Lazy car dealers

Author
Discussion

andymc

7,334 posts

206 months

Saturday 25th February 2017
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and no one uses them as everyone wants the cheapest car and then more money off

powerstroke

10,283 posts

159 months

Saturday 25th February 2017
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I would rather see a car in its raw state esp paint work !! was it just a stone chip or is the new paint hiding a few kgs of filler , for instance ...

AlMcAl

Original Poster:

40 posts

109 months

Saturday 25th February 2017
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powerstroke said:
I would rather see a car in its raw state esp paint work !! was it just a stone chip or is the new paint hiding a few kgs of filler , for instance ...
Not disagreeing with you, I'm all for an honest car. Nobody expects a 10 year old run around to be perfect, and I don't mind sorting a few bits my self. But when they can't be arsed to empty the ashtray, and the car still has rings on the seats from buckets of crap they've been carting about, is that a car you'd buy? Especially from a dealer!

jamoor

14,506 posts

214 months

Saturday 25th February 2017
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This is the reason I've only ever bought one car from a dealer (who underpriced it by £1000)

At least if you are buying from a private owner who has owned it for several years, you can try to build up a picture through them.

konark

1,089 posts

118 months

Saturday 25th February 2017
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AlMcAl said:
Admittedly we were looking at the bottom end of the market, but when I'm looking at spending 5k on a car, the least I expect is it to have been hoovered!
£5k is the bottom end of the market?

benjijames28

1,702 posts

91 months

Saturday 25th February 2017
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konark said:
£5k is the bottom end of the market?
I would say far from it!

You can get some really nice cars for 5k. Surely bottom end of market is your shed territory.

Davie

4,733 posts

214 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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V6Alfisti said:
Flat tyre is poor, and car being unwashed is not great. However most discs have surface corrosion when not used for even a day! (aftermarket parts - you often have to pay £20 more per disc to get the version with anti corrosion coating - many new Honda's have rusty discs).

Presumably the rest of the car was a pig?
There's surface corrosion from being washed / sat for a day and there's surface corrosion that's weeks old... plus add the a borderline illegal OSF tyre, flat OSF, filthy interior, squeak from behind the cambelt, oil level on the minimum and the ABS light on, amazing given it had a fresh 12 months MOT.

The seller didn't even have the courtesy to look embarrassed or to apologise.

Come to think of it, I've never had a good experience with a dealer.

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Searider said:
daemon said:
Searider said:
andymc said:
T5R+ said:
Happens at the £30 - 40K franchised dealer level too - "sales manager does not want to put money in to it, unless sold".

When I asked to buy it as it was and save a few £1000, "sorry we are not allowed to sell it, as it is not prepared to accepted xxxxxxxxx used standard".
well for one you would invalidate any warranty and then moan, no one preps an unsold car with tyres and brakes in case it has to go to the auction as over age stock
Why would it go to the auction as over age stock?
They'll keep it a certain length of time and if it doesnt sell, send it to auction.
Why would a professional experienced dealer need to do that? Surely they would know what they are buying in, buy in at the right price and then sell quickly at a reasonable profit? Or do main dealers go to the auction, buy any old scruffy car, at too high a price, do no prep and hope that some mug will turn up all over excited and buy it?
I've seen several high value Audis at my local dealer where this seems to be the case - slightly scruffy R8, stone chipped front, in pride of place in the showroom.
Its a stocking technique. In theory if a car hasnt sold within 90 days (or 120 days or 180 days), chances are its not going to, so send it to auction, recover your outlay and use the money to replace it on the forecourt with something fresh that you've a better chance of making money on.

It also keeps the forecourt looking fresh and turns stock over.



V6Alfisti

3,305 posts

226 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Davie said:
There's surface corrosion from being washed / sat for a day and there's surface corrosion that's weeks old... plus add the a borderline illegal OSF tyre, flat OSF, filthy interior, squeak from behind the cambelt, oil level on the minimum and the ABS light on, amazing given it had a fresh 12 months MOT.

The seller didn't even have the courtesy to look embarrassed or to apologise.

