“Are you totally fixed on price”

[justlooking 48]

Me and the billy have been messaging back n forth regarding this particular car and the answer from me is “yes it is fixed”.

but I wanted your guys experience of how you answer this question. Is it a blanket “yes its fixed”.

Or do you, like I did, take the opportunity to build value and reasoning into your price? By talking about spec, colour, history, condition?

thanks in advance.

[Linctrader 16]

Some can be educated about value, too many though are simply the last price brigade and it's lost on them. 

I do as you do but my wife says I shouldn't have to justify my price which I have to agree with, but sometimes you feel you have to. 

[justina3 518]

I tell my guys there sales people so sell the car and sell the garage.

each to there own 

[MOTORS 25]

My conversation is generally based on "if something goes wrong with the car will you expect me to help you with the cost of repair?" Normally the answer is yes and so I confirm "If you take all my margin I will have no money left to help you with therefore my price is fixed".  If the answer is no, I briefly outline their rights under the CRA and let them know that it is not an option for us to duck our responsibilities, therefore the price is fixed. 

Asking the customer if they would work all week for less pay normally works equally as well.

Quality cars, fully checked and warrantied are worth the asking price.

[Mojo121 229]

In my experience the one's ''haggling'' on price on the phone are a waste of time. Get them infront of you. The best punters we get call and say "is such and such still available" "yes" "okay, can i come down at blah blah". Once they're infront of me and if they're nice/ realistic, I'd be more likely to discount.

[EPV 631]

I think this is exactly the sort of thread that is best off in the secret room.

[have a word with the wife 299]

3 minutes ago, EPV said:

I think this is exactly the sort of thread that is best off in the secret room.

why ? 

and "basically" i tell the customer discount no problem if you pay this months rent 

Edited August 21, 2018 by have a word with the wife

[justlooking 48]

21 minutes ago, MOTORS said:

My conversation is generally based on "if something goes wrong with the car will you expect me to help you with the cost of repair?" Normally the answer is yes and so I confirm "If you take all my margin I will have no money left to help you with therefore my price is fixed".  If the answer is no, I briefly outline their rights under the CRA and let them know that it is not an option for us to duck our responsibilities, therefore the price is fixed. 

Asking the customer if they would work all week for less pay normally works equally as well.

Quality cars, fully checked and warrantied are worth the asking price.

 

3 minutes ago, EPV said:

I think this is exactly the sort of thread that is best off in the secret room.

Thanks guys, great advice so far.

EPV, agree mate, but the chaps haven’t allowed access as yet, Andy, can you kindly sort?

[EPV 631]

But in short, my approach is that if the first thing that comes out of someone is regarding price, I shut down and go into non plussed dealer mode, you want it you pay for it. I had a woman ring about an XF, firstly she asked if I could deliver the car to west London for her to inspect (yes really) the second question was "is the price negotiable" which at that stage, it wasn't nor would it ever be. We spent a minute or two with this back and forth debate about how I could help her out and how she only has a budget of £8k, which I then told her to look at £8k cars. She said she would call back, I knew she wouldn't, she hasn't. Messer, timewaster, wanting to know that on the off chance she followed through with buying a car, she could have it cheaper. She was of Asian descent, fill in the blanks.

Another chap, called at the weekend, "whats the story with that car mate?" which I replied "story?" to which he then asked what I would let it go for. Again, he got told it was priced to sell. Again he said he would call back, again, he hasn't and he won't.

In my experience, albeit insignificant compared to most, if people are enquiring about the price on the phone they aren't buyers. They don't know at that stage if they really want the car and if they do, they don't actually give a shit about £100 off. But, if they are there, seeing the car, keen, more often than not they will feel obliged to negotiate and at that stage a judgement call can be made by yourself as to how likely these people are to walk. I always ask at that stage, may I ask WHY you feel a discount is applicable?" and if they can't find one they don't get one. By then they just want the car and can console themselves on the way home that they tried to chip but met fierce resistance but deep down they don't care because they got their car.

Negotiation is a game imo and people who want to play games generally don't buy cars.

5 minutes ago, have a word with the wife said:

why ? 

and "basically" i tell the customer discount no problem if you pay this months rent 

Why?

Because it's been made clear on another thread somewhere that joe public read this forum. It's hard enough without them knowing what a lot of you have had to pay a shit load of money and effort to find out?

