Thank you, Mr Darling
- Thread starter [TW]Fox
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I doubt they do anything to the bodywork unless it has a big scrape down the side. Tyres they rarely change - ours has Michelins on the front, Bridgestones on the back, the Bridgestones were at 3.1mm so of course were not changed.
I got them to do a coolant and brake fluid change in addition to the Inspection II they'd already done as it was due within a month but they'd not have done it had I not asked, when I turned up to test drive the car it was, as far as they were concerned, fully 'prepped'.
The price was great so I wasn't arsed but it was clear that most of the stock on the forecourt was similar in terms of condition - just your average used cars BUT with a cast iron warranty. It's the warranty that adds the value because condition wise the stock isn't really any better than the same aged car from a private seller.
Our cars are prepped to a high standard. I find it hard to believe that your car is of a similar standard to what we sell fox. Then again you are not the average motorist. You are a car enthusiast who is anal to the extreme.
As for recon-costs stuff like tyres have a tiny markup. If the said M3 has 4 tyres less than 3mm on them then that costs us £700, pads and discs are a huge cost aswell.
As for recon-costs stuff like tyres have a tiny markup. If the said M3 has 4 tyres less than 3mm on them then that costs us £700, pads and discs are a huge cost aswell.
This much is true but then I bought it off a regular guy... well perhaps not given he washed it weekly and always parked in the corner of carparks but thats not the point. The bigger point was that the last AUC car had the odd scratch here and there, few chips in the paintwork, etc etc - just like any other 4-5 year old used car with average mileage on it. I mentioned it as part of the negotiation process but got the same old 'its used not new sir' you get from any dealer.
Sounds like you are one of the few BMW dealers who does prep your AUC cars to the standard most people would expect. Most of the others don't do this, which is I guess why they tend to AUC most things that get traded in with a BMW badge on the back. Even now I just found a 2000 735i, E38, on the AUC site.
Pads and discs are NOT a huge cost - service might tell you that its a huge cost, and they probably bill you internally at huge costs, but the markup on BMW pads is enormous. You can get the same pads, yes, the SAME pads, on the aftermarket for half the price.
[TW]Fox;12461726 said:
I understand this 'wooden dollars' is a term I am more than familiar with in the motor trade.
At the moment there are huge losses made by most dealerships in the country.
Our group is very profitable because it is ran correctly others are not.
We just do not sell older cars it makes no sense to the sales dept as service and bodyshop rape us on recon costs.
[TW]Fox;12461726 said:
Maybe, but you have to remember it's not the dealership making the HUGE markup, it's BMW. They won't fit Jurid pads to your car, they will fit BMW pads to your car and buy them at the extorionate price.
BMW will sell parts to a dealer, the dealer will then go and sell the parts on to the trade at trade price or retail. The parts at dealers should be all the same price if you ring them up - retail price.
It's daft the way it works - everyone within the dealership is an internal customer, charged for work. They have the perfect opportunity to make good money selling slightly older cars, internal work carried out during slack periods in effect costs the dealership nothing - if they worked on this basis they could 'recon' a 2003 car for next to nothing.
totally agree, however I wasn't that bothered unless it was a real bargain
I did make it totally clear on firat phone call that it wasn't the fact that I was desperate for the car, more that I would have it if a great deal was available
I was entirely honest and the bloke at the dealer was polite,friendly and a decent bloke but the deal didn't suit both of us and we parted on friendly terms
I shall have a good look tomorrow my friend
Out of interest is your dealer one with a rather famous name? Just had a look at their AUC site and... 75% of the cars offered as used cars are 2007 or 2008 models! Talk about wanting an easy life
Never seen that before.They must surely all be ex-demo and ex-head office vehicles to get quite so many virtually new low mileage cars into AUC stock?
last service was insp2 and still 9k to next one ( perfect BMWFSH )
tyres 7mm front , 6mm rear
brakes, new discs and pads 18 months ago ( not perfect but all bar rear discs in great condition )
bodywork, top notch for age, unmarked wheels
all I am trying to say is that he knew all this and I said quote me subject to the above and if not as described feel free to pull out
think I was being fair
totally agree, however I wasn't that bothered unless it was a real bargain
I did make it totally clear on firat phone call that it wasn't the fact that I was desperate for the car, more that I would have it if a great deal was available
I was entirely honest and the bloke at the dealer was polite,friendly and a decent bloke but the deal didn't suit both of us and we parted on friendly terms
Thats the thing. If you didnt have a px then the Z4 looks crazy cheap due to the massive book drops big engined stuff have suffered lately. (the aformentioned M6 is being kicked 3k a month at the moment) Bring a big engined part ex into the equation and after your bid it seems like less of a deal. I am dealing with this everyday at the moment.
Today I had a lovely fella in wanting to buy his wife a new car and trade in his 05 2.5 x-type se with 10K on the clock, the car CAP averaged at 6K! he paid list of 29.5K 3 years ago. The best bid I could get from a trader was 5K. I felt awful bidding him. Thats the way stuff is at the moment.
[TW]Fox;12463254 said:Out of interest is your dealer one with a rather famous name? Just had a look at their AUC site and... 75% of the cars offered as used cars are 2007 or 2008 models! Talk about wanting an easy life
They must surely all be ex-demo and ex-head office vehicles to get quite so many virtually new low mileage cars into AUC stock?
Dont know how famous the name is like but we sponsor a rugby stadium if thats what you mean? ( I hate rugby and work in rugby central
)Totally agree, so should I wait 2 months
Seriously your argument is correct but from my point of view I will only swap for a superb deal, I love my current car and if I stick with it I will still be happy, it has only lost value if I get rid of it
That Z4 cant be there next week. surely someone will have bitten their hand off! The M6 may be harder to sell
I understand where you are coming from. but surely its the salesmans job to convince you otherwise
Totally agree, so should I wait 2 months
Seriously your argument is correct but from my point of view I will only swap for a superb deal, I love my current car and if I stick with it I will still be happy, it has only lost value if I get rid of it
I understand where you are coming from. but surely its the salesmans job to convince you otherwise
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Dont know how famous the name is like but we sponsor a rugby stadium if thats what you mean? ( I hate rugby and work in rugby central
Same name as an F1 team?
This must be a real problem for guys like you given most of BMW's products are 'big engined stuff'?
[TW]Fox;12463400 said:
Exactly. Thats why we are struggling with M6's but we can sell every efficient dynamics 4 cylinder 3 or 5 series we can get.
[TW]Fox;12463394 said:Same name as an F1 team?
I live on the same road as the liverpool branch of that franchise.
I work 20 miles away in warrington
at the end of the month I move dealerships to work 25 miles away in chester.
How clever am I?