If you don’t ask....

[Deleted member 113659]

I’m somewhat ashamed to say that I paid full wack for our Used approved C Class last September. I did ask for a discount seeing as I was a cash buyer but they refused on the basis it had only just (that day) gone on the forecourt and was fully loaded spec wise.

As I’d already been searching for this exact spec for 3-4 months and it was within budget I didn’t want to risk losing it to another buyer for the sake of trying to save £500-£1,000

 

[SarahAnn200]

I've bought 4 cars in the last 7 months. I've found that in the 'first offer' from them conversation, there has always been an easy £500 off except the last one I bought, merc C300 69 reg with 3k miles on. It had sat at the dealer from new and had been reduced twice. When I checked the tax, it hadn't been taxed since Sept 2020 and I bought in February. It was the cheapest on the internet and autotrader was showing it was £4k less than the expected retail price. I asked for a reduction but he said no. Usually I would have gone elsewhere when he said no but I knew it was already very good value so I bought it and I think I got a bargain. I got it at Stratstone and they don't always have a good reputation but it's the 3rd car I've had from them (different brands) and they've been great. Along with the £4k cheaper than expected, Mercedes themselves are running a 2 free services offer at the moment so that was even more good value (I always thought the 'free services' offers were only when taking finance so I never expect it but they were for cash sales aswell so I got it).
I think it's a case of knowing what else is out there and then you don't feel ripped off if they don't come down in price.
Has he looked at Stratstone? They usually have loads of the same car for sale and they don't put them all onlne for sale on other sites, just their own site

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

End of the month is the best time, when the salesman is looking to sell for his bonus, i know things change but about 12 years ago they shut a fords down around me and they would not let me go to think any longer, now that was a good deal. He told me after i bought the car they needed the sale for there bonus's. I can't see merc or bmw doing it but hey have fun doing it, all they want is your money.

It’s not just month-end now, it’s first quarter-end too, so a good time to buy.

 

[merc estate]

I've bought 4 cars in the last 7 months. I've found that in the 'first offer' from them conversation, there has always been an easy £500 off except the last one I bought, merc C300 69 reg with 3k miles on. It had sat at the dealer from new and had been reduced twice. When I checked the tax, it hadn't been taxed since Sept 2020 and I bought in February. It was the cheapest on the internet and autotrader was showing it was £4k less than the expected retail price. I asked for a reduction but he said no. Usually I would have gone elsewhere when he said no but I knew it was already very good value so I bought it and I think I got a bargain. I got it at Stratstone and they don't always have a good reputation but it's the 3rd car I've had from them (different brands) and they've been great. Along with the £4k cheaper than expected, Mercedes themselves are running a 2 free services offer at the moment so that was even more good value (I always thought the 'free services' offers were only when taking finance so I never expect it but they were for cash sales aswell so I got it).
I think it's a case of knowing what else is out there and then you don't feel ripped off if they don't come down in price.
Has he looked at Stratstone? They usually have loads of the same car for sale and they don't put them all onlne for sale on other sites, just their own site

You bought 4 cars in the last seven months, how many cars do you crash a year then. Always buy the car you love that way when you walk in the garage and see it a little smile lights up your face

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I’m somewhat ashamed to say that I paid full wack for our Used approved C Class last September. I did ask for a discount seeing as I was a cash buyer but they refused on the basis it had only just (that day) gone on the forecourt and was fully loaded spec wise.

As I’d already been searching for this exact spec for 3-4 months and it was within budget I didn’t want to risk losing it to another buyer for the sake of trying to save £500-£1,000

Sometime if it’s the right car, priced fairly, then there’s nothing wrong with paying sticker price. The last two secondhand cars I’ve bought I did almost the same.

Last-but-one I paid sticker price for, and it’a still worth more than I paid 18 months later. Last car I rounded down to a round thousand, a hair’s breadth over 1% discount.

 

[SarahAnn200]

I think they get a lot of timewasters who have no intention of buying and I always find that saying "I can pay a deposit now if you blah blah blah" gets them moving a bit too.
I used to date a car salesman (not a good decision) but he said that he would spend hours in the showroom with people that he could tell had no intention of buying, especially Sunday mornings when the wife sent the husband out with the kids and as we know, their time is money.
Let us know how he goes on

 

[SarahAnn200]

You bought 4 cars in the last seven months, how many cars do you crash a year then. Always buy the car you love that way when you walk in the garage and see it a little smile lights up your face

I've never crashed a car. 32 years without claims
I had a 19 reg c43 estate that I'd bought as a pre reg. It was my dream car so I treated myself. I only drove 2k miles in a year (not lockdown), I didn't like leaving it anywhere so we always used my ex's car and I thought it was a lot of money to sit on my drive so part ex'd/downsized that and put the extra cash back into my savings. Never regretted selling it as I sold it for more or less what I bought it for. I'd got a 30% reduction.
BMW X2 69 pre reg - didnt have folding mirrors or reversing camera and was having difficulty in and out of my garage and long drive between walls (I'd have to lean over half way up the drive to pull the passenger mirror in) also it had cloth seats which I hadn't had in years and weren't comfortable.
Changed for Audi A4 avant 2020 facelift. Lovely car but only a 140 bhp 2 litre diesel so quite boring. Lovely looking though and a nice car, just wrong engine.
The next one was a bit of a strange choice
Seat Leon Cupra 300 bhp estate 69 reg pre reg. Nice and quick, understated so I thought less attractive to thieves (good) but the interior was like going back in time. Seemed very cheapskate, trimmed with alcantara (good) and vinyl (very bad) inside, satnav rubbish, media display very dated. It sounds snobby but it seemed a big downgrade
Now have C300 petrol saloon which I'm liking at the moment but if I go off it, I'll change it.
After all those changes, it hasn't cost me as much as the cash I freed up from the c43 that was sat on my drive doing nothing.

