The Renault VRT Rip-off begins! Who Will Follow?

Bee

The Renault VRT Rip-off begins! Who Will Follow?

From the www.simi.ie website and the Vehicle pricelist for February 2008

http://www.simi.ie/admin/files/PriceGuideFeb08.xls

The Renault Laguna III is priced at 1.5 dCi 110 ROYALE 5DR €26,590

Today on the Renault website
http://www.renault.ie/specialoffers.asp

The Renault Laguna III 1.5 dCi 110 ROYALE 5DR for April is increased to €28,590!!!

A staggering €3000 rip off increase for April but they are now claiming “A great Special Offer” buy now and get the July price of, wait for it 26590!

Renault obviously believe that Irish motorists are total idiots and will buy their cars based on a pretend increase in April and a pretend reduction in July

Any comments anyone

meathstevie

Given the example set by it's predecessor I wouldn't even want to look at one... . Give me a German or a Jap any day. Ok, that's a bit irrational and ott but I don't think they'll be the only bunch up tot this lark.

ninty9er

Bee wrote: »

Renault obviously believe that Irish motorists are total idiots and will buy their cars based on a pretend increase in April and a pretend reduction in July

Any comments anyone

I believe Renault's belief is correct.

JHMEG

Never thought I'd agree with 99er..

BrianD3

There is no rip off. In Ireland Renault was selling the Laguna III DCi 110 at a cut price to make up for the fact that there was no 1.6 petrol model. Just compare the price of the base model diesel Laguna with a base model diesel 407, Mondeo, Passat or any of its other diesel competitors, the Laguna was thousands cheaper. It's now going up to what it should have been all along and even at 28,590 its still a grand cheaper than the cheapest diesel 407 and nearly 2 grand cheaper than the cheapest diesel Passat. After July the Laguna wil have a greater price advantage as it will be in the 16% VRT bracket unlike most of its competitors.

E92

1) The Laguna has gone up by €2,000 not €3,000 as stated.

2) Renault launched the 1.5 dCi at that lower price on purpose because they had no 1.6 petrol to compete against the Mondeo and Avensis at the time of the car's introduction. They were always going to sell the 1.5 dCi for the proper price once the 1.6 petrol got in. They said so at the time of launching the car, well at least that's what I seem to remember reading in the Motoring sections of various Irish newspapers.

3) Even using the "increased" prices Renault seem not to be passing on the full savings.

By the VRT link in my sig, if you type in even the cheapest Laguna at €28,950 you should be getting around another €800 off the car. If you get to the most expensive model, the 1.5 dCi Estate there should be roughly another €1,200 available off the €2k saving they're talking about.

Now to be fair to Renault, the other cars mentioned that you can save on actually end up costing less than what my VRT thing guessed they would(and that's what it is, a very educated guess and nothing more), which makes it all the more odd that the Laguna hasn't decreased by more in price.

JHMEG

If they could sell it cheap before, why can't they keep selling it cheap?

colm_mcm

JHMEG wrote: »

If they could sell it cheap before, why can't they keep selling it cheap?

It may come as a shock, but car companies have to make money. The discount on the 1.5 diesel models was only ever meant to be a temporary measure.

ninty9er

colm_mcm wrote: »

It may come as a shock, but car companies have to make money.

Has someone notified Ford and GM:D:D

Churchy

Easy solution.......dont buy em.

Guy:Incognito

Churchy wrote: »

Easy solution.......dont buy em.

Or any car from a company tha makes profit. It might come as a shock but very few cars if any are sold as cheaply as they possibley could be.

landydef

Stekelly wrote: »

Or any car from a company tha makes profit. It might come as a shock but very few cars if any are sold as cheaply as they possibley could be.

not as simple as that,the irish car industry is riddled with cartells and price fixing within brands,sure they have to make a profit like any business but when you hear what they get up to it would make you physically sick!

Tipsy Mac

I think whats happening here is Renault is trying to control people coming into Ireland and buying cheap cars pre VAT/VRT for export.

Guy:Incognito

landydef wrote: »

not as simple as that,the irish car industry is riddled with cartells and price fixing within brands,sure they have to make a profit like any business but when you hear what they get up to it would make you physically sick!

Do you honestly think any of these things are unique to the Irish market?

landydef

no but it doesnt mean we should put up with it just because it happens elsewhere,there is investigations underway at the moment in ireland into a number of car companys doing this!

bazz26

Even at the discounted rate I haven't seen too many 08 Laguna III on the road, cannot image that number increasing now that they have risen the price. I reckon the new C5 will outsell it.

Henry Ford III

Didn't lexus jack up the price od an IS220D a while ago?

Guy:Incognito

bazz26 wrote: »

I reckon the new C5 will outsell it.

Well the Irish do seem to have an irrational affinity with German cars in fairness.:)

JHMEG

colm_mcm wrote: »

It may come as a shock, but car companies have to make money. The discount on the 1.5 diesel models was only ever meant to be a temporary measure.

Were they not making money on it at the old price?

At the old price it was still a grand dearer than the 1.6 petrol?

Guy:Incognito

JHMEG wrote: »

Were they not making money on it at the old price?

At the old price it was still a grand dearer than the 1.6 petrol?

Theres a 3 grand difference in the Mondeo entry level petrol and diesel, so car companies obviously feel it's a good balance.

