get around 10% off the asking price and have never yet failed. I've only bought from private sellers. Although it seems potentially an arbitrary figure, I have an absolute love of doing lots of research before I buy so I will know:

- The average prices over the last couple of months
- Checked full MOT history online
- Cost of replacement parts/servicing
- Comparable cost of cars in a similar radius
- Common issues/faults and reviews gleaned from owners forums and of course PH

Therefore when I pick a certain car I already know it is fairly priced, has all the right work done etc. The haggling is simply a matter of knowing I've got a bit off and paid what I consider my ceiling price. I actually never take more cash than I'm prepared to pay.

I also spend quite a bit of time chatting to sellers beforehand and I can honestly say every car I've bought over the last 4-5 year period has been a really enjoyable experience on both sides. I still occasionally hear from the guy I bought my MR2 from, was offered race lessons from the seller of my E46 months after it sold and have had some pleasant texts from the guy I bought the Alfa from last night

Last night, from Alfa seller, we laughed through the haggling process when I showed him I genuinely only had the exact cash I was offering and explained he could have had a tenner more had I not stopped for food at a services on route, he thought it was hilarious and we shook on the deal.

I deal honestly and fairly with people and simply expect the same in return. I've never been disappointed.

[POORCARDEALER]

Birdster said:

Thanks. Nothing macho at all. I based my offer on them not going that low and then bringing my price up so we met in the middle. This lowering of the price was to cover the tyres and getting the car prepped by a detailer. Or them not really moving on price, but servicing the car and putting four matching tyres on the car.

Worn Bridgstones on the front and some budgets on the back is not what I expected. If the car was mint and had four decent branded tyres on and was taxed I wouldn't have even offered anything I would have taken it. I really was taken with the MX5. WhenI see it like that it just says to me. "Put the cheapest tyres on so we can sell it legally".

That's fair comment... I would be tempted to look for a better prepped car....is it a national chain or an independent selling it?

[TheLordJohn]

POORCARDEALER said:

That's fair comment... I would be tempted to look for a better prepped car....is it a national chain or an independent selling it?

Buy a car from an enthusiastic private seller and you'll probably get what you want!
Wrong quote, I know! Lol.

[SubaruSteve]

All that jazz said:

Tip 1 : don't expect to make any money trading cars by pricing everything a grand above your competitors and then expecting to sell them solely based on "a better customer experience" because it won't work, especially when you are unable to tell your potential customers what exactly this "better customer experience" actually entails...

Some dealers (including me) often price their cars at reasonable levels above the cheapest available to avoid having to deal with the likes of you. Price is only one aspect of a car purchase. For many people convenience, proximity, after sales/service are higher on the list than price. The trouble with people who only want the cheapest/ will travel miles to save £50 etc is you only see them once. The other type of person becomes a valued regular customer with benefits for both parties, something I am guessing you will not yet have experienced.


As far a haggling is concerned I wish it wasn't part of what we do but the general public are very difficult to sway away from tradition.

[Birdster]

Mazda main dealer.

I want to take the car over to Wales when we get it (visit a friend and enjoy the road) and budget tyres just don't do it for me. I was told it would be serviced once sold so that was fair enough.

It was pretty much this is our price take it, or leave it. He asked me where I was at and I said 10K. Why ask the question? I guess he did think we were time wasting, but all he could have done was come back with his best offer. His loss and my loss I guess. Another life experience.

I have a feeling it was a bit of he thought I wasn't serious. Well why would I make a visit on Monday to sit in the soft tops and hard tops. Head hits the roof in the hard top. See what fitted in the boot and then ask for a test drive at a later date if I wasn't interested?

[MGJohn]

POORCARDEALER said:

.
......I would be tempted to look for a better prepped car....
.

For the customer with any automotive nouse about them the "better prepped car" is beyond an endangered species, it's extinct.
.

[Muzzer79]

The question should surely be who doesn't??

It bugs me when people don't want to haggle or get offended. I went to see a BMW up at £13500 and started my offer at £12000. The (trader) guy got all huffy and accused me of wasting his time.

If I'd offered £12k as a final offer, I could have seen his point, but I didn't - I was just using it as a start. He wouldn't even listen to me afterwards, and started closing his unit. This got my back up, so I told him to stick it. I then bought a better spec model for £11250 a few weeks later.

