VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer?

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Mon 30 Apr 2018 21:41
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - DocM

I am looking to buy a late 2015/2016 VW Tiguan 2.0 TDi BlueMotion Match Edition Manual 2WD, after my old Tiguan was stolen and written off. I have narrowed it down quite specifically as it is possible then to compare prices and spec. The local VW dealership does not have one in stock, but say they can order cars in from a national VW list. However this is on the basis of paying a deposit and agreeing to buy the car if it is as advertised, after a test drive. They have a suitable one priced at £15750.

I don't want to do this until I have agreed the price. I spoke on the phone to the salesman who was not interested in shifting on price - he said the car was a good price and cheaper than ones I had looked at the garage. I pointed out that Parkers priced the car at £15,585 from a franchised deadlier. He said this would cover the things suchs as 6 month road tax, extended warranty etc (not strictly true if Parkers price was for a franchised dealer, as this is part of the reason you pay the higher price for the car). I found another VW dealer with keen prices and a bit more enthusiasm, but this is 2 hours drive away, and not much difference in prices. Should I just pay the price at the local dealer? Or if he won't shift on price, what extras should I ask for?

Edited by DocM on 30/04/2018 at 21:42

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Mon 30 Apr 2018 22:18
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - RobJP

Firstly, Parker's (or any, even the 'professional') price guide is just that - a GUIDE. It isn't definitive, there are regional variations to prices.

Quite amusing that you complain about the local dealer's prices, say that the dealer further away has 'keen prices', but then go on to say that there is 'not much difference' in price.

You've got to decide if the added hassle of dealing with a dealer 2 hours away is worth it or not. For example, you'd want to go and see the car, take it for a test drive. Then you've got to agree a price. Then, on another day, you've got to go and complete on the deal and collect it. If there are any problems, your contract is with the selling dealer, NOT VW - remember that - and you might have to take it back to them for repairs, etc or 'goodwill' items.

If there's not much difference in price, then you've got to ask if it's worth the added hassle, time on your day off work, fuel, etc. to save a minimal sum of money or not.

A 2 hour drive away will, once you've had a good look at the car, been for a test drive, done some negotiating, etc. along with the drive there and back, turn into a full day.

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Mon 30 Apr 2018 22:56
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - KJP 123

Really? Argue the price between 15,750 and 15,585?

If you have a problem you have to get it back to seller and that is two hours away.

What I would not like is agreeing to buy a vehicle unseen – as advertised has a wide margin.

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Tue 1 May 2018 00:08
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - Manatee

What I would not like is agreeing to buy a vehicle unseen – as advertised has a wide margin.

Indeed it does.

If the OP can avoid putting a deposit on a car unseen, then he should. If not, he should be very clear on the basis of the deposit and write it down.

Last year, I did that very thing. The dealer had agreed to take a car in part exchange on another sale, and suggested I give them £500 returnable deposit in return for first refusal when it became available for sale. I agreed in principle. It was then stated that if the car was not as described then I would be under no obligation. My response was that that was not my understanding of "first refusal", and that in the event that I did not want to buy the car when I saw it, I expected my deposit to be returned without getting into an argument about whether the car was "as described" or not. This was accepted. They then put a standard order form in front of me, which I declined to sign.

As you might have guessed, I paid them a deposit and the car turned out to be less than I wanted, I declined it, and I asked for the deposit back as agreed (and noted in an exchange of emails). At this point there was some resistance, and much assurance that any defects I perceived would be rectified (I didn't actually specifiy what those were, it being irrelevant - they included scraped wheels, puddled leather, worn steering wheel et al). Then "we'll find you another car". It took me a week to get the deposit back, having made it clear that if "the accountant" didn't stop "forgetting to do it" I would be making a court claim.

Proceed with care.

Edited by Manatee on 01/05/2018 at 00:09

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Tue 1 May 2018 00:36
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - DocM

Thanks that is helpful. It does depend on who decides if the car if 'as advertised', you are right.

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Wed 2 May 2018 10:16
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - SLO76
Never pay a deposit on a car you haven’t seen. Deposits are by their very nature not meant to be refundable, it is supposed to be a way of binding a deal so that the car is secured for you and cannot be sold to someone else. The word deposit would be meaningless if you could simply ask for it back if you got cold feet. Fine however if it genuinely isn’t as described but again no dealer should take a deposit on this basis.


I only ever finalised a sale once the buyer had seen the car in the metal and the dealership I worked for never returned a deposit once it was made. If a car was sold to someone else first then so be it, whoever brings the cash first gets the car.

Don’t waste the dealers time, they could miss a sale if the car has been secured by you. Most situations where a salesman tells you it is refundable will involve said member of staff telling a pack of lies to his gaffer to secure the car. Deposits are never supposed to be refundable and no salesperson should tell you otherwise. By paying a deposit you are agreeing to conclude a deal.

Edited by SLO76 on 02/05/2018 at 10:20

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Wed 2 May 2018 13:47
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - Manatee
Never pay a deposit on a car you haven’t seen. Deposits are by their very nature not meant to be refundable, it is supposed to be a way of binding a deal so that the car is secured for you and cannot be sold to someone else. The word deposit would be meaningless if you could simply ask for it back if you got cold feet. Fine however if it genuinely isn’t as described but again no dealer should take a deposit on this basis. I only ever finalised a sale once the buyer had seen the car in the metal and the dealership I worked for never returned a deposit once it was made. If a car was sold to someone else first then so be it, whoever brings the cash first gets the car. Don’t waste the dealers time, they could miss a sale if the car has been secured by you. Most situations where a salesman tells you it is refundable will involve said member of staff telling a pack of lies to his gaffer to secure the car. Deposits are never supposed to be refundable and no salesperson should tell you otherwise. By paying a deposit you are agreeing to conclude a deal.