[Nick M.K. 574]

11 minutes ago, justlooking said:

but the chaps haven’t allowed access as yet, Andy, can you kindly sort?

+1

[EPV 631]

Nick/JL if you email or PM Andy he will sort it, I once asked in a thread and got nowhere but a PM and it was sorted very quickly.

[NOACROSS 414]

1 hour ago, Nick M.K. said:

+1

+2

I have messeged too. Will try again.

[NOACROSS 414]

To answer the thread question: we are a bit flexible usually but not much. And it very much depends on the car/margin/how long we’ve had it and-most importantly-whether the punter is normal or not.

If they’re nice and ask nicely we will do a little something usually. If they think they’re ‘smarter than the average bear’ or an arse, we won’t. 

[have a word with the wife 299]

2 hours ago, EPV said:

 

Why?

Because it's been made clear on another thread somewhere that joe public read this forum. It's hard enough without them knowing what a lot of you have had to pay a shit load of money and effort to find out?

jo public can find out off me quite plainly no its fixed, just today i was asked "cheaper" i drew his attention to the new discs and pads i had just told him about that were fitted and reminded him of my service, hes collecting it tommorow at full asking, if he had pushed i would have just told him sorry, we are not doing business today, the majority on here i am sure you will find do not discount.

To make this sort of question "secret" on the other side  would be crazy, and if basic questions like this did go "secret" then this section of the forum would be very quiet, and, i, would without doubt, be out .

[It's me 611]

4 minutes ago, have a word with the wife said:

jo public can find out off me quite plainly no its fixed, just today i was asked "cheaper" i drew his attention to the new discs and pads i had just told him about that were fitted and reminded him of my service, hes collecting it tommorow at full asking, if he had pushed i would have just told him sorry, we are not doing business today, the majority on here i am sure you will find do not discount.

To make this sort of question "secret" on the other side  would be crazy, and if basic questions like this did go "secret" then this section of the forum would be very quiet, and, i, would without doubt, be out .

me too

i hate closed shops

never been a union man

[EPV 631]

17 minutes ago, have a word with the wife said:

jo public can find out off me quite plainly no its fixed, just today i was asked "cheaper" i drew his attention to the new discs and pads i had just told him about that were fitted and reminded him of my service, hes collecting it tommorow at full asking, if he had pushed i would have just told him sorry, we are not doing business today, the majority on here i am sure you will find do not discount.

To make this sort of question "secret" on the other side  would be crazy, and if basic questions like this did go "secret" then this section of the forum would be very quiet, and, i, would without doubt, be out .

Fine for you but I expect there are plenty that would rather not display their thoughts about their tendencies to discount on a public forum. 

[Dealer 54]

Had a punter today, best price, last price, cash price....... Showed them the last mot failures for shocks, brakes etc plus my parts and labour bill to rectify this and just said we cannot do anything I'm afraid 

[Zest 7]

46 minutes ago, Dealer said:

Had a punter today, best price, last price, cash price....... Showed them the last mot failures for shocks, brakes etc plus my parts and labour bill to rectify this and just said we cannot do anything I'm afraid 

did he see sense and buy it then or did he walk away?

 

Don't leave us hanging... the suspense!  

[BHM 994]

11 hours ago, Linctrader said:

Some can be educated about value, too many though are simply the last price brigade and it's lost on them. 

I do as you do but my wife says I shouldn't have to justify my price which I have to agree with, but sometimes you feel you have to. 

+1 & +1.

If it’s the usual “best price 4 cash m8” brigade I usually ignore the email, occasionally when I’ve answered it been “it’s written on the advert”. Needless to say I’ve never sold anything to this crowd.

If it’s a politely written email with a few basic courtesies such as “Hi” or “thanks” I advise it’s a prices correctly and outline I’m doing the job right with genuine MOTs & bills for parts replaced. I take this tack with the low-ballers who actually phone. I probably sell a grand total of a couple a year to these punters.

Basically if a punter’s first question is about money off they either don’t have enough money and/or are just on a fishing expedition and don’t really know what car they want. Dealing with over 99% of these enquiries are a waste of my life.

