Reputable indie car sales garages

lukester

We're in the market for a used car, and a lot of what we are coming across for sale is sold through small indie garages.

I know there are many good indies, and some total rogues. At the weekend I had an unpleasant experience with the latter type.

Is there any way of discerning one from the other (short of trawling boards/google.ie, which isn't very reliable)?

Or is there a list of good garages anywhere here that I've missed?

Thanks

coylemj

To be honest I just gave up on indie dealers, I was so p1ssed off with the evasive answers, the prefab with the Alsatian outside, no landline phone, the lads inside eating chips out of plastic takeaway containers and other factors which just screamed 'don't do business with these people'.

Typical conversation - me enquiring about a four year old car.

Me: What's the story with the NCT?

Dealer: We'll guarantee the NCT

Me: What's that supposed to mean?

Dealer: You put it in for the NCT and if it fails, we'll fix the problem.

Me: Well if you're so confident that it will pass, why don't you submit it for the NCT and offer it for sale with a two year NCT cert? Why should I give you my money and then end up having to chase you to fix a problem that was in the car all along?

Dealer: Silence

I came to the conclusion that cars that are badly maintained all end up in indie dealers and neither the previous owner or the indie will put it for the NCT because they all know that it's bound to fail so I decided to concentrate on private sellers and franchise dealers.

I know there are honest dealers out there, I just never came across one that didn't sound like an evasive crook.

In my opinion the indie adds zero to the transaction, you get nothing in return for the profit they make on the deal and you might as well buy privately because buying from an indie you have just about as much comeback as you do in a private sale which is none.

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

............
In my opinion the indie adds zero to the transaction, you get nothing in return for the profit they make on the deal and you might as well buy privately because buying from an indie you have just about as much comeback as you do in a private sale which is none.

Quite a bit more comeback actually but no doubt your mind is made up. Regarding the badly maintained cars, that's what a 20 min looksee and a testdrive are for

kildare.17hmr

PM with a recomendation of a very good garage in kildare. dont know if thats near you r not but might help!

lukester

I get the impression that if you're dealing with a good indie, you have plenty of comeback-i.e. they'll honour the warranty, and try to help out. They are a legitimate business, and want customers to return. But rogue indies just want your cash.

My problem is that it's hard to know, without a personal recommendation, which ones are good and which aren't. A friend, for example, swears by one particular indie, and his dad has bought car after car from them.

The same friend got chased out of an indie dealers and threatened with violence for asking for his deposit back after pulling out of a deal post mechanical inspection.

The dealer I had my recent bad experience with totally put me off indies that I don't have a personal referral for.

coylemj

RoverJames wrote: »

Quite a bit more comeback actually but no doubt your mind is made up.

What comeback do you have? Most of them operate from huts or rented yards, they have virtually no assets so suing them is not an option and they have no franchise that can be taken away.

In short, you have no comeback if they tell you to piss off.

kildare.17hmr

coylemj wrote: »

What comeback do you have? Most of them operate from huts or rented yards, they have virtually no assets so suing them is not an option and they have no franchise that can be taken away.

In short, you have no comeback if they tell you to piss off.

Alot of them garages have been there for years and have a solid customer base and great reputation, its a matter of looking around and asking questions just like the op is doing. all your doing is taring all indi dealers with the same bad brush which is not fair at all.

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

What comeback do you have? Most of them operate from huts or rented yards, they have virtually no assets so suing them is not an option and they have no franchise that can be taken away.

In short, you have no comeback if they tell you to piss off.

You're painting a very grim and not representative picture, as mentioned above their are plenty reputable dealers around that have been in the same location for years who have lots and lots of satisfied customers. There is no such thing as the no comeback you describe, there is always a comeback.

coylemj

RoverJames wrote: »

You're painting a very grim and not representative picture, as mentioned above their are plenty reputable dealers around that have been in the same location for years who have lots and lots of satisfied customers.

