"Haggling Advice"
Discussion
GTRmad said:
Going to look at a 59 plate Black Mazda3 MPS 19000 miles price is £12995 for a cash sale what would you piston header's start the bidding at!!!!
Another try with a new thread? 
To answer your question, I'd not be thinking about bidding until I'd seen the car concerned.
Why?, I'd be looking for accident damage and at the overall condition and then asking about warranty provision.
You have to be totally rational and without emotion for the process of evaluating a prospective purchase.
If it interests you find as many faults as possible and ask the salesperson how they are going to sort them. Then discuss price, which will depend upon how you intend to pay.
WhoseGeneration said:
Another try with a new thread?
To answer your question, I'd not be thinking about bidding until I'd seen the car concerned.
Why?, I'd be looking for accident damage and at the overall condition and then asking about warranty provision.
You have to be totally rational and without emotion for the process of evaluating a prospective purchase.
If it interests you find as many faults as possible and ask the salesperson how they are going to sort them. Then discuss price, which will depend upon how you intend to pay.
As i said in the first post it will be a cash sale!!!"No finance".The car is from a Mazda main dealer so no need for me to get a HPI report...To answer your question, I'd not be thinking about bidding until I'd seen the car concerned.
Why?, I'd be looking for accident damage and at the overall condition and then asking about warranty provision.
You have to be totally rational and without emotion for the process of evaluating a prospective purchase.
If it interests you find as many faults as possible and ask the salesperson how they are going to sort them. Then discuss price, which will depend upon how you intend to pay.
GTRmad said:
As i said in the first post it will be a cash sale!!!"No finance".The car is from a Mazda main dealer so no need for me to get a HPI report...
Erm, not all accident damage will appear on an HPI report. That you think buying from a main dealer provides greater security than from elsewhere suggests to me that you need to take someone with you able to thoroughly examine a car.I'm not meaning to be rude but this forum is littered with threads from folks who have had problems buying from all types of dealers, including main dealers.
Use your head, don't be swayed by your heart.
Price is only ever based upon condition and "set in stone" warranty provision.
If the dealer doesn't have an HPI report for the car, I'd smell a rat anyway.
It's one thing that being a dealer you're protected against outstanding finance or write-offs - it's another thing to find out you're in that boat in a few weeks/months time (better to sort it now).
Cash doesn't work wonders with dealers because they earn well selling finance (and earn nothing taking cash) - I think that car is a bit pricey as-is tho so I'd pitch them a low offer and see what happens.
£10,500 perhaps...
If they don't counter-offer - leave it for a while and see what happens. If it's still stuck to the forecourt in a week-or-so you can pitch another offer
It's one thing that being a dealer you're protected against outstanding finance or write-offs - it's another thing to find out you're in that boat in a few weeks/months time (better to sort it now).
Cash doesn't work wonders with dealers because they earn well selling finance (and earn nothing taking cash) - I think that car is a bit pricey as-is tho so I'd pitch them a low offer and see what happens.
£10,500 perhaps...
If they don't counter-offer - leave it for a while and see what happens. If it's still stuck to the forecourt in a week-or-so you can pitch another offer
For me, the two main things that always work quite well, with private sales anyway. But only works once you are happy that you want to buy this particular car, and you are at the stage where you are both sitting at the kitchen table ready to do a deal. And it only works if you have a bundle of cash on you.
First of all - your first offer should be so low, that it makes you cringe with embarrassment when you deliver it to the seller. No cringe = offer is not anywhere near low enough. I mean like this - car is for sale at £3,000, you offer £1800.
Yes, of course the buyer will reject it out of hand (although to my delight on occasion - not always!) but this low first offer helps to psychologically mange the seller's expectations about the whole transaction, and lets him see where you are with regard to what you personally value the car for sale at.
Remember - there is always another car, and you can easily walk away. I always remind the buyer - especially if they come out with the old line of 'well, there's another bloke coming to see it later / tomorrow / on Sunday - that yeah, right, the world is full of timewasters, and assuming the next bloke does come to view it - he will have to be happy that it's the car for him after viewing a load more. It is a buyer's market, especially at the moment.
