Used car sale price negotiations pre viewing
Discussion
Hi all,
I've recently advertised my car on PH and AT. It's keenly priced but I'm not averse to reasonable offers. When previously selling cars any price negotiation has taken place after viewing / inspection of the car.
However, on this occasion I have a potential buyer who intends to travel a fair way and wants to negotiate and agree on a lower price beforehand. He sound like a nice, genuine chap and I can understand why he wouldn't want to spend over £100 on a train ticket if I won't budge on price. Yet, on the other hand I'm somewhat reluctant to agree to any price reduction pre viewing. I should add that he has said that there will be no further negotiation on price.
I fear we might reach a stalemate if we can't settle a price at this stage. The amount offered is 5% below asking so far from unreasonable although as I've said the car is keenly priced to start with.
What are your thoughts guys?
I've recently advertised my car on PH and AT. It's keenly priced but I'm not averse to reasonable offers. When previously selling cars any price negotiation has taken place after viewing / inspection of the car.
However, on this occasion I have a potential buyer who intends to travel a fair way and wants to negotiate and agree on a lower price beforehand. He sound like a nice, genuine chap and I can understand why he wouldn't want to spend over £100 on a train ticket if I won't budge on price. Yet, on the other hand I'm somewhat reluctant to agree to any price reduction pre viewing. I should add that he has said that there will be no further negotiation on price.
I fear we might reach a stalemate if we can't settle a price at this stage. The amount offered is 5% below asking so far from unreasonable although as I've said the car is keenly priced to start with.
What are your thoughts guys?
The point of making offers is you do it after viewing. In effect, you are saying "I've seen the car and I am happy to buy it if it is £XXXX". To ask for money off before even viewing is taking the piss, because if you agree then your new asking price becomes the starting price for negotiations later.
Firstly, sorry for the iPhone no title cock up - not sure how that happened but I've reported to mods.
Still, thanks for the replies so far. As has been said, my concern is the reduced price becomes the new asking price. I made clear that this wasn't acceptable and have been assured that further haggling would not take place. Therefore, I guess I've got little to lose in agreeing if I'm happy with the price. If the buyer does try for further reductions despite prior agreement to the contrary then its train home time.
Still, thanks for the replies so far. As has been said, my concern is the reduced price becomes the new asking price. I made clear that this wasn't acceptable and have been assured that further haggling would not take place. Therefore, I guess I've got little to lose in agreeing if I'm happy with the price. If the buyer does try for further reductions despite prior agreement to the contrary then its train home time.
Last car I bought I called the seller, explained I was interested but lived 100+ miles away. I wasn't coming to look at the car, instead I'd be coming, checking his decription, and if correct then paying and driving away. I asked him to walk around the car describing it (good and bad), I made an offer on the back of this and we agreed a price.
On the agreed day I turned up, checked the car over, agreed with his description, test drove it, and transferred the money.
Tried it again recently but this time 250+ miles away. We couldn't agree on a price £1K apart so left it.
On the agreed day I turned up, checked the car over, agreed with his description, test drove it, and transferred the money.
Tried it again recently but this time 250+ miles away. We couldn't agree on a price £1K apart so left it.
I had similar to this and told him he was 'in the right ball park' so to come and look and if he liked the car he could try to chip me down to his offer.
In the end, we settled on a figure just slightly under half way between his offer and my original asking.
By the time he had come down, I had him on the hook. He didn't want to take his expensive train home and had complained all the way from the station about how bad the journey had been!
In the end, we settled on a figure just slightly under half way between his offer and my original asking.
By the time he had come down, I had him on the hook. He didn't want to take his expensive train home and had complained all the way from the station about how bad the journey had been!
I've often negotiated before viewing based on friendly chats prior and assurances on accurate description etc. Stuck to my word and paid what was agreed too. Reason I do it is I'll travel for the right car rather than just buying any old car near me. I don't want to waste money traipsing halfway round the country to find out the seller won't budge if it's priced more than I feel it's worth.
singlecoil said:
The point of making offers is you do it after viewing. In effect, you are saying "I've seen the car and I am happy to buy it if it is £XXXX". To ask for money off before even viewing is taking the piss, because if you agree then your new asking price becomes the starting price for negotiations later.
So you ask 20k for a car, where multiple similar examples have recently sold for 17k.I'd phone you up and say, would you consider offers around 17k. If you say, no way, then I don't bother viewing. Simple.
Bought and sold many cars unseen where a price had been agreed beforehand. If you're travelling some distance or even overseas it makes sense to talk money before wasting both their time and your own. There's absolutely nothing wrong with calling someone and explaining your budget, the worst they can say is no. If you get there and the car is not as described, you can either attempt to renegotiate or walk away. If the car is as described, you have a deal.
singlecoil said:
The point of making offers is you do it after viewing. In effect, you are saying "I've seen the car and I am happy to buy it if it is £XXXX". To ask for money off before even viewing is taking the piss, because if you agree then your new asking price becomes the starting price for negotiations later.
