Forecourt price / Autotrader price

[JonnyO]

Interested in a car that is showing at roughly £2500 on their autotrader advert, but at £3000 on their forecourt.
What is that about and why would they do this?
If I go and look at it properly, how should I approach this?

[trickywoo]

Take a copy of the 'trader ad.

You could probably haggle the £2,500 price lower.

[Pork]

I'd call before, say you've seen in on AT.

I've seen this before when looking and have been told it is incase someone just walks by, kind of a speculative price....seems odd, but thats what I was told. If I was guessing, its more to do with haggling and being told "Ah but sir, as you can see, I've already knocked £500 off".

[mnkiboy]

A garage near me does this. When you turn up, the car you went to look at is £500 more than advertised.
When I enquired, I was told that was the 'cash' price. Despite the fact that I was trading a car in and paying the rest in cash, I was told I would be paying the price displayed on the car, not the one in the ad.

He then 'forgot' the price he'd given me for my p/x over the phone, and took £500 off that too. £1000 down before i'd even started!

4 months later, the car is still on his forecourt.

[JonnyO]

Cheers, just wondering what the angle is for the trader. Surely it puts off people like me who have seen the ad, are then interested but annoyed when they see the sticker price?

[V8mate]

JonnyO said:

Cheers, just wondering what the angle is for the trader. Surely it puts off people like me who have seen the ad, are then interested but annoyed when they see the sticker price?

If someone walks in off the street, it gives a salesman the opportunity, very early on, to offer 'a very good price today' on the car.

With published ads, you can find and lose customers before you even get an opportunity to sell to them at all. So why not let them think that they are already ahead of the game by offering them a discount for simply quoting where they saw the ad?

[kpb]

Its also simple internet marketing. AT etc usually rank cars by price so by chopping £500 off their ad will appear earlier in the listings.

[va1o]

I've noticed this quite a few times, I think its because on the internet they realise you're comparing the car against others nationwide, but on the forecourt its only up against local cars so less need to be so competitive.

[Efbe]

Pork said:

I'd call before, say you've seen in on AT.

don't do this!!

If you can, try to turn up at a dealers unannounced. that way you get see what condition the dealer has been keeping it in, stop them from having a chance to move it away from the oil spill underneath, and check the engine when it's still cold.

[Pork]

Efbe said:

don't do this!!

If you can, try to turn up at a dealers unannounced. that way you get see what condition the dealer has been keeping it in, stop them from having a chance to move it away from the oil spill underneath, and check the engine when it's still cold.

Depends on your point of view.

If you're happy not to be seen because no sales person is free, for the car to be blocked in at the back of the lot and to travel for however long for a wasted journey for a car that has sold or to see a car that is actually for sale at the higher price on the screen not the typo on the internet advert, then yes, I agree, do not call.

[Efbe]

Pork said:

Efbe said:

don't do this!!

If you can, try to turn up at a dealers unannounced. that way you get see what condition the dealer has been keeping it in, stop them from having a chance to move it away from the oil spill underneath, and check the engine when it's still cold.

Depends on your point of view.

If you're happy not to be seen because no sales person is free, for the car to be blocked in at the back of the lot and to travel for however long for a wasted journey for a car that has sold or to see a car that is actually for sale at the higher price on the screen not the typo on the internet advert, then yes, I agree, do not call.

yep :P

i'd rather know how the car has been kept, check for oil leaks etc than have the car ready for me.
but thats just because I really really really don't trust dealers!

[Pork]

Efbe said:

yep :P

i'd rather know how the car has been kept, check for oil leaks etc than have the car ready for me.
but thats just because I really really really don't trust dealers!

haha...cynical bugger! Fair enough, I've too much of the above to make surprise visits worth while for me.

[V8mate]

Efbe said:

Pork said:

Efbe said:

don't do this!!

If you can, try to turn up at a dealers unannounced. that way you get see what condition the dealer has been keeping it in, stop them from having a chance to move it away from the oil spill underneath, and check the engine when it's still cold.

Depends on your point of view.

If you're happy not to be seen because no sales person is free, for the car to be blocked in at the back of the lot and to travel for however long for a wasted journey for a car that has sold or to see a car that is actually for sale at the higher price on the screen not the typo on the internet advert, then yes, I agree, do not call.

yep :P

i'd rather know how the car has been kept, check for oil leaks etc than have the car ready for me.
but thats just because I really really really don't trust dealers!

Come on guys, meet each other half way.

Travel to the dealer and then call him from your car while sitting out the front of his lot.

[JohnnyRims]

Efbe said:

Pork said:

Efbe said:

don't do this!!

If you can, try to turn up at a dealers unannounced. that way you get see what condition the dealer has been keeping it in, stop them from having a chance to move it away from the oil spill underneath, and check the engine when it's still cold.

Depends on your point of view.

If you're happy not to be seen because no sales person is free, for the car to be blocked in at the back of the lot and to travel for however long for a wasted journey for a car that has sold or to see a car that is actually for sale at the higher price on the screen not the typo on the internet advert, then yes, I agree, do not call.

yep :P

i'd rather know how the car has been kept, check for oil leaks etc than have the car ready for me.
but thats just because I really really really don't trust dealers!

It probably matters more when going to see a £5k 7 Series than it does a 5 grand Fiesta. With the former I'd be descending unannounced, with the latter I'd call in advance to save myself any hassle.