Used car discount
Discussion
Long story short: what level of discount can I expect on a used car? I’ve seen three (small 3 door hatch) around and 11.5k mark. None of them are moving on price and on said “they don’t discount price”. I asked for £500 off.
Two aren’t moving on anything including the service/warranty packs. The third hasn’t responded yet.
Who has any real insight on this?
Two aren’t moving on anything including the service/warranty packs. The third hasn’t responded yet.
Who has any real insight on this?
Last week I bought a used Mini on behalf of my sister.
It was up for £9850, a bit pricey for a 14 plate car but it was at a main dealer, they had just put it through a service for £2k so had fresh tyres, brakes all round, and a few other bits done to bring it to approved used standard.
I offered them a "deal" of paying before the end of October to count as a sale in the month if they did something for me.
We came to a deal where they re did the vinyl on the roof and took off £150 and wernt really fussed about the October thing as long as I left a deposit that day which I did.
I took nothing else (Gap, finance, paint protection) just transferred the money.
They treated my sister like she had just bought a £50k car, really professional and placed a massive bow on it for collection.
This was Sytner Mini
It was up for £9850, a bit pricey for a 14 plate car but it was at a main dealer, they had just put it through a service for £2k so had fresh tyres, brakes all round, and a few other bits done to bring it to approved used standard.
I offered them a "deal" of paying before the end of October to count as a sale in the month if they did something for me.
We came to a deal where they re did the vinyl on the roof and took off £150 and wernt really fussed about the October thing as long as I left a deposit that day which I did.
I took nothing else (Gap, finance, paint protection) just transferred the money.
They treated my sister like she had just bought a £50k car, really professional and placed a massive bow on it for collection.
This was Sytner Mini
At least 25%, don't budge, I've bought all my cars with this method, I think I've saved 8 large ones over the years. You sputtering a measly £500 off a £12k car is why they aren't moving, they know you are a push over.
What are you wearing when trying to close the deal? Make sure your shoes are Italian at the very least.
What are you wearing when trying to close the deal? Make sure your shoes are Italian at the very least.
So many variables. It depends on the car. Is it a premium car? Is is a popular car? Are there things that make it more desirable? Where is the car located? If it's on Autotrader does it say it's a good/fair/cheap price? How many dealers are nearby selling the same car and what are their prices like?
It's harder to get any sort of discount these days on used cars compared to pre-Covid.
It's harder to get any sort of discount these days on used cars compared to pre-Covid.
Personally I've found that not many main dealer or car supermarket type outlets budge on pricing.
It's probably easier to negotiate with independent garages but if you're going to negotiate probably makes sense to have figures in mind and justification for wanting a price reduction.
Can't just ask for money off for the sake of it otherwise you'll probably get the salespersons back up.
It's probably easier to negotiate with independent garages but if you're going to negotiate probably makes sense to have figures in mind and justification for wanting a price reduction.
Can't just ask for money off for the sake of it otherwise you'll probably get the salespersons back up.
Things have changed.
Pricing has to be competitive otherwise you’ll be on page 62 of autotrader and your car will be ignored especially for humdrum stuff.
If it’s priced competitively and in line with others then you won’t get a brass farthing off. If it’s over priced then there may be a little wiggle room.
Check to see how long it’s been for sale as if it newly listed then you’ll struggle but if it’s been hanging around then you may have a bit off.
£500 off an £11k car car nowadays does seem a little ambitious though…
Pricing has to be competitive otherwise you’ll be on page 62 of autotrader and your car will be ignored especially for humdrum stuff.
If it’s priced competitively and in line with others then you won’t get a brass farthing off. If it’s over priced then there may be a little wiggle room.
Check to see how long it’s been for sale as if it newly listed then you’ll struggle but if it’s been hanging around then you may have a bit off.
£500 off an £11k car car nowadays does seem a little ambitious though…
Saudade said:
At least 25%, don't budge, I've bought all my cars with this method, I think I've saved 8 large ones over the years. You sputtering a measly £500 off a £12k car is why they aren't moving, they know you are a push over.
