Price Changing in car dealer

The_g-man

I am just back from a reputable car dealership, which shall remain nameless.

There is a price [€13,950] on the windscreen on which I was told I could have €2000 value trade-in on my car. While getting the spec written up they mention it was not up on carzone yet. I live nearby and was home quickly to browse carzone for comparison prices and notice that it is listed on carzone, updated yesterday for €11,950. I have a screengrab of this price.

Less than five minutes later I refreshed my screen to see the price updated to €13,950. I gave them a friendly call to doublecheck, and it was brushed aside as being a pricing error when listed previously.

Would this be a cause for alarm bells for anyone?
Either way it seemed well priced for the year, good condition and had very low mileage.

Drummerboy08

Sounds to me like an error. Someone must have put it up wrong.

The_g-man

I'd be quite happy to brush it off as the same, it was just the speed that the carzone website was closed by the dealer as he went to check the spec surprised me, but he was genuinely nice, very helpful in every other aspect.

I suppose it's just jitters after holding on to my current car for 9 years.

Anan1

Best advice is to forget about the asking price and focus on whether the deal you're being offered is a good one.

Drummerboy08

Actually, any link to the car OP?

The_g-man

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Land-Rover/Freelander/2.0-D-AU/200928194573041/advert?channel=CARS

Wasn't posting it until the misunderstanding was cleared up. Only one I saw that was close was this:
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Land-Rover/Freelander/2.0-HSE-/200932194817058/advert?channel=CARS

A year older and double the mileage but manual gears, leather, park control and navigation.

Drummerboy08

If I were you, I'd be very careful with a Freelander. They are not the greatest car going, and tend to have a lot of reliability problems.

If I were you, I'd look at something like a Toyota Rav4 or Nissan X Trail. Or, even better, steer clear of the Mini 4x4 sector, and buy yourself a decent car.

feb09

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Sounds to me like an error. Someone must have put it up wrong.

sounds to me like the dealer is trying to pull a fast one.
and sounds to me that someone in the trade is trying to cover it up.
like the numerous cases of clocking that we have seen on this forum, where people say that it is just a mistake on a website.

Drummerboy08

feb09 wrote: »

sounds to me like the dealer is trying to pull a fast one.
and sounds to me that someone in the trade is trying to cover it up.
like the numerous cases of clocking that we have seen on this forum, where people say that it is just a mistake on a website.

Sounds to me like your a troll. The conspiracy theories forum is that way
---->

mcscrub

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Sounds to me like your a troll. The conspiracy theories forum is that way
---->

Sounds to me like you're a car dealer!

Garages do this all the time IMO, they only lower the prices on carzone, but they never change the price on the actual car on the lot. I've seen it happen loads of times. If the potential buyer hasn't seen it on Carzone the dealer would say nothing IMO.

Drummerboy08

I work for a Fleet company. I have no links to that particular dealer.

Big Nasty

I did speak to a chap before who saw a certain car online in a certain Northside Indy dealership. Went out to see the car and while he was talking to sales manager in the office before viewing another salesman went outside and changed the price! And it weren't cheaper!

daveharnett

I would always recommend phoning the dealer first, to confirm the asking price and all details before turning up in person. Yes, even if it's just around the corner. People will often drop the original asking price just to get you in the door.

20goto10

I'm looking for a 2nd hand car myself at the moment and the amount of BS from the salesmen is unreal. They can tell when you are genuinely interested in a car and once they pick up on that its all about getting as much out of you as possible. My advice, as a fellow buyer, is to walk away from this. As a buyer you should always assume the worst case scenario, thats the only way you can be sure of what you're getting.

murf313

check out the north, you will definitely come across one cheaper up there!

that is if you dont really have to trade in!

mcscrub

The_g-man wrote: »

I am just back from a reputable car dealership, which shall remain nameless.

There is a price [€13,950] on the windscreen on which I was told I could have €2000 value trade-in on my car. While getting the spec written up they mention it was not up on carzone yet. I live nearby and was home quickly to browse carzone for comparison prices and notice that it is listed on carzone, updated yesterday for €11,950. I have a screengrab of this price.

Less than five minutes later I refreshed my screen to see the price updated to €13,950. I gave them a friendly call to doublecheck, and it was brushed aside as being a pricing error when listed previously.

Would this be a cause for alarm bells for anyone?
Either way it seemed well priced for the year, good condition and had very low mileage.[/QUOTE

Have a look at the screengrab and see when the ad was last updated/changed.

Drummerboy08

murf313 wrote: »

check out the north, you will definitely come across one cheaper up there!

that is if you dont really have to trade in!

About 1 year behind the times there buddy.

It BeeMee

The_g-man wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Land-Rover/Freelander/2.0-D-AU/200928194573041/advert?channel=CARS

The original screen-grab has 13,950 in the windscreen, which suggests it was put up on Carzone wrong?

