Apart from not far enough! Mrs Wingnuts is set on a new(ish) Mini. Seen a couple and having removed her from the forecourt so she doesn't agree to pay £1500 extra for a set of "luxury mats" I'm about to go into negotiation mode. However knowing that this is going to be a thankless task how much do you think I can get off the screen price for cash?
Chat Forum
How far can I push Arthur Daley?
-
Posted 9 months ago #
-
"Cash" won't mean much to him.
Depends on what the asking is? Are we talking £5K or £10K ish? I'd usually be hoping to knock about ten per cent off anyway. Don't be afraid to walk away. And leave your number with him.
Posted 9 months ago # -
We're looking at £12/15k and no P/X. Just that I've heard that its nigh on impossible with Minis.
Posted 9 months ago # -
As Darcy says, if your prepared to walk away and leave your number, you can bet your bottom dollar he'll be on the phone by the end of the month when he hasn't reached his sales figures or the car is still sitting on the forecourt.
By that point the car is virtually yours, it just depends on how much your prepared to make him work for the sale.Posted 9 months ago # -
if your wife wants it, and he knows it, your ****.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Dont mention cash til right at the death.
You'll get a far better figure if he thinks he can sell you finance. Thats all he's interested in. You take a loan out, and the car is thrown in for free as a sweetner these days. You offering cashm or someone offering to buy on a dealer loan, on the last car in the showroom, he'll sell to the other punter every time. Or to you for £500 MORE!
Posted 9 months ago # -
Hang on, just trying to find a thread about me buying a car...and believe me, I'm no Mr. Negotiator...by any definition.
Posted 9 months ago # -
I'm happy to walk and never come back, but then I'd probably have to do the same at home! Would that mean I would only have to wait to the end of tomorrow?
Posted 9 months ago # -
you can bet your bottom dollar he'll be on the phone by the end of the month
Unless you're dealing with Stratstone Land Rover who don't seem to care if you buy or walk away!
Posted 9 months ago # -
Right, found the the thread. I got £1650 off a similar priced Audi from a main dealer.
Are you buying from a MINI dealer?
Posted 9 months ago # -
The two we have seen are mini dealers but am happy to trawl elsewhere. Prepared to devote a couple of days to it before the weekend.
Posted 9 months ago # -
I'm not a great haggler, I just use brute force so what works for me is:
Be genuinely willing to just walk away
Don't take the piss- you're trying to cut them as low as they're comfortable with, but not lower.
Agree a price as if with finance, then switch to cash- doesn't always work, depends on their commission structure I think... But you've got a figure they'll find it hard to increase it.
Have a plan B. Everyone says "Oh, there's a couple of others I'm thinking of" and that's really weak, but something more solid like "I've been offered X by a dealer down south, but I'd sooner buy local if you can make it worthwhile" puts some real competition on the table, even if it's a gigantic lie
If they won't go down on price, see if they'll come up on extras.Oh and lastly, if it's a decent size shop feel free to browse the salesmen
This is a bit of a s**t trick in all honesty but if you walk up to one salesman and say "I was offered X by your colleague yesterday, if you can beat that it's all yours, otherwise I'll go back to him", then your wallet's likely to benefit even though your soul will suffer.
Posted 9 months ago # -
My soul went years ago!
Posted 9 months ago # -
Be genuinely willing to just walk away
This. +1
There's thousands of cars out there for sale, you might just have to wait a little bit longer. Be sensible, make reasonable offers for what you want but always be mindful they may not move and if not, fine.
Posted 9 months ago # -
My sister and her husband recently got a great deal on a car (about 15% off, upped the trade in value of their old car, got free metallic paint and the usual mats/full tank of petrol). They found two cars they wanted at different garages and played them off against each other... except that wasn't the plan, they genuinely kept changing their minds about which one they wanted, but every time they went back to the other garage they had a lower price to haggle with.
Posted 9 months ago # -
I'd say do some homework so you can talk to the salesman sensibly regarding pricing, spec and mileage etc. But don't be telling them how to do their job. I'd be asking to see the ad for the "ficticious" car that you're using to bargain against me, so that might backfire.
You're looking for a few quid of and they're looking to make a profit, a win/win position. Think about extras they could throw in if the price doesn't come down by the amount you want.
Be prepared to walk away without pissing them off.
I'd have given dd 1650GBP to get off my forecourt too.