I then say to the seller - ok, you won't sell at £1800, but look, let's get your car sold for you today. You have sat in front of you a willing buyer with a big bundle of cash in their pocket. What can I offer you that you would be happy with?
He would then probably come back with something like £2800 I guess.
I then normally get the cash out - and I have usually counted out the amount I am happy to buy the car at. So for our £3k car, assuming it's exactly what I want, I might have decided that I am happy to pay, say, £2600. Depending on his lowest price though, I might then revise that down.
I count out what I am happy to pay onto the table. I then say - ok, look - here's £2500 (or whatever), that's all I can stretch to.
And then - the most powerful buying tool of all - and yes, it can get very difficult, but you MUST RESIST! Silence....
If he accepts - great!
If he says 'ah, um, no, that's not really enough - I wanted a bit more than that etc etc'....just don't reply. Sit there in silence. It will be painful. It will be embarrassing. But do not give in to the temptation to fill the silence with more words.
Trust me - unless the seller's day job is as a killer sales / business development consultant, he will carry on speaking. He will eventually talk himself into accepting the cash on the table.
It has never failed to work for me. If you are buying from a normal member of Joe Public, psychological social compliance usually dictates that they become more uncomfortable with the awkward silence before you ever will, if you hold your nerve.
Yes, it's a bit of a nasty and anti social way of buying a car (or whatever) from who might be a really nice, ordinary person. But if you get the car for a damn good price - once you've driven away, you're hardly likely to see them again, are you? So what would make you happiest of all that day? Right! Getting that car you wanted for way less cash than you thought you would have to pay!
Give it a go sometime. You might just be surprised
First of all - your first offer should be so low, that it makes you cringe with embarrassment when you deliver it to the seller. No cringe = offer is not anywhere near low enough. I mean like this - car is for sale at £3,000, you offer £1800.
Yes, of course the buyer will reject it out of hand (although to my delight on occasion - not always!) but this low first offer helps to psychologically mange the seller's expectations about the whole transaction, and lets him see where you are with regard to what you personally value the car for sale at.
Remember - there is always another car, and you can easily walk away. I always remind the buyer - especially if they come out with the old line of 'well, there's another bloke coming to see it later / tomorrow / on Sunday - that yeah, right, the world is full of timewasters, and assuming the next bloke does come to view it - he will have to be happy that it's the car for him after viewing a load more. It is a buyer's market, especially at the moment.
I then say to the seller - ok, you won't sell at £1800, but look, let's get your car sold for you today. You have sat in front of you a willing buyer with a big bundle of cash in their pocket. What can I offer you that you would be happy with?
He would then probably come back with something like £2800 I guess.
I then normally get the cash out - and I have usually counted out the amount I am happy to buy the car at. So for our £3k car, assuming it's exactly what I want, I might have decided that I am happy to pay, say, £2600. Depending on his lowest price though, I might then revise that down.
I count out what I am happy to pay onto the table. I then say - ok, look - here's £2500 (or whatever), that's all I can stretch to.
And then - the most powerful buying tool of all - and yes, it can get very difficult, but you MUST RESIST! Silence....
If he accepts - great!
If he says 'ah, um, no, that's not really enough - I wanted a bit more than that etc etc'....just don't reply. Sit there in silence. It will be painful. It will be embarrassing. But do not give in to the temptation to fill the silence with more words.
Trust me - unless the seller's day job is as a killer sales / business development consultant, he will carry on speaking. He will eventually talk himself into accepting the cash on the table.
It has never failed to work for me. If you are buying from a normal member of Joe Public, psychological social compliance usually dictates that they become more uncomfortable with the awkward silence before you ever will, if you hold your nerve.
Yes, it's a bit of a nasty and anti social way of buying a car (or whatever) from who might be a really nice, ordinary person. But if you get the car for a damn good price - once you've driven away, you're hardly likely to see them again, are you? So what would make you happiest of all that day? Right! Getting that car you wanted for way less cash than you thought you would have to pay!
