Something shiny. - Any car

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 21:26
Something shiny. - Any car - argybargy

Let me put a hypothetical scenario to the Backroomers.

A buyer searches the internet auction sites for a car.

He finds a used car he wants, which is being sold by a main dealer. He visits the main dealer, producing as evidence for his part ex vehicle a printout of an online valuation he had from that same dealer earlier that week.

The main dealer salesman checks his car, find a couple of scratches and knocks 40 quid off the online valuation. Seller is happy with that. The car is ordered from another site belonging to the dealer group, figures are discussed and verbally agreed upon; subject to buyer seeing the car and driving it. Later that evening the seller gets an email from the dealer telling him the car he ordered is no longer available because it was snaffled by someone else before it could be nailed down. Annoying, but que sera sera.

Next day buyer (lets call him Punter from now on) contacts main dealer and is helpfully provided with details of two similar cars. He picks one, it's ordered for delivery to his local branch and he awaits its arrival.

A few days later he's notified that its arrived, he goes to see it, likes it and sits down to make the deal. During this process the sales executive goes to the business manager's desk for approval of the final figures, whereupon there's a conversation and the BM comes over to the buyer and tells him that because his car has had 2 owners, its worth 350 quid less than the valuation he is relying upon and which was verbally agreed with the salesman during his first visit to the dealer.

Punter argues the toss( perhaps not as forcefully as he might do because hes keen to offload his car) and eventually settles on a figure 150 quid less than the original part ex valuation. He asks the sales exec who is responsible for this foul up, and the response is that a different BM on a different day did the first valuation and the second BM disagreed because the valuation was based on a one owner car. Incidentally, there's no facility when valuing the car online with that main dealer to list the number of owners.

Punter feels even more aggrieved when he requests a valuation from another online valuer--lets call them "wevalueyourvehicle"--which prices his car at even more than the original valuation given by the dealer, even though the valuation tool is aware that its a 2 owner car.

Punter is left feeling he's been worked over, having lost £150 on the deal he originally verbally agreed to on the car that he lost, for no apparent reason other than different pricing policies on different days by different Business Managers.

Anyone reckon he's been treated badly? Or is it the case that part ex values move with the tides?

Edited by argybargy on 22/01/2018 at 21:29

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 21:32
Something shiny. - Any car - RobJP

1. Punter was a bit of a tool for not getting his online valuation with 'wevalueyourvehicle' at the start, and using that as a negotiating tool.

2. In the punter's position, I'd do exactly the same back to the dealer before signing on the dotted line. Go round the car I'm buying, knocking £100 off for every miniscule scratch, scuff, alloy wheel kerbed, etc.

Has he been treated badly ? No. He's at liberty to say "Shove it" and walk out the door at any time. If he's not savvy enough to do so, then more fool him.

Edited by RobJP on 22/01/2018 at 21:32

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 21:44
Something shiny. - Any car - argybargy

1. Punter was a bit of a tool for not getting his online valuation with 'wevalueyourvehicle' at the start, and using that as a negotiating tool.

2. In the punter's position, I'd do exactly the same back to the dealer before signing on the dotted line. Go round the car I'm buying, knocking £100 off for every miniscule scratch, scuff, alloy wheel kerbed, etc.

Has he been treated badly ? No. He's at liberty to say "Shove it" and walk out the door at any time. If he's not savvy enough to do so, then more fool him.

. Thats the odd thing. Hypothetically, this Punter had a valuation from wevalueyourvehicle before he ever went near the main dealer's valuation site, and it matched the valuation given by the second BM at the dealer. However, just a few weeks later, possibly today, their valuation had risen by £350.

But I agree he should walk, and hypothetically he would do if he hadn't bought a car with a fatal and pretty expensive flaw, and realised that one of his only remaining options was to sell it to a dealer selling that brand who were not particular about putting it on their forecourt.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 21:51
Something shiny. - Any car - RT

Certain types of vehicles have seasonal pricing trends - SUVs tend to rise in autumn and plummet in spring while convertibles do the opposite, rise in spring and plummet in the autumn.

The anti-diesel sentiment is hitting diesel values and maybe boosting petrol one.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 21:33
Something shiny. - Any car - RT

P/x values certainly vary week to week, possibly day to day - and the p/x value can depend on the margin in the car being bought.

At the end of the day, it's a matter of negotiating the cost to change - screen price of the "new" car and p/x value of the old car mean nothing then.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 21:50
Something shiny. - Any car - argybargy

P/x values certainly vary week to week, possibly day to day - and the p/x value can depend on the margin in the car being bought.

At the end of the day, it's a matter of negotiating the cost to change - screen price of the "new" car and p/x value of the old car mean nothing then.

