Importing from the UK - definitive guide (Q&A)

dubsmad

Lads, since the AA don't do a check on cars up north can anyone recommend another company to use? RAC? has anyone used someone in the past that will do a comprehensive and secure check for me on a car before I travel to buy it possible

timmy4u2

Judging from this link the RAC may be doing it.
http://www.autozonecars.co.uk/rac.php

Mc Love

if I can get the VIN and the Co2 number from a V5 - will it be the revenue office or NCTS that will give me the VRT price? Just pricing up the options at the moment.

bazz26

NCT have access to Revenue's database, however NCT will not give you a quote, they will only give you a price on presenting the car for appraisal.
Also if the VIN is not on Revenue's database then they have to contact Revenue for a figure which can take a week or so. Bring a jar of lube with you at that stage.

The best thing you can do is use the online VRT calculator and allow yourself a grand or two more worst case on top of their estimate.

KCC

I'm planning on buying a car from the UK soon, but I am thinking of doing the deal by phone and email and getting a car transport company to bring it here. I have spoken to a few UK dealers and all are happy to do the deal in this way. That way I can avoid costs such as UK tax and insurance, flight and ferry as well as save time and hassle. Has anyone here done something similar? From my research, it costs about €425?

I would be interested in any advice or recommendations.

timmy4u2

KCC wrote: »

I'm planning on buying a car from the UK soon, but I am thinking of doing the deal by phone and email and getting a car transport company to bring it here. I have spoken to a few UK dealers and all are happy to do the deal in this way. That way I can avoid costs such as UK tax and insurance, flight and ferry as well as save time and hassle. Has anyone here done something similar? From my research, it costs about €425?

I would be interested in any advice or recommendations.

Sorry for being blunt but you would want your head examined if you did that.
Of course the dealers are very happy to do it that way.

At least get the AA to check it out for you or get someone who has some idea about cars and a comprehensive trade insurance policy to look at it and bringvit home for you.

KCC

timmy4u2 wrote: »

Sorry for being blunt but you would want your head examined if you did that.
Of course the dealers are very happy to do it that way.

At least get the AA to check it out for you or get someone who has some idea about cars and a comprehensive trade insurance policy to look at it and bringvit home for you.

Thanks, sorry I should have said: I told the dealers I would be getting the AA to do a comprehsive check first. They said I'd have to pay a £200 deposit to reserve the car that would be fully refundable if the inspection wasn't satisfactory.

I've obviously never done this before, but is there any other reason I would need to travel in person?

Stallingrad

KCC wrote: »

I'm planning on buying a car from the UK soon, but I am thinking of doing the deal by phone and email and getting a car transport company to bring it here. I have spoken to a few UK dealers and all are happy to do the deal in this way. That way I can avoid costs such as UK tax and insurance, flight and ferry as well as save time and hassle. Has anyone here done something similar? From my research, it costs about €425?

I would be interested in any advice or recommendations.

What kind of car and what kind of dealer are you considering?

KCC

Stallingrad wrote: »

What kind of car and what kind of dealer are you considering?

A Ford Mondeo 2010 diesel with low mileage. I've spoken to CarGiant and Eddie Wright Car Supermarket. CarGiant do seem to have the best prices but the salesperson from Eddie Wright's seemed more "on the ball".

Stallingrad

KCC wrote: »

A Ford Mondeo 2010 diesel with low mileage. I've spoken to CarGiant and Eddie Wright Car Supermarket. CarGiant do seem to have the best prices but the salesperson from Eddie Wright's seemed more "on the ball".

In that case I would want to see the car, no question. If it was a young BMW, Audi or similar from a main dealer it could be worth a gamble as the quality of cars is second to none. But for a 4 year old car from a Supermarket you have to collect it yourself, and get it inspected while you are there.

MidlandsM

KCC wrote: »

A Ford Mondeo 2010 diesel with low mileage. I've spoken to CarGiant and Eddie Wright Car Supermarket. CarGiant do seem to have the best prices but the salesperson from Eddie Wright's seemed more "on the ball".

what price? full retail? any discount at all?

KCC

MidlandsM wrote: »

what price? full retail? any discount at all?

They don't seem to do discounts at all.

Adding in all costs (VRT, exchange rates, transport company, etc.) it would work out at €11,796 in total. It has 34,000 miles.

timmy4u2

KCC wrote: »

A Ford Mondeo 2010 diesel with low mileage. I've spoken to CarGiant and Eddie Wright Car Supermarket. CarGiant do seem to have the best prices but the salesperson from Eddie Wright's seemed more "on the ball".

That is a car that needs serious looking at. Its four years old and as stated in a Car Supermarket where they just churn them out though car giant have a huge indoor garage area.
Because of the diesel engine in these, especially the 1.6 you would need to see the full service history down to the exact type of oil used (low saps)

I would not touch one of these engines, in Peugeot, Ford, Citroen, Mazda, Volvo without a comprehensive history detail.

timmy4u2

KCC wrote: »

They don't seem to do discounts at all.

Adding in all costs (VRT, exchange rates, transport company, etc.) it would work out at €11,796 in total. It has 34,000 miles.

The last car I brought home had the following travelling costs.
Bus from home to airport €13.00
Flight to Gatwick €28.00
Collected at Gatwick but if not £9.00
Horley to Liverpool 245 mle at 50mpg @£;7.00per gallon =£35.00
Boat ferry to Dublin €97.00
This included 3 course dinner and full breakfast.(dont understand why more do not use this service) Cabin was offered on board for an Extra £25.00.I did not take it
Dublin to Limerick 122 mls =€20.00 diesel.
Total cost was under €220.00
Now he put £47.00 diesel in the car-thats all that would fit- so I can discount the diesel costs
-€60.00
He gave me a discount of £250.00 €302.00 when I was paying him in cash
So by going over for the car resulted in an overall saving of €302.00 plus €60.00
€362.00 minus the bus, plane and boat and a few bars of chocolates....and sweets and scotch eggs. So I had my car home and extra mon in my pocket.

DieselPowered

timmy4u2 wrote: »

The last car I brought home had the following travelling costs.
Bus from home to airport €13.00
Flight to Gatwick €28.00
Collected at Gatwick but if not £9.00
Horley to Liverpool 245 mle at 50mpg @£;7.00per gallon =£35.00
Boat ferry to Dublin €97.00
This included 3 course dinner and full breakfast.(dont understand why more do not use this service) Cabin was offered on board for an Extra £25.00.I did not take it
Dublin to Limerick 122 mls =€20.00 diesel.
Total cost was under €220.00
Now he put £47.00 diesel in the car-thats all that would fit- so I can discount the diesel costs
-€60.00
He gave me a discount of £250.00 €302.00 when I was paying him in cash
So by going over for the car resulted in an overall saving of €302.00 plus €60.00
€362.00 minus the bus, plane and boat and a few bars of chocolates....and sweets and scotch eggs. So I had my car home and extra mon in my pocket.

This is what its all about (along with the savings) - Great road trip

timmy4u2

DieselPowered wrote: »

This is what its all about (along with the savings) - Great road trip

Wondeful trips. Dont think I would bother if I was using a transporter without having one to drive home.
Best trip though is with the "vintage" class.

KCC

timmy4u2 wrote: »

The last car I brought home had the following travelling costs.
Bus from home to airport €13.00
Flight to Gatwick €28.00
Collected at Gatwick but if not £9.00
Horley to Liverpool 245 mle at 50mpg @£;7.00per gallon =£35.00
Boat ferry to Dublin €97.00
This included 3 course dinner and full breakfast.(dont understand why more do not use this service) Cabin was offered on board for an Extra £25.00.I did not take it
Dublin to Limerick 122 mls =€20.00 diesel.
Total cost was under €220.00
Now he put £47.00 diesel in the car-thats all that would fit- so I can discount the diesel costs
-€60.00
He gave me a discount of £250.00 €302.00 when I was paying him in cash
So by going over for the car resulted in an overall saving of €302.00 plus €60.00
€362.00 minus the bus, plane and boat and a few bars of chocolates....and sweets and scotch eggs. So I had my car home and extra mon in my pocket.

Thanks; that's really helpful! It sounds like you enjoyed the trip too! Do you mind me asking which dealer you bought from?

timmy4u2

KCC wrote: »

Thanks; that's really helpful! It sounds like you enjoyed the trip too! Do you mind me asking which dealer you bought from?

I always enjoy them, that is why I do them.

On that occasion I was collecting from a dealer in Horley, that is about ten minutes from Gatwick Airport.
Nice guy, I have been there before. As I said in other posts North of Northampton is a no go area for me.
Cars are often not as described, not serviced properly, not minded well and subjected to a lot more salt and ice resulting in prangs, but now we have to be careful in the south of cars with water damage

MidlandsM

timmy4u2 wrote: »

North of Northampton is a no go area for me.
Cars are often not as described, not serviced properly, not minded well and subjected to a lot more salt and ice resulting in prangs

I have to say that this is pure nonscense. As a multiple car buyer in the uk, week in, week out, its not the case. Also, the more south you go in the uk, in particular towards the south east and london, the more expensive cars get. Also, travelling costs increase and time extends to get home. Some of the stuff posted here is gas it must be said. :rolleyes:

timmy4u2

MidlandsM wrote: »

I have to say that this is pure nonscense. As a multiple car buyer in the uk, week in, week out, its not the case. Also, the more south you go in the uk, in particular towards the south east and london, the more expensive cars get. Also, travelling costs increase and time extends to get home. Some of the stuff posted here is gas it must be said. :rolleyes:

You are gas and obviously do not have the insight that I have, and when you have been going for as long as I have I will listen to you, until then I can only suggest that you are looking in a mirror as you post.
I do not know how you make out that it costs more to fly into London than other airports and my mind boggles at your suggestion of travelling costs increasing.

London and the south of England is the easiest to access with the least hassle and at the least cost.
The only vehicles you will get north of Northampton cheaper than the South are those that have been subjected to a harder life, less servicing and more salt with a far greated chance of repaired accident damage due to weather conditions.That bears out what I have already said.

Over the years I have found that many sellers towards the North have a difficulty in telling the truth, and their idea of mint or other descriptive adjectives are not along the same lines as mine.
I have high standards so perhaps that is why those further north are not on my preferred list.
I gave them their chances up north, but no more; too hit and miss.

MidlandsM

timmy4u2 wrote: »

You are gas and obviously do not have the insight that I have, and when you have been going for as long as I have I will listen to you, until then I can only suggest that you are looking in a mirror as you post.
I do not know how you make out that it costs more to fly into London than other airports and my mind boggles at your suggestion of travelling costs increasing.

London and the south of England is the easiest to access with the least hassle and at the least cost.
The only vehicles you will get north of Northampton cheaper than the South are those that have been subjected to a harder life, less servicing and more salt with a far greated chance of repaired accident damage due to weather conditions.That bears out what I have already said.

Over the years I have found that many sellers towards the North have a difficulty in telling the truth, and their idea of mint or other descriptive adjectives are not along the same lines as mine.
I have high standards so perhaps that is why those further north are not on my preferred list.
I gave them their chances up north, but no more; too hit and miss.

Timmy, you seem to have an issue with someone with a different opinion?

You are not the ONLY expert here......I'm in the trade for donkeys years, buying cars out of the uk. I know personally and have been to every county, every city,every auction house in the uk bar none ....it's my job, my bread and butter. I've dealt in private sellers, dealers, agents, exporters to SA, the lot in the uk ..... and all of what you speak is BS about buying anywhere north of Northhampton.....utter utter rubbish.
The stuff you repeat over and over is all your own opinion, but I'll will advise anyone who reads it to ignore it, because its erroneous. And to be honest, you try and exude an air of authority in your posts on importing/sourcing cars in the uk and trips to buy etc, but with what rubbish you post, you don't have a jot!

Anyways, I've made my point on this now about your flawed advice to boardsies here wanting to buy out of the uk, and I will not be goaded and will NOT reply anymore on this matter

end/.

timmy4u2

MidlandsM wrote: »

Timmy, you seem to have an issue with someone with a different opinion?

You are not the ONLY expert here......I'm in the trade for donkeys years, buying cars out of the uk. I know personally and have been to every county, every city,every auction house in the uk bar none ....it's my job, my bread and butter. I've dealt in private sellers, dealers, agents, exporters to SA, the lot in the uk ..... and all of what you speak is BS about buying anywhere north of Northhampton.....utter utter rubbish.
The stuff you repeat over and over uis all your own opinion, but I'll will advise anyone who reads it to ignore it, because its erroneous. And to be honest, you try and exude an air of authority in your posts on importing/sourcing cars in the uk and trips to buy etc, but with what rubbish you post, you don't have a jot!

Anyways, I've made my point on this now about your flawed advice to boardsies here wanting to buy out of the uk, and I will not be goaded and will NOT reply anymore on this matter

I am not going to get into a tit fot tat argument with you nor am I going to use expletives, such as you have used, to anybody on this forum. I am above that. Nor will I brag about visiting 'the lot' in the UK.

If those north of my definitive line are not, on the whole, up to my expectations that is my decision and I will impart my knowledge on anyone who cares to heed it without allowing any commercial undertones to cloud my judgement, or withhold informative information that may be helpful to readers in their quest to get the right car at the right price.
Life is too short for greedyness such as that.

What exporters to SA have to do with buying a car in the UK beats me.
I have never come across you in this regard.

.

clogher71

To the two guys above and anyone else,

I am looking at a particular model of car ranging in advertised price from £6000 to £8500 for an 09/10, there are a few choices, I think I am better staying away from the car supermarkets, what kind of discount if any should I be expecting on the advertised price from the smaller dealers, as there is no trade in and they will not be any warranty?, should I be paying in cash as one of you said you got £250 off for doing so, weekends are not suitable to bank transfers, do the franchise dealers over there sell cars to the 'trade' or at a trade price as they do here or do all their 'trade' cars go to the auctions?, I have been checking BCA's site, but a lot of the examples of the model I am looking at are mileage north of 100k miles and seem to have dinges/scrapes.

Any advice appricated

timmy4u2

clogher71 wrote: »

To the two guys above and anyone else,

I am looking at a particular model of car ranging in advertised price from £6000 to £8500 for an 09/10, there are a few choices, I think I am better staying away from the car supermarkets, what kind of discount if any should I be expecting on the advertised price from the smaller dealers, as there is no trade in and they will not be any warranty?, should I be paying in cash as one of you said you got £250 off for doing so, weekends are not suitable to bank transfers, do the franchise dealers over there sell cars to the 'trade' or at a trade price as they do here or do all their 'trade' cars go to the auctions?, I have been checking BCA's site, but a lot of the examples of the model I am looking at are mileage north of 100k miles and seem to have dinges/scrapes.

Any advice appricated

First of all you are on the ball with the auctions. A lot, but not all the vehicles sold at auction are high mileage, have body blemishes, dubious service records or otherwise too dicey to be retailed off a forecourt.
Having said that at times you may pick up a good bargain.
For me it is not worth the time waiting half a day for a particular vehicle to come up not knowing if it will become yours or not, and then waiting until the end of the auction to very quickly check it out further.
If you want an auction vehicle there are many dealers who buy at auction and sell on at a small profit.
You have the advantage of a knowledgeable person having checked out the car and you in turn have plenty of time to check it out yourself.

I have bought a few this way from trusted buyers/dealers.

Car supermarkets just turn over cars and the negotiation is very low.

Franchise dealers do sell to the trade and do do deals but they have regular trade buyers so the better deals are snapped up, sometimes before they arrive in.
Most, but not all prefer to retail their low mileage mint vehicles.

Depending on whom you are dealing with and the popularity of a particular make of vehicle you could get a sizeable discount on an £8500 car.
What particular make were you interested in?

MidlandsM

timmy4u2 wrote: »

First of all you are on the ball with the auctions. A lot, but not all the vehicles sold at auction are high mileage, have body blemishes, dubious service records or otherwise too dicey to be retailed off a forecourt.

more generalisations, and more erroneous nonsense!

The auctions are full of good quality, good condition, well maintained ex-lease and part ex cars on a daily basis. You got to know what you seek.

For instance, bca offer "smart retail clean" car that I often buy, that I can retail immediately, as they are already valeted, polished and look good, and smell good.

Where do you think all the car supermarkets get a lot of their stock from?

Clougher, pm me if you want help.

timmy4u2

MidlandsM wrote: »

more generalisations, and more erroneous nonsense!

The auctions are full of good quality, good condition, well maintained ex-lease and part ex cars on a daily basis. You got to know what you seek.

For instance, bca offer "smart retail clean" car that I often buy, that I can retail immediately, as they are already valeted, polished and look good, and smell good.

Where do you think all the car supermarkets get a lot of their stock from?

Clougher, pm me if you want help.

Why, because it is affecting you on a deal. The forum is for the sharing of information amongst all.
I know it is tough in the trade now but if import retailers were not making such a killing many potential buyers would not need to go to the UK themselves.

As for car supermarkets, I am acquainted with the MD of a firm that supply a lot of ex fleet, ex lease and repossessed cars to two car supermarkets.

He was in discussion with Tesco about supplying them with a better quality car than they were able to source as ex lease/fleet cars are held longer now and not in the condition that they were available a few years ago.

In the end of the day Tesco got out of the market in late 2012 because the only cars they could source ex fleet/lease were causing them too much trouble with warranty.
http://www.tesco.com/cars/

As for the other car supermarkets source of cars if you believe that they stand around day after day at car auctions to source their cars you will swallow a bus. I know that they do off load the really bad ones at the B CA auctions.
Re car giant

wouldn't buy from them.. i used to work for a guy that got a car from them and not only would they not even consider any "haggling" but when he picked the car up it was filthy inside and out it was also due for a service which most reputable dealers would have had done.
It was an ex rep mobile as it was only about 2 years old and had over 70,000 miles on it... the fact is he could have bought a better spec car with less mileage (granted it was older.. not much though) privately.
Both cars had FVWSH (it was a passat) the only thing he got with the Car Giant motor was a 3 month (wow!!) warranty which when i he showed it to me didn't cover a hell of a lot.

All i can say is good luck.. and if it was me i'd stay well clear.

2 I wouldnt buy from them either, nice showroom to look around but have heard some storys from people. Usually high mileage ex rep cars. Someone at my work sat around for 2 hours whilst they tried to buy a car, then found all kinds of loop holes when it came to handing over the cash.

3 agree. There are better deals to be had elsewhere. When I was buying my first car in the UK, my wife and I made several trips out to Car Giant and finally narrowed our search down to a 04 Mazda 6 diesel with 48k on the clock. The test drive was like 2 minutes down the street and around a roundabout. Whilst they leave you to look at the cars at your own leisure, if you take a test drive, you are expected to buy and that is when they start with the hard sell.

We test drove three other cars with the different people and it was the same experience. I am used to having a few minutes to think and talk about it with my wife, especially when I am paying for the car with my own money. I hate being pressured into anything and if I get the hard sell, I walk (that's just the way I am).

Source avforums.com

Car giant buy in bulk

We buy in our cars in bulk, this gives us efficiencies in size through our volume of turnover, keeping our costs down and the savings are passed on to our customers. You get the same car cheaper simply because our profit margins are much lower.

Source car giant
http://www.cargiant.co.uk/used-cars-for-sale/howtobuy/buyingFAQ.asp
A handy piece from the Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/mike-rutherford/9323945/Mr-Money-Join-the-car-supermarket-revolution.html

MidlandsM

lol .....a lot of ol' flannel posted there.......lol... christ....you have to laugh, yes, Timmy, the car supermarkets send men dressed in sheepskin coats (like del trotter) to auctions everyday, to stand around, drink rosey lee, and bid on bangers.......lol.........as I said, you are gas. They buy them online FFS, they have them all earmarked by calendar wayyy ahead, and lot numbers/dates logged and prices to go to- agreed, and have a buyer/administrator logging into online buying at bca or manheim, bidding and buying them, then the pay, and have them transported. All fresh ex-lease stuff, low risk purchases. Not brain surgery.......but hey, you know it all......

anyways, back on topic, Clougher, pm me direct* to avoid all the "noise" here in this thread.

As for tesco's getting out of the car game, it wasn't because the couldn't get cars, it because they couldn't make money, and went back to flogging groceries - something they are good at.



* no commercial/advertising in this, just professional advice

djPSB

MidlandsM wrote: »

lol .....a lot of ol' flannel posted there.......lol... christ....you have to laugh, yes, Timmy, the car supermarkets send men dressed in sheepskin coats (like del trotter) to auctions everyday, to stand around, drink rosey lee, and bid on bangers.......lol.........as I said, you are gas. They buy them online FFS, they have them all earmarked by calendar wayyy ahead, and lot numbers/dates logged and prices to go to- agreed, and have a buyer/administrator logging into online buying at bca or manheim, bidding and buying them, then the pay, and have them transported. All fresh ex-lease stuff, low risk purchases. Not brain surgery.......but hey, you know it all......

anyways, back on topic, Clougher, pm me direct* to avoid all the "noise" here in this thread.

As for tesco's getting out of the car game, it wasn't because the couldn't get cars, it because they couldn't make money, and went back to flogging groceries - something they are good at.



* no commercial/advertising in this, just professional advice

Why can't you offer professional advice through the forum?

timmy4u2

D

Customer Questions & Answers

Why are Tesco no longer selling cars?We started Tesco Cars in good faith and we always aim to do a good job for customers. However, following a review of the business model we and Carsite, our partner, have decided that we cannot offer customers a satisfactory range of vehicles and as a result, have decided it is rightclose the business.

http://www.tesco.com/cars/:rolleyes:
For those who may contemplate going to one of these car supermarkets this is Ithe full textvof the Telegraph article with the links

Thinking of splashing out on a car, new or used? Perhaps you have already convinced yourself that it’s probably best to buy locally from a traditional, officially appointed dealership? If so, you could be making a big mistake.
It’s highly improbable that the nearest franchised dealer somehow has, or can get his hands on, the right car for you at the right (by which I mean the lowest possible) price.These days, the clued-up consumer quite rightly thinks nothing of shopping around for expensive products such as car insurance, fuel and routine servicing, so why stick to tired, old motor trade tradition when it comes to buying a car?Actual or virtual car “supermarkets” are now the best and easiest places to begin when trying to identify the right cars at the right price.

These businesses may be able to sell you an unused car direct. Or, ironically, they may put you in touch with one of those traditional, troubled franchised dealers – although probably not one in your area because a rival elsewhere in the UK network will almost certainly undercut him.

What qualifies as a car supermarket in 2012 is open to interpretation. Certainly, colossal, long-established retailers such as Motorpoint (which has sites in Burnley, Derby, Glasgow, Newport and Peterborough), Trade Sales (Slough) and Cargiant (London) qualify as archetypal supermarket operators with no allegiance to make or model. But some franchisees with large sites and showrooms have adopted an “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” approach and devoted some or all of their land and showrooms to the supermarket-style of lots of low-price stock.

In addition to these retail giants there’s also no end of internet-based specialists which link consumers with the most competitive suppliers.Whatever the type of business, it should be able to offer you pretty much everything the franchised dealer offers – vehicles with proper and appropriate specs, road tests, part exchanges, finance deals (although you might find cheaper loans elsewhere), manufacturer warranties and more.If in doubt about, for example, guarantees (if any) on used cars or warranties on new or pre-registered models, ask for clarifications and explanations. In writing.
If they’re not forthcoming, walk away and shop elsewhere – just as you would walk from any business that’s not prepared to supply important terms and conditions that the consumer can read, absorb and keep for future reference.

The rules of engagement differ, sometimes widely. Ask if published prices are negotiable or whether there’s a no-haggle rule. Is the cost of the road fund licence, a tank of fuel and delivery included in the price?

It’s imperative that you’re 100 per cent clear about what you’re buying before you sign, so don’t be afraid to ask. Not that you should need to, because the best operators in the car supermarket business are perfectly open with potential customers about everything they need to tell you and everything you really need to know.Here, in alphabetical order, are a few of the best-known non-franchised car supermarkets and a few other companies specialising in the direct or indirect supply of heavily discounted vehicles in the UK.

Broadspeed.com claims to offer “the lowest dealer prices” and buyers looking for new, nearly-new, ex-demo or used cars would do well to use it as a starting/reference point. It has a friendly attitude and is honest enough to admit that its job is to negotiate a low price for a car then introduce potential customer to supplying retailer, after which Broadspeed charges a fee of £199 – but only if the sale goes through.

Carcraft.co.uk claims to be "the leading used car supermarket" and has 11 showrooms. Its cars come with a seven day exchange policy, are guaranteed for a year, have 12 months breakdown cover and free servicing for a year. Trouble is, all those goodies cost, and it's the customer who has to pay for them.

Cargiant.co.uk has up to 5,000 vehicles in stock. With a low profit margin/high product turnover approach, the prices paid by customers are keen. Surprisingly, there's a no haggle policy.
A £200 deposit will secure a car for three days. But be warned – credit cards, personal and company cheques aren't accepted. Some debit cards are. Test drives and part exchanges are not a problem.

CarSupermarkets.co.uk is a facilitator rather than retailer, claiming to offer the only complete directory and guide to the UK's biggest car sellers. Might be worth checking its website though – if only for details of vehicle retailers

.Motorpoint.co.uk stresses that it stocks European specification cars, supplied with the balance of the manufacturer's warranty. It takes vehicles in part exchange. Test drives are always available.
All staff receive specialist in-house training. At the time of writing, its biggest saving was on a delivery mileage 61-plate Mercedes-Benz S-class S350L CDi, yours for £59,999 – a saving of £17,595 with fitted extras worth £13,209.

Saveonnewcars.co.uk describes itself as a discount centre that works with a large network of franchised dealers. Full manufacturer warranties are promised. Part exchanges are welcomed, as is nationwide delivery.
The Fiesta at £7,895 instead of £9,495 looks great value, the Ka Studio reduced from £8,725 to £6,895 less so.Trade-Sales claims to be "the UK's lowest priced car supermarket". The Slough-based retailer has hundreds of vehicles in stock, plus "Unique Buy to Order' service.UK-car-discount.co.uk has discounts that are easy to understand – and huge. Plenty are in the £4,000-£7,000 range (lots of French models heavily reduced!) but Vauxhall Insignia diesels are available with nearer £9,000 off. Customers can chose cars that are in stock at factories or official franchised outlets, or they can be built to order.

Most used cars at car supermarkets are ex-fleet or ex-lease vehicles with service history, but not always in the showroom condition of 'approved used' cars.

Source wisebuyers guide
http://www.wisebuyers.co.uk/motoring/car-buying/Where-to-Buy-a-Car/5/5/

CHOICEIndependent ca rsupermarkets have mushroomed in the lastdecade,offering high numbers ofnearly-new andlow-mileage used cars on massive lots.These are often sourced in bulk from the fleet industry

Source
Which car

clogher71

timmy4u2 wrote: »

First of all you are on the ball with the auctions. A lot, but not all the vehicles sold at auction are high mileage, have body blemishes, dubious service records or otherwise too dicey to be retailed off a forecourt.
Having said that at times you may pick up a good bargain.
For me it is not worth the time waiting half a day for a particular vehicle to come up not knowing if it will become yours or not, and then waiting until the end of the auction to very quickly check it out further.
If you want an auction vehicle there are many dealers who buy at auction and sell on at a small profit.
You have the advantage of a knowledgeable person having checked out the car and you in turn have plenty of time to check it out yourself.

I have bought a few this way from trusted buyers/dealers.

Car supermarkets just turn over cars and the negotiation is very low.

Franchise dealers do sell to the trade and do do deals but they have regular trade buyers so the better deals are snapped up, sometimes before they arrive in.
Most, but not all prefer to retail their low mileage mint vehicles.

Depending on whom you are dealing with and the popularity of a particular make of vehicle you could get a sizeable discount on an £8500 car.
What particular make were you interested in?

Hi thanks for the response guys I was hoping to draw on your experiences, I am looking at a Mazda6 2.2 185ps sport, in excellent condition and a full Mazda service history as they have to have the correct oil and the dpf needs to be reset after an oil change.