E39MSport

cash is king at the mo m8. They whacked up the price when you said the dreaded T word. I'd hold off and sell yours privately then go hunting with cash in your pocket. You'll do much better. Dealers are struggling to shift stock especially LR's etc in my recent experience. I sold my RRS for market price on carzone then got an Amazon for 13750 that was priced at 19,995. Have a go at selling your motor on donedeal.ie
K

mcscrub

It BeeMee wrote: »

The original screen-grab has 13,950 in the windscreen, which suggests it was put up on Carzone wrong?

Check what I wrote earlier - it'll remain 13950 on the forecourt, but they sometimes lower the price on carzone etc. So that way if someone who hasn't seen it on carzone walks into their lot, they'll think the price is 13950, not 11950 as would be advertised on carzone. That's why the image has 13950 on it.

There's plenty like that to be seen on carzone - I'm not going to search for one now, trust me though, there are plenty.

run_Forrest_run

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

If I were you, I'd be very careful with a Freelander. They are not the greatest car going, and tend to have a lot of reliability problems.

If I were you, I'd look at something like a Toyota Rav4 or Nissan X Trail. Or, even better, steer clear of the Mini 4x4 sector, and buy yourself a decent car.

I don't know why everyone is going on about the price etc. Have they not read the post above??

A friend of mine bought a Freelander and he is driven nuts with it, constant problems since day 1.

murf313

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

About 1 year behind the times there buddy.

eh, no I dont think so....
only last week was i looking for a car and I was saving at least a grand every time!
car dealers are still a rip off here

Gone Fishin

Don't buy a Land Rover and certainly not from them! I had a Discovery 3 and had it back to them 26 times in 24 months. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. I have heard nothing but bad reports from others who had them too. Tread carefully!

Saab Ed

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

About 1 year behind the times there buddy.

+1

Gone Fishin

Mine one has been gone about a year and a half and I'm still bitter about it! I ended up driving it up on to the Steps of that shower of a car dealer ship, locking it up and driving away. I was half way across the M50 when the MD rang me and pleaded with me to move it!!! Its one thing having a bad car, its worse when the dealer knows it and doesn't give a sh1t!!

mcscrub

Gone Fishin wrote: »

Mine one has been gone about a year and a half and I'm still bitter about it! I ended up driving it up on to the Steps of that shower of a car dealer ship, locking it up and driving away. I was half way across the M50 when the MD rang me and pleaded with me to move it!!! Its one thing having a bad car, its worse when the dealer knows it and doesn't give a sh1t!!

Fair balls to you!

Fatswaldo

I know what Gone Fishin is talking about - very nearly done something similar on several occasions. LR dealers must be the worst goin! OP, Stay away from the freelander unless you have a bottomless pit full of cash! (and a good taxi number!!!)

R.O.R

The Diesel Auto isn't such a bad combo on the Freelander though. You avoid the headgasket problems on the petrol model and the horrible clutch on the diesel manual.

You don't avoid the electrical issues or the poor build quality though!

Drummerboy08

murf313 wrote: »

eh, no I dont think so....
only last week was i looking for a car and I was saving at least a grand every time!
car dealers are still a rip off here

Can you post up some examples? I'd love to save myself a grand!

R.O.R

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Can you post up some examples? I'd love to rip the shite out of them, along with the other guys in the trade!

FYP

Drummerboy08

:pac:

niceirishfella

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

If I were you, I'd be very careful with a Freelander. They are not the greatest car going, and tend to have a lot of reliability problems.

If I were you, I'd look at something like a Toyota Rav4 or Nissan X Trail. Or, even better, steer clear of the Mini 4x4 sector, and buy yourself a decent car.

+1 , they are Shyte.;)

murf313

ok well straight away heres a 05 freelander same as the OP is looking for

http://www.usedcarsni.com/26498287

converted to euro thats 6,826. with out haggling.

even if you factor in the vrt at 3,000e (which it isnt) its still less than 10 grand!

Drummerboy08

The car you posted Murf has twice the mileage, and is only a 3 door version. Which is why its a lot cheaper than the vehicle the OP posted. Its also manual, as opposed to auto. Your not comparing apples with apples here Murf.

Saab Ed

Anyway.....................

http://cars.motornet.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200934194984946



Complete with Warranty , trade in taken and we havent even started to haggle. The North is OVER.

murf313

ok fair enough

http://www.usedcarsni.com/27530168

heres a 5 door one with only 9k mile more for 8,238euro (without haggling)

even with 3k vrt its still only 11, 238euro, nearly 3grand less....

Drummerboy08

I like the trailer attached to the back :pac:.

By the looks of it, thats a trade to trade sale? Maybe I'm wrong though. Its still a Manual. The auto box commands a premium in these vehicles.

Saab Ed

murf313 wrote: »

ok fair enough

http://www.usedcarsni.com/27530168

heres a 5 door one with only 9k mile more for 8,238euro (without haggling)

even with 3k vrt its still only 11, 238euro, nearly 3grand less....

