Tried to buy new car for relative.

Frontstep

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,436
Your Mercedes
T210 320cdi
A very frustrating weekend visited many showrooms and was amazed at the apathy, the lack of basic knowledge,the grubby places and the staff !!!!!
With a multi million pound investment how can the companies be so lax ?
The brief was for an easy access small new car.
Mind numbing websites, well meaning but untrained staff, expecting you to buy the car without driving it, how can it be made so difficult ?
 

Bolide

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2002
Messages
3,294
Reaction score
4
Website
www.w124.co.uk
Your Mercedes
BMW 525 Diesel Touring
Why buy new? You're just funding immediate depreciation. I think you'll find vendors of used cars very motivated at present

Nick Froome
 
OP
F

Frontstep

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,436
Your Mercedes
T210 320cdi
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
I agree,
but its not me paying, they have never had a new car and want one.
 

taxii

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
112
Reaction score
0
Age
55
Location
Bristol
Your Mercedes
c200, 1996, 2000
I don't think you can beat the feeling of driving a newly registered car and I even know from experience that new cars a very rarely new. Iv'e only ever had one in my life and it was only a vectra but was still a fab feeling. The depreciation shouldn't be a massive issue on a small car as on the used market the price is going up on them.
 

Bolide

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2002
Messages
3,294
Reaction score
4
Website
www.w124.co.uk
Your Mercedes
BMW 525 Diesel Touring
The depreciation shouldn't be a massive issue on a small car

Well you lose the 20% VAT the instant you sign on the dotted line. 20% depreciation not enough for you? Drive it out of the showroom...

If someone is determined to throw their money away please do explain the figures to them before they commit. If they are buying a car out of taxed income they have to weigh the intangible "new car feeling" against the many thousands of pounds they will lose in the first year

Nick Froome
 
Last edited:
OP
F

Frontstep

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,436
Your Mercedes
T210 320cdi
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
For the situation they are in the money really is not of primary concern.
Getting a new car they hoped would be easier.
 

Corned

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Messages
1,470
Reaction score
5
Age
121
Location
East Midlands
Your Mercedes
2005 S211 E320CDI Avantgarde
If they are cash buyers, they represent the very worst kind of customer prospect for a car dealership these days, as I understand it.

Now, if they wanted the car on finance, with insurance, gap insurance, paint protection, interior protection, window protection, tyre protection, key protection, payment protection, or anything else completely unnecessary and at 15% APR or greater, then the sales automatons would be all ears, I'm sure.

What about drive the deal?
 
Last edited:

rf065

Senior Member
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
3,518
Reaction score
996
Location
Grossbritannien
Your Mercedes
SLC300 - C250d Estate 4 Matic & Z900rs
For the situation they are in the money really is not of primary concern.
Getting a new car they hoped would be easier.

How easy do they want it? You are doing all the work for them? :confused:

Russ
 
OP
F

Frontstep

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,436
Your Mercedes
T210 320cdi
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
A lot of ill health is a driver and they needed answers to some very very simple questions.
I found it very frustrating and could not have sat there as a salesperson not knowing the answers and seemingly not caring.
They are good customers in that they would have emptied the options list but as said they wouldn't provide the finance kick back.
 

Mic

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
4,271
Reaction score
130
Age
74
Location
Oxfordshire
Website
www.bennettgibbons.co.uk
Your Mercedes
MB SL500(2003), MB SLK320(2001), Volvo V70 XC AWD(2001)
A very frustrating weekend visited many showrooms and was amazed at the apathy, the lack of basic knowledge,the grubby places and the staff !!!!!
With a multi million pound investment how can the companies be so lax ?
The brief was for an easy access small new car.
Mind numbing websites, well meaning but untrained staff, expecting you to buy the car without driving it, how can it be made so difficult ?

Always been the same in my limited experience of researching the possibility of buying a new car. The worst for me was Humphries when looking for a car for my daughter.......all sales personnel in a sales meeting and therefore far too busy to attend to me......a potential customer. I never darkened their door again.

Mic
 

Rory

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
5,016
Reaction score
233
Location
Cheshire, UK
Your Mercedes
2005 C270CDi Avantgarde Estate. Bought 2005, sold 2022.
Well you lose the 20% VAT the instant you sign on the dotted line.

That's not correct! Where on earth does that absurd assertion come from?

VAT is an intrinsic part of the price and stays in the price for the life of the car. It depreciates at the same rate as the rest of the price of the car.


It's up there with "garages are legally obliged to give 3 months warranty" that you see almost daily on car forums.
 

rf065

Senior Member
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
3,518
Reaction score
996
Location
Grossbritannien
Your Mercedes
SLC300 - C250d Estate 4 Matic & Z900rs
That's not correct! Where on earth does that absurd assertion come from?

