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I'm in the process of buying a 2nd hand car and trading mine in.
I've been through the haggling process and paid the deposit and I'm just waiting for the car to be ready to collect.
It occurs to me that he didn't really ask much about my car. I pointed out a couple of bodywork issues and mentioned that I've replaced a few wear and tear bits, and that on the whole it's been reliable (in so much that it's never left me stood at the side of the road waiting for the AA man).
He had a quick walk around the car and started it up, but didn't really ask much about it... Off the top of my head, the rear wiper doesn't work, the passenger window can't be opened from the driver-side controls and it occasionally shows an engine management light (wiring glitch - it's done it intermittently for the 8 years I've had it, and if it was actually the problem that the error code says it is, the car wouldn't start - it does and runs fine).
I'm typically an overly honest person, and the only reason I didn't mention at the time is that I was caught up in "new-car-shiney-shiney" - I don't buy cars too often, I guess I assumed there'd be a point where he'd want to know more about the car.
As such I'm now losing sleep... WWSTWD?
Dealer's the pro and will no doubt just move it on at auction so I'd not fret if they haven't.
it'll probably be heading to auction before the engine is cold.
You allowed them to inspect the car before they did the deal.
Don’t worry about it.
Sleep the undisturbed sleep of the righteous
yep, dealer just needs to think he can drive it to his yard. From there it will be bulk sold to auction traders who move on truck loads of trade-ins.
There is no dilemma here - part ex it and move on!
Less charitably, **** 'em cos they'd **** you.
(once had a colleague who traded in her Rover 220D to a main dealer - the turbo had completely gone on her car and the dealer actually drove it before agreeing the - really decent amount - trade-in. Once she'd done the deal and collected her new wheels, it emerged that the new car didn't have its radio code so she had to go back in and ask for it. She said afterwards that daggers were everywhere in the showroom)
The dealer will have stiffed you in exactly the same way so call it quits 🙂
Mate's wife destroyed an A3's diesel engine. As it was rolling to a halt she freewheeled onto a vauxhall forecourt. Traded it in on the spot for an Astra and drove out. Dealer never even fired the A3 up.
The price they give you factors in this kind of thing. Rest assured your trade in will be safely on a transporter to bargain basement auction land before you get your new car home. In some cases they are driven straight to the scrappy despite appearing on paper as being worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
OP, i did this very thing this week. collected new S/H car on Monday night. The weekend before, the dealer had a look around our old car for about 3 minutes and offered us a really fair price we could work with. Car has electrical problems (that weren't disclosed), high milage and a stoved in door and sills, and only one key (wasnt bought with two) - no questions asked and i naturally kept quiet about known mechanical issues. All sorted. Nothing to worry about id say.
in my limited experience with car purchases -there is no place for morals if going via a dealer on the second hand market. Honest up to a point, as others allude to above. They all work to high volume low margin as i understand it, so I'd only have a sweat on if it was a private sale- not something id ever consider anyway so...
He had a quick walk around the car and started it up
Did he scratch his chin and kick the tyres? If so, he's seen enough! 🙂
Our Galaxy was traded. They offered to beat WeBuyAnyCar - and did. They 'paid' £1550.
This was for a 12 year old, 178k car. It had scratches and some rust starting to bubble above windscreen and on boot. It had a clutch that had done 128k. It needed major service, suspension bushings replacing front and rear, slight blow in the exhaust from catalytic section, turbo had dropped into limp mode twice, one door just didn't lock, electrics had started being 'fun' at times - occasional dash blank and flicker to headlights, original DPF and EGR (I had cleaned EGR once when we got it), needed four new tyres, discs and pads all round, interior looked like it had been used to transport mountainbikes, canoes and family and had been slept in occasionally. We had drowned one key.
Then on the way to collect new car and hand that one in, the engine warning light came on.
Basically it was goosed.
I was honest - started to tell them about it. They basically went "shhhh" and took the key.
Don't worry about it.
when I bought my last car, the dealer said he'd give me a better price if I didn't trade in my knackered old audi...
I helped my father in law buy a second hand car from a local dealer.
Pick up time was Saturday AM and I had an upset father in law on the phone Friday night "we wont be able to get the new car tomorrow - someones stolen my old one!"
Why someone would steal an old very high mileage battered Mondeo was beyond me - but I had a chat with the dealer and asked how much he could reduce the new car by as he no longer had to dispose of the Mondeo - £500 off!
Needless to say my father in law was ecstatic going from no new car to a better deal!
It just shows the mechanics of selling a car are not always obvious to the public.
Thanks for the, 100% one sided responses*, much appreciated.
My main concern (other than lack of honesty) is along the lines of what "Rich_s" says - it comes with a warranty, so if I have to go back for any reason it could be awkward...
* What?! Not even one sanctimonious, judgemental response where the full OP clearly hasn't been read. This place is slipping 😉
By the time you have to use your warranty the salesman will either have moved on, or you'll have appeared in their list of prospective new leads to call up.
Thankfully my youngest bro-in-law is my fiat dealer. I see his extension ring me around august or february and I get ready with the tirade of $£"% offs!
By the time you have to use your warranty the salesman will either have moved on, or you’ll have appeared in their list of prospective new leads to call up
It's a smaller independent 2nd hand car dealer, not a main dealer, think it's been the same blokes running it for years.
