When to call back?

Burning Eclipse

Long story short, I viewed a car on Monday night, and again Tuesday morning (to check body in daylight) and would be delighted to buy it. It's a great car (imo), in excellent condition for 8 y.o.

Owner is looking for €6000 for it. I offered €5,300 initially (very hopeful of me), but he wouldn't even offer a number. He did say he was open to offers. Last I left it was an offer of €5,500, which he turned down but said he might call me at the weekend.

I'm willing to go to €5,700 on this, but no further... What should be my next move? I feel like if I call, I'm losing any negotiation strength? At the same time, I'd be gutted to find out he sold it for that price to someone else.

Not sure what I'm saying is making a lot of sense. Appreciate any feedback.

qz

Depends what's worth more to you - the extra €200 or having the car in your driveway. Simple.

Supergurrier

Decent offer considering, hold out tbh

ba_barabus

First date kinda stuff

Burning Eclipse

qz wrote: »

Depends what's worth more to you - the extra €200 or having the car in your driveway. Simple.

Supergurrier wrote: »

Decent offer considering, hold out tbh

And this is why I came here... mates and colleagues are giving the same advice as you guys, contradicting each other. :pac:

Senna

Depends on what the car is also. If its a rarer car (or spec) that might not come along again for a few months, then I would just phone him and say you'll take it for €5600 now.
If you're going to be gutted to lose the car and you think he might agree to €5500 at the weekend, for the sake of €100, i'd phone him now.

AltAccount

If you think it's worth 5,700, then offer that and take the car. Get it over and done with, and start enjoying your new car.

If you think it's worth the gamble of losing the car but potentially saving 200, then hold out and be prepared to lose.

There's no real middle ground.

The second option is far more satisfying and interesting tbh.

colm_mcm

Tell him you want to see the car again. Bring money.

T-Maxx

If you're prepared to pay €5700 the car must obviously be worth it. I don't really understand what the issue is here.

AltAccount

Very good point Colm, don't do ANY of this over the phone.

Negotiate face to face if you want to have any leverage, at the moment it sounds like they have all the power.


Understand that, in negotiation, the person who thinks they have the power, generally does.

Give yourself the power, believe you have it, before you pick up the phone or meet with them.

Lawless2k12

I'm just dying to find out what car it is

ba_barabus

Lawless2k12 wrote: »

I'm just dying to find out what car it is

I bet it's a Corolla 1.4 TERRA

colm_mcm

316i ?
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4281612


Sellers a bit of a comedian

bazz26

Imo the seller knows you are very keen on the car because you upped your initial offer so he is naturally playing hardball. The "might call you at the weekend" line is imo putting the ball firmly back in your court to either up your offer again.

So the way I see it is that you have two choices, either sit tight and see if he calls at the weekend (which puts him at a disadvantage in the negotiations) or else make a final offer telling him you have the money to do the deal. It's like a game of poker really.

JJJJNR

colm_mcm wrote: »

316i ?
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4281612


Sellers a bit of a comedian

...well played, sir.

Burning Eclipse

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

..........

Owner is looking for €6000 for it. I offered €5,300 initially (very hopeful of me), but he wouldn't even offer a number. He did say he was open to offers. Last I left it was an offer of €5,500, which he turned down but said he might call me at the weekend.................

He knows you're gagging for the car
Just buy it if you want it, you're on the back foot now.

Burning Eclipse

colm_mcm wrote: »

316i ?
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4281612


Sellers a bit of a comedian

Very close... It's this: http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/3-Series/316-316I/201302211936695/advert?channel=CARS

_Kaiser_

I'd say go for it if you're happy with the car. I wouldn't let €200 put me off.

Gumbo

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Very close... It's this: http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/3-Series/316-316I/201302211936695/advert?channel=CARS

For the sake of €200, hopefully less if you can get it for a bit less, i would be ringing him to take it. Not many 316i in Msport trim and that looks decent enough, providing everything else checks out, mileage, service history and crash/insurance write off etc

Leather, Carbon cube trim too, and it looks to be well cared for. You'll be sorry/kicking yourself if you lose it for €200

Lawless2k12

YOU LIED OP!! You said €6000... it was €5999 :O That's cheek! And there's a fine line between murder and manslaughter... and there's another fine line between manslaughter and cheek.... that's two fine lines between murder and cheek... OP is a MURDERER!!!

scrap_man

If you'r willing to up your offer to 5700, you should phone him and tell him that you've looked at another simillar car and that you want to make a final offer of 5700 before you go for the other(imaginary) car. If its up for 6000 and hes open to offers, 300 isn't a lot to come down by

mgbgt1978

Is the number plate extra ?
Sorry OP, couldn't resist.....not much fondness for the paranoid type that hide the reg to avoid the massive cloning issue that's sweeping the nation.

