Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all.

[Fast Bug]

Office_Monkey said:

What sort of things should I be asking for to be included or knocked off the asking. Is a used model from a main dealer. Don't want to take finance as would be insane apr, am mindful there might not be a huge margin for the dealer but I don't work there.

I'd ask if there are any incentives to take the finance. We took out a PCP agreement on my wifes Polo as it meant we got 2 years free servicing, as soon as the free service paperwork was emailed over we withdrew from the finance agreement with only a £25 admin fee to pay.

[anonymous-user]

Given the above couple of posts, this story seems apt...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47438681

[Court_S]

I’ve found a 335d I quite like from a main dealer, it is subject to the EGR recall which has not been done yet due to scarcity of parts (which I understand). What are the chances of getting a note in email form from the dealer to say that as of this point in time, here’s no leaks etc? I’ve pushed the sales guy a few times and he’s been a bit vague answering this. I appreciate that it could start leaking the day after I collect it (assuming that I go ahead), I just want a bit of reassurance that it’s ok at the mo.

The person who traded it in must have been fleeced because it looks like they e done a bit of work (new tyres, discs and pads are new and it’s been serviced).

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Court_S said:

I’ve found a 335d I quite like from a main dealer, it is subject to the EGR recall which has not been done yet due to scarcity of parts (which I understand). What are the chances of getting a note in email form from the dealer to say that as of this point in time, here’s no leaks etc?

Why do you want a note if the recall work is getting done?

Do you like the car? Do you like the people you're buying from? If yes, buy it.

[Court_S]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Why do you want a note if the recall work is getting done?

Do you like the car? Do you like the people you're buying from? If yes, buy it.

I just want to know it’s not leaking at the moment, so I can deal with the recall at a later date.

Cars with leaking EGR’s are getting impounded by BMW until parts are available which can be a very long time, especially on the 3.0 engines.

[silentbrown]

Court_S said:

Cars with leaking EGR’s are getting impounded by BMW until parts are available which can be a very long time, especially on the 3.0 engines.

Given that an MOT station can't impound your car even if it's a brakeless, rotten death-trap with four bald tyres, I doubt BMW can impound your car due to a coolant leak.

[Court_S]

silentbrown said:

Given that an MOT station can't impound your car even if it's a brakeless, rotten death-trap with four bald tyres, I doubt BMW can impound your car due to a coolant leak.

If it’s leaking BMW won’t let you take it away due to the risk of them catching fire. The Stratstone dealership I visited is littered with customer cars awaiting a replacement EGR due to the shortage of parts. It’s been a massive balls up for BMW due to parts availability. There’s a thread on here about it, plus various things in the press.

I just want to know that the EGR on this car isn’t leaking. Another poster on here has just reserved a 5 series and been told he can’t have it because the EGR is leaking (they didn’t check before it went into stock clearly).

[Carlton Banks]

On a £40k car that’s a year old, would you expect a 2 cm mark that has broken the paint on the rear bumper to be rectified?

Interested in a car but the dealer is planning to touch it in with his generic touch up stick!?

Or am I expecting too much...

Edited by Carlton Banks on Tuesday 5th March 09:43

[eltawater]

I'd say that if that's all that's wrong with it then life is too short. If you want brand new, buy new and remain blissfully unaware that even factory motors are likely to have had some paint by the time they have left the forecourt.

[anonymous-user]

If he had touched it in before you saw the car, would you have noticed it ?

[Sa Calobra]

Carlton Banks said:

On a £40k car that’s a year old, would you expect a 2 cm mark that has broken the Painy on the rear bumper to be rectified?

Interested in a car but the dealer is planning to touch it in with his generic touch up stick!?

Or am I expecting too much...

I'd expect a touch up stick on a £2,000 car.

If you traded that car in you'd be stung on valuation for that bit of damage.

I'd expect it to be repaired not bodged.

[Flibble]

Carlton Banks said:

On a £40k car that’s a year old, would you expect a 2 cm mark that has broken the Painy on the rear bumper to be rectified?

Interested in a car but the dealer is planning to touch it in with his generic touch up stick!?

Or am I expecting too much...

I'd expect a smart repair on that. Depends if that's what you mean by a touch up stick, or literally the salesman popping out with one of those pens.
If you're expecting a bumper respray for a small mark you're on a hiding to nothing.

[Carlton Banks]

Flibble said:

I'd expect a smart repair on that. Depends if that's what you mean by a touch up stick, or literally the salesman popping out with one of those pens.
If you're expecting a bumper respray for a small mark you're on a hiding to nothing.

Popping out with a smart pen and going over it and saying ‘can you see it now?’ Course I can still see it was my answer

[Flibble]

Carlton Banks said:

Popping out with a smart pen and going over it and saying ‘can you see it now?’ Course I can still see it was my answer

Yeah that's not really acceptable.

[SpeckledJim]

On the other hand, if he paints it 'properly' and you're not happy with the colour/finish, you might end up rejecting a car that you were otherwise basically happy with.

[silentbrown]

Question for used sales guys: If I buy a car advertised by a dealer as "two previous owners", will I be the third owner, or the fourth...?

In other words, do you advertise it based on what the V5 says...

Hopefully not as silly as it sounds.

[BGTROPHY]

silentbrown said:

Question for used sales guys: If I buy a car advertised by a dealer as "two previous owners", will I be the third owner, or the fourth...?

In other words, do you advertise it based on what the V5 says...

Hopefully not as silly as it sounds.

Not as silly as you think, depends who's advertising it but just run an HPI as you always should and that will answer your question.

[Wooda80]

On the subject of numbers of owners, objectively why would say a 2015 car with 3 owners be less desirable than the same car with 1 owner?

What material differences to the condition of the car occur when you change the keeper?

[andymc]

Wooda80 said:

On the subject of numbers of owners, objectively why would say a 2015 car with 3 owners be less desirable than the same car with 1 owner?
depends on the
What material differences to the condition of the car occur when you change the keeper?

depends on the car

[Mexman]

Wooda80 said:

On the subject of numbers of owners, objectively why would say a 2015 car with 3 owners be less desirable than the same car with 1 owner?

What material differences to the condition of the car occur when you change the keeper?

I tend to find that on your average run of the mill car, the more owners the better.
Each time that car has changed hands, it will have been subjected to retail reconditioning, valeting, fresh MOT, and a nice thorough jetwash of the arches and a coat of wax polish.
Generally, one owner or low owner cars invariably never see this level of treatment and are often in a worse condition than a car that has had several owners.