Give it a go sometime. You might just be surprised
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
For me, the two main things that always work quite well, with private sales anyway. But only works once you are happy that you want to buy this particular car, and you are at the stage where you are both sitting at the kitchen table ready to do a deal. And it only works if you have a bundle of cash on you.
First of all - your first offer should be so low, that it makes you cringe with embarrassment when you deliver it to the seller. No cringe = offer is not anywhere near low enough. I mean like this - car is for sale at £3,000, you offer £1800.
Yes, of course the buyer will reject it out of hand (although to my delight on occasion - not always!) but this low first offer helps to psychologically mange the seller's expectations about the whole transaction, and lets him see where you are with regard to what you personally value the car for sale at.
Remember - there is always another car, and you can easily walk away. I always remind the buyer - especially if they come out with the old line of 'well, there's another bloke coming to see it later / tomorrow / on Sunday - that yeah, right, the world is full of timewasters, and assuming the next bloke does come to view it - he will have to be happy that it's the car for him after viewing a load more. It is a buyer's market, especially at the moment.
I then say to the seller - ok, you won't sell at £1800, but look, let's get your car sold for you today. You have sat in front of you a willing buyer with a big bundle of cash in their pocket. What can I offer you that you would be happy with?
He would then probably come back with something like £2800 I guess.
I then normally get the cash out - and I have usually counted out the amount I am happy to buy the car at. So for our £3k car, assuming it's exactly what I want, I might have decided that I am happy to pay, say, £2600. Depending on his lowest price though, I might then revise that down.
I count out what I am happy to pay onto the table. I then say - ok, look - here's £2500 (or whatever), that's all I can stretch to.
And then - the most powerful buying tool of all - and yes, it can get very difficult, but you MUST RESIST! Silence....
If he accepts - great!
If he says 'ah, um, no, that's not really enough - I wanted a bit more than that etc etc'....just don't reply. Sit there in silence. It will be painful. It will be embarrassing. But do not give in to the temptation to fill the silence with more words.
Trust me - unless the seller's day job is as a killer sales / business development consultant, he will carry on speaking. He will eventually talk himself into accepting the cash on the table.
It has never failed to work for me. If you are buying from a normal member of Joe Public, psychological social compliance usually dictates that they become more uncomfortable with the awkward silence before you ever will, if you hold your nerve.
Yes, it's a bit of a nasty and anti social way of buying a car (or whatever) from who might be a really nice, ordinary person. But if you get the car for a damn good price - once you've driven away, you're hardly likely to see them again, are you? So what would make you happiest of all that day? Right! Getting that car you wanted for way less cash than you thought you would have to pay!
Give it a go sometime. You might just be surprised
Arse!First of all - your first offer should be so low, that it makes you cringe with embarrassment when you deliver it to the seller. No cringe = offer is not anywhere near low enough. I mean like this - car is for sale at £3,000, you offer £1800.
Yes, of course the buyer will reject it out of hand (although to my delight on occasion - not always!) but this low first offer helps to psychologically mange the seller's expectations about the whole transaction, and lets him see where you are with regard to what you personally value the car for sale at.
Remember - there is always another car, and you can easily walk away. I always remind the buyer - especially if they come out with the old line of 'well, there's another bloke coming to see it later / tomorrow / on Sunday - that yeah, right, the world is full of timewasters, and assuming the next bloke does come to view it - he will have to be happy that it's the car for him after viewing a load more. It is a buyer's market, especially at the moment.
I then say to the seller - ok, you won't sell at £1800, but look, let's get your car sold for you today. You have sat in front of you a willing buyer with a big bundle of cash in their pocket. What can I offer you that you would be happy with?
He would then probably come back with something like £2800 I guess.
I then normally get the cash out - and I have usually counted out the amount I am happy to buy the car at. So for our £3k car, assuming it's exactly what I want, I might have decided that I am happy to pay, say, £2600. Depending on his lowest price though, I might then revise that down.
I count out what I am happy to pay onto the table. I then say - ok, look - here's £2500 (or whatever), that's all I can stretch to.
