Should I Be Suspicious?

boomerang · 28-07-2008 7:10pm #1

I am looking to buy a 1.4 petrol Citroen Berlingo MPV to carry myself and my two dogs. I've weighed up the pros and cons of estates/kangoos/berlingos and have settled on the Berlingo as the best option. (I previously drove a 1.4 Astra estate.)

I've been shopping around various dealers and I came across two models from 2001 that are selling at €4,500. Today I came across a dealer in Clare that has a 2002 model, selling at €6000. All three come with NCT in date and mileage in the 50-70k bracket.

Now, there's another one for sale through a dealer in Dublin (not SIMI registered). It's a 2003, 54k miles and is also NCT'd to 2009. It's the newer model Berlingo and I really, really like the look of it.

Problem is the price. He's only looking for €4750. :eek:

The other 2003 models I've seen have an asking price of about 6k, and have higher mileage.

Is that just a stroke of luck, or should I be wary? I'm going to get it checked out on carsireland.ie. I also wanted to put it through a carsireland check up at Frank Fahy motors on the Naas Road. So I rang the dealer today to find out about the car. The guy said he has no problem with anyone from carsireland or the AA coming to check out the car, but only on his premises, in Tallaght. He wouldn't allow me drive it up to the Naas Road because he says I wouldn't be insured.

Does that sound a bit phony? I thought dealers have a general insurance policy to cover all the cars on the forecourt? How are you supposed to test drive a car, without insurance? I have comprehensive insurance on my own car - surely I'm covered?

Any input or advice at all would be greatly appreciated!

niceirishfella · 28-07-2008 8:18pm

Stroke of luck or wary...hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, ..well, maybe luck.......used car values are massively depressed right now.....with dealers going bust daily................and no disrespect to the berlingo car.....NO ONE WANTS THEM!

Look,get it checked out by the AA on his premises - and then if the report is good - haggle hard.......his €4750 is an asking price.........thats all it is....just an asking price.
You could get it for 4k if he wants rid, and for that i'd want 6 months warranty (12 months on the engine and gearbox), mats, flaps and a full tank on collection!

bazz26 · 28-07-2008 9:00pm

To be honest I can understand why the dealer will not allow the car to be driven off the premises by a complete stranger For all he knows he may never see the car again.

I would arrange to meet the AA guy at the dealer's premises and just watch him check the car out. That way your mind is at rest.

S.I.R · 28-07-2008 9:01pm

hmmm, bring a mechanic along with you just to be sure....

boomerang · 28-07-2008 9:16pm

I've had a test-drive in three Berlingos so far... Funny how each dealer told me that these Berlingos get snapped up so quickly and I should act fast as there is someone else interested... I wouldn't have thought so!

Going to get this one checked out with Cartell.ie and hopefully find a local mechanic willing to take a look at it for me, for a fee of course. Dunno about the AA - that would cost €300 - worth it for the peace of mind, but a lot of money down the swanny if there was something wrong with it and I walked away from buying it.

It would have been handy to take it up to the place carsireland use on the Naas Road - cheaper charge too at €99 but perhaps not as thorough as the AA.

My last car, the dealer gave me the keys to drive it up to my mechanic's place across town to get it checked out. I guess he could see I have an honest face!

crosstownk · 28-07-2008 9:55pm

boomerang wrote: »

He wouldn't allow me drive it up to the Naas Road because he says I wouldn't be insured.

Does that sound a bit phony? I thought dealers have a general insurance policy to cover all the cars on the forecourt?

Some insurances only cover a test drive if a member of the dealer's staff is in the car.

In your case, ask the dealer to bring it to where you want the inspection to take place. If he's eager to sell it then I'd say he'll oblige.

As for the price, those Mulitspaces are hard to shift so a low price wouldn't necessarily bother me. It also depends on what sort of deal led to the Multispace coming into stock and also on how long it has been in stock.

Petal1 · 28-07-2008 11:16pm

great little motor especially in diesel, but as mentioned abve very hard work to shift on. I would'nt be too suspicious with regards to price but be more aware of the general condition. would also make this dealer a stupid offer to see how eager he is to sell it on. Would put a wager with you he will drop a significant amount to move her on. The other side of the coin is if its so cheap why is it still there?? Its a buyers market

crosstownk · 28-07-2008 11:23pm

Petal1 wrote: »

Its a buyers market

Yeah - but there's not many folks looking to buy a Berlingo Multispace.........

Petal1 · 28-07-2008 11:33pm

crosstownk wrote: »

Yeah - but there's not many folks looking to buy a Berlingo Multispace.........

Everything sells at a price, can guarantee you if it was 3500k there'd be quite a few interested lol

boomerang · 28-07-2008 11:54pm

Well the other Berlingo I might be interested in is a 2001 reg, and it's... YELLOW! :eek:

Can't imagine there are many people in the market for a yellow bingo bus! :P

The dealer selling the yellow Berlingo is asking for €4500 but I didn't haggle yet as I'm waiting to take it for a test drive. Wonder what my opening offer should be, lol!

Seriously though, thanks for the advice everyone. My own car just got written off in an accident (other driver rear-ended me on the open road; he admitted liability obviously.) Funds are very tight right now so I can't afford to make a big mistake buying a new car.

crosstownk · 29-07-2008 12:00am

Petal1 wrote: »

Everything sells at a price, can guarantee you if it was 3500k there'd be quite a few interested lol

True - but whoever traded it in would most likely have been paid for the 'keen price'. Be rest assured, the dealer isn't loosing!

bazz26 · 29-07-2008 1:31am

boomerang wrote: »

Well the other Berlingo I might be interested in is a 2001 reg, and it's... YELLOW! :eek:

Can't imagine there are many people in the market for a yellow bingo bus! :P

The dealer selling the yellow Berlingo is asking for €4500 but I didn't haggle yet as I'm waiting to take it for a test drive. Wonder what my opening offer should be, lol!

Ex ESB van?

boomerang · 29-07-2008 1:43am

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=1144361

:P:):P:):P:):P

bazz26 · 29-07-2008 1:47am

boomerang wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=1144361

:P:):P:):P:):P

Looks more like lime than yellow.

Still a bit load for my taste.

boomerang · 29-07-2008 2:39am

That's the thing - if I buy this sunshine bus, then I'll have to drive it into the ground, because no one else would buy it!

The pale blue 2003 option that I'm hoping to buy is much more conservative. Fingers crossed it works out - will know more tomorrow.

boomerang · 30-07-2008 1:18am

Well the blue Berlingo I had my eye on checks out OK on cartell.ie ...

Rang the dealer today to negotiate a way of getting it checked out up at Frank Fahy's on the Naas Road, but the guy has both his phones switched off.

Have I found the one dealer in Ireland that isn't short of business?

Meanwhile, I found this:

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=1134977

unkel · 30-07-2008 1:23am

€4-€5k for a 7 year old windowed van? Sorry but am I the only one to think that is way overpriced?

boomerang · 30-07-2008 1:58am

The asking price for the seven year old windowed van is €3500

Taxed to November 2008
NCT'd to April 2009
50k miles
Timing belt done at 38k
Full service history
3 month warranty including engine and gearbox
Fairly immaculate condition

The only thing I was holding against it was the colour - so dreary!

The five year old windowed van has an asking price of €4-€5k

Should I Be Suspicious?

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