Are BMW dealers the most reluctant to do a deal?
Discussion
How many have you tried? It sounds like you may have tried a few which suggests you might not have been really ready to deal?
Also don't focus so much on the amount of discount. Sometimes the car is good value already. If its a hard to find spec, and in demand they wont need to discount to sell it.
Also don't focus so much on the amount of discount. Sometimes the car is good value already. If its a hard to find spec, and in demand they wont need to discount to sell it.
It usually depends upon when you go shopping and what you are looking to buy.
Go at the end of a slow month and look at a car that they've had on their books for a while and they'll be happy to deal.
Go at any other time to buy a car in the spec that everyone wants and you'll pay top dollar.
Delete the words sport and leather from your shopping list and you'll probably be able to negotiate a very good deal. However, come resale time, you'll have a similar problem shifting it.
So, tell us more. What cars are you looking to buy and what do you have to trade?
Go at the end of a slow month and look at a car that they've had on their books for a while and they'll be happy to deal.
Go at any other time to buy a car in the spec that everyone wants and you'll pay top dollar.
Delete the words sport and leather from your shopping list and you'll probably be able to negotiate a very good deal. However, come resale time, you'll have a similar problem shifting it.
So, tell us more. What cars are you looking to buy and what do you have to trade?
I have been into a couple of auc bmw places lately and to be honest there was no movement on price at all.
One dealer came up with the line it is the cheapest version of this car with this milage and spec in the country. I pointed out there was one £1.5k cheaper 60 miles away.
The dealer got on the net saw the other car and was still unwilling to budge on price.
I have since bought a similar car, so was serious and had deciided what I wanted.
I think because sale volumes are low they are just trying to maximise the margins on their cars.
One dealer came up with the line it is the cheapest version of this car with this milage and spec in the country. I pointed out there was one £1.5k cheaper 60 miles away.
The dealer got on the net saw the other car and was still unwilling to budge on price.
I have since bought a similar car, so was serious and had deciided what I wanted.
I think because sale volumes are low they are just trying to maximise the margins on their cars.
kentmotorcompany said:
How many have you tried? It sounds like you may have tried a few which suggests you might not have been really ready to deal?
Also don't focus so much on the amount of discount. Sometimes the car is good value already. If its a hard to find spec, and in demand they wont need to discount to sell it.
I dont think thats right at all. I've encountered this as well - they just dont like to move on price much.Also don't focus so much on the amount of discount. Sometimes the car is good value already. If its a hard to find spec, and in demand they wont need to discount to sell it.
Then you notice, 2 months later, the car is still for sale, often with several thousand pounds missing from the asking price when all you wanted a month previously was... a grand off, tops. So they end loosing more than they'd have conceded by accepting your offer.
Fox- said:
I dont think thats right at all. I've encountered this as well - they just dont like to move on price much.
Then you notice, 2 months later, the car is still for sale, often with several thousand pounds missing from the asking price when all you wanted a month previously was... a grand off, tops. So they end loosing more than they'd have conceded by accepting your offer.
Yep, my experience too ... Then you notice, 2 months later, the car is still for sale, often with several thousand pounds missing from the asking price when all you wanted a month previously was... a grand off, tops. So they end loosing more than they'd have conceded by accepting your offer.
I looked at a 330d for £32500. They offered me minimum p/x on my car and wouldn't move on the price.
Two months later they still have that car but at £29950. I bought another 330d for similar money but managed to get 2K more in p/x than the original dealer offered !
Depends on the stocking policy. A client of mine has a 90 day policy, if its not sold within this timeframe it goes back to group central stock and they get hit with a not inconsiderable charge - after about 70 days they start to get jumpy and are far more prepared to negotiate on price
I don't even understand how they price them - often the prices make no sense compared to the prices of other AUC's. I looked at a manual 3, lovely car, but priced the same as several other autos (Which are worth more) with better spec and similar miles from other dealers.
And given it was shotblasted at the front with stonechips I doubt the extra price is for the pristine condition.
And given it was shotblasted at the front with stonechips I doubt the extra price is for the pristine condition.
andy665 said:
Depends on the stocking policy. A client of mine has a 90 day policy, if its not sold within this timeframe it goes back to group central stock and they get hit with a not inconsiderable charge - after about 70 days they start to get jumpy and are far more prepared to negotiate on price
The client wouldnt be stratstone would it? What does '4' represent as the last figure at the end of a stratstone price? Anyone know?If you can't say then fair enough!