What are you wearing when trying to close the deal? Make sure your shoes are Italian at the very least.
Cool story 'bro.What are you wearing when trying to close the deal? Make sure your shoes are Italian at the very least.
OP, why do you think you should have anything off?
Do you go for a meal and offer less than the menu price when it's time to pay?
Do you do your weekly shop in the supermarket and offer 10% less than the till says?
I bet if they gave you £1k off you'd still complain about something when you got it home and discovered a broken clip or something.
I just bought a Range Rover (used) the garage paid £160 for two new parcel shelf clips that had broken, bought three wireless headsets that were missing from the entertainment system, a spare key and filled it with diesel for me and repainted a bit of trim that had a bit of flaking paint. How much do you think that cost them? All out of their profit.
Do you go for a meal and offer less than the menu price when it's time to pay?
Do you do your weekly shop in the supermarket and offer 10% less than the till says?
I bet if they gave you £1k off you'd still complain about something when you got it home and discovered a broken clip or something.
I just bought a Range Rover (used) the garage paid £160 for two new parcel shelf clips that had broken, bought three wireless headsets that were missing from the entertainment system, a spare key and filled it with diesel for me and repainted a bit of trim that had a bit of flaking paint. How much do you think that cost them? All out of their profit.
I just got £2000 off a nearly new Karoq for my wife. The dealer, local one with an almost iconic reputation but regarded as expensive, agreed the price was a bit high but I was surprised how readily they agreed and were unfazed by the amount. I tried to get them to throw other stuff in and got a flat ‘no’.
What’s worked for me is doing it on PCP and pushing on the monthly but keeping your wits about and making sure the total amount keeps going down. Then withdraw from the PCP when you collect the car. I’ve also asked the salesman what’s important to him on the add-on stuff - both times they’ve said the paint protection so I said I’d take it if they more or less lost the cost in the deal.
What’s worked for me is doing it on PCP and pushing on the monthly but keeping your wits about and making sure the total amount keeps going down. Then withdraw from the PCP when you collect the car. I’ve also asked the salesman what’s important to him on the add-on stuff - both times they’ve said the paint protection so I said I’d take it if they more or less lost the cost in the deal.
Jordie Barretts sock said:
OP, why do you think you should have anything off?
Do you go for a meal and offer less than the menu price when it's time to pay?
Do you do your weekly shop in the supermarket and offer 10% less than the till says?
I bet if they gave you £1k off you'd still complain about something when you got it home and discovered a broken clip or something.
I just bought a Range Rover (used) the garage paid £160 for two new parcel shelf clips that had broken, bought three wireless headsets that were missing from the entertainment system, a spare key and filled it with diesel for me and repainted a bit of trim that had a bit of flaking paint. How much do you think that cost them? All out of their profit.
And the warranty work will be carried out at a massively reduced rate, so they lose all round. Well played. Do you go for a meal and offer less than the menu price when it's time to pay?
Do you do your weekly shop in the supermarket and offer 10% less than the till says?
I bet if they gave you £1k off you'd still complain about something when you got it home and discovered a broken clip or something.
I just bought a Range Rover (used) the garage paid £160 for two new parcel shelf clips that had broken, bought three wireless headsets that were missing from the entertainment system, a spare key and filled it with diesel for me and repainted a bit of trim that had a bit of flaking paint. How much do you think that cost them? All out of their profit.
The point was, I didn't ask for, or expect a discount on the sticker price. The salesman couldn't have been more open and honest.
He had a Q5 for sale that was spotless (five years old and low mileage) that he was saying a bloke had come in, looked it all over, found a hairline crack in a rear lens (not a problem sir, we'll replace that) and the smallest scuff on a rear bolster (looked like from a child's car seat) and the bloke wanted £5k off it. It wasn't expensive in the first place.
He had a Q5 for sale that was spotless (five years old and low mileage) that he was saying a bloke had come in, looked it all over, found a hairline crack in a rear lens (not a problem sir, we'll replace that) and the smallest scuff on a rear bolster (looked like from a child's car seat) and the bloke wanted £5k off it. It wasn't expensive in the first place.