Come to think of it, I've never had a good experience with a dealer.
Yikes, yes that does sound like the 'auction special/dump on the forecourt' kind. frown

Even if they were to put on a 3-4mm partworn OSF, clean the interior up and give the car a basic work mechanical work over/top up....they then could have presented that for not much money in a fashion that you may have considered it. Silly/lazy really.

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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konark said:
AlMcAl said:
Admittedly we were looking at the bottom end of the market, but when I'm looking at spending 5k on a car, the least I expect is it to have been hoovered!
£5k is the bottom end of the market?
It is relative to having a car forecourt yes. Much below that and the margins are too waifer thin.

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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benjijames28 said:
konark said:
£5k is the bottom end of the market?
I would say far from it!

You can get some really nice cars for 5k. Surely bottom end of market is your shed territory.
Bottom end of the dealer market.

Its pretty much unviable to sell sheds from a used car forecourt.

VGTICE

1,003 posts

86 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Davie said:
Don't get me started.

Had a rant last week about this... arranged to view a car 250 miles south, agreed a day and called an hour ahead as promised. Arrived to find the car unwashed, flat tyre, discs covered in surface corrosion and and trader who seemed less than bothered.

On a positive note, I also discovered that I am a surprisingly laid back chap... had 5hrs to mull that over as I drove home 5 minutes after arriving.

I had similar experience but in the north. Also took me 5 mins to GTFO of there.

Rick101

6,959 posts

149 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Decent dealers will prep a car before putting it out.

One local to me puts the invoices on the dash so people can see what work it's had done. Quite often in the region of 2-3K and sometimes more.

He does it because he knows he will sell the cars and isn't just turning over junk like a supermarket.

V8RX7

26,766 posts

262 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Rick101 said:
One local to me puts the invoices on the dash so people can see what work it's had done. Quite often in the region of 2-3K and sometimes more.
My father deals in Classic Cars - he never discloses what work's been done as he works on the opposite assumption... that if he's spent £10k on it, people will think it was a POS - better for them to think it's always been cherished.

I tend to agree with him.


irish boy

3,523 posts

235 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Friend of mine makes a good living from the £5k market. Everything is very well presented, prepped properly, lots of repeat business and none of the 'just needs' lines. It's a surprisingly buoyant merket especially with those looking to steer clear of finance.

http://www.authenticautos.co.uk/used-cars

Through the gears

193 posts

202 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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So where's the pictures then? In that situation I would take pictures.

Lester H

2,673 posts

104 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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Rick101 said:
Decent dealers will prep a car before putting it out.

One local to me puts the invoices on the dash so people can see what work it's had done. Quite often in the region of 2-3K and sometimes more.

He does it because he knows he will sell the cars and isn't just turning over junk like a supermarket.
Nice that someone else considers some, stress some, dealers respectable. On the supermarket remark, the cars are mainly too new to be junk, though some will be badly prepped and missing the last due service, usually at 12k. The sales staff may be crass, or even kids, but none of this matters on the usual ex-fleet/courtesy/ executive replacement/lease stuff if the price is right! Main dealers do similar with their "99 point check" cars from similar sources.

Edited by Lester H on Monday 27th February 17:28

blugnu

1,523 posts

240 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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daemon said:
Bottom end of the dealer market.

Its pretty much unviable to sell sheds from a used car forecourt.
Depends where the forecourt is. Our 'runabout' was less than £600 and was average priced for the lot - sure the cars were packed on, but the chap has been there a while now. Might not be viable in the south, mind.

Klippie

3,099 posts

144 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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I'am afraid it's just a sign of the times...no one gives a fk about anything these days be it cars, houses, white goods and still they feel hard done if anyone complains.

Car dealers who go the extra mile to nicely prep the cars they are selling deserve to do well, after all if there's nothing for the buyer to find wrong there's less chance to justify them looking for money off.

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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blugnu said:
daemon said:
Bottom end of the dealer market.

Its pretty much unviable to sell sheds from a used car forecourt.
Depends where the forecourt is. Our 'runabout' was less than £600 and was average priced for the lot - sure the cars were packed on, but the chap has been there a while now. Might not be viable in the south, mind.
He has a heart like a lion.