Buying a new car on HJ's guidelines

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Thu 7 Feb 2008 19:15
Buying a new car on HJ's guidelines - AllTorque
Anyone used HJ's New Car buying formula to successfully negotiate a deal lately (take the best OTR price, then take away the road tax and veh reg fee, then knock off 15%)? If so which manufacturer? I may try this with Nissan or Hyundai shortly.

Also, anyone used Autoebid, a reverse auction house which charges a fee for its services?
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Thu 7 Feb 2008 19:43
Buying a new car on HJ's guidelines - Honestjohn
AllTorque has misquoted me. Here is what you will find in the 'New Cars' section:

If you are a good negotiator, during comparatively slack months such as December you might get 10% to 12% off 'list price'. The best way to achieve this is to know precisely what the 'on-the-road' price of the car should be, take off the cost of Vehicle Excise Duty and the £50 First Registration tax, then subtract 15% from the remainder. On the premise that 3%-5% profit is better than no profit at all, and the car is in stock, many dealers will play ball, particularly towards the end of the month.

On the other hand, where they have more customers than cars, they won't play this game. You are unlikely to get more than 4% or 5% off a car you have to order and then wait several months for.

HJ
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Thu 7 Feb 2008 20:01
Buying a new car on HJ's guidelines - Billy Whizz
So, HJ, are you saying that all dealers have the potential to make 15% on all cars?

edited for maths error!

Edited by Billy Whizz on 07/02/2008 at 20:04

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Sat 9 Feb 2008 21:32
Buying a new car on HJ's guidelines - AllTorque
Apols for seemingly misquoting this HJ - the question still applies though, as to how anyone has got on using the advice in earnest? As a layman, it's never easy taking on the dealers who only want to do business on their terms, as they all seem to take the hump that you don't find their first offer the best deal in the world! Any practical experiences to share will certainly help me, and probably others too.
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Sat 9 Feb 2008 22:55
Buying a new car on HJ's guidelines - hxj
My technique is:-

1. Decide exactly what you want, make, model, colour, extras

2. Research the price on the internet, decide what you will pay, and how you want to pay

3. Go to showroom 1, tell then exactly what you want, and that you want to buy today and that you have credit card for deposit today;

4. Wait for first offer, smile sweetly and say "so and so has it on the internet for X - will you match it?"

5. "yes" do the deal

6. "no" move on to the next one

You may need to go to half a dozen dealers but one has always bitten for me (four times now).

Walking can take a bit of nerve - but I always find that salesmen react better to a straight scenario than 'uming and ahhing"

Edited by hxj on 09/02/2008 at 22:57

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Sun 10 Feb 2008 00:12
Buying a new car on HJ's guidelines - ForumNeedsModerating
Walking can take a bit of nerve - but I always find that salesmen react better to a straight scenario than 'uming and ahhing"

Yes, I think they do - except, of course, if they're pursuing unrealistic (or optimistic) dealer targets. In a way, stating what you're willing to deal at takes the pressure off them - they suffer less torment when wondering what margin they could have made if you'd simply said "Yes!" to their first offer.
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