Your Tales of Negotiation
Discussion
Car prices are high as we know at the moment, just wondering if this has translated into dealers being more flexible with negotiation.
So if you have bought a car in say, the last year, what did you manage to get off the listed price?
It would probably be more useful/relevant if you could include:
- Which car you bought (model, year, mileage, as much detail as you are comfortable with)
- Where you bought it from, doesn't have to be specific but something along the lines of main dealer/car supermarket/car trader etc. unless you want to name them specifically with good things to say.
- What the car was up for and what you managed to negotiate off, how you went about it etc.
Only really interested in dealers rather than private sales.
So if you have bought a car in say, the last year, what did you manage to get off the listed price?
It would probably be more useful/relevant if you could include:
- Which car you bought (model, year, mileage, as much detail as you are comfortable with)
- Where you bought it from, doesn't have to be specific but something along the lines of main dealer/car supermarket/car trader etc. unless you want to name them specifically with good things to say.
- What the car was up for and what you managed to negotiate off, how you went about it etc.
Only really interested in dealers rather than private sales.
Al U said:
Car prices are high as we know at the moment, just wondering if this has translated into dealers being more flexible with negotiation.
So if you have bought a car in say, the last year, what did you manage to get off the listed price?
It would probably be more useful/relevant if you could include:
- Which car you bought (model, year, mileage, as much detail as you are comfortable with)
- Where you bought it from, doesn't have to be specific but something along the lines of main dealer/car supermarket/car trader etc. unless you want to name them specifically with good things to say.
- What the car was up for and what you managed to negotiate off, how you went about it etc.
Only really interested in dealers rather than private sales.
Bought a car last June (2021)So if you have bought a car in say, the last year, what did you manage to get off the listed price?
It would probably be more useful/relevant if you could include:
- Which car you bought (model, year, mileage, as much detail as you are comfortable with)
- Where you bought it from, doesn't have to be specific but something along the lines of main dealer/car supermarket/car trader etc. unless you want to name them specifically with good things to say.
- What the car was up for and what you managed to negotiate off, how you went about it etc.
Only really interested in dealers rather than private sales.
- 2016 Audi A3 e-tron with 77,000 miles on the clock
- Got it from a non-chain car supermarket that currently has 110 cars in stock ranging from £5k to £35k.
- It was up for £11,475 and I managed to negotiate off precisely... f
k all. Still, was reasonably happy with it, it's not blown up yet or anything, so always a bonus. There was a problem with the charger door, which I managed to get my local Audi indy to fix for nothing, and it needed 4 new discs, pads, fluid and 4 new tyres.
Nothing to do with cars, but here’s my negotiation story…
I was working in Istanbul when asked to be best man for a friend’s wedding back in the UK. Given where I was, I thought for the stag night it would be fun to get everyone a Fez. So I pop down to the Grand Bazaar and find myself a Fez seller, and ask him the price…
“£5”
“No way”
After some haggling…
“£1”
“Ok, now what if I want to buy 10?”
“Special price £5”
“No way”
After some haggling…
“£1”
Pleased as punch, I pay and get my ten bargain Fezes.
The following morning, I go into work and proudly tell my Turkish colleagues about my amazing feat of negotiation. They fall about laughing. Apparently 20p the lot would have been totally standard, and 10p a good deal…
I was working in Istanbul when asked to be best man for a friend’s wedding back in the UK. Given where I was, I thought for the stag night it would be fun to get everyone a Fez. So I pop down to the Grand Bazaar and find myself a Fez seller, and ask him the price…
“£5”
“No way”
After some haggling…
“£1”
“Ok, now what if I want to buy 10?”
“Special price £5”
“No way”
After some haggling…
“£1”
Pleased as punch, I pay and get my ten bargain Fezes.
The following morning, I go into work and proudly tell my Turkish colleagues about my amazing feat of negotiation. They fall about laughing. Apparently 20p the lot would have been totally standard, and 10p a good deal…
Davie said:
Awaits the cringeworthy "So I told him there was one price I was willing to pay and he could take it or leave it" Billy big balls bullst...
