Buying new car - am I being conned?

Mothyman
Mothyman Posts: 655
edited September 2010 in The bottom bracket
A non-cycling question if I may..... I have seen a used car registered June in an approved Audi dealership, test drove it, was told it was manager's special, agreed a price, paid a deposit and went home satisfied.
My other half said how many owners? I said - 'just the manager...I think'. But its less than 3 months old and the wife thought they couldn't sell ex-Demos within 3 months of new.
She thinks its been sold as new, been in a prang and returned and now I am 3rd owner.

Any advice on how to reassure us before the car is delivered?
Thanks for any advice

Comments

  • tebbit
    tebbit Posts: 604
    Can you get a HPI check on it? I believe they will have the records of previous owners and the like.
  • bexley5200
    bexley5200 Posts: 692
    get an AA inspection on it
    going downhill slowly
  • izza
    izza Posts: 1,561
    Get the dealership to confirm it in writing - ex demo and no accidents at all.
  • marky-p
    marky-p Posts: 43
    they could have registered it back in june to get there sales figures up for the month.
    this could be them moving the cars around on the forecourt, then offering a good deal in order to sell it

    if any doubt ask to see the reg documents. shoud have number of previous owners on the front page.

    or text my text check
    83600 with car reg.

    thsi will tell you, make model, owners, and any history the car has
  • Chrissz
    Chrissz Posts: 727
    HPI check NOW!!!

    No way would I buy another motor without on e (once bitten etc.).
    http://coastalcommando.wordpress.com/
  • Mothyman
    Mothyman Posts: 655
    thanks so far fellas....am looking into some of your tips as we post.....

    are any HPI checks free?
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Ask the dealer to do the HPI check, if they won't, that's all you need to know...

    It is actually common practice to pre-register cars to achieve sales figures, but don't rely on that, get the HPI.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    edited September 2010
    . .
  • Mothyman
    Mothyman Posts: 655
    i did the HPI check...all ok, but I dont have the reg document yet...otherwise all ok so far....
  • KINGGARY
    KINGGARY Posts: 89
    This is most probably a pre registered car to allow the dealership to hit their higher sales margins.
    Dealers earn more money proportionally based on the number of units they move in a set period.
    Ie first 10 units sold they may be awarded £200 by the manufacturer however if they move 20 units they may get £400 per unit.
    Dealers will therefore register cars to meet the higher reward scale and may even sell at a loss.
    All a hpi report will show is outstanding finance or entry of miaftr register as a total loss
    A dealer is not allowed to sell a car under either of these conditions.
    I
  • Mothyman
    Mothyman Posts: 655
    many thanks fellas (or gals)
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    someone I work with bought a car in similar circumstances, it recently went in to another audi garage for warranty work - 'sorry we aren't going to fix the car it's had bodywork done' 'er what bodywork' turns out the car had been front ended during the delivery miles (first 250odd miles)
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    I think there is some VAT scam to do with it being charged differently on second hand cars. I could be totally wrong here, but my old neighbour worked for BMW and used to have a different one every week. He told me he was just putting enough miles on it so that it could be sold as second hand, no VAT due, but the price was only 10% cheaper, so the dealer is quids in.
    The Master
    The Moser
    The VN
  • andy162
    andy162 Posts: 634
    If it's an "Approved Used" Audi it'll have squeeky clean history. The pack that you'll get will have paperwork in it with mileage & history checks/guarantees. You'll also have the option to return the car with no obligation provided you've covered less than 1k miles & you've had the car less than a month.

    It sounds like a pre-reg demonstrator. The Dealerships register plenty of cars so that punters can test drive them. These are usually driven by the sales/service team until they are sold.Mrs Andy works for BMW, she keeps her cars until it's covered 5k. Then it goes into the dealer network.
  • dilemna
    dilemna Posts: 2,187
    Errr ......... you are spending how much on a new or newish car and you ask for a free HPI check ................................. :lol: Caveat Emptor.

    If a deal seems to be too good to be true it generally is. I bet in a few weeks time you will have discovered you have bought a lemon or you have found there is something dodgy with it and will be trying to get rid of it, trying to sell it onto some other unsuspecting poor sod. I mean ............ free HPI check :roll: .
    Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
    Think how stupid the average person is.......
    half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
  • Mothyman
    Mothyman Posts: 655
    dilemna wrote:
    Errr ......... you are spending how much on a new or newish car and you ask for a free HPI check ................................. :lol: Caveat Emptor.