Murf313 Im not sure you know how it works in the North. Up North or on the Mainland you'll get little or no discount off thoses prices . Added to the fact that you might not be able to trade in your car plus you are basically buying a car with no warranty ( unless you fancy a drive up North for every little rattle ) is it really bettere value. In the south you'll get loads off if you are buying straight.

murf313

Saab Ed wrote: »

Anyway.....................

http://cars.motornet.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200934194984946



Complete with Warranty , trade in taken and we havent even started to haggle. The North is OVER.

touche........

R.O.R

murf313 wrote: »

ok fair enough

http://www.usedcarsni.com/27530168

heres a 5 door one with only 9k mile more for 8,238euro (without haggling)

even with 3k vrt its still only 11, 238euro, nearly 3grand less....

ahh, Ok - so you don't bother bargaining.

There is a deal to be done on cars in Ireland. That Freelander is a TRADE sale. No warranty, sold as seen - unlikely you are going to be able to negotiate on that.

I'm also getting a VRT amount of €4,454 based on June 05 reg.

Any more holes you'd like picked in your argument????

murf313

Saab Ed wrote: »

Murf313 Im not sure you know how it works in the North. Up North or on the Mainland you'll get little or no discount off thoses prices . Added to the fact that you might not be able to trade in your car plus you are basically buying a car with no warranty ( unless you fancy a drive up North for every little rattle ) is it really bettere value. In the south you'll get loads off if you are buying straight.

i do indeed, im an armagh man so i know exactly how it works!

if you want to trade in down here your either looked at with a look of disgust or the price is higher or non negotiable because of the trade!

i can see your point that if you look hard enough you will get a bargain, but more often the case you wont.

some car dealers arent great to deal with, i spent a full day goin around dealers in dublin and MOST were very ignorant. some were very helpful as well i must add....

murf313

obviously most of you are car dealers and are very touchy about people buying in the north......

i have already agreey that there are plenty of bargains to be had in ireland but there are plenty of places still ripping us off........

btw posted the freelander as an example for the OP who was going to pay 13,950 for one!

Anan1

20goto10 wrote: »

I'm looking for a 2nd hand car myself at the moment and the amount of BS from the salesmen is unreal. They can tell when you are genuinely interested in a car and once they pick up on that its all about getting as much out of you as possible.

I'm sorry, but what do you expect? Aren't you equally interested in getting the car for as little as possible? That's how it works.

Drummerboy08

hound1976 wrote: »

s

Really? Are you sure?

F-Stop

Anan1 wrote: »

I'm sorry, but what do you expect? Aren't you equally interested in getting the car for as little as possible? That's how it works.

There's a big difference between getting a good deal and value for money and being ripped off. Most people will pay a bit more for extras or an upgrade if they feel they are doing well out of it. But when people use bait and switch tactics, promise extras that don't exist and fail to stand by warranties then they are just ripping people off. Sure we would all like to get things for as little as possible, but we wouldn't rob the car on them to achieve that, and we shouldn't expect them to rob us blind either.

Anan1

F-Stop wrote: »

There's a big difference between getting a good deal and value for money and being ripped off. Most people will pay a bit more for extras or an upgrade if they feel they are doing well out of it. But when people use bait and switch tactics, promise extras that don't exist and fail to stand by warranties then they are just ripping people off. Sure we would all like to get things for as little as possible, but we wouldn't rob the car on them to achieve that, and we shouldn't expect them to rob us blind either.

You're confusing two separate issues here. This thread is about pricing, not about misrepresentation of the car or not honouring warranties - that's fraud, and a completely different topic.

F-Stop

Anan1 wrote: »

You're confusing two separate issues here. This thread is about pricing, not about misrepresentation of the car or not honouring warranties - that's fraud, and a completely different topic.

I was responding to your comment which was a response to this:

I'm looking for a 2nd hand car myself at the moment and the amount of BS from the salesmen is unreal. They can tell when you are genuinely interested in a car and once they pick up on that its all about getting as much out of you as possible.

Anan1

Exactly, that quote is about pricing.

F-Stop

No, that comment is about BS from salesmen and getting as much out of the buyer as possible. I think you might have been the one to confuse that with pricing.

The_g-man

Thanks for the interest, I'm glad to hear of any concerns with head gaskets and the heavier gears before committing to something like this. I would be interested in hearing more about the electrical issues and build quality issues people have had first hand problems.

I have seen several dealers placing a lower internet price than the forecourt picture in their ads, this was the only reason for surprise, but going by how friendly and honest they were when I was there I'm happy to accept it as a typo.

I am not pushed on trading in my current car, and would sell it separately if it made that much of an impact on the sale.

I should also mention the interior colour was another big plus in its favour, in either cloth or leather it looks a lot nicer with the beige.


Found another example of the same pricing practice:

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Land-Rover/Freelander/2.0TD-4-/200836189877663/advert?channel=CARS

danjo

20goto10 wrote: »

They can tell when you are genuinely interested in a car and once they pick up on that its all about getting as much out of you as possible.

Why are you surprised at this?
Surely this is the very essence of the salesman's job.
Whether he talks BS is neither here nor there. The job is to sell cars at the best price he can get just as you would wish to buy a car for as little as you can.
Maybe I am missing something