Buying approved used cars from dealer?

[The Gauge]

I'll soon be looking at buying a BMW approved used car and when looking at their website showing all of their used cars around the country would you usually have to travel to those dealerships to view the cars, or are local dealers normally prepared get a car delivered to them?

The former could lead to driving lots of wasted miles viewing different cars, but the latter could mean lots of wasted time and money for the dealers.

If the latter, would your local dealer normally want to pre arrange a price and agreement before transporting the car to them for you to view?

[MitchT]

As I understand it, they'll move cars between dealerships within the group. So, in the case of the car I want, if it pops up at Sytner in Cardiff they'll move it to Sytner in Sheffield so I don't have so far to go. However, they're not going to move it to Stratstone in Harrogate or Lloyd in Colne, both of which would be much closer still, because they're not part of the same group.

[The Gauge]

That makes sense. So if the car does get moved to your local dealer I suppose you negotiate with them. Would they normally want to sit down and talk ££ before they arrange for the car to get transported to them, as they clearly need to know they aint wasting their time?

Instead of getting the car moved to you local dealer, could you perhaps visit the dealer who has the car to negotiate, and then do the same with your local dealer, to get the best deal, or would two dealers within the same group refuse to negotiate against each other?

Edited by The Gauge on Tuesday 2nd December 17:35

[paul_c123]

The Gauge said:

That makes sense. So if the car does get moved to your local dealer I suppose you negotiate with them. Would they normally want to sit down and talk ££ before they arrange for the car to get transported to them, as they clearly need to know they aint wasting their time?

Instead of getting the car moved to you local dealer, could you perhaps visit the dealer who has the car to negotiate, and then do the same with your local dealer, to get the best deal, or would two dealers within the same group refuse to negotiate against each other?

Edited by The Gauge on Tuesday 2nd December 17:35

The two dealerships would probably have a customer information management system that tracks the leads for the cars, and it would show that you've made an enquiry at one dealer so the other would just refer you there anyway.

[Tisy]

The Gauge said:

That makes sense. So if the car does get moved to your local dealer I suppose you negotiate with them. Would they normally want to sit down and talk ££ before they arrange for the car to get transported to them, as they clearly need to know they aint wasting their time?

Instead of getting the car moved to you local dealer, could you perhaps visit the dealer who has the car to negotiate, and then do the same with your local dealer, to get the best deal, or would two dealers within the same group refuse to negotiate against each other?

Edited by The Gauge on Tuesday 2nd December 17:35

They are not going to do anything with a car at another branch until you put down a deposit. No dealer is randomly moving cars between branches just on the word of someone off the street making some vague noises about possibly buying it. Dealers hear that 100s of times per day. The fuel alone is going to be a large chunk of the margin, and then there's the trade plater's costs on top of that.

If you want to see it before you buy then you need to go to where it is.

[Inbox]

Moving a car between dealers even in a group is incurring costs and possibly an internal transfer, etc so don't be surprised if you have to make some sort of committment to buy it.

They won't transfer cars around on a whim just because you would like to test drive a specific vehicle.

If you aren't sure then better get used to travelling and enjoy the experience.

[Cw4578]

I got one about 18 months ago and they didn’t want to send the car to another dealer as it was their sale. They would have transported the car to my house as a distance sale or to another dealer once I had paid them the full amount plus transport. Ended up travelling 3 hours to get it as it was cheaper to sort the transport myself and wanted to see it before paying full amount plus it was worth travelling for as the car was not that common with spec and mileage.
Similarly brought an Audi recently and they delivered it to the house and wouldn’t send it to another dealer to finalise the sale.

[Jamescrs]

My last two cars (including my current one) have been BMW's used approved and whilst my current one was from the local dealer the one before I had to travel on trains across the country for, they wouldn't move it to another dealer but were prepared to have it delivered (for a fee) if I purchased it but I just went to get it myself.

My wife's current Mini was also used approved and when I asked about them moving it to a closer dealer they just brought it to my house instead and took the PX back with them but that was during Covid times, the salesman came to my house and we did the deal at the dining table.

[Tisy]

As I've said before, Approved Used is just marketing guff to sucker in all the simpletons who think they are getting a good well-cared for car. The reality is that it's often the dog-end cars that they can't shift, so get them into the bodyshop to give the keyed panels a cheap and nasty 'trade' blow-over, add some tyre foam and get the local detailer to give it a 10 min going over with the MOP so that it looks decent enough from 10 paces, then add some Approved Used banners.and an extra £2k to the price board in the windscreen and suckers will come flooding in through the gate.

You only have to look at the Speed and Law forum on here to see the endless threads about knackered so-called Approved Used cars.

[The Gauge]

Looks like I could be doing some driving to other towns/cities then to buy the car. I'll perhaps go look at some at my local dealer, and choose the model/spec I want, and I'll obviously take a test drive if they offer one, but if they don't have the particular car I want then I'll happily travel.

Even if I made the purchase, would it normally take a few days for the car to be ready to collect, requiring me to make a revisit, or can they be driven away on the same day?

