bob r

iTrader: (46)

I went to a Mercedes dealer yesterday with my old fella to look at a C class Merc. £15k

After a good look round the car and test drive etc, down to business.
We explained that we wanted the handles colourcoding and a set of mats within the deal.
The salesman offered £3k part ex on my dads car which we laughed at (but expected) although the book price p/x is £3.5 k. My dads car is oustanding condition and v low miles etc. (My dad was offered £5k at another Merc dealership last week on a slightly cheaper car.)

Anyway......the salesman gave his 'final and best deal' which was £4k p/x and implied that he could do the handles and mats also if we would commit ourselves. My dad said he would think about the deal and call back.

Salesman went away to put it on paper and returned explaining that he had to 'backtrack' as he had made a slight maths error and that he could not offer the handles and mats.

We said we would call him today to discuss the deal.

Do car salesmen always keep something in reserve as I think he may have played his best hand too early(offering the hanles and mats) and that he may keep them as his last carrot. Or.........could there be lots more left in the deal, should we dig our heals in a bit and demand more for the p/x aswell.

Any sales tactics appreciated.

wagrain

IMO it all depends what the dealer has in the car you're wanting...

And if you're dad's p/x is not what they would sell themselves (age or make related) then they will be selling it on through the trade and will ring around to see what they can sell it on for.

Some dealers cannot do the deal you want, but a different dealer might be able to.

I had it when swapping my wifes Honda for a Nissan, my local dealer could not do the deal and let us walk away (an indication that he couldn't do us a better deal). Contact a few other dealers and told them what WE wanted out of the deal and told them to phone us when they could. We had the call 3 days later and got the deal WE wanted.


IMHO its better to walk away, there are loads of cars for sale so you have the upper hand.

.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

I agree, walk away and you'll soon find out if that's the best offer they can make. When I was looking for my current car one dealer hounded me for three days after I walked out with better and better deals. I then put this deal to another garage and got an even better deal

The Zohan

Not sure why are bothering when you have been offerd more for a px and a cheaper car at another dealership, is the other car not right?

The guy made a mistake, it happens, you could haggle some over mats and colour coded door handles...

bob r

iTrader: (46)

Wrong colour, higher mileage, and it sold a couple of days later.

Wish

iTrader: (2)

For the value of the PX - around £4k you would be better selling private. And doing cash deals on the new car ....


You will get a lot more car for your money ...

Forget the PX, it will only work in your favor

Abdabz

I was once asked by a car salesman if I "worked out" while test driving an Impreza
By "work out" I dont think he meant difficult equations...

Anyhoo, I still bought the car off him, but that kind of patter one can do without!

bob r

iTrader: (46)

If it were me buying then that's what I would do, but you know what dad's are like.

WaynesWagon

The best way of finding out whether you have negotiated the best deal is to make the offer, stand up, walk through the door and drive around the corner.

If they do not try and stop you you have achieved the best possible deal on that day on that car at that dealership.

You can always drive right back and do the deal, the dealer cannot grab another buyer off the street.

Also, use higher authority like the dealers do. That means you must clear it with your wife first, just the same way the dealer has to clear it with his boss. It keeps the decisions with the higher authority and makes for a more pleasant atmosphere.

Robert Rosario

Great advice this, and even better if it is pouring with rain, and nobody is about. They will be all over you, just like their liberal sprinkling of "aftershave".

Pixel Pedro

NEVER, EVER buy a used car in the rain!

MattN

why not?

RS Grant

Sounds like he's gone to his Sales Manager and said he needs a bit more to get the deal, hence the higher px value... the salesman doesn't sound too confident because he's not mentioned that the 4k value doesnt include the door handles and mats which I'm sure would have been included at the 3k valuation.

If you do the deal with the sales manager and make him aware that the salesman said the handles/mats were going to be included then I'd be surprised if he lost the deal over them. The Salesman is going to get his **** felt over it though.


Cheers,
Grant

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

You should if its a soft top convertible!

RS Grant

Think its because rain can hide small scrapes and dents... although, I dont see a problem doing a provisional deal @ a dealership in the rain and leaving a refundable deposit with a view to coming back for a number of reasons; wife needs to drive it, longer test drive, see if boot is big enough, etc etc.


Cheers,
Grant

coolangatta

His sales patter worked a treat then

Klaatu

I tell "sales people" to "go away as I am just looking", always works. Mind you, I look like I can kill within 10 paces...I get no bother once "words" are exchanged on a car lot!

boxst

Having a bought a car recently, all I can say is that the level of salesmen and wanting to deals is really not very good.

I literally wanted to buy a car there and then, didn't have part exchange, didn't want finance and they just wouldn't budge from their initial quite poor offer. This was at Ford, Honda and Subaru.

The only dealers I found remotely likable was BMW, all the other dealers just didn't care / treated you like rubbish. Amazing.

Steve

R 14NS R

the industry is suffering badly at the momment, new and used, whichever franchise you go to, except smart whose sales are up about 30% on last year.

used cars are loosing fortunes in glasses guide each month and are normally quite a bit off the pace of glasses anyway.

big 4x4 and large petrol engines are loosing 2-3k per month!!!

just had an rs4 come in, 57 plate, all the kit inc sat nav, 8000 miles, care to guess what we paid for this 5 month old, 55k+ car.......................£34,000. even a 57 reg 530d touring sport with nav, tv, dvd only got £26000, again nearly 50 k car.

mamoon2

Steve.... I had the same with Honda, went in to buy a the New Type R and the salesman said "i don't see why you need to go that fast" and refused to give me a test drive as i'm under 25 (24 BTW)

Unlucky mate, lost a sale that day

Dave Bullock

Friend of mine has a Shogun Sport on a 55 plate. It's only done 19,000 miles and is imaculate.

Her husband has now got a company car and so she went to a Toyota dealer to downsize for an Aygo.

They offered her £3,000 p/x on her mitsi!!!!

Allan

iTrader: (1)

Have a friend in a similar situation with a Touareg, he has even had one VW dealer who didn't want it at any price.

MattN

which is where I was heading. If he's seen it already, test driven etc. and is talking numbers, no problem going back at the end of the month regardless of the weather

Suresh

"painted door handles and mats"

Forgive me for laughing, but that's no more than 50 quid at trade price. Walk away from the clown who offered and pulled those trivial items and find a serious business to deal with.

paulwrxboro

part ex'd my range rover sport 3 months ago for 30k, at the time i thort i was hard done by , now im sooooo glad i did ,
will probably buy another in about 6 months time tho

Boro

iTrader: (1)

PMSL!!!

The number of times ive heard that and replied "I'm just selling, now, what kind of thing are you looking for?"

Believe me, the customers who walk into a car dealer with a chip on their shoulder before they even start negotiating will be treated like they deserve. What you have to remember is, the salesman wants to sell something to someone who isnt gonna be a pain in the **** for the length of time they own the car.

Ive refused to sell someone a car just because they had an attitude. You will get much more out of a salesman by being polite, friendly, almost as if you were selling him something.

Also, its been mentioned that you were offered more for your px on a cheaper car. The price of the car your buying is completely irrelevant, as was said, it depends one a couple of things.

a) how much PROFIT is in the car for sale

b) what the dealer TRULY vaules your car at.

This can vary ALOT!

The guides they use to value your px are exactly that, guides.

Don't be too harsh on the salesman, he's there to make a living and as much profit/commission as possible for his company/himself.

WRX_Dazza

I think he's talking about proper mercedes factory painted handles and their official merc deep pile mats!!!!

try and buy them all for £50.00 !!!!

got to be about £500.00 worth at least!!