I dont see the big deal. They had an introductory offer thats now finished, whats the problem? Do people go into shops after sales an demand to know why the prices cant be the same?

JHMEG

Ah right... they were making money, just not enough money. I would very much doubt if the 1.5 diesel costs more than a grand more to make than the 1.6 petrol.

Guy:Incognito

JHMEG wrote: »

Ah right... they were making money, just not enough money. I would very much doubt if the 1.5 diesel costs more than a grand more to make than the 1.6 petrol.

Why not start a campaign against all the car manufacturers to show exactly how much each car costs to make and only allow them a certain percentage of profit?

Diesel cars have always been a good bit dearer than petrol equivelants, why is it only an issue now? Did you really need Renault selling one cheap for a bit to get you to notice?

JHMEG

Stekelly wrote: »

Diesel cars have always been a good bit dearer than petrol equivelants, why is it only an issue now? Did you really need Renault selling one cheap for a bit to get you to notice?

The gap between diesel engines and petrol engines in manufacturing costs has narrowed considerably, yet the purchase price hasn't. I'm not the first to bring this up, and it was brought up long before now in the press. So don't be kidding yourself or trying to kid me.

Guy:Incognito

JHMEG wrote: »

The gap between diesel engines and petrol engines in manufacturing costs has narrowed considerably, yet the purchase price hasn't. I'm not the first to bring this up, and it was brought up long before now in the press. So don't be kidding yourself or trying to kid me.

I'm not tryign to kid anyone, tbh it doesnt really interest me, but it seems to bother you so why not do somthing. I assume the 3 k difference I saw with a quick glance at the Ford site is much the same across the board.

Seeing as I used the Ford example here I checked Ford UK and theres a stg£1,100 difference in the UK too.

Bee

ninty9er wrote: »

I believe Renault's belief is correct.

Actually a good point, anyone who buys a Laguna anyway has to be a total dick!

Bee

BrianD3 wrote: »

There is no rip off. In Ireland Renault was selling the Laguna III DCi 110 at a cut price to make up for the fact that there was no 1.6 petrol model. Just compare the price of the base model diesel Laguna with a base model diesel 407, Mondeo, Passat or any of its other diesel competitors, the Laguna was thousands cheaper. It's now going up to what it should have been all along and even at 28,590 its still a grand cheaper than the cheapest diesel 407 and nearly 2 grand cheaper than the cheapest diesel Passat. After July the Laguna wil have a greater price advantage as it will be in the 16% VRT bracket unlike most of its competitors.

You are paid by Renault fo rposting that nonsense then?

Bee

JHMEG wrote: »

If they could sell it cheap before, why can't they keep selling it cheap?

They can, they want to rip you off!

Bee

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

I think whats happening here is Renault is trying to control people coming into Ireland and buying cheap cars pre VAT/VRT for export.

Are getting close to...but oh my Gawd! You are not suggesting a possible cartell operation? Surely that would never happen here?

Err you better not read this then....Obviously no person could possibly believe or be suspicious of or in any way suggest that Renaults good name would be impinged in any way what so ever for any reason that Renault could be involved in any way with such despical things as found out here in these links aboout other dastardley deeds. I am not suggesting that Boards.ie or anyone else involved or users could in anyway believe Reanault is a but a fair and honest dealership ( apart from some interesting pricing)

http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2007/02/10/story25191.asp

"A CLASSIC cartel designed to corrupt the market and squeeze consumers of cars was operated by the Irish Ford Dealers’ Association, a Circuit Criminal Court judge said yesterday."


http://www.independent.ie/national-news/payouts-likely-if-dealers-guilty-in-car-probe-1264525.html

"Thousands of owners of Citroen cars could be in line for compensation if 11 Citroen dealers are found to have conspired to fix prices at artificially high levels. "

Bee

Stekelly wrote: »

Theres a 3 grand difference in the Mondeo entry level petrol and diesel, so car companies obviously feel it's a good balance.

I dont see the big deal. They had an introductory offer thats now finished, whats the problem? Do people go into shops after sales an demand to know why the prices cant be the same?

The problem is that it is basically price gouging and an affront to Johhny "Gob$hite" Gormless, Mini Min of the Environment's VRT changes to encourage lower CO2 car emissions whilst increasing pollutants that kill people

Diesel=Lower C02 good for global warming (if you believe that stuff)
Diesel=Bad fumes for Humans

colm_mcm

Bee: A group of dealers fixing prices and a distributor changing the price of a model are completely different.

Bee

Stekelly wrote: »

Why not start a campaign against all the car manufacturers to show exactly how much each car costs to make and only allow them a certain percentage of profit?

Diesel cars have always been a good bit dearer than petrol equivelants, why is it only an issue now? Did you really need Renault selling one cheap for a bit to get you to notice?

Personally its not an issue for me now, I believe the general public should be made aware of Renault_Ripp_Off_Motoring

I have been enjoyably motoring in diesels for years as I always enjoyed their superior torque and efficiency viv-a-vis petrol

Most central european countries enjoy a 65% Diesel more diesel engined cars over petrol cars so its just bull droppin's when a car dealer in Ireland sez diesels are more expensive to produce than a petol model. On average in the EU diesel hold greater than 50% even when you exclude the vast fleet of lorries etc