Negotiating on used car at MB dealer

[stevenleith]

OK, so given the price of the car i am about to negotiate on i'm happy to pay sticker price. On the basis I am not getting finance with MB, I trying to think through what else I can "throw into" the deal to sweeten it on my side.

Obviously fuel, any tyres needed, update servicing, road tax, full valet etc, but what else do you think I should be going for?

Supaguard? (or whatever its called).....anything else???

Cheers
Steve

 

[wemorgan]

From my experience things like fuel and tax will be difficult to negotiate since the dealer buys at the same price as you would. I'd focus more on tyres, brakes, servicing etc. Specifically on the servicing, check to see what level (A, B) they would include, as the price varies considerably. Additionally, what about the gearbox oil?

 

[tpwuk]

You're happy to pay the sticker price? Why?

 

[stevenleith]

the servicing is definitely on my agenda

its a C63 and i've been tracking prices for 3 months on these cars. Theres only ever 40-50 in the country available and the stock turnover on them is pretty short. The dealer dropped the price by £3k and it was the cheapest c63 in the country by quite a long way so i stuck a deposit on it to get the car - literally c63's at these prices sell within 48 hours so I couldn't mess about....someone else would've come in and paid sticker and given its over 10% lower than other similar cars I'm happy with the price as it is

I just want to push them on some throw-ins.....might try a day at Brooklands or something for good measure??

 

[Palfrem]

Go for a service - the cost to the dealer is a lot less than the value to you.

 

[tpwuk]

the servicing is definitely on my agenda

its a C63 and i've been tracking prices for 3 months on these cars. Theres only ever 40-50 in the country available and the stock turnover on them is pretty short. The dealer dropped the price by £3k and it was the cheapest c63 in the country by quite a long way so i stuck a deposit on it to get the car - literally c63's at these prices sell within 48 hours so I couldn't mess about....someone else would've come in and paid sticker and given its over 10% lower than other similar cars I'm happy with the price as it is

I just want to push them on some throw-ins.....might try a day at Brooklands or something for good measure??

Maybe a Mercedes Henry Teddy Bear!

 

[HowardD]

If I was selling a car that someone has already committed to buying at a price and paid a deposit, I would only be offering a discount on something that benefits me, or is very small. HD

 

[gkerr4]

^ indeed - i think you are way too late for negotiating big items.

Maybe an umbrella?

 

[IanT]

I've got to agree with Howard, I was going to say it depends on how saleable the car in question is. All was going well until you said you'd paid a deposit.

If it genuinely is the cheapest one in the country and you can't find anything wrong with it, I guess it depends more on how willing you are to risk not getting it although to be honest any negotiation really should have happened before you committed to buy the car.

Good luck though, the C63 is a lovely car.

Ian.

 

[Alps]

i had a similar dilema when i bought my E55, it was the only one on the dealer network at the time and had EVERY option and some... the dealer knew what he had and was a stuck up old fart who thought he was above everyone else, the only reason i bought the car was because of what it was! got a grand of f the sticker price and made them get rid of every little scratch until i was happy, nothing additional thrown in.

the only reason i got some money off is that it was almost a year to date and end of sept is their year end, so this is the time to bargain as they want to get that sale into end of year figures!

good luck

 

[BlackC55]

Go for the service. Get a BIG one done too! New tyres and a tank of fuel.

 

[APM]

Maybe a Mercedes Henry Teddy Bear!

or a nice umberella/ lol.

 

[APM]

kl

 

[A140driver]

Don't go for supaguard as it's really not worth it in my experience. A service or new tyres would be a good idea though.

 

[Burger]

Having had a similar treatment on my last car from Jaguar which proved to be truly excellent, I had the supaguard on my recent approved used SL. Mind you, I used it as one of the bargaining points and got that and the back to invoice GAP cover for 3 years for £500. Considering these added together started at something like 11 or 12 hundred, I was pleased with the outcome.

 

[312 Sprinter]

Surely if you've paid the deposit you've done the deal. First you negotiate the price, then you pay the deposit once you're happy with the deal.

 

[NISFAN]

^^ Correct, I would be surprised if you get an umbrella out of them now.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

^^ Correct, I would be surprised if you get an umbrella out of them now.

A cup of tea would be an achievement....

 

[Rory]

Surely if you've paid the deposit you've done the deal. First you negotiate the price, then you pay the deposit once you're happy with the deal.

It depends on the basis on which the deposit is given.

I got mine from MB Direct at Birmingham, some distance away, and I couldn't travel to look at it for a few days so I paid a fully refundable holding deposit by credit card (which it turned out the dealer didn't charge anyway). The car was very fully priced but a lot of the value was in options.

They knocked £2K off the price to get me to leave the deposit and then I negotiated another £1500 off when I got there. In the end I think the price was good - I paid £23500 for a car that would have been £35K at list 5mths earlier. Facelift W203's were thin on the ground then (early 2005), however I was holding in my hand the printed details of a similar car in a nearby dealership while I was talking to the salesman!

My car was supposedly StarShield treated anyway so I got that "free" but I'm dubious it was done.

 

[spy]

If you have paid the deposit over the phone, you are still ina good bargaining position as distance selling rules come into play - essentially, you can have your deposit back within 7 days of seeing teh goods (or something like that).

Saying that, the dealer will know you want teh car but the threat of taking your deposit back might persuade him to negotaite a deal. You will have more luck in ensuring they prepare the car to a high standard, ensuring there are no scratches or marks anywhere on teh body, wheels or interior. After that, I would go for a service and check that the brakes and tyres have lots of life left in them - if not, get them to change them.

At this point, I would aim to ensure that at least your first year of ownership does not require any additional expense