Posted 9 months ago # -
I think £1650 would be a world record for a Mini! I'm prepared to walk. And am doing the homework which is all sounding pretty discouraging. Most of the ones we've seen are fully specced and as we want diesel the comparable ones are scattered far and wide. However I will bash the phone and see if we can get it down to a couple of reasonable options. This would be so much more interesting if it was for me!
Posted 9 months ago # -
your wallet's likely to benefit even though your soul will suffer
Why should your soul be bothered about people who don't have one?Posted 9 months ago # -
Not all car salesmen are ginger.
Posted 9 months ago # -
And am doing the homework which is all sounding pretty discouraging.
I guess that means you'll get a good price on resale then.Posted 9 months ago # -
and as we want diesel
Why ? Are you doing lots of miles ?
Posted 9 months ago # -
We are doing an increasing number of miles and although the claim of 72mpg on the combined cycle is highly suspect the one we had four years ago was v economical.
If we can get 'the right one' we'll keep it for a good while and resale is reasonable as I'm experiencing.
Posted 9 months ago # -
If you're buying new-ish, can you just buy privately or at auction? So long as it's been serviced on time, it'll still have the warranty...
Posted 9 months ago # -
All has been said really but one thing that can help is to make sure the salesman understands that you are willing to do the deal today if the price is right
Posted 9 months ago # -
31st of a summer month, not a terrible time to be doing it, I would have thought...
Posted 9 months ago # -
when I was a lot younger and stupider, I was looking to buy a Scirocco. The sleek lines, classy wheels, wedge shaped body all had me drooling at the mouth.
I went to one dealer and asked him if he had any in to which he replied
"Nah, wrong time of the year for them."Obviously not wanting to appear a complete idiot, I agreed with him and went on my way wondering what the right time of year was for Scirocco's. It was a number of years before I finally realised it was merely a euphanism for 'no'.
Posted 9 months ago # -
No, I think he was right if you were looking in either winter or summer, I think he was right.
Sirocco winds with speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour are most common during the autumn and the spring. They reach a peak in March and in November when it is very hot, with a maximum speed of about 100 km/h
Posted 9 months ago # -
As a former Sales Trainer/Development Manager (To the motor trade) there are a couple of things I would suggest.
First off, build a relationship of trust with the Sales Executive. Explain exactly what you want to achieve and that if you get a deal you are happy with, that you will buy today. Don’t be afraid to tell him or her that you will look elsewhere until you find a deal you are happy with.
Today is a good time to buy a used car, as the “61” plate comes out tomorrow and the dealers will start receiving high numbers of used/part exchange cars, which will start to fill up their forecourts. They need the space.
With regard to the discount you may or may not get, that will also depend on a number of factors.
1) How common is the car? If the car is rare and the next nearest one is 100 miles away, your chances of a discount will be reduced. All good dealers will keep an eye on Autotrader etc, so they know what else is available nearby and at what price.
2) What colour is it and what factory options does it have? A car with a good specification and a good colour is likely to be more desirable and therefore easier to sell, so the chances of a discount are reduced.
3) How long has the car been in stock? If it has been on the forecourt for a month or so, they will want it sold, so you may be able to haggle a bigger discount. However if it is new in stock, the chances of a discount are reduced.
4) Buying signals – If you get back from a test drive and state that the car is fantastic and that you want it, your chances of a discount are reduced, as the Sales executive will believe that they are half way there! A good car will help sell itself. If you state that you are unsure about the car, you may stand a chance of getting a bigger discount, as the Sales Executive will have to work harder. Try not to give out too many buying signals early on.Dealers today are not interested in cash. Cash is an inconvenience and it costs them money, as they either have to get it to the bank or get a security company to collect it. They will also have to check every note and if the amount is over a certain amount they will have to comply with the Anti Money Laundering regulations. All dealers with be VAT registered and all transactions will go through their books. Cash is of no benefit to them. I’m sure that there are little back street garages that will take cash that won’t go through the books but most franchised dealers are Limited Companies or PLC’s.
Don’t dismiss all the options available to you. Even if you have the cash, consider dealer finance, even if it is only short term. There is nothing to stop you from taking the finance with the dealer and then asking the finance company for a settlement figure, in say 2 weeks. If you settle within the month, you should only pay approximately a months interest. The finance company may pay the dealer an introductory commission (Not always though) and you may be able to haggle a bit more discount. Dealer finance is convenient for the dealer and it is quick, and they know they will get paid.