And then - the most powerful buying tool of all - and yes, it can get very difficult, but you MUST RESIST! Silence....
If he accepts - great!
If he says 'ah, um, no, that's not really enough - I wanted a bit more than that etc etc'....just don't reply. Sit there in silence. It will be painful. It will be embarrassing. But do not give in to the temptation to fill the silence with more words.
Trust me - unless the seller's day job is as a killer sales / business development consultant, he will carry on speaking. He will eventually talk himself into accepting the cash on the table.
It has never failed to work for me. If you are buying from a normal member of Joe Public, psychological social compliance usually dictates that they become more uncomfortable with the awkward silence before you ever will, if you hold your nerve.
Yes, it's a bit of a nasty and anti social way of buying a car (or whatever) from who might be a really nice, ordinary person. But if you get the car for a damn good price - once you've driven away, you're hardly likely to see them again, are you? So what would make you happiest of all that day? Right! Getting that car you wanted for way less cash than you thought you would have to pay!
Give it a go sometime. You might just be surprised
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Silence
Yup, I'd agree with this one. Works to some extent with dealers too, because as Ray pointed out - they will talk to fill the void, potentially resulting in another counter offer. [I've not tried the 'slab of cash' routine though.]The 'silence' does work well though, unless the other person 'knows about it'. I.e. if I was a private seller and someone tried it on me, then I'd know what they were doing and not fall for it! lol!
MercScot said:
Arse!
Why? If it's a private sale you aren't trying to make a friend, you are trying to buy a car at the lowest possible price. The advice given might be appropriate if the person is really needing to sell quickly. The seller can always stick to their guns and say no. If not, you might get a cheap(er) car and the seller gets some cash. No problem.Jessicus said:
If not, you might get a cheap(er) car and the seller gets some cash. No problem.
The potential problem is that rocking up and offering c50% of the advertised price and expecting to coerce the seller to accept, just because you brought notes with you is almost the very definition of a TIME WASTER.Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
mrmr96 said:
The potential problem is that rocking up and offering c50% of the advertised price and expecting to coerce the seller to accept, just because you brought notes with you is almost the very definition of a TIME WASTER.
Nope. A viewer 'without notes' is a time waster...The pressure of silence may well work on a private vendor but I suspect anyone sat the other side of a table in a car dealership will be all too aware of one of the most heavily used closing techniques in sales!
If they don't, they really don't have much business selling anything, let alone cars.
Do your homework, found out how long it's been standing, the trade price of the car. Their break point will be the cost, the cost of prep and their average margin, any lower than that and you're not going to get a deal. Even car dealers need to eat.
If they don't, they really don't have much business selling anything, let alone cars.
Do your homework, found out how long it's been standing, the trade price of the car. Their break point will be the cost, the cost of prep and their average margin, any lower than that and you're not going to get a deal. Even car dealers need to eat.
Jessicus said:
mrmr96 said:
How is rocking up offering 50% not being a time waster?
Who said offering 50%? From the example given it was £2500 for a £3000 car. Unless my maths is off, that's not an offer of 50%Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
For me, the two main things that always work quite well, with private sales anyway. But only works once you are happy that you want to buy this particular car, and you are at the stage where you are both sitting at the kitchen table ready to do a deal. And it only works if you have a bundle of cash on you.
First of all - your first offer should be so low, that it makes you cringe with embarrassment when you deliver it to the seller. No cringe = offer is not anywhere near low enough. I mean like this - car is for sale at £3,000, you offer £1800.
Yes, of course the buyer will reject it out of hand (although to my delight on occasion - not always!) but this low first offer helps to psychologically mange the seller's expectations about the whole transaction, and lets him see where you are with regard to what you personally value the car for sale at.
Remember - there is always another car, and you can easily walk away. I always remind the buyer - especially if they come out with the old line of 'well, there's another bloke coming to see it later / tomorrow / on Sunday - that yeah, right, the world is full of timewasters, and assuming the next bloke does come to view it - he will have to be happy that it's the car for him after viewing a load more. It is a buyer's market, especially at the moment.
