Negotiating with a car salesman!

So I was just wondering how low would a salesman drop the asking price of a car?

Is there a standard set in place?
E.g. they can't go less than half price etc.

Or is it at their discretion.

Basically I'm wondering how much could I get knocked off for a car valued at €2,750

Saab Ed

Deleted User wrote: »

Basically I'm wondering how much could I get knocked off for a car valued at €2,750

Very little in these times. Used cars are getting hard to source and for this reason along with the fact that prices came down so much this year you wont get much of a car thats only 2750. Try for 2 grand but in fairness anything under 2500 is Okay. Whats the car. Linky!!

Seth Brundle

The amount would be discretionary but at the end of the day they still have to make money so there may not be too much leverage on €2750. If you got it for 2500 you are doing well IMO (~10%).

WHat condition is the car in and what price are other versions of this model selling for? Has it an NCT or tax? How much left on the tyres? What kind of written warranty is on offer?

the corpo

what about a car with a dealer price of 9k. much chance if offering something like 8k?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Clio/1.2-SPOR/200926194438557/advert?channel=CARS

I know its not very manly, but it'd do me:pac:

bazz26

the corpo wrote: »

what about a car with a dealer price of 9k. much chance if offering something like 8k?

No harm in making them an offer like that, the worst thing they can say is no. That is a realistic cash offer on a €9k asking price in my books though.

TwoShedsJackson

Deleted User wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Clio/1.2-SPOR/200926194438557/advert?channel=CARS

I know its not very manly, but it'd do me:pac:

They should be paying you to take that off their hands :pac:

TwoShedsJackson

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

They should be paying you to take that off their hands :pac:

No need for that now, that could be my first car your talking about!!

cpoh1

the corpo wrote: »

what about a car with a dealer price of 9k. much chance if offering something like 8k?

If i was in your position i would speak to the dealer, be polite and offer him 7.5k cash and if he says no flat out give him your number and tell him the offer stands for a week. He will change his mind. If he doesn't then wait, the right caf always comes around for the right money if you are patient.

Carzone prices are seriously overinflated and not a reflection of true market value, people just arent paying those asking prices.

Henry Ford III

It all depends on how keenly the car is priced is day 1.

If €9k is a genuinely excellent price, offering €7.5k isn't going to get it done.

unkel

Deleted User wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Clio/1.2-SPOR/200926194438557/advert?channel=CARS

I know its not very manly, but it'd do me:pac:

Looks like a lovely little car to me. The dealer says "warranty available". What's that mean? Even if you got a 6 month full warranty, €2750 seems too much. It's your first car, so you are a cash buyer (no trade in). This puts you in a strong position. Offer €2200 (show him the cash) and be firm. I'd expect to get the car for about €2300 cash...

Heroditas

Henry Ford III wrote: »

It all depends on how keenly the car is priced is day 1.

If €9k is a genuinely excellent price, offering €7.5k isn't going to get it done.

Exactly. The dealer may have bought it for €8k and if it's been serviced, he'll be looking to at least recoup his costs.

the corpo

hmm, interesting
what about something like this
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Avensis/4-dr-1.8/200920192811678/advert?channel=CARS

says it's a demo, what does that mean?

bazz26

the corpo wrote: »

hmm, interesting
what about something like this
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Avensis/4-dr-1.8/200920192811678/advert?channel=CARS

says it's a demo, what does that mean?

To me it means that it has two previous owners, the first owner was a garage (main dealer) who used it as a demonstration model for customers to test drive. Demonstration models are usually sold on after about 2 or 3 months.

Just verify that it was indeed a ex demo model and not a hire drive.

P.C.

Deleted User wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Clio/1.2-SPOR/200926194438557/advert?channel=CARS

I know its not very manly, but it'd do me:pac:

That looks like a good first car. If you can get it for under € 2 500 with a warranty, you would be doing well IMO.

Ask if the bonnet catch has been replace - I seem to remember that there was an issue with them.

vw4life

no matter what car(unless keenly priced),I always offer half the askin price an go from there,dont worry about hurtin the sellers feelings

bazz26

I don't think you will be hurting their feelings as much as you think.

Lex Luthor

I was asking about a car recently priced at 23k and 18k cash would have given me the keys....