Buying a car should be fun, so go in with an open mind. Don’t be rude or smug with the Sales Executive. Make sure to tell them what you want. Once you have decided that you want the car, start haggling. Have fun haggling. Remember you want the best deal you can get but the dealer also needs to make a profit. If they don’t make a profit there is no point in them being there!
Posted 9 months ago # -
First off, build a relationship of trust with the Sales Executive
This is the fundamental problem, we all assume that they are sales people when in reality they are all executives...Posted 9 months ago # -
We managed to get 1400 off the forecourt price a set of mats and a full tank of fuel on our vw. I was fairly honest all the way and, as mentioned above walked away 2 or 3 times. Finally they came back as they probably knew I was serious and we managed to agree a figure.
It is definitely a plus when you don't have a specific window to buy the car, it kind of swings the power over to the salesman.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Not all car salesmen are ginger.
You bad man.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Chat Forum
How far can I push Arthur Daley?
I wouldn't push him to far, he will send Terry round to " sort you out"
Posted 9 months ago # -
A view from another insider.
The advice above from shotsaway is probably the most sensible thing to come out of one of these 'how do I buy a car?' threads I've seen. The only thing I would add is there is a very marked difference between what discount is reasonable depending on whether a car is new or used. A New car will often have Manufacturer bonuses that the dealer will pass to the customer, hence the four figure sums that can be achieved in discount. Most dealers will offer these without you even asking or haggling. After that there is a slim margin you may get a bit of as a sweetener. New cars are as much about volume as profit.
Used cars, however, are a whole different kettle of bananas. Internet competition and the effects of rising prep costs and VAT increases have squeezed used car margins over the last few years, therefore the amount you can expect off a used car (that is worth having) is far more modest. There is absolutely no benefit to the dealer in giving you all of this margin so don't be offended if huge discounts aren't forthcoming. Indeed, if it all seems a bit too quick and easy to get money off, then look very carefully at what you are buying, a purple car with a beige interior may float your boat, but there is a reason they haven't opened the doors on it for weeks. You will find out this reason come re-sale.
Ask the salesman early on how long they've worked there. If it's years you will likely get better service, not always the case, but a good tip anyway.
Sell them your part exchange. Clean it, touch up the stone chips and have all the service history to hand. If you don't they will value it assuming you have none.
Don't be rude, cocky, dishonest or aggressive. Nice, decisive, polite and well researched people get the best deals. This is a fact.
Finally, never ever ask for the 'best price.' That's lazy negotiation with no commitment and will get you nowhere. The most powerful negotiation tool is commitment so make up your mind that the car is right for you before starting any negotiation.
Enjoy it, a new car is exciting!
Posted 9 months ago # -
Shotsaway has it.
I'd reiterate a few of his points for emphasis:The relationship bit is important - don't underestimate that. If he thinks he has worked hard to build empathy etc, then you have something that is of value to him and that you can then leverage.
Taking their car finance should be worth an additional amount off the price.
I did this on my last purchase for an additional £500 off (£7000 car). Then cancelled the agreement asap. Careful though - you have no cooling off period if you sign the finance deal on their premises. Settlement figure should be minimal though (c£50 IIRC).Easy hits include asking for extras that cost the dealer less than they would cost you, eg free servicing only costs him his mechanic's time, whereas 12 month's tax will cost him the same as it costs you.
Each time any movement is offered, make sure you take ownership of it by thanking them and saying how much you appreciate that. This makes it very difficult for them to retract that offer without jeopardising the relationship thing.
Last tip - Don't just offer a lower price at the start, they have just found your best case scenario and only need to move you up from there. They may have been quite happy to sell at your low price but the fact that you came in at that level indicates that you're likely to move.
It's often a good idea to ring first and ask for movement before you even go to the garage (effectively they need to buy your commitment to come and have a look).Oh and yes, you must genuinely be ready to walk away.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Careful though - you have no cooling off period if you sign the finance deal on their premises. Settlement figure should be minimal though (c£50 IIRC).
Not true anymore actually. As of last year, regulated agreements have a 'right to withdraw' clause, meaning you have a 14 day cooling off period. That said, if you are paying monthly, some of the best funding deals around are with dealers at the mo anyway.
Posted 9 months ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