If it is overpriced compared to other examples, then it's perfectly reasonable to demand a more reasonable starting price.Kawasicki said:
singlecoil said:
The point of making offers is you do it after viewing. In effect, you are saying "I've seen the car and I am happy to buy it if it is £XXXX". To ask for money off before even viewing is taking the piss, because if you agree then your new asking price becomes the starting price for negotiations later.
So you ask 20k for a car, where multiple similar examples have recently sold for 17k.I'd phone you up and say, would you consider offers around 17k. If you say, no way, then I don't bother viewing. Simple.
singlecoil said:
Well, that wouldn't work in my case because I wouldn't ask for a stupid price in the first place. Simpler still.
It doesn't even need to be a stupid price though. Maybe you're asking £20,000 for a car worth £20,000. I've only got £18,500 to spend so whether the car is really worth 20k or not is irrelevant. If you're desperate to sell you might take 18.5k. A quick phone call would establish that though and if a deal can't be done it allows us to both go on our way with no real time or effort wasted.Surely thats better than me coming and wasting your time to not buy the car? Or would you rather cut your nose off to spite your face and waste some time but me waste even more as I had to travel to you
Sir Bagalot said:
Last car I bought I called the seller, explained I was interested but lived 100+ miles away. I wasn't coming to look at the car, instead I'd be coming, checking his decription, and if correct then paying and driving away. I asked him to walk around the car describing it (good and bad), I made an offer on the back of this and we agreed a price.
On the agreed day I turned up, checked the car over, agreed with his description, test drove it, and transferred the money.
This is what I've done on a few occasions. On the agreed day I turned up, checked the car over, agreed with his description, test drove it, and transferred the money.
It relies on the seller not being a liar or a dick and likewise they have to trust that I'm not the same.
If the car is as described then I'll pay the sum negotiated, if it isn't then I'll leave, hopefully with no hard feelings.
KFC said:
singlecoil said:
Well, that wouldn't work in my case because I wouldn't ask for a stupid price in the first place. Simpler still.
It doesn't even need to be a stupid price though. Maybe you're asking £20,000 for a car worth £20,000. I've only got £18,500 to spend so whether the car is really worth 20k or not is irrelevant. If you're desperate to sell you might take 18.5k. A quick phone call would establish that though and if a deal can't be done it allows us to both go on our way with no real time or effort wasted.Surely thats better than me coming and wasting your time to not buy the car? Or would you rather cut your nose off to spite your face and waste some time but me waste even more as I had to travel to you
What I wouldn't do is to first of all lower the asking price on the phone, and then have the interested party trying to negotiate me downwards from the new lower asking price.
Selling cars is really quite simple. Work out your lowest price, ask for it 'no offers'. Everybody knows where they stand and the car is quickly sold.
singlecoil said:
What I wouldn't do is to first of all lower the asking price on the phone, and then have the interested party trying to negotiate me downwards from the new lower asking price.
So make it clear to them. Yes you'll discount £1k over the phone but if they're going to come and try and bargain it down a bit further then they best make sure their train ticket is a return one.KFC said:
singlecoil said:
What I wouldn't do is to first of all lower the asking price on the phone, and then have the interested party trying to negotiate me downwards from the new lower asking price.
So make it clear to them. Yes you'll discount £1k over the phone but if they're going to come and try and bargain it down a bit further then they best make sure their train ticket is a return one.I realise different sellers have different techniques, I put forward mine, it is neither right nor wrong, it's my technique, it works, and it's pointless arguing with it.
singlecoil said:
The point of making offers is you do it after viewing. In effect, you are saying "I've seen the car and I am happy to buy it if it is £XXXX". To ask for money off before even viewing is taking the piss, because if you agree then your new asking price becomes the starting price for negotiations later.
Not true. I have negotiated by phone for every car I have bought because I live so far away from wherever they tend to be. I'm not going to travel for 6 hours to find the seller won't sell it to me for what I want to pay. If want to know I can get it for what I want to pay, then I'll travel.Each time the price agreed by telephone is final and agreed with the seller. Each time it's worked very well and buyer and seller were both very happy.
Agreeing the price beforehand saves time wasting on the part of both myself and the seller.
Fox- said:
singlecoil said:
The point of making offers is you do it after viewing. In effect, you are saying "I've seen the car and I am happy to buy it if it is £XXXX". To ask for money off before even viewing is taking the piss, because if you agree then your new asking price becomes the starting price for negotiations later.
Not true. I have negotiated by phone for every car I have bought because I live so far away from wherever they tend to be. I'm not going to travel for 6 hours to find the seller won't sell it to me for what I want to pay. If want to know I can get it for what I want to pay, then I'll travel.Each time the price agreed by telephone is final and agreed with the seller. Each time it's worked very well and buyer and seller were both very happy.
Agreeing the price beforehand saves time wasting on the part of both myself and the seller.
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