The legacy with delivery & metallic was coming in at just over 34k and I got it for 27500. Not really relevant as they have 3k discounts on them at the moment.

RLJ

the corpo wrote: »

hmm, interesting
what about something like this
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Avensis/4-dr-1.8/200920192811678/advert?channel=CARS

says it's a demo, what does that mean?

i think it means it was used as a demonstration model for test drives etc. Stand to be corrected

tazire

got my car from 36k to 30. i think that was bout fair.

Eoin

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

They should be paying you to take that off their hands :pac:

-1

Great little car those.

Myrddin

vw4life wrote: »

no matter what car,always offer half the askin price an go from there,dont worry about hurtin the sellers feelings

Just using this car as an example - http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200930194712514

Would you go in and offer 7k for this then? Thats one of the most ridiculous statements Ive ever read in the motors section, and Ive read quite a few. Your going to give the impression straight away that your a messer, and havnt a clue what your talking abou, let alone the actual value of the car in question. Educate yourself friend, learn to recognise a cheap car when you see it.

Saab Ed

vw4life wrote: »

no matter what car,always offer half the askin price an go from there,dont worry about hurtin the sellers feelings

Most car salesman will put you in the " you dont have a clue what you're doing " category if you say something like that and set out to make a kill on you ( which they will cause you dont have a clue what you're doing ) on the basis that if they dont make a kill its probably gonna be a giant waste of time talking to you in the first place.:P But by all means do it. Atleast then we'll know you're a soft target straight away

-Chris-

RLJ wrote: »

i think it means it was used as a demonstration model for test drives etc. Stand to be corrected

Yep, used for test drives, driven home by the sales staff, it'll have a couple thousand kilometers on it and it'll be a grand or two cheaper.

vw4life wrote: »

no matter what car,always offer half the askin price an go from there,dont worry about hurtin the sellers feelings

As the others have said, this is poor advice.

vw4life

EnterNow wrote: »

Just using this car as an example - http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200930194712514

Would you go in and offer 7k for this then? Thats one of the most ridiculous statements Ive ever read in the motors section, and Ive read quite a few. Your going to give the impression straight away that your a messer, and havnt a clue what your talking abou, let alone the actual value of the car in question. Educate yourself friend, learn to recognise a cheap car when you see it.

bought and sold loads of cars over the years and you win some,you lose some,I dont have to buy any car I dont want and will walk away if the deal's not right,I've gone back to some cars a year later that are still for sale and offered less again and got the right deal

Saab Ed wrote: »

Most car salesman will put you in the " you dont have a clue what you're doing " category if you say something like that and set out to make a kill on you ( which they will cause you dont have a clue what you're doing ) on the basis that if they dont make a kill its probably gonna be a giant waste of time talking to you in the first place.:P But by all means do it. Atleast then we'll know you're a soft target straight away

what I said ^^^^^

Myrddin

vw4life wrote: »

bought and sold loads of cars over the years and you win some,you lose some,I dont have to buy any car I dont want and will walk away if the deal's not right,I've gone back to some cars a year later that are still for sale and offered less again and got the right deal




what I said ^^^^^

In fairness, the OP was asking for advice, not how to "win some, lose some". I stand by my saying that you will NOT buy any car today, which is keenly priced, by offering half the price. If you've seen some cars that were still in stock a year later, then they were not keenly priced to begin with. You advice is idiotic, and as above, any person selling a keenly priced car that hears your offer of half price is going to think your a time wasting fool, and in fairness I wouldnt blame them. Foolish advice for someone who is serious about buying.

vw4life

original post edited

EnterNow wrote: »

In fairness, the OP was asking for advice

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Clio/1.2-SPOR/200926194438557/advert?channel=CARS

that car is worth €1500 at the most,hows that for advice,sorry for upsettin you but thats just how I approach these rip-off fu*in car dealers considerin they probably allowed some poor chump €500 off an over priced car by taking that car as a trade in,fitted a timing belt and try to ask nearly €3000 for it on the forecourt

Saab Ed

vw4life wrote: »

that car is worth €1500 at the most,hows that for advice,sorry for upsettin you but thats just how I approach these rip-off fu*in car dealers considerin they probably allowed some poor chump €500 off an over priced car by taking that car as a trade in,fitted a timing belt and try to ask nearly €3000 for it on the forecourt

My guess is you feel ripped off by car salesmen because you dont have a realistic approach to dealing with people nevermind thoses in a specific trade. We're human too you know and the best way to get a good deal is just be nice . Take your approach with anyone in any trade and they're just not gonna take you seriously. That will lend itself to you feeling brushed off and the argument begins. Remember if I sell something then I get paid, if I dont then I wont.....so what do you think Im trying to do!!!