Oh, and it'll be an X5 (30d most likely)

[Davie]

The Gauge said:

Looks like I could be doing some driving to other towns/cities then to buy the car. I'll perhaps go look at some at my local dealer, and choose the model/spec I want, and I'll obviously take a test drive if they offer one, but if they don't have the particular car I want then I'll happily travel.

Even if I made the purchase, would it normally take a few days for the car to be ready to collect, requiring me to make a revisit, or can they be driven away on the same day?

Oh, and it'll be an X5 (30d most likely)

Call ahead, ensure the car in question is available and ask if a deal can be agreed, could the car be taken away same day. The only people who can answer that, are the dealership with the car.

[MitchT]

Big Motoring World will move cars between branches for £99, which then comes off the price if you buy it, so it hasn't cost the punter anything to move it. I'm surprised there isn't something similar offered by a BMW main dealer.

[raspy]

Tisy said:

As I've said before, Approved Used is just marketing guff to sucker in all the simpletons who think they are getting a good well-cared for car. The reality is that it's often the dog-end cars that they can't shift, so get them into the bodyshop to give the keyed panels a cheap and nasty 'trade' blow-over, add some tyre foam and get the local detailer to give it a 10 min going over with the MOP so that it looks decent enough from 10 paces, then add some Approved Used banners.and an extra £2k to the price board in the windscreen and suckers will come flooding in through the gate.

You only have to look at the Speed and Law forum on here to see the endless threads about knackered so-called Approved Used cars.

Nope. That's not been my experience of Approved Used.

[seadoo180]

I think it varies Mercedes would move one for me if I put a deposit down (refundable) so it's worth asking.

I think you have to do the same due diligence on an AUC as you would a car supermarket, I found Mercedes AUC to be decent standard. VW were shocking, not even any/missing service record (Don't worry we've now serviced it and "caught up" Tiguan on 45k with no history of any oil change!) and wanting top money for it.

[the-norseman]

I think if the dealetship which has the car is in the same group as your local one they will move cars.

I found a Porsche at another OPC a fair distance away but luckily it was part of Sytner same as my local one and they moved it.

[toon10]

I've bought two BMW's from main dealers that weren't in my local dealership. I got a 540i from Stratstone delivered from Derby I think up to Newcastle. I was serious about the car and agreed as long as it was as described, I'd buy it. Did similar with Lloyds BMW on my current car although the salesman is my next door neighbour so knew I was serious.

[TarquinMX5]

seadoo180 said:

I think it varies Mercedes would move one for me if I put a deposit down (refundable) so it's worth asking.

I think you have to do the same due diligence on an AUC as you would a car supermarket, I found Mercedes AUC to be decent standard. VW were shocking, not even any/missing service record (Don't worry we've now serviced it and "caught up" Tiguan on 45k with no history of any oil change!) and wanting top money for it.

I've heard this 'catchup' service comment several times recently. There was a time when any approved used car had to have a full / correct manufacturers' service history but that requirement appears to have 'eased' for some manufacturers now.

There are now two types of BMW used sales, BMW Approved Used and BMW used. They're not the same.

[Inbox]

TarquinMX5 said:

seadoo180 said:

I think it varies Mercedes would move one for me if I put a deposit down (refundable) so it's worth asking.

I think you have to do the same due diligence on an AUC as you would a car supermarket, I found Mercedes AUC to be decent standard. VW were shocking, not even any/missing service record (Don't worry we've now serviced it and "caught up" Tiguan on 45k with no history of any oil change!) and wanting top money for it.

I've heard this 'catchup' service comment several times recently. There was a time when any approved used car had to have a full / correct manufacturers' service history but that requirement appears to have 'eased' for some manufacturers now.

There are now two types of BMW used sales, BMW Approved Used and BMW used. They're not the same.

But what are the differences? Better quality coffee and biscuits?

[ScoobyChris]

My only experience of this was reaching out to our local Ford dealer about a Focus ST that was in another of their branches 100 miles away. Without asking, the salesman arranged for it to be moved to their branch so we could test drive it at the weekend. We showed up a few minutes early for our appointment and discovered that the car was filthy inside and out with crisp packets, sweet wrappers, crumbs on the seats, damaged trim, etc and what looked like some strategically placed mud hiding a scratch in the paintwork, seriously curbed wheels and barely legal tyres. Pretty disappointing and not what we'd expected from the website pictures where it looked immaculate.

The salesman just dismissed all concerns and assured us they would be fixed while trying to lead us inside to do the deal but something didn't feel right so we walked. Parting words from the salesman were that they normally require a commitment to buy (aka deposit) before moving any stock around so I'm guessing he thought it was a done deal and risked it. Ironically, had the car been in the condition it looked to be on the site, maybe it would have been!

[valiant]

Inbox said:

But what are the differences? Better quality coffee and biscuits?

Probably the warranty.

Usually it’s the only reason to buy approved used nowadays as you get the manufacturer backed warranty which tends to be decent. When it’s just ‘used’, you tend to get some dealer supplied third party warranty which can be variable in quality.