buying a car in sunny downtown sydney... how??
February 16, 2010 2:21 AM   Subscribe

I've never bought a used car from a car dealership and have found one I like. And will probably try to buy it on Thursday. Can anyone tell me what the process is? Do you need the NRMA to inspect if it's from a dealer?

This one, in case you're interested. And how much of a discount can/should I ask for if I'm paying cash? Any and all tips for beginners are gratefully received. Thanks possums.
posted by taff to Shopping (5 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Yes, do get an inspection. We arranged to purchase subject to inspection by our car club (RACQ). No advice on the negotiation - we were totally unsuccessful.
posted by b33j at 3:39 AM on February 16, 2010


Best answer: "What's the best price you can do on this?" If it's not the price you want, just look at them and don't say anything - make them talk first. You've got to be prepared to walk, though. Last two times we bought in Canberra they knocked 10% off straight away; the second time we got 10% plus on road costs thrown in - then again, prices are higher here already.

Definitely get an NRMA inspection. It's less than 10 years old / 160K km so you'll get a three month / 5K km warranty, but why go through the hassle of trying to get warranty service when the inspection can pick up a show stopper before you buy?

One tip - if the inspection shows that repairs are needed, they'll offer you a cash discount. Don't take it - if you really want the car, make them fix it and offer a warranty on the repairs.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 3:57 AM on February 16, 2010


Come up with a final price which you are not willing to go over and stick to it. Remind yourself that there will always be other deals out there and if this one doesn't work out, that you have the confidence/ability to find the deal you want.

When I bought a used car, I researched how much the dealer likely paid for the trade in. Then, I investigated the dealers' typical resale price. With this information, I picked a price between the trade in value and the dealer value. At the end, I was able to purchase the car for the price I wanted. I was very firm that I would not go over that price and was prepared to walk if the dealer did not meet that price. During the negotiation, I also told them that the price I was talking about was the "out the door" price and would not be willing to pay more (ie the tax had to be included).

Be prepared for them to use hard sales techniques - like asking you to write down your final price so they can take it back to the manager for approval. Dealers think by having you write down the final price and sometimes providing a signature, you are more likely to purchase it. I just played along with their game and remained firm on my price.

Overall, the best advice I can give is that if they aren't willing to come down to a price you believe is fair, just walk away. There's always a better deal out there.
posted by parakeetdog at 1:13 PM on February 16, 2010


Best answer: Have a look at the Red Book range of prices for the car (it shows private sale ranges, and trade in ranges). Decide whether this particular car is a good example or a less good example of that particular model, and therefore where in the price bracket is is likely to fall. Consider exterior condition, interior condition, kms on the odometer, mechanical condition, service records. It is worth searching online for used car reviews and noting those things that they list as common faults for the vehicle, and checking the car for those items.

I am not sure what the deal is in NSW (compared to Vic), but at minimum, ask for the price to be the final price - that is, including all on-road costs (like stamp duty etc). If the car is fairly priced already, they may not budge on the price, but they might agree to make the sticker price the final price (this can save you hundreds of dollars in Vic).
posted by AnnaRat at 3:11 PM on February 16, 2010


Response by poster: Thank you everyone for your help. I had no success in negotiating a lower price... but I feel the car (NOT the one I linked to) was cheap anyway. I got it inspected by a mechanic and he gave me a few tips.

I made the dealer add two new tyres and pay the RTA tax thingy... oh, and when it only had one key, made him give me $100 towards a new key... but that was when I was thinking it was only $200 for a new key. HA! More like $500!

Anyhoo... thank you all so much for your help. You're champions. And Sue Baroo is a lovely little/big addition to our family.
posted by taff at 4:40 PM on February 23, 2010


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