If the price isn't high enough - say so. The buyer will either up it or leave, either way it's no skin off your nose. If that trader had have been civil and simply replied that my offer wasn't high enough, he'd have sold the car that day as I would have gone higher.

I put in an offer on a house in the height of recession and was told by a family member not to "put an offer in that's too low as they won't take you seriously" I was flabbergasted, and replied that I'd be going as low as I dared.

[Birdster]

SubaruSteve said:

Some dealers (including me) often price their cars at reasonable levels above the cheapest available to avoid having to deal with the likes of you. Price is only one aspect of a car purchase. For many people convenience, proximity, after sales/service are higher on the list than price. The trouble with people who only want the cheapest/ will travel miles to save £50 etc is you only see them once. The other type of person becomes a valued regular customer with benefits for both parties, something I am guessing you will not yet have experienced.


As far a haggling is concerned I wish it wasn't part of what we do but the general public are very difficult to sway away from tradition.

I know you wasn't quoting me, so not sure if it includes me. However I was just expecting the car to be priced the same as others on the same site. Not more for less, or the same for more miles. Of course as a buyer I want the best deal. I'm hardly going to pay his price and then pay to change the tyres to match am I?

Accept that I am in the minority and I'm not looking for discount for discounts sake.


I'm not looking to slag dealers off, or buyers who haggle. Just a general idea of if it is done.

Edited by Birdster on Friday 13th July 18:08

Edited by Birdster on Friday 13th July 18:11

[Yazmin]

If you dont ask you dont get... Saying that i saw a car advertised and fell in love... I knew i wanted it by the description and pictures... I drew all the asking price and went the next day... The guy at garage did not budge with the price ... I even told him im going to view another few cars.

He told me to happily go .. ( seriously) but i wanted that car!!! Even more when it was right in front of me... I i asked him if he would hold it for me till tommorrow leaving a deposit.. Hei then said no not without a test drive and his closing in 20 minutes.... Lol so he was in no hurry yo sell it..

I was confused - not like a sales man at all!! He said he would hold it next day and i should think about it- at this point i thought i cant be getting a bad deal and had a night to do some homework..

Next day i went running back- He knocked me £100 off and part exchanged and gave me an mot and service and i was more than happy with the deal..

Now im a happy women with a happy car- and to be honest i got a a very good deal with all the extras.. I realised that more when i took it to my local garage.. My best advice dont take the mick and give an insulting price ... Be prepared to pay for what the cars worth... You dont want to bargain and then find you have to spend so much later on...

[Ari]

Its not the discount that matters, its what you pay.

Better to buy at £10K screen price than £11K for the same car but £1,000 off the £12K screen price.

Having said that, I've never paid the asking price yet...

[SubaruSteve]

Birdster said:

SubaruSteve said:

Some dealers (including me) often price their cars at reasonable levels above the cheapest available to avoid having to deal with the likes of you. Price is only one aspect of a car purchase. For many people convenience, proximity, after sales/service are higher on the list than price. The trouble with people who only want the cheapest/ will travel miles to save £50 etc is you only see them once. The other type of person becomes a valued regular customer with benefits for both parties, something I am guessing you will not yet have experienced.


As far a haggling is concerned I wish it wasn't part of what we do but the general public are very difficult to sway away from tradition.

I know you wasn't quoting me, so not sure if it includes me. However I was just expecting the car to be priced the same as others on the same site. Not more for less, or the same for more miles. Of course as a buyer I want the best deal. I'm hardly going to pay his price and then pay to change the tyres to match am I?

Accept that I am in the minority and I'm not looking for discount for discounts sake.


I'm not looking to slag dealers off, or buyers who haggle. Just a general idea of if it is done.

No I wasn't directing that at you really, more at the comments that generally indicate that there is no value in customer service when purchasing from a local trader/dealer.

Although there are many people who, thanks to the internet, fall for the idea that price is the only indicator of value, there are many more who are very content to pay a little extra for dealing with local people who give good service and present decent cars, offer advice, help their whole families with car related things, etc. Haggling and paying attention to price in general is part of buying and selling cars, but it is arguably not the most important thing, nor is it the most expensive mistake you can make when purchasing.

