Red Cow Car Sales - any experience?

CBFi

Looking at a car on Carzone.ie from here. Anyone have any experience?

Audi used car centre (Goatstown) are out of my price range but very nervous buying from an independent dealer as I know next to nothing about cars.

I'm looking at a 2010 A3.

Thanks!

GavMan

Theoretically, you should be buying the car on its merits and not the specific dealer.

Never bought anything there myself but most people will advise you against buying anything from any dealer on the naas road (apart from Frank Keane) due to the high number of them independents that shut up shop on a Friday and open on a Monday as a new company.

Ballymount, Red Cow, Naas Road, Longmile Road based independents tend to have a bit of a rep for this.

Again, Never bought from the dealer you're asking about but this is the advice most people will give you...

CBFi

Thanks.

Hmmm... there goes the handiness that all those places are close to where I work on the Naas road!

I hear what you're saying about the car versus the dealer and I've seen that said on other threads. Often, I think that can be easier said when you know a bit about cars.

Would anyone advise sticking to a main dealership?

I'm giving the (excellent) sticky about buying 2nd hand a read and will try to be informed. Thanks again.

Spipov

i can recommend bluegatemotorco (old naas rd) - where i got my car, although he doesnt have the biggest stock

bobbytables

I'm thinking about taking a spin up to Dublin to see an A4 with RedCow Car Sales. Is this an example of the dodgy dealers mentioned above?

I have a basic-moderate knowledge of cars, but hard earned cash is hard earned cash. I don't have it to blow on false promises. The car looks grand on paper. Not one of those too good to be true deals, but is certainly of interest.

Would a spin up be a waste of time to test drive?. Car has average miles for its age. They also supply a cartell report, which I always thought was an odd thing for a dealer to do. How could the customer trust that report unless they just went and ran their own report also?

Has anyone had good experiences with the above?

bobbytables

In fact I've just had a look around on the Naas road to see where they're located and it seems they used to be called Nolan Motor Company. The shed and red wall that all cars seem to be photographed against is still there in current car images.

Again Google Street View images are likely to be a few years old, but still, is this worth walking away?

Muff Richardson

bobbytables wrote: »

I'm thinking about taking a spin up to Dublin to see an A4 with RedCow Car Sales. Is this an example of the dodgy dealers mentioned above?

I have a basic-moderate knowledge of cars, but hard earned cash is hard earned cash. I don't have it to blow on false promises. The car looks grand on paper. Not one of those too good to be true deals, but is certainly of interest.

Would a spin up be a waste of time to test drive?. Car has average miles for its age. They also supply a cartell report, which I always thought was an odd thing for a dealer to do. How could the customer trust that report unless they just went and ran their own report also?

Has anyone had good experiences with the above?

did either of you end up going/buying? looking at a car there too...

I have had embedded in my head from growing up in dublin to do two things when buying a car...don't go to a dealer and certainly don't go to a dealer on the naas road.

the cartell thing that they are willing to provide is good if anything, long story short, i went to a dealer last week, brought a mechanic mate and all looked reasonably good, put down a deposit on my visa debit, did a motorcheck.ie (it did it after the deposit because its €35 and i figured its a go, stupid i know) it threw up some stuff for concern, nothing major, just enough to walk...showed it to the dealer, he shook and gave me the depo back, decent enough as i was sweating a bit about the outcome of the deposit, pretty much at their discretion to return it...also, i checked before visiting, AIB don't want to know you regarding chargebacks "its between you and the merchant"...

i bought a car on a whim a few years back, i am only now learning what a s*it selection of cars available and just how badly we get fleeced by government.

sure, when buying private if you are not the second owner wasn't the yoke most likely bought from a dealer?

CBFi

They sold the A3 before I could get a mechanic to look at it so I can't say much. When I looked at it, it looked in very good condition for what it's worth.

bobbytables

I didn't bother going up there in the end. What I find really strange though (about Dublin in particular) is that nobody has any confidence buying cars there (incl. on these forums). Page after page all I keep reading are reasons to hold on to my money. Not a single compelling argument to actually go in to a single dealer and consider buying a car. I'm exhausted at this stage tracking down cars and then finding a dozen or so reasons why I should run a mile from the seller.

Of course it's not the seller I'm ultimately investing in, but the picture that's painted...I might as well being going in to a drug lord's den looking for a babysitter.

My current car, I bought for cash in a residential cark park. 7 years later, it still drives perfectly. All I had to do service wise was change a few tyres and the timing belt (when it was due). Yes I do think I was lucky, but apart from dipping the oil, quick look under the bonnet and a 10 min test drive, that's all I did.

These days it seems like, unless you find and pay the "best mechanic in the world ever" to check the car over along with querying every relevant database under the sun & psycho analyse the seller, then it's your own fault for trusting someone who had a car to sell in Ireland.

Tell me how I'm wrong...

Muff Richardson

bobbytables wrote: »

I didn't bother going up there in the end. What I find really strange though (about Dublin in particular) is that nobody has any confidence buying cars there (incl. on these forums). Page after page all I keep reading are reasons to hold on to my money. Not a single compelling argument to actually go in to a single dealer and consider buying a car. I'm exhausted at this stage tracking down cars and then finding a dozen or so reasons why I should run a mile from the seller.

Of course it's not the seller I'm ultimately investing in, but the picture that's painted...I might as well being going in to a drug lord's den looking for a babysitter.

My current car, I bought for cash in a residential cark park. 7 years later, it still drives perfectly. All I had to do service wise was change a few tyres and the timing belt (when it was due). Yes I do think I was lucky, but apart from dipping the oil, quick look under the bonnet and a 10 min test drive, that's all I did.

These days it seems like, unless you find and pay the "best mechanic in the world ever" to check the car over along with querying every relevant database under the sun & psycho analyse the seller, then it's your own fault for trusting someone who had a car to sell in Ireland.

Tell me how I'm wrong...

agreed 100%...feel like I'm getting sucked into the negative hype also. you'd almost feel for the salesmen with the level of skepticism they must endure these days from customers. I let a post I read here about two salesmen eating chips in their portacabin at lunchtime put me off enough from going to see a car they had i was interested in...stupid.

for what it's worth, I got a recommendation of a car dealers in stillorgan from a guy I work with who he bought off, for servicing etc. their head mechanic is a lovely lad and the owner the same, always very courteous and remembers you, mechanic even gave me his own car for the day when I brought mine in on spec and they had no cars to lend...he only told me when I brought it back that it was his. they've never charged for the lend either.

James Hennessy motors, they have no cars I am interested in at the moment, and no I have absolutely zero connection or vested interest in the garage, just thought I'd pass it on to anyone reading and they might have something they are looking for.

Oral Surgeon

I think that the red cow garage was on a Primetime special about car clocking a few years back...
Correct me if I'm wrong or if it is in new ownership....

Eoin

I wouldn't completely rule out a dealer in that neck of the woods - there's just a good a chance that someone might trade in a car that's in decent condition. I bought one of my cars from a place that was a bit dodgy, but it checked out 100% and was in great condition.

But I'd treat it as if it were a private sale.

rgiller

Eoin wrote: »

I wouldn't completely rule out a dealer in that neck of the woods - there's just a good a chance that someone might trade in a car that's in decent condition. I bought one of my cars from a place that was a bit dodgy, but it checked out 100% and was in great condition.

But I'd treat it as if it were a private sale.

Exactly - get a mechanic to check it out, make sure it's got FSH and no outstanding finance and make your decision based on these facts. I bought my latest car from a Naas Rd dealer who's not there any more (not under the same name at least) and it's been great