Dealership messing me around, suggestions?

SiD the Turtle · 1 Jul 2009 at 08:35

I've been looking for an up to three year old Focus and spotted a well looked after 2007 Focus Titanium in a local dealership. The car checks out fine with no issues, only it had a price tag of £8495, which is a bit pricey.

On the dealer's website they mentioned they're doing a scrappage-esque deals on buying used cars and as I have a 10 year old Clio I took it along. They valued it at £1300 and so after haggling, including £1300 for my Clio we agreed on £7000 for the car. I put down my deposit and am waiting on them to fix a problem with the cup holder no less and a few other minor things before I buy it outright.

Now here's where it gets interesting. I remembered I saw another Focus Titanium on their website a few days prior and just checked it again- it's the same car listed online for £8000, £500 less than on the forecourt. Debates have ensued but they will not budge on the price, this means they're getting my old car for £800, where comparable Clios of my spec and mileage on Autotrader are going for £1000-£1300.

So good people of OcUK what would you do? My options are to get them to sell it to me for £8000 and then sell the Clio privately (had good interest so far), shut up and get on with the current deal or walk away, queuing a protracted argument on getting my deposit back.

SoliD · 1 Jul 2009 at 08:38

Have you paid a deposit? If not walk away and get another Focus, go private if you can as you will get more for your money and as its a relatively new car it will still have some outstanding warranty so will be safe for a bit.

Tute · 1 Jul 2009 at 10:30

I'd just sell the Clio privately if you can't get your deposit back.

Durzel · 1 Jul 2009 at 11:10

Not quite sure how you've reached the conclusion that because they're listing it for £8k that automatically means you're only getting £800 for yours.

For starters the valuation of your Clio is just that, a valuation. It may be worth more to you or to a private buyer than a dealer. They have to ultimately resell your car to recoup the additional money off they are giving you off the Focus. Bear in mind also that when they come to resell your Clio they'll again be haggled down on the window price.

If the ticket price is £8495 and they're prepared to part-exchange your Clio with it for £7000, then whichever way you slice it your Clio represents £1495 off the price. Taking the website advertised price of £8000 and disregarding that this price probably represents a non-partexchange price, that values your Clio at £1000?

So what's the problem?

Fr0dders · 1 Jul 2009 at 11:14

they reduced it by £500 on-line to try and shift it

but now somebody has walked onto the forecourt willing to pay the sticker price. They're only not budging because they think they can sell it at that price.

Tell them to knock another £500 off it or you'll walk. If they say "walk" do so and look elsewhere. They're trying to limit their losses as much as possible and trying to call your bluff

If you cant find another one elsewhere, make sure you take a note of the salesmans names before you leave. Ring up a week later and make sure you speak to somebody different. Ask about the internet price and take it from there. They will twig when they come to value your exchange, but if you sound all interested on the phone, the guy may just get excited enough to forget about it and want to make his numbers up.

bledd · 1 Jul 2009 at 11:24

sound advice from MrLOL

also, try the old.. put your hand out to offer a handshake, he may crumble and shake your hand

if he leaves you hanging.. might as well cut off your willy

SiD the Turtle · 1 Jul 2009 at 11:56

Thanks guys. I should clarify why I mentioned £800. After offering me £1.3k for my car when doing the paper work they said they said they didn't want to list the part-exchange price on the paperwork as 1.3k so knocked the sticker price to 8k and wrote the car down as £800, hence still getting 1.3k off for my car.

Durzel said:
So what's the problem?

Well that's half why I posted, to gauge what other people think of the deal.

Scrutinize · 1 Jul 2009 at 12:37

To be honest your clio is probably only worth 800-900 quid trade if that so they have taken account of all of this in the sale price.

I don't actually think you are getting a bad deal. I bet if you went in with the car at 8k they would have given you 1k for the clio.

The cost to change @ 7k is likely to have remained unchanged no matter how you entered the deal.

leaskovski · 1 Jul 2009 at 12:53

heh? If they agreed 7k with you, and you have paid a deposit, how are they backing out of that deal?? Was that not on paper?