As above there were many things wrong with my last motor when I traded it in but the sales drone was more concerned with the parking scuff on the rear bumper. I noticed afterwards it had been MOTd so god help whoever bought it
By the same token another trade-in was cosmetically sound and had no obvious problems but had been mercilessly thrashed all its life and needed at least new brakes, suspension, tyres, a battery and an MOT. Imagine my surprise when I saw it going the other way having been valeted and MOTd, driven by a stereotypical young mum with two kids in the back.
Car dealers just don't care
So, there is plenty of experiences being posted here, however I think it’s worth chipping in with some experience of the other side. So you should be presented with a purchase invoice at point of collection and an order form which you sign. This will stipulate to the ‘best of your knowledge’ that your car has no major mechanical faults, subject to finance, been written off etc. Now you are under similar obligations as the dealer in that if you are aware of the fault your should declare it. That said you could argue you were not aware, but if a management light is on a dashboard it’s hard to argue. Main dealers, by in large will be disposing of your px. If it’s a retailable car they may trade it on. If it’s a vehicle of low value it’s unlikely they will chase you, however if the car is of a greater value then they may put a call in to you. To the point many, many years ago when I worked in dealerships we used to take a holding fee from the customer because they ‘forgot’ my spare key. On the understanding that they would get the money back when they delivered the key...this rarely happened. If it’s a small independent dealer then you may well get a call about faults. The chances are through they will not follow through and there certainly will not be any shitty solicitors letters. Ultimately you gave him the option to view, test drive and make an assumption of the vehicle value based on his assessment. He decided not to. Caveat emptor applies.
Mrs B was trading in a wasted Ford Focus at a Vauxhall dealers. The day before the trade the Focus's clutch totally blew, and it couldn't be driven. She rang the dealership and was told 'if you can get it here, all is good'. So towed it in, and she drove off in new car. I wouldn't worry.
Car dealers just don’t care
Sounds to me like it’s the customers whom are just as bad as the dealers and don’t care to be honest.
Traded in a Ford Focus with a leaking No.3 injector (turbo failure imminent) and thermostat jammed open, dealers were such a bunch of sharks that I had no qualms.
however I think it’s worth chipping in with some experience of the other side.
Nah. Sorry, it's not.
😉
Look at it this way.
It's not a private sale to someone who knows nothing about cars, of whom you may be "taking advantage of." It's going to a dealer who will either be mechanically minded or have a tame mechanic on standby. It's well within their remit to do a full mechanical appraisal of your old car, or not, as they choose. They have given it whatever inspection they feel is required before offering you a discount, which is probably the same discount you'd have haggled if you'd part-exed a cheese sandwich.
As others have said, it'll be in an auction house before the engine is cold, and it'll then be someone else's problem. Buyer beware, zero shits given by the dealer.
In any case, the faults you've listed are bog all in the grand scheme of things. If I bought a ten year old car and the only faults were a couple of minor wiring issues that'd take ten minutes to fix by a competent spark then I'd be chuffed to mintballs.
think it’s been the same blokes running it for years.
Well then it looks like he knows what he's doing
Just to point out, the OP has posted out the dealer is a small local independent. Which means whatever the PX is it won’t be going to auction. It’s veey, very rare for small traders to sell stuff through the block nowadays. Main dealer yep, it probably will but used car independent...nah
the 8 years I’ve had it
so how old is it?
11 years+? scrap value only? do small dealers do cars that old?
I spent money on getting a car to a decent standard for sale once (admittedly aiming at private sale). A dealer bought it and DNGAF about the trouble/expense I'd gone to. Not sure what his 'onward' plans were but hey-ho. I won't be doing it again if expecting it to go to/via a dealer.
so how old is it?
14 years old and of Italian origin...
14 years old and of Italian origin…
Berlusconi's new girlfriend?
My BIL PX'ed his Astra SRI last year. It had never missed a beat, got in it that morning to collect the new car, it wouldn't start ! 🙂
Berlusconi’s new girlfriend?
You win the Internet for today, go home.
I had the jack, wheel brace and space saver wheel out of my old car.
From the other side of the fence, dealers expect trade-in's to be basically knackered if of low value, but if you are trading in a 10k + car then I would expect them to check it properly, it's sad to say but salesmen don't care as they have basically been given permission to give X for your car, all they care about is the commission check at the end of the month. Now if you move to a small independent they they should care, but if they don't ask the questions or inspect the car then you're all clear, basically if you don't lie then you're fine.
Oh, & just so all of you stiff the dealers types know, i have seen far more dishonest customers than dealers (mainly as the law is behind the consumer so its not worth trying to truly stiff someone as a dealer), some of the outstanding ones were removing the rearview mirror & dipping the wing mirrors in the hope of me not noticing the clouds of blue smoke from the engine, another that claimed not to know a car had missing chassis numbers even though he was told by another dealer I knew months beforehand.
Some of the stories from the workshop make us laugh a lot, the most common one being since you serviced my car I have had X fault, normally nothing to do with a service but insistent it has only been happening since, IE my window doesn't work since you serviced the car 🙂 , or how about my ABS light has now come on since you serviced my car, oh ok let me plug that into the diagnostics for you sir, oh I see that the fault has occurred & been reset 15 times already, do **** off!
😉
I traded my old van in against a new (but pre registered) replacement. Was honest and told him the engine was ****ed. He said if I started it he would take it and gave me £750 on a new van that was already £7k under the RRP. It started.
He was still making plenty on the deal I'm sure.