Am i getting ripped off?

Undercoverguy · 25-04-2006 8:26pm #1

Okay so i'm aount to buy a new car - 2001 FIAT Punto Sporting 1.2 16v from a Top Dublin Garage in the Southside. Its a sporty blue colour, 50000 miles on the clock with NCT untill this time next year and a 12 month warrenty.

There is some body damage to the side but its just cosmetic, just paint from another car. The sales guy said that the guy who was trading it in got the marks on it about 2 days before he left it in. There was noting wrong with it when it was valued and by the time they noticed it was too late, so the reason it's so price is because 2 side panels need to be replaced - apparntly this is €250 each... true? One deffo needs to be replaced but the other is tiny and looks like its just a paint mark.

The asking price - €7250

Rip off?

GobShi7e · 25-04-2006 8:28pm

why not get them to fix it first?

Undercoverguy · 25-04-2006 8:37pm

They are fixing it first thats why it so expensive, but i dont see why the price should go up just because they have to make the car 'pretty' again. I haggled like fuk with no joy. Not budging from €7250

colm_mcm · 25-04-2006 8:38pm

I think thats a bit steep for a Punto, it only cost about €14,500 when it was new 4 years ago I wouldn't pay more than €6,000

GobShi7e · 25-04-2006 8:42pm

if i where you Undercoverguy i'd pass on this one, there's loads of puntos. i'd say you have your heart set on the blue sporty one, but you find another.

Undercoverguy · 25-04-2006 9:15pm

Well i really wanna go for it, just because of its colour and the fact that it took me almost 5 weeks to hunt the car now, its pretty hard to find a Sporting in this Colour.

when the guy was telling me the price he was talking out loud and said it cost 250 a panel to replace, and he wants replace two panles. So i was thinks just get the major panle replaced and forget about the smaller one till a later date when my bank balance feels up to it, but it would prob come off with a high pressure hose and some elbow greese. This was the price should in theory drop to 7000 even.

Sizzler · 25-04-2006 9:18pm

BIG TIME rip off...over 7k for a 5 yr old Punto? AMB.

5.5k-6k sounds closer to the mark, and that would be a minter!

GobShi7e · 25-04-2006 9:20pm

would you get it off with a high powered buffer? or do the panels need to be replaced?

i got a bumper mark from a fiesta about 3 foot down the side of my car, i got it off with a high powered buffer.

Undercoverguy · 25-04-2006 9:26pm

But the thing is the cheapest Punto Sporting i've seen to date on CBG.ie, Carzone and Auto Trader has been 6,750 so is isnt a dramatic leap up. Only 500euro really. I'd say i'd get the small mark off with a buffer but the bigger one is deffo gonna need a new panel.

greglo23 · 25-04-2006 9:50pm

http://tinyurl.com/zzw2c have a look at this and these http://tinyurl.com/g4o5y . your paying way over the odds for what your getting considering it will probably need a full wiper linkage plus a few shocks for its next NCT. have a look furthur afield and remember it's a buyers market at the moment.

colm_mcm · 25-04-2006 11:09pm

Look, there's a rule when buying Fiats

The dealer selling it will have undoubtedly taken it in at small money, probably from a trader. He's advertising high and will accept any reasonable offer.

Back in 00 and 01, Punto was flavour of the month, 0% finance deals and low prices meant there were loads sold, even Sportings. Hold out for a better one.

Punto Sportings are generally all either yellow, that blue, silver red or black. so don't be worried about finding another blue one.

I've just thought of another rule: get a bloody good warranty

Am i getting ripped off?

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