..... with my sister-in-law. We went to see this
She'd already had a drive of it the other day & just wanted me to hold her hand in the sales office. List price was actually £8995, the sales man had already prepared a sales sheet with added Scotchguard for the interior upholstery at about £300 same with exterior paint for a similar price, he'd also included the trade in value for her 51 plate Fiat Bravo/Brava of £100  (she'd get that scrap). On top of the screen price there was £30 for road tax and £100 for their 'admin charge!  When questioned about this addition, he reckoned that 'every one' did this these days! Has any one here ever come across this when buying a car from a large/main dealer?
We/I fcuked him off for the the upholstery & paint guard and told him that she'd sell her car herself & when asked how much we/she were/was prepared to pay I suggested £8750 all in. So we then went through the charade of him going upstairs to check with his boss and eventually coming back to say that all he could go down to was £8925 which sister-in-law decided was what she'd be prepared to go to and 'shook on it'. He disappeared upstairs again to sort out the paperwork but quickly came back down again ......... he'd fcuked up & £8925 included the £100 trade in value. Your mistake I said ...... either she gets the car at £8925 or we walk, so off upstairs he goes - you've 5 mins I said - comes back down & says 'sorry, but he won't accept that', so we walked.
We got half an hour away, almost home, an her mobile rang. Guess who!  She could have the car at £8925 after all!
Why can't we buy a car at nearly screen price without all the pantomime of the sales rep going back & forth upstairs to gain approval for negligible discount? 

Just as well you were there Andy....
Funnily enough I have just been talking with Master Vamps, he has been looking around the Internet for insurance and is wanting to buy a new car, possibly on finance, I am trying to talk him out of that, the main point I was trying to get across was NOT to agree or sign to anything without taking me with him...

Insurance for him, at 19 with 2 years ncb has tumbled to sub £1k for sensible cars, according to him....

Vamps wrote on 04. Aug 2011 at 23:51:


It's probably a good idea for all of us to take someone 'neutral' when we buy a car to help us look passed the bull$hit from the sales staff.

We were talking to a young lad a work the other day about car insurance. He's about 18 and had paid £3800  on his Corsa ........ he crashed it within 6 weeks of buying the car! 

Funnily enough I've been playing with dealers today too, although buying commercial you don't get as much of a run around

I do have to carry on shopping around though

Lazydocker wrote on 05. Aug 2011 at 00:12:


Presumably you know the 'tricks of the trade' 

Andy B wrote on 05. Aug 2011 at 00:17:


Indeed, but similar mistakes can still be made, My Mig, and I looked around, was perfect on paper and in practice, but in real life was a different story.....still, we live and learn..... 

Thats what happens when you have these larger groups who employ children as sales staff.

I have to say, I would have been looking for more cash off that price to as its a close to base spec astra of the old type.

Marks DTM Calib wrote on 05. Aug 2011 at 08:13:
He wasn't very old. 

Marks DTM Calib wrote on 05. Aug 2011 at 08:13:
It was her money, and as it was sprung on me to have a look at this specific car I didn't really have the chance to compare other cars & prices. She was happy so that's all that matters.