I have my eye on a couple of cars at the moment, both x35i's
Also, in one of the posts above someone talked about going into the dealer 'at the end of a slow month'
I know January is supposed to be slow. Which other months are usually slow?
Deva Link said:
You have to assume they have some idea about what they're doing. If the prices were wrong then they wouldn't sell many cars but you don't see BMW dealers going bust left, right and centre.
It's a gamble isnt it, they do it hoping somebody with no idea comes in, likes the car and just pays sticker. They'll then dump a grand off it every month until it sells.This makes life difficult for those of us not prepared to pay way over the odds for a car, unless we happen to stroll in just as it gets its 4th discount in 4 months and is now suddenly keenly priced.
texasjohn said:
Also, in one of the posts above someone talked about going into the dealer 'at the end of a slow month'
I know January is supposed to be slow. Which other months are usually slow?
The other angle to take is go in on a month when they should be busy, but aren't. Not BMW but bought my daughter a Golf recently and we went into a big VW dealership on the first Sunday of March - place was deserted. We were there about 3hrs all told and only a handful of people came in. I'm pretty sure we were the only people who bought a car that day.I know January is supposed to be slow. Which other months are usually slow?
The snag you've got with BMW is there really are people who will buy anything with a BMW badge on it. My SIL just bought a used 1 Series - sight unseen. The dealer showed her another one and said it will just like this, and she said "OK".
I've just bought a £22k car for £20K with 6 months tax and free delivery from a BMW dealer up North. This was on a fully loaded car and I mean FULLY LOADED(!!) which had not yet arrived and was under the coming soon section on the AUC website. The dealer declined my offer 3 times over a period of 3 weeks! I started with £19k then upped my offer to £19,500 and finally in week 3 went up to £20k when the salesman finally agreed.
I really wanted the car as it was exactly what I was looking for - I could have gone up to sticker price but I knew they could easily come down. In week 3, the salesman told me he had now done the AUC and the car was in mint condition which is why they didn't have to spend much to bring it up to scratch and hence the discount. Had it needed 4 new tyres, brake pads and discs etc they wouldn't have dropped the price at all.
I think, with a lot of these AUC's it depends how much the dealer has spent to bring the car to AUC standards which is why people notice a huge variance in prices for similar spec cars across the country.
The best I did was around 5 years back.....walked in to BMW in Milton Keynes and said "I am looking for a 120d and I have £13k to spend" the salesman had a very well spec'd 120d sport but it was in Havannah which was a kind of grey brown shade (quite similar to Dolphin Grey)...the Mrs liked it although I thought it would be a resale disaster. The sticker price was £18,000 at the time and the salesman offered me the car for £13K!! I was shocked and paid the money there and then - it was the 31st March on the day. We drove the car for 6 months and then sold it for £15,500 on ebay
I really wanted the car as it was exactly what I was looking for - I could have gone up to sticker price but I knew they could easily come down. In week 3, the salesman told me he had now done the AUC and the car was in mint condition which is why they didn't have to spend much to bring it up to scratch and hence the discount. Had it needed 4 new tyres, brake pads and discs etc they wouldn't have dropped the price at all.
I think, with a lot of these AUC's it depends how much the dealer has spent to bring the car to AUC standards which is why people notice a huge variance in prices for similar spec cars across the country.
The best I did was around 5 years back.....walked in to BMW in Milton Keynes and said "I am looking for a 120d and I have £13k to spend" the salesman had a very well spec'd 120d sport but it was in Havannah which was a kind of grey brown shade (quite similar to Dolphin Grey)...the Mrs liked it although I thought it would be a resale disaster. The sticker price was £18,000 at the time and the salesman offered me the car for £13K!! I was shocked and paid the money there and then - it was the 31st March on the day. We drove the car for 6 months and then sold it for £15,500 on ebay
andy665 said:
Depends on the stocking policy. A client of mine has a 90 day policy, if its not sold within this timeframe it goes back to group central stock and they get hit with a not inconsiderable charge - after about 70 days they start to get jumpy and are far more prepared to negotiate on price
This is very true. Some of the smaller dealers (the few that are left) don't have this policy but all the big dealer groups do. 6BMW said:
I've just bought a £22k car for £20K with 6 months tax and free delivery from a BMW dealer up North. This was on a fully loaded car and I mean FULLY LOADED(!!) which had not yet arrived and was under the coming soon section on the AUC website. The dealer declined my offer 3 times over a period of 3 weeks! I started with £19k then upped my offer to £19,500 and finally in week 3 went up to £20k when the salesman finally agreed.
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