B00MSTICK

vw4life wrote:

that car is worth €1500 at the most,hows that for advice,sorry for upsettin you but thats just how I approach these rip-off fu*in car dealers considerin they probably allowed some poor chump €500 off an over priced car by taking that car as a trade in,fitted a timing belt and try to ask nearly €3000 for it on the forecourt

I'm not sure you realise that businesses have higher overheads than you and I and actually *need* to make a profit to stay afloat. Look at how many dealers are closing.

If you want a "deal" go private. Someone of your vast experience should know that.

And tbh, if you came up to me and offered me half my asking I'd tell you to piss off in the most pleasant and polite manner possible.

OP, haggle a bit and try get a few hundred off as well as maybe a warranty thrown in too.

-Chris-

vw4life wrote: »

original post edited




http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Clio/1.2-SPOR/200926194438557/advert?channel=CARS

that car is worth €1500 at the most,hows that for advice,sorry for upsettin you but thats just how I approach these rip-off fu*in car dealers considerin they probably allowed some poor chump €500 off an over priced car by taking that car as a trade in,fitted a timing belt and try to ask nearly €3000 for it on the forecourt

"That particular car is overpriced", that's not the same as "every car is overpriced by a factor of 2".
Your negotiation tactics are still flawed and will not be taken seriously by anyone, unless you're talking to someone who has their car overvalued by a factor of 2...

vw4life

right lads,I'll try again.

Alot of cars I've bought have been well overpriced,so I've sat down with the seller and started discussing the price.I start very low and,heres the important bit,GO FROM THERE,ok.I would offer that lad with the clio maybe
1200 and be happy paying 1500,is that fair enough.I dont walk up to a lad and say "nice car,give ye half the askin price,cheers".I know people gotta make a living and some sales people are just doin thier job but I'm not prepared to be ripped off and I dont mean just in the last year,I've been in the trade nearly 20 years and have easily privatly owned 50+ cars not including the ones bought to sell on at a small profit/loss

Myrddin

10 GOTO 20
20 GOTO 10

In fairness, any sales person will think your a twat - and wont even waste the time sitting down with you when they hear your initial 1/2 price offer. You WILL be percieved as a tyre kicker,messer, time waster, dreamer, fool, etc etc. RECOGNISE when a car is keenly priced, negiotiate within realistic boundaries, and get yourself a nice little car. Thats the only advice I can give the OP.

I looked at the clio on driving.ie yesterday, and it was the cheapest clio with the lowest mileage relative to price. If you got two hundred off, maybe 250 - you would be doing well.

Owen

Its like having LoveDucati2 back again. Seriously OP, ignore VW4life's advice. Do listen to the likes of Chris, Saab Ed and the rest. Be sensible in your dealing, and recognise if a car is good value or not - it will give you a clear indication of how much wiggle room is in the price.

the corpo

took our yaris to a dealer today, and was checking out an 05 avensis.
he offered 6,300 + yaris for the avensis (he reckoned about 3,800 for the yaris).
now, the most we can scrimp together is 4k, if i go back to him with that am i going to get laughed off the forecourt??

Gumbo

the corpo wrote: »

took our yaris to a dealer today, and was checking out an 05 avensis.
he offered 6,300 + yaris for the avensis (he reckoned about 3,800 for the yaris).
now, the most we can scrimp together is 4k, if i go back to him with that am i going to get laughed off the forecourt??

probably yeah, but go back, you never know unless you try.
he may meet you somewhere in the middle

-Chris-

But if he meets in the middle, that's still outide corpo's budget.