[All that jazz]

SubaruSteve said:

Some dealers (including me) often price their cars at reasonable levels above the cheapest available to avoid having to deal with the likes of you. Price is only one aspect of a car purchase. For many people convenience, proximity, after sales/service are higher on the list than price. The trouble with people who only want the cheapest/ will travel miles to save £50 etc is you only see them once. The other type of person becomes a valued regular customer with benefits for both parties, something I am guessing you will not yet have experienced.

Very tempted to insert a "u serious?" smiley here. You are either deluded or on a wind-up. This so-called great aftermarket service you speak of is only there in your head. It doesn't exist in real life. Dealers are there to extract as much money out of you as possible with no regard for service, welfare, loyalty or anything else. That's why the "scams that dealers try" thread is as long as it is as it's full of horror stories from customers about how the dealer has told them all their disks and pads need replacing for £1000+VAT when in fact there's nothing wrong with them at all.

Most people couldn't give two hoots for dealer loyalty. They are there simply to put a stamp in the book at the correct intervals to keep the warranty intact.

[MGJohn]

All that jazz said:

SubaruSteve said:

Some dealers (including me) often price their cars at reasonable levels above the cheapest available to avoid having to deal with the likes of you. Price is only one aspect of a car purchase. For many people convenience, proximity, after sales/service are higher on the list than price. The trouble with people who only want the cheapest/ will travel miles to save £50 etc is you only see them once. The other type of person becomes a valued regular customer with benefits for both parties, something I am guessing you will not yet have experienced.

Very tempted to insert a "u serious?" smiley here. You are either deluded or on a wind-up. This so-called great aftermarket service you speak of is only there in your head. It doesn't exist in real life. Dealers are there to extract as much money out of you as possible with no regard for service, welfare, loyalty or anything else. That's why the "scams that dealers try" thread is as long as it is as it's full of horror stories from customers about how the dealer has told them all their disks and pads need replacing for £1000+VAT when in fact there's nothing wrong with them at all.

Most people couldn't give two hoots for dealer loyalty. They are there simply to put a stamp in the book at the correct intervals to keep the warranty intact.

Sadly, this has been my experience since buying my first car over fifty years ago. Speaking to other car buyers, what they have experienced convinces me things are worse now.

Some of the cars I've considered buying in recent years with all the stamps in the book convinces me a full service history doesn't mean a thing in reality. It is simply a sales tool like that 'residuals' bullshine. An FSH is no guarantee of a job well done, or, even done at all.

[Pints]

POORCARDEALER said:

You will find many dealers (Evans Halshaw in particular for one) advertise cars at odd exact prices, they 99/100 wont move on those prices which they claim to be cheapest in the area etc etc.....they will try and get you to pay more with add ons etc....So if a car is cheap to start with, then its cheap, there is nothing macho about missing a cheap car that you want becuase you cant get £200 off...

I've been happy to asking price for several used cars because the price was the best around and the car was up to scratch.
Did I ask for a couple of hundred off? Yes, but I didn't walk when I didn't get the discount.
No shame in that.

[ajb85]

I would happily give the OP his marching orders. I am an independent trader who buys, preps and sells cars. I undertake everything from start to finish. This takes a bit a of graft for what seemingly isn't a great deal of profit at the end. I work out of a unit, behind a row of houses, away from the main road, therefore the general awareness of who I am and where I am is none existent. The only way to get the phone ringing is to source good, desirable cars, describe and photograph them well and price them keenly on the web.

People appoint to come and see my cars because A. They like the car and, B. They like the price.

Obviously the circumstances are completely different for a private just wanting shut of their car, but in this day and age it's very difficult for a trader to be greedy and command strong money for their cars, if they want to keep busy and stay in business. If a punter spends an hour with me, driving my car that I've spent time and money to prepare and valet, uses my fuel, then returns after a test drive and, with no real justification whatsoever, decides to try their hand at literally kicking me in the nuts then I too would get the hump! It's just not on. People are trying to make an honest living and are having the p*ss taken. God help the OP if he crosses my path!

Edited by ajb85 on Friday 13th July 19:04