Or the "So I ended up buying one for £5K less from the dealer down the road, drove it to the original dealer and did a burnout in the car park"t...Joey Deacon said:
Davie said:
Awaits the cringeworthy "So I told him there was one price I was willing to pay and he could take it or leave it" Billy big balls bullst...
Or the "So I ended up buying one for £5K less from the dealer down the road, drove it to the original dealer and did a burnout in the car park"t...steveo3002 said:
Joey Deacon said:
Davie said:
Awaits the cringeworthy "So I told him there was one price I was willing to pay and he could take it or leave it" Billy big balls bullst...
Or the "So I ended up buying one for £5K less from the dealer down the road, drove it to the original dealer and did a burnout in the car park"t...Dealer here, It is actually quite a nice time for us since covid restrictions were lifted.
No discount and a firm part ex price, everyone seems to be happy in general customer wise, We get a few who just expect a discount because its a car and i never pay asking.
We lose some of those sales but all part of the game especially in the current climate
No discount and a firm part ex price, everyone seems to be happy in general customer wise, We get a few who just expect a discount because its a car and i never pay asking.
We lose some of those sales but all part of the game especially in the current climate
I am notably crap at negotiating. Therefore, I avoid changing cars frequently. My wife's Nissan Note was changed this year after nine years of ownership. We bought a 15 plate 5 door MINI Cooper D (fully loaded with 50k miles) for £9.9k in Feb from a car supermarket.
No negotiation.
If I get £100 off then I am happy. The partex on the Nissan made the deal sweeter, so that was that for another few years.....phew.
My BMW is a two owner car, 15 years old and owned for 7 years ish and my VW camper is 40 years old and owned for 11 years. No need to change either for a good few years. Which is a relief for me. If the car buying experience was more pleasurable, I might change more frequently. But, although happy with my purchases, I always walk away feeling like I have paid over the odds.
I think the internet has made the playing field more level as you can easily compare prices...but reading tales of getting £xk off a used or new car always leaves me thinking.....
No negotiation.
If I get £100 off then I am happy. The partex on the Nissan made the deal sweeter, so that was that for another few years.....phew.
My BMW is a two owner car, 15 years old and owned for 7 years ish and my VW camper is 40 years old and owned for 11 years. No need to change either for a good few years. Which is a relief for me. If the car buying experience was more pleasurable, I might change more frequently. But, although happy with my purchases, I always walk away feeling like I have paid over the odds.
I think the internet has made the playing field more level as you can easily compare prices...but reading tales of getting £xk off a used or new car always leaves me thinking.....
mike9009 said:
I am notably crap at negotiating. Therefore, I avoid changing cars frequently. My wife's Nissan Note was changed this year after nine years of ownership. We bought a 15 plate 5 door MINI Cooper D (fully loaded with 50k miles) for £9.9k in Feb from a car supermarket.
No negotiation.
If I get £100 off then I am happy. The partex on the Nissan made the deal sweeter, so that was that for another few years.....phew.
My BMW is a two owner car, 15 years old and owned for 7 years ish and my VW camper is 40 years old and owned for 11 years. No need to change either for a good few years. Which is a relief for me. If the car buying experience was more pleasurable, I might change more frequently. But, although happy with my purchases, I always walk away feeling like I have paid over the odds.
I think the internet has made the playing field more level as you can easily compare prices...but reading tales of getting £xk off a used or new car always leaves me thinking.....
Internet is the best and worst thing in this job now.No negotiation.
If I get £100 off then I am happy. The partex on the Nissan made the deal sweeter, so that was that for another few years.....phew.
My BMW is a two owner car, 15 years old and owned for 7 years ish and my VW camper is 40 years old and owned for 11 years. No need to change either for a good few years. Which is a relief for me. If the car buying experience was more pleasurable, I might change more frequently. But, although happy with my purchases, I always walk away feeling like I have paid over the odds.