I did say in my first post I know there are honest dealers out there, however the instance I mentioned where the two lads were eating chips out of plastic containers involved one of the best known indies on the southside of Dublin. I went there once to see a car they had advertised but as they were having 'lunch' I was more or less told they were busy and to come back later, I never did.

RoverJames wrote: »

There is no such thing as the no comeback you describe, there is always a comeback.

Is there really? Would you like to describe what comeback you have against a dealer who operates from a pre-fab?

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

.............



Is there really? Would you like to describe what comeback you have against a dealer who operates from a pre-fab?

Well you see, your issue is that you feel they might tell you to p1ss off. I don't see that happening to me to be honest. From my own dealings with prefab based car dealers they have all been positive.

Should I encounter a p1ss off merchant that you describe, well for a start I doubt I'd have bought a sh1tter of a car from such a chap but if I did and he wasn't obliging to the terms of the warranty well, I can't really say how I'd deal with that to be honest.

I do find the idea that 2nd hand car dealers are some sort of Dell Boy with a touch of hardman about them a huge urban myth, the vast majority are reputable businesses. Once you stay away from the cowboys (minority) there is no bother.

coylemj

RoverJames wrote: »

Well you see, your issue is that you feel they might tell you to p1ss off. I don't see that happening to me to be honest.

It goes beyond rudeness, let me remind you what the OP said about about people he knows and the treatment they got from indie dealers....

lukester wrote: »

The same friend got chased out of an indie dealers and threatened with violence for asking for his deposit back after pulling out of a deal post mechanical inspection.

RoverJames wrote: »

Should I encounter a p1ss off merchant that you describe, well for a start I doubt I'd have bought a sh1tter of a car from such a chap

I'm sorry, 'it could never happen to me' is not a valid answer

RoverJames wrote: »

but if I did and he wasn't obliging to the terms of the warranty well, I can't really say how I'd deal with that to be honest.

Thank you for being honest enough to admit it, this is what I meant by 'no comeback'

RoverJames wrote: »

I do find the idea that 2nd hand car dealers are some sort of Dell Boy with a touch of hardman about them a huge urban myth, the vast majority are reputable businesses. Once you stay away from the cowboys (minority) there is no bother.

The trouble is that there is no way for a layman to tell the difference, you only discover which is which when things go wrong and at that stage they have your money and you are stuck with a crock of sh1t.

Chriscl1

coylemj wrote: »

To be honest I just gave up on indie dealers, I was so p1ssed off with the evasive answers, the prefab with the Alsatian outside, no landline phone, the lads inside eating chips out of plastic takeaway containers and other factors which just screamed 'don't do business with these people'.

Typical conversation - me enquiring about a four year old car.

Me: What's the story with the NCT?

Dealer: We'll guarantee the NCT

Me: What's that supposed to mean?

Dealer: You put it in for the NCT and if it fails, we'll fix the problem.

Me: Well if you're so confident that it will pass, why don't you submit it for the NCT and offer it for sale with a two year NCT cert? Why should I give you my money and then end up having to chase you to fix a problem that was in the car all along?

Dealer: Silence

I came to the conclusion that cars that are badly maintained all end up in indie dealers and neither the previous owner or the indie will put it for the NCT because they all know that it's bound to fail so I decided to concentrate on private sellers and franchise dealers.

:D:D i know how you feel, but i do know a fella at an indie who is forever up at the nct centre get cars cars tested.

exador

Get the car checked first by your own mechanic to make sure that everything is OK.. This will at least ensure that you don't buy a complete pile but after that you are down to what conditions you buy it at i.e warranty given by garage e.t.c....

You could always buy the car as is, meaning no warranty and take your chances by putting the difference saved to one side to cover anything that may happen !

Its a risk but there is element of take your chances when you buy any second hand car. I know there is only a certain amount of things can be checked by mechanic and it doesn't guarantee that nothing will go wrong.

Compton

Most indies buy cars from auctions and exfleet so they are in bits mostly.