Gumbo

-Chris- wrote: »

But if he meets in the middle, that's still outide corpo's budget.

i understand that, but if the car is really nice, and its what corpo is really looking for, then an extra 1k isint gona kill him. either that or drop down a year and look at the 2004 Avensis range and he should be able to do a deal on something then.

the corpo

aye, there'll be no meeting in the middle 8)
i'd been hoping for a better trade-in price, mileage is very low on the yaris. i'll see what i can hit them with tomorrow!

vw4life

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Its like having LoveDucati2 back again. Seriously OP, ignore VW4life's advice. Do listen to the likes of Chris, Saab Ed and the rest. Be sensible in your dealing, and recognise if a car is good value or not - it will give you a clear indication of how much wiggle room is in the price.

some kind of insult is it to be compared to LoveDucati2?,hmmmmmmm
and yeah,OP ignore my advice and be like all the rest who love handin over thier hard earned cash

BigEejit

I no longer live/work in Ireland but I always remember the rip off prices garages were looking for old cars. 2750 for a 8 (probably closer to 9) year old renault clio is, in my opinion, madness.

While I would not offer an amount as low as vw4life, I would definitely think of offering 1300 - 1400, aiming to pay 1600 - 1700 cash. Keeping in mind that in a short period of time you will be coughing up for a new timing belt and whatever else might break in a 8 - 9 year old car that was never that well built in the first place.

It should also be noted that some (most?) of the people in this thread advising you to pay a high price for that car are in the car trade themselves (not calling them shills by any means, they just naturally see higher value in old cars)

stepbar

vw4life wrote: »

some kind of insult is it to be compared to LoveDucati2?,hmmmmmmm
and yeah,OP ignore my advice and be like all the rest who love handin over thier hard earned cash

Ever sold a car for half the price you were looking? I bet ya you've never. So stop talking through your hat.

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

OP, if i were you i'd try to get it at 2300-2500 with a 6-9 month warranty thrown in. That seems fair to me to both sides.

bogs

Think twice or three times before you buy any kind of Renault.They seem to have no trade in value and they to develop problems what kind i dont know.

-Chris-

OK lads - enough of getting at vw4life.
They're clarified their stance - if a car is keenly priced, you can't expect the same level of discount as if it's overpriced.
I do agree with the sentiment that you shouldn't be afraid to lowball, asking costs nothing. Any lowball offer must be made in the context of the actual value of the car, rather than the price.


To address the OP's original question, there is no set amount of discount (absolute or relative).
Ignore what the seller wants, establish what the car is actually worth.
Offer something lower than this to try and snag a bargain, but be prepared to actually pay what the car is worth - otherwise you're wasting your time, and that of the salesperson.
I think it's as simple as that.

BigEejit wrote: »

It should also be noted that some (most?) of the people in this thread advising you to pay a high price for that car are in the car trade themselves (not calling them shills by any means, they just naturally see higher value in old cars)

BigEejit, I hope you don't find youself tempted to come on here asking for advice from the "insiders" in the future - that's hardly a fair or enlightened attitude.

vw4life

stepbar wrote: »

Ever sold a car for half the price you were looking? I bet ya you've never. So stop talking through your hat.

sadly I have on a few cars over the years,not quite half but I was lookin silly big money in the first place,most were impulse buys in the first place though.only talkin a few grand at the most:(.like I said,you win some and lose some too:P

BigEejit

Sorry for the thread resurrection but:

-Chris- wrote: »

BigEejit, I hope you don't find youself tempted to come on here asking for advice from the "insiders" in the future - that's hardly a fair or enlightened attitude.

Nice .... .... especially the "that's hardly a fair or enlightened attitude" bit after the veiled threat.

And from a mod no less. :pac:

Eoin

Send a PM to -Chris- if you have a problem.

bazz26

I think this thread has gone beyond it's usefulness.

Seth Brundle

agreed

-Chris-

Sorry for replying after the lock, but I want to address this.

BigEejit wrote: »

Nice .... .... especially the "that's hardly a fair or enlightened attitude" bit after the veiled threat.

And from a mod no less. :pac:

With my mod hat on, if I have a problem with what someone posts, I'll PM them to get clarification or I'll infract on thread if I think there's no ambiguity.

Otherwise I'm just talking as me. There was no "threat from a mod" intended here.