VAT is an intrinsic part of the price and stays in the price for the life of the car. It depreciates at the same rate as the rest of the price of the car.


It's up there with "garages are legally obliged to give 3 months warranty" that you see almost daily on car forums.

If a brand new car leaves the showroom, would the garage buy it back from you the next day giving you a price that is more than they could buy the same model new for themselves?
Remember, they will not pay VAT on buying a new car in, so why would they pay you more than the price of a new car to them when yours is now second hand?

Russ
 
OP
F

Frontstep

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,436
Your Mercedes
T210 320cdi
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
The Law, Sale of Goods Act 2003 (it came in following a 1999 EU directive! )
places the burden of 6 months on the supplying dealer to disprove faults or likelyhood of failure, after that it reverts to the buyer as with most things that isn't easy to prove either way many times.
The issue of VAT is like most tax not simple, the tax is a transaction tax and has its own rules which if you are bored are available from here
http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vat/leaflets/vat-and-vrt-on-motor-vehicles.html
 

Bolide

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2002
Messages
3,294
Reaction score
4
Website
www.w124.co.uk
Your Mercedes
BMW 525 Diesel Touring
For most people, purchase cost less sale price = depreciation. You lose the VAT when you buy a new car. I call it depreciation, you can call it whatever you like. You still lose 20% - or, as we are being pedantic, you lose the VAT element which is 16.6% of the purchase price. You also lose the special car tax (if that still applies) and all the "on the road" costs

Asserting that "VAT is an intrinsic part of the price" doesn't affect the reality of the situation. Sell that car back to the dealer the next day and the VAT element is lost to the government. You may say that's not depreciation but I think the person who has just lost the money might disagree

Nick Froome
 

Wheel

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2010
Messages
288
Reaction score
0
Location
Hampshire
Website
oldmusicvideos.blogspot.com
Your Mercedes
Mercedes B200 Sport
Some of the posters on this thread are as bad as the dealer staff that Frontstep has been complaining about!

Not everyone seems to be listening to what Frontstep has to say about the requirements, experience and situation. Let's not labour over the rights and wrongs of buying a new car, but instead focus on the car purchasing experience.

I have to say, four of the five cars I've ever owned I bought from a dealer. One of those was brand new. I have to say the experience varied wildly between dealers, even the same dealer depending on the day of the week. From my personal experience, it seems that lazy Sunday afternoons are the best. Forget the midweek drudgery of the 9-5, staff who are there day in day out really don't seem to give a toss.
 

Bolide

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2002
Messages
3,294
Reaction score
4
Website
www.w124.co.uk
Your Mercedes
BMW 525 Diesel Touring
I suggest the OP finds a car sourcing company to help find a suitable vehicle. They should be better-motivated than random dealers

Nick Froome
 
OP
F

Frontstep

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,436
Your Mercedes
T210 320cdi
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #17
You are probably right someone with a few more brain cells who can answer such mind boggling questions such as;
Can you get a height adjustable seat with that model ?
Can a space saver spare wheel be supplied ?
When can I get one ?
 

Rory

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
5,016
Reaction score
233
Location
Cheshire, UK
Your Mercedes
2005 C270CDi Avantgarde Estate. Bought 2005, sold 2022.
Remember, they will not pay VAT on buying a new car in,

Really? How on earth does a business buy things without paying VAT?
 

Rory

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
5,016
Reaction score
233
Location
Cheshire, UK
Your Mercedes
2005 C270CDi Avantgarde Estate. Bought 2005, sold 2022.
Asserting that "VAT is an intrinsic part of the price" doesn't affect the reality of the situation.

Depends on the car. Sure, a nearly new one will often be priced a lot lower than brand-new but it's got absolutely nothing to do with VAT. It's simply supply & demand.

For the next 12 months you could almost certainly sell one of the new model Range Rovers back to the dealer for more than you paid for it.
 

Blobcat

Moderator
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Messages
38,782
Reaction score
27,419
Location
Grange Moor
Your Mercedes
R171 SLK280, Smart R451, Land Rover 110 County SW, 997 C2S, R1250 GSA TE 40th, CBR600FP
In my experience doing your research ahead of time is never wasted effort. Whilst manufacturers websites are of varying quality and usefulness it is always a good place to start. Most of them have car building areas where you can look at specifications etc and short list a few models that you're really interested in.

Then do a search on that car on the used areas or on drivethedeal and see what offers you can find. Then turn up at the dealer and see what they can do against what you're after, just don't take whatever they've got sat on the forecourt...
 

You lost your key ? Or maybe you need a spare! Your vehicle imobilliser does not respond anymore? WE CAN FIX THEM ALL !! Mobile ! Save Time and Increase Profits With us !
Top Bottom