Used car buying RANT

I went to a certain well-known national chain of car dealers yesterday. I was looking to partex in my car (2002 Skoda Octavia TDI estate) for this Toyota Celica.



Well. I don't think I've ever seen a used vehicle salesman less interested in selling something. I'll try to cut a long and frustrating encounter short.

My car was undervalued by several hundred pounds (£2000) because of the inevitable scratches you get on any car that's used, and the various optional extras (integrated handsfree kit, CD changer) didn't counterbalance this.

The £250 deposit to have the car brought from the other dealer (in Middlesbrough) is in fact a £250 EXTRA CHARGE. When I asked, the car is brought by some **** driving it down. So I get to pay £250 so they can put extra mileage on the car before I even receive it. Not on the back of a truck. They advertise a super-duper HPI check on the car. But not a feature, no, this is MANDATORY (company policy I think) and also £49.99. I asked what made this check £30 better than a £3.50 text or £19.99 online check. They changed the subject.

Finally, they'll tax it for me. Because there's no tax on it, and this also is an additional charge.

Add all these together and my balance after trade-in has risen from £5,300 to nearly £6,000. When I balked at this, the salesman (who couldn't go any lower) brought in the 'sales manager' he'd spent at least 20 minutes of the last half hour or so consulting on this that and the other.

The manager asked how much I'd hoped to spend, and I said £5,000 after the trade in. He came out with the classic "my mother would love a deal like that but I couldn't even that for her". I said that they'd given a poor value for my car (I had been offered £2,300 on the weekend elsewhere which was generous but had been made generous to try and make a sale). I further explained I'd been mislead when I called yesterday about the delivery charge being a deposit and not an additional charge. And the £50 HPI check (for £50, I want to know how many times the previous owner farted into the seats, and how many of those were curry farts).

He offered to waive the delivery charge, and the HPI check, but with the additional tax disc we were still over the ****ing sticker price! I said I would go higher than £5,000 but not £900 higher!

After a few more minutes of this the sales manager abruptly stood up while saying "Well, thank you for coming in today", shaking my hand and leaving. I told the salesman the car wasn't worth that much, that there was a 04 reg with just over 40,000 miles for about £200 less on their dealer network, and did a 55 reg really balance out 25,000 extra miles for more money? He said that some dealers put an artificially high price on their cars so they can then let you haggle down to what they'd originally intended to sell it for, and then you'd be chuffed because you thought you'd gotten a deal. Quite the opposite here, eh, mate? Rather than get a bit less of £5,900, your dealership is getting all of nothing. Astonished by all this, I thanked him for his time and left.

After so much haggling, we hadn't even gotten back down to the sticker price. I am dumbfounded.

what can you say car salesmen almost as bad as lawyer's.

Buy private! Car dealers are the scum of the earth, the one local to me who i know through a colleauge goes to the car auctions buys a load of cars tarts them up then whacks 2-3 grand on the sticker price. Anybody can do that, if you want a warranty you can buy that yourself.

I would never buy from a dealer, buy private or from the auctions and allow a few hundred for any bits and pieces that may need doing.

I don't want to sell privately, though. The last time I did it, it was such a hassle with so many weirdoes and timewasters, and I just don't have the time to be sitting around waiting for people to come and look at the car.

you just have too find a good dealer yes there are a few who don't want too rip you off we know one round here who sort's us out with golf's my bro had a nice mk2 and mk3 golf off him good as gold.

[Luckypants]

Evans Halshaw = rubbish, go elsewhere, somewhere where they cannot rely on fleet sales to make up for their crap sales tactics.

[Bri w]

Go somewhere else.

If thats the service you get when they are selling, just imagine what it would be like if you go back with a problem.

[timwilky]

Well last year the daughter asked me to look at a fiesta she was considering buying from a local Arnold Clarke dealership. within 30 seconds of arriving the salesman had spotted us and was delighted to show me the car.

It was one of our demonstrators he proudly announces. Was that when it had its first crash or second that you decided to sell it I ask?

Pardon. I show him the evidence of the poor repair to the near side wing, the difference in paint colour, the wheel even has a lump out of it. I then show him the evidence along the O/S.

Are you trade he asks?. No but I have a pair of eyes. what are you prepared to pay then. About £3000 less you are asking.

We then drive down to Evans Halshaw, see a genuine ex demonstrator with 1,500 on the clock for less than the bent one at Arnold Clarke. Agree they are good at hiking the price.

HPI when it is there own vehicle, no thank you. Gap insurance no thank you, extended warranty, tank of petrol, tax. whoops suddenly they have managed to hike it up £300.

But still cheaper than the bent on down the road. Daughter happy, hands over debit card to buy car, and loves the fact her dad can tell a pushy salesman who can smell a kid with a big wad of cash where to go.

Still Evans Halshaw got told where to go on the first service, car has done 4,000 and they want to charge to replace the brake fluid. It took me less than 10 mins to do it for her.

[Gazza77]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Evans Halshaw = rubbish, go elsewhere, somewhere where they cannot rely on fleet sales to make up for their crap sales tactics.

I bought out Grand Vitara from Evans Halshaw. Agree that the customer service wasn't up to much, but that car itself did cost £2k less than any other I could find for sale anywhere in the country. Still haven't seen one for sale for as little as we paid, and we've had it for 10 months.

Not surprised by any of this unfortunately, but did you get your £250 back?