Jordie Barretts sock said:
I just bought a Range Rover (used) the garage paid £160 for two new parcel shelf clips that had broken, bought three wireless headsets that were missing from the entertainment system, a spare key and filled it with diesel for me and repainted a bit of trim that had a bit of flaking paint. How much do you think that cost them? All out of their profit.
Any decent business should have noticed those issues and will have allowed for the costs of replacing when deciding what to buy that car for.A clever business will also not actually do the replacements, as one of two things will happen. Either the customer won't notice and they'll make some extra profit, or the customer will notice and then believe they've done well by "negotiating" to get them fixed (at a cost the company had already allowed for).
Going back to the original question, ultimately if they dealer thinks they can sell the car to somebody else for a higher price, they won't accept a lower offer. There's less "pricing in" of an expected discount in screen prices these days (DFS sofa pricing style) now people can compare prices more easily.
Discounts are possible, but only on cars which don't sell as dealers don't want stock hanging around for ages losing value. You won't get any money off in the hot coffee standoff with the sales exec so don't waste any time on that. A better way is to offer what you think the car is worth, let them refuse, politely say that's the highest you're able to pay, give them your phone number and walk out. If the car is still up for sale a few weeks later and you're not heard back, give them a ring and say your offer still stands.
A lot of time at the moment though, the car won't be for sale a few weeks later ... meaning the dealer was right and you were wrong in the value estimate.
HTP99 said:
Not this crap again.
What is your justification for £500 off OP, is it priced as per the market, if so then why should you get any money off, is it too expensive for you, if so look at a cheaper car, the days of getting money off "just because" are long gone".
So don’t haggle for anything ?What is your justification for £500 off OP, is it priced as per the market, if so then why should you get any money off, is it too expensive for you, if so look at a cheaper car, the days of getting money off "just because" are long gone".
There are so many cars sat for month upon month as they are priced too high, there is a car locally that is at least two grand over what it should be, been for sale for 807 days now, but don’t ask for money off ?
Sometimes you have to pay what it says but haggling is how commerce works, if you want to sell anything.
Buyers market in some sectors, less so maybe at the sub 5 grand one, prices have risen.
£500 takes some earning after tax, NI, pension, bills etc, so I will ask.
I sold a car the other day, for £650, was up at a grand, that was speculative, but when it was clear it wasn’t going to sell for that, I took the offer, it’s gone, done and dusted, life continues.
SkodaIan said:
Jordie Barretts sock said:
I just bought a Range Rover (used) the garage paid £160 for two new parcel shelf clips that had broken, bought three wireless headsets that were missing from the entertainment system, a spare key and filled it with diesel for me and repainted a bit of trim that had a bit of flaking paint. How much do you think that cost them? All out of their profit.
Any decent business should have noticed those issues and will have allowed for the costs of replacing when deciding what to buy that car for.A clever business will also not actually do the replacements, as one of two things will happen. Either the customer won't notice and they'll make some extra profit, or the customer will notice and then believe they've done well by "negotiating" to get them fixed (at a cost the company had already allowed for).
Going back to the original question, ultimately if they dealer thinks they can sell the car to somebody else for a higher price, they won't accept a lower offer. There's less "pricing in" of an expected discount in screen prices these days (DFS sofa pricing style) now people can compare prices more easily.
Discounts are possible, but only on cars which don't sell as dealers don't want stock hanging around for ages losing value. You won't get any money off in the hot coffee standoff with the sales exec so don't waste any time on that. A better way is to offer what you think the car is worth, let them refuse, politely say that's the highest you're able to pay, give them your phone number and walk out. If the car is still up for sale a few weeks later and you're not heard back, give them a ring and say your offer still stands.
A lot of time at the moment though, the car won't be for sale a few weeks later ... meaning the dealer was right and you were wrong in the value estimate.
Saudade said:
At least 25%, don't budge, I've bought all my cars with this method, I think I've saved 8 large ones over the years. You sputtering a measly £500 off a £12k car is why they aren't moving, they know you are a push over.
