I haven't bought a car for ages but this week I did and I can't beleive how much the sales people tried to force on me their GAP insurance. It was like I was personally depriving them of their commision on an irrational whim. Talk about being treated like an idiot! I ended up basically lying to tell them that I already had it (cue disbelief and shaking heads "really") to shut them up.
Really I'll take my chances of writing off my own car.
Don't start me on paintwork protection, shit-guard or whatever, either?
Is it meant to be that painful to buy a car - they made it a fairly unpleasant experience. I guess that times are tough in the motor world.
They are 'salesmen' the clue to their role is in their title.
Nothing wrong with that. I've done technical sales for years and I usually have no problem with salespeople as long as they aren't desperate/incredibly pushy, or in the case of the guy I spoke to didn't know some fairly obvious facts (how many speeds the auto had, what the servicing intervals were, whether I could get an ipod connection). Fairly disappointing really.
i gave up trying to buy a new vehicle when i was looking - basically they werent interested in selling me a van.
salesman tried to push a corsa on me instead - this is what young folk your age are driving ..... sorry mate im 24 not 17 ! and that bike rack is garbage - wheres the spare tire kept ? i came here to get a van can you help - no you need the commercial vehicle specialist - where is he - on holiday - whens he back- dont know - well can you please find out so i can come back and buy a van - goes off in search - ach just forget it ill go somewhere helpful !
if you do want GAP insurance buy it elsewhere [url= http://www.ala.co.uk/ ]http://www.ala.co.uk/[/url] I saved £££'s
Good call bruneep. £410 less than the garage quoted me this week for their own gap.
If you are considering gap insurance, the vehicle you are buying is too new.
All gap insurance does is insure money/depreciation - better to buy once the depreciation 'curve' has started to flatten.
br. Just over two years old and 50% depreciated which isn't a bad time in my mind on the depreciation curve. Hopefully still reliable and that's not going to depreciate too much further
BTW I don't want GAP insurance! That's the whole point.
Why worry about depreciation and gap insurance
By a large Citroen C6 or C5 and let the previous owner take the his in the first two years, then grab it for a bag of pork scratchings and half a bitter.
Hi. Good call. Well I have a 24v XM already that I bought at four years old for 15% of the purchase price, so already been there with 85% depreciation! I've had it six years and could still get most of what I paid for it. It's been a great (very reliable) car.
I've have a C6 if they were hatchbacks not saloons - the dogs don't like it in the dark 🙂
24v XM
My old man had one when I learnt to drive. It was always in the garage being fixed. I don't know if they ever realised it was because I was doing burn outs with and auto box or not.
Lucky it was a company car, so it cost us nowt.
Just a thought as I work in insurance.......
Check your policy to see if there is a new vehicle replacement entitlement (i.e. if the car is under 12 months old and in the event of a total loss the insurer replaces your vehicle like for like). If so don't worry so much about gap (which is after all gauranteed asset protection)as you basically have it covered (BUT read the small print for exclusion clauses).
If you do not have a new vehicle concession / the car is 13 months or older have a good think about gap, as in the case of a total loss you will not find yourself in the position of being on the end of a pay out where the value offered is paid at what the car is worth at time of loss less any moneies owed in an Hire Purchase arrangment. If a car is purchased 'new' and on finance you can be left with:
1. No car.
2. No money to buy a car.
3. Still Paying off the balence of the finance for the vehicle written off.
My own view is work out the rough depreciation of your car / the money you owe on it (if you owe any) and shop around for a product that balences the cost versus hassel of being without a car.
Might also be worth checking out the forum on the moneysavingexpert site for deals etc.....
Anyway - that's my view - it may be not for Tony G - but for any lurkers on the post who don't want to get stitched at point of sale - but do want to cover themselves in the event of a loss.
Take it easy.
Citroen XMs not everyones cup of tea but I loved mine. Paid £600 and put 50k on it, including 2 trips to the south of France from Inverness.
Got a C5 estate now. Cheap as chips. Fancy a C6 in a couple of years.
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N reg YBL's were group registered by Citroen Slough. A 2.1Td usually?
My 24v was one of the last built and the best of the three we've owned. The are an aquired taste but one I like. Quite different from driving anything else more recent.
Not syaing all car salesmen are angels (I wouldnt want to work in the car industry) but you need to realise something.
If a dealership is able to offer any type of financial or insurance backed packages such as PPP or Gap or even warranties they are governed by the FSA in terms of protecting you the customer.
No longer is it a case of the customer being able to ask for something, if the dealership doesnt get you to sign a piece of paper saying you dont want it, they can be held accountable in a total loss claim. IE THEY HAVE TO OFFER IT TO YOU!!!
Now the fact that its overpriced is another matter and others have linked to cheaper packages. But try to get off your high horse about someone doing his/her job please. I know in my last job it was a sackable offence to not get a statement of demands and needs from the customer which included GAP Insurance.
Nothing to add on insurance, but the Milau bridge, awesome!
The littlestHobo. I have no problem with someone trying to sell me something (I've been in sales for +10yrs) but when someone says no I don't push it. I literally had a 30mins conversation with them trying to change my mind. I also had 3 dealership people come over to me and ask me why I wasn't taking up their offer. I've been in sales long enough to know that this behaviour is directly linked to profit/commision.
I really have absolutely no problem with sales people (I am one FFS!) as long as they get it right. It was almost at the level of the worst of double glazing sales.
Were you nailed to the chair? If not, why didnt you walk out? Its the only way people like this will learn