    If a deal seems to be too good to be true it generally is. I bet in a few weeks time you will have discovered you have bought a lemon or you have found there is something dodgy with it and will be trying to get rid of it, trying to sell it onto some other unsuspecting poor sod. I mean ............ free HPI check :roll: .


    i wanted it free because i have no credit card with me and wanted to do it on line immediately...but I shall donate 20 quid to charity for having the audacity to ask... :wink::lol:
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    dilemna wrote:
    Errr ......... you are spending how much on a new or newish car and you ask for a free HPI check ................................. :lol: Caveat Emptor.

    If a deal seems to be too good to be true it generally is. I bet in a few weeks time you will have discovered you have bought a lemon or you have found there is something dodgy with it and will be trying to get rid of it, trying to sell it onto some other unsuspecting poor sod. I mean ............ free HPI check :roll: .
    Dilemma, it is quite appropriate to get a free HPI, many car dealers supply this as a matter of course!
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    I bought a 'pre owned' Ford some years back. Had 523 miles on it. Had a registered keeper.

    Was told it was VAT thing to sell as used. I saved about £3000 on the new price.

    Along time back my dad used to drive Fords around the the Dagenham site to put mileage on cars.
  • marky-p
    marky-p Posts: 43
    if u text my text check
    83600
    with car reg. they'll tell you everything you need to know.
  • johnbips
    johnbips Posts: 1
    It's all about HPI checking. And then call dealer for it.. Just try it.
    All the Best
    Sahara
  • Stewie Griffin
    Stewie Griffin Posts: 4,330
    Are you a used car salesman in an audi dealership? :?
  • Evil Laugh
    Evil Laugh Posts: 1,412
    You may find you can get a better deal new due to finance campaigns and deposit contributions. I'm trying to get a new Audi ATM. I can't order one due to the lead times being so long on the car (a6 avant multi sline se) that the finance expires before the car is built. I looked into getting a nearly new and it always worked out much more expensive on the repayments and deposit so I'm waiting for the lead-times to drop so I can order new.

    I'm finding http://www.stablevehiclecontracts.co.uk/ really good on new prices. They have stock cars (0-3 months delivery), i'm being picky on the extras so no good to me but the prices are good, way cheaper than my local Audi dealer by about 25% on the monthly with less deposit too.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    anyone who's ever bought a new car has been conned. if you drove 300 yards and took it back youd loose a lot of cash.
  • TwistedSpirit
    TwistedSpirit Posts: 79
    rake wrote:
    anyone who's ever bought a new car has been conned. if you drove 300 yards and took it back youd loose a lot of cash.

    As soon as you have paid for it you have lost 17.5% of its value as you have paid the VAT on a new unit!
  • Evil Laugh
    Evil Laugh Posts: 1,412
    rake wrote:
    anyone who's ever bought a new car has been conned. if you drove 300 yards and took it back youd loose a lot of cash.

    Buying a new car is a transparent transaction so how exactly is anyone being conned?

    Does this apply to any item we buy new, or just cars?

    I'd say buying a used car leaves you far more likely to be conned.
  • Mothyman
    Mothyman Posts: 655
    ...update...i did the check and it came out clean....car bought and driven 1000 miles...very happy with it....(althought they had repaired a chip in windscreen and hadnt told me...no big deal but i looked a prat when i called the windscreen people out to fix it and he said it had already been done)..... thanks for your contributions............
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    Evil Laugh wrote:
    rake wrote:
    anyone who's ever bought a new car has been conned. if you drove 300 yards and took it back youd loose a lot of cash.

    Buying a new car is a transparent transaction so how exactly is anyone being conned?

    Does this apply to any item we buy new, or just cars?

    I'd say buying a used car leaves you far more likely to be conned.
    it does apply to nearly everything, but given the long lived nature of cars buying 1 or two years old wont have anymore risk than driving a new one for 1 or 2 years. the first 100 miles of a new car costs you thousands of pounds. in fact any manufacturing faults are likely to show up shortly after new. there is an element of tried and tested.

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