Buying a new car

[Foz]

Awful!

If it isn’t not being able to get a straight answer, shocking car prep, laughable part ex’s, sitting for hours with a finance gimp, the bombardment by staff from every department, surveys and other nonsense for enquiring.

Utterly sick of it!

[Foz]

Also sales people who fail to understand the cost to change discussion, trying to spin a part exchange price up.

Can someone deliver me a new car please and deal with all this shit

[240PP]

One of my least favourite things to do is buy a new car. It should be a great time for us CGs but all the fun is sucked out of it by the process and people you have to deal with.

It makes me want to buy new (or lease) so I can pretty much just order it online and have them send me an email when it's ready to collect.

[mik]

I now ask sales guys not to do the “wizard of Oz” routine - where they have to leave the table and ask some mysterious boss whether the deal I want is OK? I’ve asked them to just get him to come over and talk to me at the desk. It makes them very uncomfortable, but I haven’t managed to land a boss yet.

The only good deals I’ve had however involved me walking out and waiting for their phone call the next morning. Which ALWAYS” comes.

(C) Exiges

[Foz]

Yeah when are amazon or similar going to completely reinvent the new and used car buying process.

Particularly used cars, a proper appraisal and distance buying system, order, if arrives a few days later.

[Foz]

I now ask sales guys not to do the “wizard of Oz” routine - where they have to leave the table and ask some mysterious boss whether the deal I want is OK? I’ve asked them to just get him to come over and talk to me at the desk. It makes them very uncomfortable, but I haven’t managed to land a boss yet.

The only good deals I’ve had however involved me walking out and waiting for their phone call the next morning. Which ALWAYS” comes.

(C) Exiges

I offered £13k less than asking - the car was up at £65k mind, and the cars worth about 47k trade, but they have had it near 5 months, sadly I never got to see the guys face as it was over the phone but it was awkward

We paid more than that, yeah and, you are a car dealer take the loss and move on, and learn from it!

[Rich B]

This is why I always buy privately. I have no interest in traders and their shitty cast off cars and all the bullshit that comes with them.

[Foz]

This is why I always buy privately. I have no interest in traders and their shitty cast off cars and all the bullshit that comes with them.

That

I am heading that way I think, today’s one was 1200 less than WBAC’s low bid, on the Merc. Named the service history issues, it’s been serviced religiously by MB the first 4 years and by a good Indy since

[Simon]

Working in a sales environment has been enlightening. If I can pitch a few analogies:

We have our 'price list' price - Think of this as the sticker price on the car (usually standard price with all add-ons at full price)
Then we have our 'field enablement' price - This is the price our sales person can go down to without authorisation - I imagine that's the same in a dealer - each staff member probably has a bit of wiggle room
Finally we have the 'deal desk' - This is the price that requires authorisation by a dedication team who know what they are and are not (at that time) allowed to move prices down to. (And deal desk itself has an escalation manager). - This is where your minimum wage car sales bod toddles off to his manager to ask if he's allowed to knock off £5k AND throw in the mats and full tank.

[Foz]

I am looking at Range Rovers, and the perception I am getting is that they have had it so good, for so long that there is literally no effort, little knowledge and enthusiasm for the brand. The number of badly listed cars is frightening.

Sniffing about the owners forums it’s the same story, that and the less than stellar reliability stories

[Foz]

What brand?

Discount sir, lol! Is my recent experience!

We have someone who’s entire job is to make sure our cars are competitively priced.

Working in a sales environment has been enlightening. If I can pitch a few analogies:

We have our 'price list' price - Think of this as the sticker price on the car (usually standard price with all add-ons at full price)
Then we have our 'field enablement' price - This is the price our sales person can go down to without authorisation - I imagine that's the same in a dealer - each staff member probably has a bit of wiggle room
Finally we have the 'deal desk' - This is the price that requires authorisation by a dedication team who know what they are and are not (at that time) allowed to move prices down to. (And deal desk itself has an escalation manager). - This is where your minimum wage car sales bod toddles off to his manager to ask if he's allowed to knock off £5k AND throw in the mats and full tank.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Last 2 cars I bought were a cinch. I knew what I wanted, at what price/cost to change and what rate I wanted on the finance. Just phoned about and the dealerships cut straight to the matter without any bull.

We're about to get into the whole process again for the wife, so the next week will be spent pinning down a best price to trade them off against each other, and sourcing the best finance deal. Carwow has provided a good starting point on the price (23% off list so far).

[Simon]

What brand?

Discount sir, lol! Is my recent experience!

We have someone who’s entire job is to make sure our cars are competitively priced.

Working in a sales environment has been enlightening. If I can pitch a few analogies:

We have our 'price list' price - Think of this as the sticker price on the car (usually standard price with all add-ons at full price)
Then we have our 'field enablement' price - This is the price our sales person can go down to without authorisation - I imagine that's the same in a dealer - each staff member probably has a bit of wiggle room
Finally we have the 'deal desk' - This is the price that requires authorisation by a dedication team who know what they are and are not (at that time) allowed to move prices down to. (And deal desk itself has an escalation manager). - This is where your minimum wage car sales bod toddles off to his manager to ask if he's allowed to knock off £5k AND throw in the mats and full tank.

Oh I don't work in car sales - just providing some analogies between the company I work for (Internet platform company) and car sales...

[JLv3.0]

This is why I always buy privately. I have no interest in traders and their shitty cast off cars and all the bullshit that comes with them.

Massively this.

[Nefarious]

Bought one yesterday. Conversation went like this:
Me (text): You still got that car?
Him (text): Yeah. Do you want it?
Me (Phone): A grand in cash if I come today?
Him (Phone): Perfect, see you in half an hour...
Arrived, car valeted and fueled in the meantime, was there less than a minute, swapped cash for paperwork and keys, shook the guy's hand and was drinking beer on my sofa 15 minutes later.

You guys are DIW

[Gavin]

Bought one yesterday. Conversation went like this:
Me (text): You still got that car?
Him (text): Yeah. Do you want it?
Me (Phone): A grand in cash if I come today?
Him (Phone): Perfect, see you in half an hour...
Arrived, car valeted and fueled in the meantime, was there less than a minute, swapped cash for paperwork and keys, shook the guy's hand and was drinking beer on my sofa 15 minutes later.

You guys are DIW

Whatcha buy?

[Nefarious]

Whatcha buy?

Cooking spec Renault Clio. 60 plate with 42k OTC. Soul-numbingly dull, but too good to turn down at the price.
It's going to a friend of a friend (with a little mark up, natch)

[NotoriousREV]

I find all that sales theatre utterly depressing. Surprisingly, I’ve noticed that the people who fall for it the most are people who work in sales. It’s like they believe it works more than the rest of us.

[JLv3.0]

Yeah, that whole "OK I just need to go ask my boss, he won't like it but I'll see what I can do" is fucking embarrassing.

[Barry]

All of this is why I'm still living with the Civic. CBA with dealers and my usual supply of mates selling cars has dried up.

I've got one eye on EV lease but I'm not paying £350/month on a mediocre range car.