Nearly new cars being sold at non-franchise dealers
Discussion
carreauchompeur said:
Hire companies chop their fleets on remarkably early in life- Recently had an hire Insignia at work that was about 6 months old and had about 10k on the clock, sold...
I wish Europcar at Dublin airport felt the same way. Last year they hired me a 2007 Saab 93 with about 120k on the clock and different makes of ditch finders on each corner. Just sayin.
I just bought a 6 month old Fiat 500 with 777 miles on the clock. The dealership had loads of them (all with equally low mileage), and they were priced so well they were flying off the forecourt (I believe something like 5 PER DAY, quite often without people even coming to see them.. just putting the deposit down over the phone!).
It's immaculate inside and out. I've no idea where it's come from but I got a bargain so not complaining
It's immaculate inside and out. I've no idea where it's come from but I got a bargain so not complaining
Chicane-UK said:
I just bought a 6 month old Fiat 500 with 777 miles on the clock. The dealership had loads of them (all with equally low mileage), and they were priced so well they were flying off the forecourt (I believe something like 5 PER DAY, quite often without people even coming to see them.. just putting the deposit down over the phone!).
It's immaculate inside and out. I've no idea where it's come from but I got a bargain so not complaining
From a FIAT dealership, a franchised dealer of another marque, or as per the OP, from a non-franchised dealer? It's immaculate inside and out. I've no idea where it's come from but I got a bargain so not complaining
Chicane-UK said:
I just bought a 6 month old Fiat 500 with 777 miles on the clock. The dealership had loads of them (all with equally low mileage), and they were priced so well they were flying off the forecourt (I believe something like 5 PER DAY, quite often without people even coming to see them.. just putting the deposit down over the phone!).
It's immaculate inside and out. I've no idea where it's come from but I got a bargain so not complaining
BSM? It's immaculate inside and out. I've no idea where it's come from but I got a bargain so not complaining
I bought my Focus when it was ten months old with 21k on the clock - ex-fleet stock at a large local independent Ford specialist. I saved about £6k over the best new price - which was out of my budget anyway. In four years and 40k miles I've had some fuel line contamination (£260 fix) and a failed bonnet lock (£190 fix). Everything else has been routine servicing at my preferred indie garage.
Zwoelf said:
From a FIAT dealership, a franchised dealer of another marque, or as per the OP, from a non-franchised dealer?
Franchised dealer of another marque.I did wonder if they were ex-driving school (as I heard BSM had ditched the Fiat 500 in favour of Corsa's this year) but they were not completely base spec (in terms of having some options included like Blue & Me) and I can't think why "fleet" cars for a driving school would have these sorts of options?
carreauchompeur said:
Hire companies chop their fleets on remarkably early in life- Recently had an hire Insignia at work that was about 6 months old and had about 10k on the clock, sold...
6 months max or 10k miles are quite often the max limits (sometimes 3 and 6k respectively) for the majority of daily rental companies and are often disposed of through general auctions rather than marque specific ones - which are the ones most franchised dealers will source them from where there's no supply & buyback agreement in place with either the national or local office of the DR company concerned - so that's how such cars can easily end up on a non-franchised forecourt.
As such, it'll be no more or less a lemon than any other ex-daily rental car being sold through a manufacturer approved used scheme through a franchised dealership of that manufacturer. If there are more (as per your example) ex-DR Insignias going through the closed marque auction in a week than there are spaces for Insignias that those dealers have, they'll go through an open general auction later that day or within a few days before the next week's lot start turning up.
Alternatively it could mean that a large dealer group are clearing out an overage stock unit, given that can be as early as 90 days in some cases, that's again another example of how a delivery mileage, pre-registered "nearly new" car can end up at a general dealer. Again, it doesn't mean the car's a dog, just a quirk of how how dealer funding for the larger groups can sometimes work.
Chicane-UK said:
I did wonder if they were ex-driving school (as I heard BSM had ditched the Fiat 500 in favour of Corsa's this year) but they were not completely base spec (in terms of having some options included like Blue & Me) and I can't think why "fleet" cars for a driving school would have these sorts of options?
If the base spec model has a poorer residual/disposal value than the next one up, or the same car specced with a couple of options, then that's why you'll find them, especially if the deal with the supplying manufacturer means those extras are supplied FOC because they know their approved used offering will sell quicker with them than without and so on. The cheapest to buy/list-price model isn't always the cheapest one to own/run for a given period. In fleet markets, RV is absolutely critical.
A company I worked for got taken over and sold off.
I bought a few Co. cars, some were very new.
I couldn't sell them - even £3k cheaper than the local main dealer.
I tried selling them to the local main dealer - not interested.
A mate gave me the no. of a dealer who sold to the main dealer.
He bought them for the same price I was trying to sell them for in the A trader and sold them to the main dealer for £300 more.
The main dealer then sold them for almost £3k more.
What kind of moron won't buy for £3k less ?
Oh that would be you - but you're not alone !
I bought a few Co. cars, some were very new.
I couldn't sell them - even £3k cheaper than the local main dealer.
I tried selling them to the local main dealer - not interested.
A mate gave me the no. of a dealer who sold to the main dealer.
He bought them for the same price I was trying to sell them for in the A trader and sold them to the main dealer for £300 more.
The main dealer then sold them for almost £3k more.
What kind of moron won't buy for £3k less ?
Oh that would be you - but you're not alone !
Matt UK said:
I'm not talking 6 mths / 10k stuff, but less than a 1,000 miles.
I saw a 3 series with 771 miles on it and just assumed that either a punter wanted out that quickly / dealer auctioned it off - either way I assumed a good car would stay in the dealer network.
As above: I saw a 3 series with 771 miles on it and just assumed that either a punter wanted out that quickly / dealer auctioned it off - either way I assumed a good car would stay in the dealer network.
Zwoelf said:
It could mean that a large dealer group are clearing out an overage stock unit, given that can be as early as 90 days in some cases, that's again another example of how a delivery mileage, pre-registered "nearly new" car can end up at a general dealer. Again, it doesn't mean the car's a dog, just a quirk of how how dealer funding for the larger groups can sometimes work.
Also, as said by another poster, you've generally got at least 3 years/60k miles remaining of manufacturer's warranty to sort any issues that may arise, if any do. By the end of that time. I bought a pre-reg Fiat Stilo with 15 miles on the clock. Was 6 months old and the first owner was Hertz. When talking with the salesman he explained that Fiat sold them to hire firms for peanuts as there was an oversupply as it wasn't a very good seller.
Hertz merely stuck it in a field somewhere and then sold them on for a small profit later down the line.
Had 6 years trouble free motoring so don't assume you'll be buying a lemon.
Hertz merely stuck it in a field somewhere and then sold them on for a small profit later down the line.
Had 6 years trouble free motoring so don't assume you'll be buying a lemon.
bennyboydurham said:
I wish Europcar at Dublin airport felt the same way. Last year they hired me a 2007 Saab 93 with about 120k on the clock and different makes of ditch finders on each corner.
Just sayin.
Strange - Europcar UK have only ever given me < 6 month old, < 14k mile cars.Just sayin.
(which, incidentally, are the cars you need to AVOID when you find them on forecourts!)
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff