"We're selling it for someone else"

cantdecide

I've been looking at various cars for various friends and family over the last few months and I've been told this at least a dozen times.

What does this really mean? It usually goes along with "and that's why the price isn't negotiable".

Barr

I've got the line from people that my son/daughter etc are gone abroad and they are selling on behalf of them .

I cant see why the price would be non negotiable because of this - should still be able to put an offer to them

Tipsy Mac

Selling for somone else usually means he's selling on the side with cars he is getting off dealers on the cheap or else he is buying and selling cars and not putting his name on the log book.

cantdecide

I mean you see a car online and go to the used car dealer where it's advertised and they tell you the car's not here- it belongs to a friend of mine.

Topper Harley

I know a couple of people who've gone abroad and had their parents sell the car for them, so it's not as if it's always just an excuse not to drop the price.

And recently when I was getting a new car, the dealer really didn't want to take a trade in. He offered to sell my old car for me at whatever price I wanted if I bought the car of them outright. I didn't take him up on the offer but that might be happening in other places too.

Declan1

I've a dealer friend trying to sell a car for me. He has it advertised, on his forecourt etc but it is my car... I know he's doing the same for at least one other person.

Drummerboy08

This is becoming more popular in dealers - usually what happens is the person will want to trade it in, but the dealer wont either give him the money he wants for it, or just wont take it full stop, but he will offer to sell it on behalf on the customer.

It will also happen when someone cant afford their car anymore, and ask their dealer friend to sell it on behalf on them.

cantdecide

Most of these cars are then taken away and aren't available for viewing at the advertised dealer. Bargaining can then only be done with an unautorised person. No warranties or dealer backup? I fail to see how the service can be beneficial to a buyer. It's like a private sale only more complicated IMO.

talkFIAT.net

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

This is becoming more popular in dealers - usually what happens is the person will want to trade it in, but the dealer wont either give him the money he wants for it, or just wont take it full stop, but he will offer to sell it on behalf on the customer.

It will also happen when someone cant afford their car anymore, and ask their dealer friend to sell it on behalf on them.

Does the dealer take a cut for selling it for them?

Wishbone Ash

cantdecide wrote: »

I fail to see how the service can be beneficial to a buyer

I'd imagine it's intended to be beneficial for the seller, not the buyer.

For those who find haggling demeaning and degrading, it's much better to have a set price and the prospective buyer can take it or leave it rather than setting an artificially higher price with the expection of reducing it.

Hagar

I suppose if it's not the dealers car you get no garage guarantee with it. Something to think about.

cantdecide

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I'd imagine it's intended to be beneficial for the seller, not the buyer.

For those who find haggling demeaning and degrading, it's much better to have a set price and the prospective buyer can take it or leave it rather than setting an artificially higher price with the expection of reducing it.

This seems to be going on wholesale.

If I walk into a McDonalds and I ask for a Big Mac and I'm told that if I wait an hour, they'll send for a Whopper- will you accept Burger King's T's and C's?then that would defeat the purpouse of providing a service based on convenient, centralised burger sales.

If selling cars is not for the buyers benefit (especially with the times that are in it) then for whose benefit should it be? It's cynical crap IMO. Trying to turn a buyers market into a sellers market...

Drummerboy08

talkFIAT.net wrote: »

Does the dealer take a cut for selling it for them?

I dont know. I doubt it. Unless the car is sold for more than the price the garage and the selling customer agree.

As for the guarantee, i would doubt the dealership would offer one, unless it is negotiated between the dealership and selling customer before any sale.

Drummerboy08

cantdecide wrote: »

Most of these cars are then taken away and aren't available for viewing at the advertised dealer. Bargaining can then only be done with an unautorised person. No warranties or dealer backup? I fail to see how the service can be beneficial to a buyer. It's like a private sale only more complicated IMO.

Your probably right, but i think your taking it up the wrong way. Many people believe that a car dealership will have better chance of selling a car that the person themselves - better market exposure, advertising etc. This particularly applies to the person who knows a car dealer and who would be happy to sell it on their behalf.

I know we have done it before. E.G. A car will come back early off lease, and may be standing alot more than its worth. The trade wont want it because its a big luxury barge, say a BMW. A BMW would have a better chance of getting a better price for it than we would, so we would ask a BMW dealer whom we have a good relationship with to retail it for us. If they get an offer from an interested party, they will ring us while the customer is there, and so forth.

Im not sure if it would work that efficiently where a private seller is involved.

Victor

Also watch for outstanding loans on the car - the "sale" value is the amount of the loan and can often be above the market value of the car.

Declan1

Speaking for my own case alone, the car is on the dealers forecourt, he get's a commission for selling it, he's allowed to negotiate on my behalf and he says he's legally obliged to offer a warranty.

L-M

talkFIAT.net wrote: »

Does the dealer take a cut for selling it for them?

Yes, in most cases, they would. Unless it was in the case of they sold some one a car are they were selling it for them at the price the customer wanted. But if it's the case tat your just giving it to them to sell, I would imagine they would take a cut.