I then say to the seller - ok, you won't sell at £1800, but look, let's get your car sold for you today. You have sat in front of you a willing buyer with a big bundle of cash in their pocket. What can I offer you that you would be happy with?
He would then probably come back with something like £2800 I guess.
I then normally get the cash out - and I have usually counted out the amount I am happy to buy the car at. So for our £3k car, assuming it's exactly what I want, I might have decided that I am happy to pay, say, £2600. Depending on his lowest price though, I might then revise that down.
I count out what I am happy to pay onto the table. I then say - ok, look - here's £2500 (or whatever), that's all I can stretch to.
And then - the most powerful buying tool of all - and yes, it can get very difficult, but you MUST RESIST! Silence....
If he accepts - great!
If he says 'ah, um, no, that's not really enough - I wanted a bit more than that etc etc'....just don't reply. Sit there in silence. It will be painful. It will be embarrassing. But do not give in to the temptation to fill the silence with more words.
Trust me - unless the seller's day job is as a killer sales / business development consultant, he will carry on speaking. He will eventually talk himself into accepting the cash on the table.
It has never failed to work for me. If you are buying from a normal member of Joe Public, psychological social compliance usually dictates that they become more uncomfortable with the awkward silence before you ever will, if you hold your nerve.
Yes, it's a bit of a nasty and anti social way of buying a car (or whatever) from who might be a really nice, ordinary person. But if you get the car for a damn good price - once you've driven away, you're hardly likely to see them again, are you? So what would make you happiest of all that day? Right! Getting that car you wanted for way less cash than you thought you would have to pay!
Give it a go sometime. You might just be surprised
Think I would piss my self laughing if someone tried that. There would be no way I could take them seriously First of all - your first offer should be so low, that it makes you cringe with embarrassment when you deliver it to the seller. No cringe = offer is not anywhere near low enough. I mean like this - car is for sale at £3,000, you offer £1800.
Yes, of course the buyer will reject it out of hand (although to my delight on occasion - not always!) but this low first offer helps to psychologically mange the seller's expectations about the whole transaction, and lets him see where you are with regard to what you personally value the car for sale at.
Remember - there is always another car, and you can easily walk away. I always remind the buyer - especially if they come out with the old line of 'well, there's another bloke coming to see it later / tomorrow / on Sunday - that yeah, right, the world is full of timewasters, and assuming the next bloke does come to view it - he will have to be happy that it's the car for him after viewing a load more. It is a buyer's market, especially at the moment.
I then say to the seller - ok, you won't sell at £1800, but look, let's get your car sold for you today. You have sat in front of you a willing buyer with a big bundle of cash in their pocket. What can I offer you that you would be happy with?
He would then probably come back with something like £2800 I guess.
I then normally get the cash out - and I have usually counted out the amount I am happy to buy the car at. So for our £3k car, assuming it's exactly what I want, I might have decided that I am happy to pay, say, £2600. Depending on his lowest price though, I might then revise that down.
I count out what I am happy to pay onto the table. I then say - ok, look - here's £2500 (or whatever), that's all I can stretch to.
And then - the most powerful buying tool of all - and yes, it can get very difficult, but you MUST RESIST! Silence....
If he accepts - great!
If he says 'ah, um, no, that's not really enough - I wanted a bit more than that etc etc'....just don't reply. Sit there in silence. It will be painful. It will be embarrassing. But do not give in to the temptation to fill the silence with more words.
Trust me - unless the seller's day job is as a killer sales / business development consultant, he will carry on speaking. He will eventually talk himself into accepting the cash on the table.
It has never failed to work for me. If you are buying from a normal member of Joe Public, psychological social compliance usually dictates that they become more uncomfortable with the awkward silence before you ever will, if you hold your nerve.
Yes, it's a bit of a nasty and anti social way of buying a car (or whatever) from who might be a really nice, ordinary person. But if you get the car for a damn good price - once you've driven away, you're hardly likely to see them again, are you? So what would make you happiest of all that day? Right! Getting that car you wanted for way less cash than you thought you would have to pay!
Give it a go sometime. You might just be surprised
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