Seriously though, if you're really into this car (and can't find anything similar) then do as mentioned already. Ring him and offer €5,700, tell him you are looking at another 3 series on saturday (look for one on donedeal as an example if you like) and will not be spending any more than €5,700.

If he persists with the good points about his car just say that all that really interests you is the colour, or whatever.
Make sure he understands that this your final offer, no "meeting in the middle" etc. and tell him to give you a ring on Saturday before 1 o'clock when you are off to view another car.
It's a buyer's market and if he is cute enough to get a couple of guys bidding for the same car then it will sell for more than it's worth.
Above all, don't get too emotive about this...it really is only a car and there are loads more for sale.

ironclaw

Don't negotiate by phone. Go again with cash. Low ball again and place that amount in their hand. Very few people will hand back a wad of cash. If he hands it back I'd walk away as €200 or so is peanuts in the grand scale of things (I can't stand greedy / dreamer sellers)

A-Trak

I'd agree with Colm.
See the car again, bring cash and offer meet his €5,700 less the cost of a full tank - so €5,600.

Selling a car is a chore, a wad of cash is a great incentive to have done with it.

bazz26

I'm not so sure I would go as far as saying it's a buyer's market out there when it comes to that particular car. There are alot of cars out there for sale but a fair majority of them are pure muck in very poor condition being sold by owners with very little interest in maintaining them or by shady characters with something to hide.

That car looks like it was very well cared for, has a rare enough specification and possibly owned by an enthusiast who has a fair idea of it's value. We also don't know how long it has been up for sale, if it is only up for a wet week the seller may well be patient and confident in waiting for an offer closer to his asking price. Sometimes above average condition and spec are worth paying that little extra for imo.

the_syco

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Very close... It's this: http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/3-Series/316-316I/201302211936695/advert?channel=CARS

Number plate hidden? Run the plate number through motorcheck.ie or cartel in case there's a reason why he doesn't want people knowing it.

Burning Eclipse

Thanks for all the feedback, really appreciate it.

To put the car in perspective, it has 4 new tyres on it worth €480. Timing chain was done in December for €1,100. He said this was because he started to notice a rattle (as an aside, is this something I should be worried about?). Taxed until end of Sept (worth €424). It's immaculate inside, and in great condition outside, just a few scratches. NCT'd for 2 years as of last week, which is a nice bonus.

As for bazz's comment about him being an enthusiast who knows exactly what he's got, yes, you're spot on. He knows the car really well, and has a receipt for every piece of work done to the car in the 4 years he's owned it. Also the car is literally up a wet week, 7 days today so the bargaining power was always his.

the_syco, the reg is actually visible on the NCT disk, and I checked before meeting him. Everything checks out, except mileage, which there wasn't any data for, but based on the log book, I've no reason to doubt it.

In short, I'm making my offer tomorrow, so here's hoping - will report back anyway

Blazer

I'd take it to be honest..if he's looked after it that well and a 316i with leather is pretty rare , well ones well looked after you'd be absolutely gutted if you lost on it.
Have a look and see if you can get another car close to it..if not hand over the cash.
Saying that he should be least be coming out €200 for the car.
As people have said..cash is king

ironclaw

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Thanks for all the feedback, really appreciate it.

To put the car in perspective, it has 4 new tyres on it worth €480. Timing chain was done in December for €1,100. He said this was because he started to notice a rattle (as an aside, is this something I should be worried about?). Taxed until end of Sept (worth €424). It's immaculate inside, and in great condition outside, just a few scratches. NCT'd for 2 years as of last week, which is a nice bonus.

Have you had a mechanic look at it?

Burning Eclipse

Deal done at €5,700. Haven't got the car yet (as the owner asked for a couple of days to get a new motor himself), but I trust him not to mess me about.

Delighted I must say. Have loved the E46 for years. Thanks again to all for the advice.

_Kaiser_

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Deal done at €5,700. Haven't got the car yet (as the owner asked for a couple of days to get a new motor himself), but I trust him not to mess me about.

Delighted I must say. Have loved the E46 for years. Thanks again to all for the advice.

Well done. Enjoy the new motor

Idbatterim

good spec for a 318, I dont think its worth losing a car of that value for 200 or so odd euro, different if it was a bangernomic, i think it went for a bit of a premium due to the fact it had a 1.8L engine and good spec, which is unusual. If on donedeal im sure hed have received offers of half of what he was looking for. Normally what I do and what Im always going to do in future, is go look at it, give final and best price, often when cars has just done up for sale, seller is more ambitious with price, often however an earlier offer they refused, looks very attractive 3-4 weeks down the line. If that were me Id have taken something like the below and used the money saved to pay for the difference in tax... This probably tends to work on bigger engined cars better though, the 2L and under bmw's have far more demand than the bigger engined ones...

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4437221