 

[Darrell]

I’ve let 2 cars go since Christmas because I’m not desperate enough to travel during lockdown.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

I’ve let 2 cars go since Christmas because I’m not desperate enough to travel during lockdown.

Which two?

 

[Darrell]

Which two?

2 Saab cabrio’s.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

2 Saab cabrio’s.

Didn’t even know you had them. I remember a thread of yours when you were considering buying one though.

 

[GeeJayW]

Not sure that we got a discount from sticker for the car we have, but we were able to negotiate up the trade-in offer on our previous car. So we ended up with a delta we were happy with. Had the car four-years, still very pleased with it.

 

[oldguy57]

I’m somewhat ashamed to say that I paid full wack for our Used approved C Class last September. I did ask for a discount seeing as I was a cash buyer but they refused on the basis it had only just (that day) gone on the forecourt and was fully loaded spec wise.

As I’d already been searching for this exact spec for 3-4 months and it was within budget I didn’t want to risk losing it to another buyer for the sake of trying to save £500-£1,000

That's it in a nutshell. For the sake of a tiny proportion of the asking price you might lose out on the exact car you have been looking for. Dealing with any dealer is hit and miss. I missed out on a fantastic SL65 at a dealers by offering a very fair price (and it was), to be told "there was no margin in it", only to find out later that they had sold it for less than I had offered!

 

[Darrell]

Didn’t even know you had them. I remember a thread of yours when you were considering buying one though.

Sorry, my bad.
When I said I let them go I meant I didn’t buy them due to lockdown.
One was in Hove and the other in Dorset and I didn’t need to travel to either.

 

[GeeJayW]

That's it in a nutshell. For the sake of a tiny proportion of the asking price you might lose out on the exact car you have been looking for. Dealing with any dealer is hit and miss. I missed out on a fantastic SL65 at a dealers by offering a very fair price (and it was), to be told "there was no margin in it", only to find out later that they had sold it for less than I had offered!

That would be annoying.

 

[BTB 500]

Getting a main dealer to knock more than 10% off the sticker price is unrealistic IMHO unless it's a car they can't shift for some reason. I suspect good used cars are more in demand now as new sales went through the floor last year, but most seem to be priced quite fairly to start with when you factor in the manufacturer warranty etc. Having established that I'm a serious buyer I would normally ask straight away what the best price they can do is, and go from there. If it's the spec/colour/etc. I want then I'm not personally going to walk for the sake of another £500 or so, but that's a personal choice of course. I've only bought three MB Approved Used cars so wouldn't claim to be an expert, but I've been happy with the deal each time which is all that matters really.

 

[Darrell]

I suspect good used cars are more in demand now as new sales went through the floor last year.

The reason that new car sales went through the floor was due to the lockdown with buyers unable and un-willing to travel and dealers being closed so surely that applies to used car sales as well.

My wife was offered a job with a huge used van dealers a week before the first lockdown. She was then contacted by the owner to inform her the job wasn’t going to happen because they were shutting the site.

She is still with Volvo and the way they’re selling cars now are to people whose leases have expired and they are willingly to get a replacement car without a test drive OR a new customer who is ok with buying the vehicle again without a test drive. The service side is busy but then again, it always is.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Sorry, my bad.
When I said I let them go I meant I didn’t buy them due to lockdown.
One was in Hove and the other in Dorset and I didn’t need to travel to either.

Arrrrrr. Got ya now.

 

[BTB 500]

The reason that new car sales went through the floor was due to the lockdown with buyers unable and un-willing to travel and dealers being closed so surely that applies to used car sales as well.

Lockdown would have had some impact for sure, but people still needed cars for work/care/etc. and most MB dealers were selling Approved Used subject to specific COVID-safe procedures.

I think new car sales tanked due to reduced income/loss of jobs/economic uncertainty/etc. - Brexit fears also played a part here:

UK new car sales fell by nearly 30% during 2020

Sales of new cars in the UK fell by nearly a third in 2020, to the lowest level in nearly 30 years. But last year was saw a massive increase in registrations of electric cars.

www.driving.co.uk

I read that UK new car sales in February 2021 were the lowest since 1959.

 

[Darrell]

Lockdown would have had some impact for sure, but people still needed cars for work/care/etc. and most MB dealers were selling Approved Used subject to specific COVID-safe procedures.

I think new car sales tanked due to reduced income/loss of jobs/economic uncertainty/etc. - Brexit fears also played a part here:

UK new car sales fell by nearly 30% during 2020

Sales of new cars in the UK fell by nearly a third in 2020, to the lowest level in nearly 30 years. But last year was saw a massive increase in registrations of electric cars.

www.driving.co.uk

I read that UK new car sales in February 2021 were the lowest since 1959.

Do you think that people in need of a replacement vehicle are going for approved used rather than new?