Is this normal within the car industry?

Lex Luthor

I saw a car advertised on a main Ford dealer website for sale (€17k). The car was not a Ford. A few days later its not on their site but has appeared on another site for sale by a fairly reputable specialist site. This specialist doesn't specialise in the marques of the car I was looking at.

The car is now for sale with them for 11k.

The car I am told was serviced by the previous main dealer throughout its life, twice. (3 yr old car)

Its now due to be serviced by the specialist for ready for sale.

I am a bit dubious about the service history as it was supposedly done by the main dealer who sold it on. They could easily have put together a stamped book to make it look like it had a service history. The price of the car now is very good, probably about 5k less than any others out there with the same age/mileage.

What do you think the best approach would be? Would the specialist be able to give me the name/address of the 1 owner on the log book so I could give them a call asking them about the car?

Kartale

Not unusual for a main dealer to move their non franchised stock to another dealer. they might have been chancing their arm with price if is a specialist type of car.
Does seem much cheaper as obviously this other dealer didnt buy for 11k and are making profit.
As far as service history i would not worry if stamped by a main dealer, you have to take their word otherwise we could question every stamped history. Obviously check with the dealer first.
AFAIK they dont have to give out previous owners details due to privacy etc. but they could ring previous owner for permission for you to contact them

-Chris-

I doubt you'd be given the contact details for the previous owner.

Do you have any grounds for suspecting the main dealer of fabricating a service history?

If you really want to pursue it, walk into the Ford main dealer service dept unannounced and ask if they could print off or show you the service history for this car. They don't have to obilge you in any way, but if they do then I'd be certain the FSH is legit.

Lex Luthor

-Chris- wrote: »

Do you have any grounds for suspecting the main dealer of fabricating a service history?

I don't have any grounds only I was just skeptical of the movement of the car and wondered if this sort of practice was normal.

I bought a car a good few years ago from a Toyota main dealer and they gave me the Licensing Cert contact name & address and I was able to find them in the phone book, call them up and ask about the car. I got a lot of info from them which backed up the garage info.

The fact that the car has a service history from a Ford dealership for the life of the vehicle just makes me curious when they could have taken it 10 miles down the road to the main dealer of the marque of the car

-Chris-

Could have been bought through a mate who works in the Ford service dept. - customer wanted a Volvo, but promised their mate the servicing work (or any other combination of circumstances).

Data Protection has tightened up considerably recently, so I don't think you'll get much joy with prev. owner details.

It's not uncommon for cars to get sold between dealers either - Ford dealer probably took in the car too rich and had it sitting for a while, decided to cut his losses and sell it to another dealer who was interested in it rather than keep sitting on it.

Kartale

Still not unusual.
This garage could have supplied the car new

EPM

Doesn't sound too off the wall to me. My Seat was supplied new by a Kia dealer, serviced by them and it's all legit. You'd often see new cars going around with plates from a different type of dealer

Lex Luthor

I made a few email enquiries about the car and all of a sudden the price has gone up to 14k on carzone. WTF? :eek:

I printed out the ad earlier with the lower price but it seems like they might have put in the wrong price in teh first place which is why it looked so cheap compared to others. Its still a good price for 14k but I could pick up one with leather in the UK for 15k

-Chris-

If you're interested in it, bring your ad in and ask what happened. If you're happy with the answer and the price, buy the car.

If you think it's dodgy-ness and you don't trust the dealer, walk away. There's more where that came from.

Lex Luthor

The car was advertised for sale with the main dealer for 11k so I thought it strange it was advertised for 10k with the specialist.

14k was more realistic price when its compared to others. When it was priced at 10k I thought I'd have to move fast in case it got sold, but now that its in for 14k, I can hold off a bit longer and look at alternatives.