I think the internet has made the playing field more level as you can easily compare prices...but reading tales of getting £xk off a used or new car always leaves me thinking.....
Simply put if you car is priced right you dont need to discount, if you are priced high you can see and adjust.
Customers are willing to travel to buy and cars can be delivered so discounts dont happen much I think
Bought a Yaris end of last year, was up for £15.5k and offered £15k originally, they came down £100 at a time until £15.1k and stuck there. They (main dealer) had just done a major service and MoT so was happy to buy.
Was actually quite surprised they budged at all. The other one I was looking at (also main dealer) was asking price only, they dismissed any attempt to negotiate the price.
Also bought a new Corolla, got just under 15% discount through Carwow, by the time the car was delivered there had been a couple of price rises so it worked out at approx 18% discount. Worked out well, current valuation on Motorway gives nearly £3k profit!
Was actually quite surprised they budged at all. The other one I was looking at (also main dealer) was asking price only, they dismissed any attempt to negotiate the price.
Also bought a new Corolla, got just under 15% discount through Carwow, by the time the car was delivered there had been a couple of price rises so it worked out at approx 18% discount. Worked out well, current valuation on Motorway gives nearly £3k profit!
Dan W. said:
Dealer here, It is actually quite a nice time for us since covid restrictions were lifted.
No discount and a firm part ex price, everyone seems to be happy in general customer wise, We get a few who just expect a discount because its a car and i never pay asking.
We lose some of those sales but all part of the game especially in the current climate
Yep, dealer here too, no discounting at all, most people are aware, some ask but when you say "no" they are fine, they are just trying.No discount and a firm part ex price, everyone seems to be happy in general customer wise, We get a few who just expect a discount because its a car and i never pay asking.
We lose some of those sales but all part of the game especially in the current climate
You do get the odd one though, had one last week, he was absolutely baffled that we wouldn't discount or "throw in a tank of fuel", he just couldn't understand it.
Anyway next day he went for it over the phone, screen price, they then started to dick about with remote signing the finance documents, the day before collection they still hadn't been signed, he then rings up and tries to re-negotiate, this is the day before collection, "there are cheaper ones out there", yes one was £5 cheaper the other was £100 cheaper and 200 miles away, we were the third cheapest in the country, Autotrader Portal is a very good tool, it shows you exactly where your car sits vs similar cars out there.
I tell him he can have his deposit back, which takes him back massively, still trying to argue the toss though, "I'll speak to Natalie and come back to you", 5 minutes later I get an auto notification that the finance docs have been signed!!
It is so nice just saying "nope" to any request for discount, we just don't need to do it.
The last two cars I bought were similar experiences to this. 5 series in 2012 was a black horse ex lease and the v90 I got in 2020 was ex lease too; both absolute bottom dollar in terms of price but immaculate quality. Dealer knew this, I knew this, dealer knew I knew this; in fact I think the only reason I got a full tank in each was thanks for not dicking about when there was no reason to.
From the other side - currently selling 60 of my father's cars
The idiots who text offers are ignored
The idiots who tell me they are doing me a favour or that they are "in the trade" aren't given much leeway either
The people who are polite, call, turn up when they say they will and make a sensible offer based on facts ie "there is a similar car for £500 less, here is the ad, could you match that" - get the best price
The idiots who text offers are ignored
The idiots who tell me they are doing me a favour or that they are "in the trade" aren't given much leeway either
The people who are polite, call, turn up when they say they will and make a sensible offer based on facts ie "there is a similar car for £500 less, here is the ad, could you match that" - get the best price
I used to sell cars for my Dad when I was younger - the worst negotiator, on an awful kitcar that I couldn't believe anyone would buy - it needed to be completely rebuilt although it was at least cheap at £1250
"Would you take an offer ?"
"It would have to be close"
"£1245 ?"
DONE !
A whopping £5 discount
"Would you take an offer ?"
"It would have to be close"
"£1245 ?"
DONE !
A whopping £5 discount
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