It depends entirely on what has been agreed. I agreed to a salesman's suggestion to would leave a returnable deposit as a sign of good faith in return for "first refusal", which is the term the salesman used. As I handed it over he then said "if it isn't as described then we'll give you the deposit back". I said "No, you offered me first refusal, so that's what I want, or forget it", to which he agreed.

He then tried to get me to sign an order form, which would have put the deposit on the basis you describe. So I suspect you are right and he was keeping his fingers crossed that it wouldn't go wrong.

Subsequently, when I saw the car I said I wanted the deposit back he tried to discuss my reasons and I refused. Perhaps he had an uncomfortable discussion with the dealer principal. Not my problem.

Years ago I dealt with showroom staff every day as part of my job. Some were honest. About half wouldn't tell the truth if a lie would do the job. No wonder so many people now prefer to use a broker.

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Tue 1 May 2018 00:30
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - DocM

Thanks, yes I agree about the unseen vehicle. But he stressed that if the car is not as advertised then the deposit is refundable. They buy them in specially from VW apparently so it is the same as ordering a new car.

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Tue 1 May 2018 00:42
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - Manatee

But he stressed that if the car is not as advertised then the deposit is refundable.

That's the point - if you think it isn't the car for you when you see it, you then have to agree whether it is as advertised or not.

What you need (IMO) is unconditional right of first refusal i.e. the option, not an obligation to buy it.

I've seen a few of these "management" cars. Last one, an approved used BMW, had fine scratches all over the bodywork and stank of dog.

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Tue 1 May 2018 00:27
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - DocM

HI,thanks, I thought that the other dealer may be more open to negotiation as he was keen to get a sale. The asking prices are not a great deal different.

I just wondered if people pay the asking price or expect to haggle.

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Tue 1 May 2018 01:18
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - daveyK_UK

do not pay the asking price

you are buying a used diesel, its a buyers market.

Make them a face to face offer of £14,700 and be prepared to walk away. Just make sure they have your details before you make the offer as they are more than likely to give you a call and offer a compromise.

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Tue 1 May 2018 07:34
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - RobJP

do not pay the asking price

you are buying a used diesel, its a buyers market.

Make them a face to face offer of £14,700 and be prepared to walk away. Just make sure they have your details before you make the offer as they are more than likely to give you a call and offer a compromise.

Don't forget that, even if you don't want finance and are a cash buyer, you can take out finance and then have the absolute right to cancel the agreement and settle in full within the first 2 weeks. This gives you extra 'weight' in any negotiations, as

(1) dealerships and salesmen make more commision out of finance sales than out of 'cash' sales, (so they're far more willing to negotiate on this basis, as they'll make more money out of you) and

(2) occasionally, VW or the dealerships do 'finance deposit contributions' - you take the deposit bonus, take out the agreement, and then, as above, cancel and settle the agreement in full. Again, they cannot prevent you from doing so, and are legally prevented from asking for the deposit contribution back.

Edited by RobJP on 01/05/2018 at 07:37

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Tue 1 May 2018 16:04
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - TheGentlemanThug

The local VW dealership does not have one in stock, but say they can order cars in from a national VW list. However this is on the basis of paying a deposit and agreeing to buy the car if it is as advertised, after a test drive.

Wow, is that for real? Who knows what'll happen during the test drive?!

At any rate, £165 wouldn't be worth the trouble in my opinion, especially if it means a four hour round trip to get the car. Taking the cost of that journey into account along with the possibility that the car may not be to your liking after a test drive, the idea just doesn't add up.

The VW dealers I dealt with in the past weren't interested in negotiating. I guess because they sell what's considered to be a premium, desireable product and people are willing to pay for it.

Remember though, it's a buyer's market for diesel and there have been horror stories about VW's emissions fix damaging engine components. Use that to your advantage.

Edited by Bicycle_Repair_Man on 01/05/2018 at 16:09

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Tue 1 May 2018 16:21
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - Leif

The local VW dealership does not have one in stock, but say they can order cars in from a national VW list. However this is on the basis of paying a deposit and agreeing to buy the car if it is as advertised, after a test drive.

And who decides if it is as advertised? I bet they do!

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Tue 1 May 2018 21:47
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - barney100

I did that 3 years ago, chose an SLK from a group computer in the sales office on the proviso that if it was not to my liking I could walk away. Turned out fine, the car was well presented and serviced and was exactly what they said it was.

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Wed 2 May 2018 09:42
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - expat

A friend of ours is a delivery driver for a large dealer. People buy cars unseen off the internet and our friend takes them to the buyer and returns with the trade in. Often goes hundreds of km to the buyer. He tells me that almost all of them are really pleased with the car and if not he puts them onto the phone to talk to the saleman. He very seldom has to do that. I can't say that I would buy a second hand car sight unseen but lots of people are doing that.

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Wed 2 May 2018 12:18
VW Tiguan - Haggling with franchised dealer? - madf

My son bought a 2012 Toyota Yaris from RRG in Macclesfield. Saleman told us they sell a lot of cars sight unseen.. (Their description of the car he bought was very comprehensive - body scratches) and it tuirned out to be very accurate.. ) We visited and saw/drove before buying - price was excllent.

He still has it - it's done 60k miles and just had new front pads.. Apart from a leaky engine hose - replaced under warranty - it has been fault free.

Highly recommended. (no connection)

Edited by madf on 02/05/2018 at 12:19

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