Hypothetically, the Punter finds the variation of part ex prices on a, yes, literally day to day basis quite remarkable. Price to change is OK, actually, but the whole business still (hypothetically) feels like a stitch up.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 21:43
Something shiny. - Any car - SLO76
Sales manager trying his luck. They often butt in on deals to try and worm more money out it. You should’ve held firm and offered a deal at the origional valuation. They would’ve done it rather than not. Play hard ball next time. These aren’t rare cars, there’s loads of small hatchbacks around, every garage is awash with metal they’re desperate to shift. Don’t let them work you over. Be firm, fair and pleasant to get the best deal.
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Mon 22 Jan 2018 21:44
Something shiny. - Any car - argybargy
Sales manager trying his luck. They often butt in on deals to try and worm more money out it. You should’ve held firm and offered a deal at the origional valuation. They would’ve done it rather than not. Play hard ball next time. These aren’t rare cars, there’s loads of small hatchbacks around, every garage is awash with metal they’re desperate to shift. Don’t let them work you over. Be firm, fair and pleasant to get the best deal.

Many thanks...hypothetically. ;0)

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 22:03
Something shiny. - Any car - FiestaOwner

Never travel too far to view a car. That way if a dealer tries any tricks, you just walk away.

Any deal offered, should only be improved.

If a dealer tried that trick on me, I would be out that door instantly. You should have walked out too.

Dealers get away with these tricks because the punters let them.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 22:34
Something shiny. - Any car - argybargy

Never travel too far to view a car. That way if a dealer tries any tricks, you just walk away.

Any deal offered, should only be improved.

If a dealer tried that trick on me, I would be out that door instantly. You should have walked out too.

Dealers get away with these tricks because the punters let them.

Fair comment, and in any other circumstances the Punter would have been out of that door without a backward glance.

He does still have that option, because nothing has been signed (and even if it had been, there's still the option to invoke "cooling off").

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 22:45
Something shiny. - Any car - scot22

Is it just me ? Punter is wanting to offload car he made a serious mistake buying. Another unsuspecting motorist will be landed with it. We then question P/X ethics !

I'm just too simple.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 22:51
Something shiny. - Any car - argybargy

Is it just me ? Punter is wanting to offload car he made a serious mistake buying. Another unsuspecting motorist will be landed with it. We then question P/X ethics !

I'm just too simple.

Not quite the story, to be fair. Should have given more detail.

Punter, dumb as dishwater and twice as grey, bought a car with a known mechanical weakness, had the weakness fixed properly at a main dealer but no longer has faith in the car. Hence reason for selling.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 22:52
Something shiny. - Any car - FiestaOwner

Is it just me ? Punter is wanting to offload car he made a serious mistake buying. Another unsuspecting motorist will be landed with it. We then question P/X ethics !

I'm just too simple.

Punter could be buying another car which has been part exchanged because of problems! The problems with the newer car could be worse than the one he is offloading!

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 22:56
Something shiny. - Any car - argybargy

Is it just me ? Punter is wanting to offload car he made a serious mistake buying. Another unsuspecting motorist will be landed with it. We then question P/X ethics !

I'm just too simple.

Punter could be buying another car which has been part exchanged because of problems! The problems with the newer car could be worse than the one he is offloading!

Doubtful, as the car he has picked during this hypothetical dream is low mileage, has FSH and has been recommended by many folks on forums like this one, including owners of same who have reported good reliability and no serious flaws comparable to those on his part ex.

However yes, all cars have faults.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 23:12
Something shiny. - Any car - Terry W

Punter has been given a expectation of a trade in value,

You have a choice as to whether to accept the new price or walk.

Unless the new car is very special I would ask for original deal or walk. We should not feed unethical behaviour particularly with a larger dealer who one would expect to behave with reasonable integrity.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 23:31
Something shiny. - Any car - argybargy

Punter has been given a expectation of a trade in value,

You have a choice as to whether to accept the new price or walk.

Unless the new car is very special I would ask for original deal or walk. We should not feed unethical behaviour particularly with a larger dealer who one would expect to behave with reasonable integrity.

Was Mr P to find himself in a normal buying situation, I would entirely agree. But as GB has helpfully pointed out, this is something different.

Edited by argybargy on 22/01/2018 at 23:31

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 23:13
Something shiny. - Any car - gordonbennet

Predators sense a weakness, they may not have worries about selling a known problem vehicle to authur punter, but sure as hell they'll know when taking one in part exchange exactly what they about to receive.

Just be glad to be rid of ticking time bomb, so what it's cost £150 extra, had the thing expired out of warranty that £150 would't have been a deposit on the bill.

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Mon 22 Jan 2018 23:29
Something shiny. - Any car - argybargy

Predators sense a weakness, they may not have worries about selling a known problem vehicle to authur punter, but sure as hell they'll know when taking one in part exchange exactly what they about to receive.

Just be glad to be rid of ticking time bomb, so what it's cost £150 extra, had the thing expired out of warranty that £150 would't have been a deposit on the bill.

Exactly the conversation Mr Punter might have had with Mrs Punter, had this not been a hypothetical premise. "What's £150 against the cost of replacing that *****", he said (not that it would need to be replaced, of course, because that would make his action in offloading it unethical.

Said she, "I really like that car and I'll be sad to see it go", thereby missing the bigger picture.

Twas ever so for Mr P.

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