If you don't like negotiating with a main dealer, have you considered buying through a broker? I've never bought a brand new car, but i've good reports of this method.

Section 75 covers purchases between £100 and £30K. It doesn't matter how little or much is on the credit card, it's the total cost of the purchase.

You may find this useful: www.moneysavingexpert.com/car-finance/buying-used-.../

As mentioned above, Carwow is another option worth considering for cash purchase of a brand new car.

Current wait times for new Kias are below.

www.jthughes.co.uk/New+Cars/Kia/wait-times

If you're worried about first year VED, get them to agree (in writing) to knock £200 off if it's not delivered ahead of the increase (assuming they tell you that it should come in before then).

You are buying the car from the dealer, not Kia, so you need to negotiate with them.

You would need to check the terms of the order for your deposit. They're normally reasonable if they think that either they can get a sale out of you on another car or that somebody will be keen to buy the one you don't want anymore. If you're after an unusual colour, you may struggle with the latter scenario.

Problem here will be the doubling of the first year VED in April 2025 (from £220 to £440). More insanity! I know no one knows for certain but are Kia likely to say tough luck or would they pay for, or contribute to, the increase in tax..

I suppose they might, but I can't see why they should - it's been imposed on them as much as on you !

I find the obsession with car mats a bit puzzling.

A premium set of carpets/mats is £50-60 - much the same as a tank of fuel. The car is probably costing £20-30k+.

For a cheap price (a) look for cars in stock, (b) buy close to the end of a quarter when targets and commissions are usually motivators for dealers.

If you want a particular colour or options then a factory order is more likely with extended lead times and (probably) lower discounts.

£500 would be a more usual deposit IME. I don't mind that, on a credit card.

They have usually asked for the balance in advance of collection. I'd refuse. I pay with my debit card or by online transfer when they produce the car, undamaged. It's worked so far.

I basically don't trust dealers either to act in good faith or not to go bust holding the money.

Quite and very wise to do so, in my last job we sometimes had to clear ceased trading dealerships of stock cars, some distressing scenes now and again where people maybe only a day or two before had paid large lumps of their hard earned savings or bank loans to the now defunct dealership.

£500 would be a more usual deposit IME. I don't mind that, on a credit card.

They have usually asked for the balance in advance of collection. I'd refuse. I pay with my debit card or by online transfer when they produce the car, undamaged. It's worked so far.

I basically don't trust dealers either to act in good faith or not to go bust holding the money.

Virtually the same as I paid when buying a used BMW I3.. Paid by credit card for deposit, Debit card after test drive and inspection..

I would NEVER pay deposit by debit card (no protection ) nor full amount in advance,

>>What happens if after 8-12 weeks the car is nowhere near ready. Am I entitled to cancel?

it will depend on what the contract says, the basis of that will be the "order form" you and they sign. Read it.

If you require delivery before a certain date,failing which they must refund you, tell them. If they agree, write it on the order form before anybody signs it, and for avoidance of doubt add "time is of the essence of this agreement".

There might be something in consumer law but if so I'm not aware of it. I'm not a lawyer, it's just what I'd do.

Will definitely use a credit card for the deposit and pay over £100.

As mentioned further up the thread For section 75 for purchases between £100 and £30K the deposit on credit card could be any amount including less than £100 as long as the overall purchase is between £100 and £30k. I have successfully used section 75 twice now, once re furniture when Courts furniture went bust and another time when a holiday company went the same way. It doesn't work if you've bought via a third party though.

Edited by Big John on 02/12/2024 at 23:35

Thanks. I have had a look again at the deals on Carwow and Autotrader. Only for the Stonic though as this is my wife's favoured choice (for today anyway). In both cases I think our location goes against us. We live in the South East.

On Carwow we don't get any responses from Kia dealers anywhere near local to us. The nearest ones are about two hours or more away. Plus once you factor in the cash price plus a metallic paint (we don't want a solid yellow) we are virtually at the same price point as our local dealers.

Many dealers/car companies will arrange for delivery. Your local dealer doesn't know that you aren't prepared to travel for 2 hrs or more to save a few hundred £s or even thousands of £s ...

If you have used CarWow properly you will have included the colour (& any other options) that you wanted ..

I recently bought a 10 month old car from a dealer - only deposit that I paid (~£800) was for the dealer-fit extras that I wanted put on the car & I paid that via credit card. Paid balance via debit card on collection.

I also currently have a factory order in for a car due for delivery in February via another dealer, haven't paid a penny as a deposit.