Finally, the family-man bottom dollar brigade are the ones who often like a second bite of the cherry. Unfortunately long gone are the days of a ‘cash-deal’, a handshake & they f***-off and get on with it. I sold a spares/repair £30RFL Citroen (brakes on the metal, bald tyres, a skip inside) for £400. The buyer signed his life away with a Spares/trailered-away invoice and he still came back asking about the locking wheelnut key. FFS 

[metcars 394]

10 hours ago, have a word with the wife said:

jo public can find out off me quite plainly no its fixed, just today i was asked "cheaper" i drew his attention to the new discs and pads i had just told him about that were fitted and reminded him of my service, hes collecting it tommorow at full asking, if he had pushed i would have just told him sorry, we are not doing business today, the majority on here i am sure you will find do not discount.

To make this sort of question "secret" on the other side  would be crazy, and if basic questions like this did go "secret" then this section of the forum would be very quiet, and, i, would without doubt, be out .

Me too, the secret room is already here for those that want to use it?

Also, it is up to the 'mods' to move topics that they think would be better suited to the secret room?

Edited August 22, 2018 by met

[EPV 631]

51 minutes ago, met said:

Me too, the secret room is already here for those that want to use it?

Also, it is up to the 'mods' to move topics that they think would be better suited to the secret room?

Not really, it’s the mods job to keep the place clear of spam and make sure we aren’t all fighting etc. 

If you think educating punters about how you deal with your affairs is acceptable i’d be surprised but each to their own. Imo this forum should be restricted access anyway, to those that can provide a copy of trade insurance. 

[It's me 611]

16 minutes ago, EPV said:

Not really, it’s the mods job to keep the place clear of spam and make sure we aren’t all fighting etc. 

If you think educating punters about how you deal with your affairs is acceptable i’d be surprised but each to their own. Imo this forum should be restricted access anyway, to those that can provide a copy of trade insurance. 

why dont you just start your own messenger forum and those that want part of your wisdom can go there rather than keep ramming your 'i want everything private on here mantra'

ive said it before but will repeat

the forum is as it is because its open, this way fresh blood can come in gain experience and hopefully put something in

ive never been a left leg, up tickle a jelly and be part of the masons

[Nick M.K. 574]

8 minutes ago, boring dave said:

the forum is as it is because its open, this way fresh blood can come in gain experience and hopefully put something in

The Autotrader forum was EXTREMELY good although it was a closed forum for whoever had an AT monthly package. Fresh blood could still come in (as long as they had an AT package) and were more than welcome there with all sorts of commercially sensitive info discussed openly. 

On this forum (just one example) I personally will NOT discuss my exact finance commission % or stocking terms because finance companies reps and the general public have open access to it. 

[EPV 631]

26 minutes ago, boring dave said:

why dont you just start your own messenger forum and those that want part of your wisdom can go there rather than keep ramming your 'i want everything private on here mantra'

ive said it before but will repeat

the forum is as it is because its open, this way fresh blood can come in gain experience and hopefully put something in

ive never been a left leg, up tickle a jelly and be part of the masons

Cobblers. 

Fresh blood come in, ask questions, rarely post updates and replies and bugger off. From where i’m sat only myself and Mark101 are fresh blood that’s haven’t don’t that, and Mark has plenty of expertise so not sure you could count him as new blood to the industry. 

It’s not Masonic, it’s protecting our industry from free loaders and public eyes who will possibly use this forum to their advantage. Tradex has already encountered a scenario where a billy asked him if he was on this forum. 

If you’re a car dealer you’ll have trade insurance. If you do you shouldn’t mind offering that up as evidence, in return knowing that joe public won’t see the information offered here, for free. 

If you can tell me one advantage of this gold mine of info being made public, i’m all ears. I think i’ve made my point regarding the new blood argument. 90% of people who post regularly on here are established traders. 

[It's me 611]

28 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

The Autotrader forum was EXTREMELY good although it was a closed forum for whoever had an AT monthly package. Fresh blood could still come in (as long as they had an AT package) and were more than welcome there with all sorts of commercially sensitive info discussed openly. 

On this forum (just one example) I personally will NOT discuss my exact finance commission % or stocking terms because finance companies reps and the general public have open access to it. 

1 hour ago, EPV said:

 

totally sensible nick its like telling your competition how much you have in a particular motor

i understand you came here for the reason the useless autotrader forum was shut i tried it and it was full of crap,this is why i came here its open there is a section for trade only why dont you and epv go there if it so concerns you,frankly i get tired of people leading other people up a path of their choosing ,not mine,that is why i work for ME