What are you wearing when trying to close the deal? Make sure your shoes are Italian at the very least.
This has to be satire……right?What are you wearing when trying to close the deal? Make sure your shoes are Italian at the very least.
Jordie Barretts sock said:
OP, why do you think you should have anything off?
Do you go for a meal and offer less than the menu price when it's time to pay?
Do you do your weekly shop in the supermarket and offer 10% less than the till says?
I bet if they gave you £1k off you'd still complain about something when you got it home and discovered a broken clip or something.
.
That's not really a fair comparison. Restaurants don't price food higher than it's worth with a view to catching customers who will pay that price, and if not, then lower it until it sells. Car dealers do. Do you go for a meal and offer less than the menu price when it's time to pay?
Do you do your weekly shop in the supermarket and offer 10% less than the till says?
I bet if they gave you £1k off you'd still complain about something when you got it home and discovered a broken clip or something.
.
Install the Autotrader price tracking plugin for chrome and you'll immediately see how lots of dealers start high then slowly chip away at the price until the car sells.
You rock up when the ar is priced high, make an offer, and the dealer might think, fair enough, would have dropped to that anyhow and I need the space.
I won't "roll eyes" back as it's patronising, particularly when you are wrong .
HTP99 said:
Not this crap again.
What is your justification for £500 off OP, is it priced as per the market, if so then why should you get any money off, is it too expensive for you, if so look at a cheaper car, the days of getting money off "just because" are long gone".
I have haggled on every car or motorcycle i have purchased and saved a decent amount over the years.What is your justification for £500 off OP, is it priced as per the market, if so then why should you get any money off, is it too expensive for you, if so look at a cheaper car, the days of getting money off "just because" are long gone".
Just done a deal on another weekend toy and saved a good amount again,here in Spain it is expected but i have done it many times in the UK...
You don't get it if you don't try...
Edited by Norton850 on Saturday 11th November 14:51
I've found myself in a slightly confusing situation with this.
A car I've got my eye on has been on sale for about a month, initially £23,2xx. After 2 weeks it went to down to £22,9xx. This week it went up to it's highest price so far at £23,4xx. I've basically said I'll buy it for last week's price but been told that they categorically can't negotiate (franchise owner says no, algorithms, market etc).
It's a rare car in an even rarer spec so I'm not sure what they're basing their "market" figures on.
I get why they don't offer discounts straight away but I don't understand this one.
A car I've got my eye on has been on sale for about a month, initially £23,2xx. After 2 weeks it went to down to £22,9xx. This week it went up to it's highest price so far at £23,4xx. I've basically said I'll buy it for last week's price but been told that they categorically can't negotiate (franchise owner says no, algorithms, market etc).
It's a rare car in an even rarer spec so I'm not sure what they're basing their "market" figures on.
I get why they don't offer discounts straight away but I don't understand this one.
Edited by blueovercream on Saturday 11th November 10:09
HTP99 said:
Not this crap again.
What is your justification for £500 off OP, is it priced as per the market, if so then why should you get any money off, is it too expensive for you, if so look at a cheaper car, the days of getting money off "just because" are long gone".
A silly comment to make. What is your justification for £500 off OP, is it priced as per the market, if so then why should you get any money off, is it too expensive for you, if so look at a cheaper car, the days of getting money off "just because" are long gone".
I am in the market for something very particular and something that often takes a while to sell.
There is one example in the Classifieds that has been sitting for 10 weeks now and over that period, the dealer has dropped the price by £4,000 so far.
If you walk into a car dealership and don't at least try to knock a bit of money off, you are an idiot.
The days of getting money off aren't long gone at all.
Even in general shops, you'll get a discount.
I bought around £5k worth of home cinema equipment from Currys last year - and got £1,000 off the sticker prices on top of the sale prices that were already applied.
The sticker price wasn't more than I could afford - I went in expecting to spend more. Did I have justification to get money off? No. Did I push the salesman to give me a good deal (as he was pushing me to purchase)? Yes - and the 5-minute conversation was well worth the £1,000 I had knocked off.
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