"luck money" when buying/selling a car?

looking_around

So my partner just said the oddest thing to me. This is something I've never experienced.

He said that when buying a car, (after all the haggling etc), you give the buyer back a little "luck" money.
And that he received this with any car he's ever bought, and took part in the tradition with ever car he's sold.

I've never heard nor witnessed this before.

So AH'ers.... have you heard of "luck" money with car sales? have you been on the receiving/giving end? Do you or would practice this tradition?

Personally I would not participate in this, I like a good haggle, whatever is agreed on, is all I'd expect. Getting money back, would only tell me, I should've haggled lower. If I was expected to give money back, would only mean I should've asked for more. And that just seems like a pointless exercise to me.

Dionysius2

looking_around wrote: »

So my partner just said the oddest thing to me. This is something I've never experienced.

He said that when buying a car, (after all the haggling etc), you give the buyer back a little "luck" money.
And that he received this with any car he's ever bought, and took part in the tradition with ever car he's sold.

I've never heard nor witnessed this before.

So AH'ers.... have you heard of "luck" money with car sales? have you been on the receiving/giving end? Do you or would practice this tradition?

Personally I would not participate in this, I like a good haggle, whatever is agreed on, is all I'd expect. Getting money back, would only tell me, I should've haggled lower. If I was expected to give money back, would only mean I should've asked for more. And that just seems like a pointless exercise to me.

I'll bet he's a good old country bhoy !

super_furry

It's a country/traveller thing.

smcgiff

I've done it the only time I sold a car privately.

Frynge

It's usually just a token amount so you still leave a deal with some money. I bought a car a few year ago and he handed me back €50 with the keys. It worked out at less than 1% of the cars value but it was great to get it. Another time I bought a dog for €100 and was handed back a tenner.

jamesbondings

heard of this for a wallet or purse if they are gifts....never bought or sold a car though

Ice Storm

I bought my first car recently (from a dealer) and he gave me €20 back as a "luck penny".

I'd never heard of it before so I was pleasantly surprised.

Matta Harri

Yes all the time. And it wouldn't just be for a car. You'd give a luck penny if you were selling cattle , machinery, turf etc.

Kevwoody

We call it a luck penny around here.
Few years ago my 21 year old sister was selling her old runabout for €600 on done deal. She wouldn't exactly be an Arthur Daly type, and had never heard the term luck penny before.

Anyway, some chap landed and they agreed on €550 for the car, then he mentioned a luck penny.

Oh, right she says, and stuffs the cash in her purse and roots around and hands him back a 1 cent coin.

She genuinely couldn't understand why we all pissed ourselves laughing when she came in and told us!

Frynge

jamesbondings wrote: »

heard of this for a wallet or purse if they are gifts....never bought or sold a car though

All I ever heard about that was that you never gift an empty wallet or purse.

Boo2112

I remember buying my first car and the seller gave me back 20 for petrol and I thought it was a really nice gesture, 20 quid isn't going to break the bank for him but actually meant a lot to me at the time! Car was super lucky aswel I have to admit :P it's like hanselling a new purse, it's the token rather than the actual monetary value and I have to say I'd always pay it forward in luck money from now on.

looking_around

jamesbondings wrote: »

heard of this for a wallet or purse if they are gifts....never bought or sold a car though

actually yes, I have heard of it for wallets! As an empty wallet is bad luck.

__
and to the poster that said country bhoy... XD.. yeah he was raised a country lad alright XD

looking_around

Kevwoody wrote: »

We call it a luck penny around here.
Few years ago my 21 year old sister was selling her old runabout for €600 on done deal. She wouldn't exactly be an Arthur Daly type, and had never heard the term luck penny before.

Anyway, some chap landed and they agreed on €550 for the car, then he mentioned a luck penny.

Oh, right she says, and stuffs the cash in her purse and roots around and hands him back a 1 cent coin.

She genuinely couldn't understand why we all pissed ourselves laughing when she came in and told us!

sounds like something I would do lol

Kevin McCloud

I would give luck money unless the buyer wore me down on the price which seems to be the norm now. Especially donedeal heroes.

Idleater

I bought a motorbike a 8 or 9 years ago and the guy gave me back €50 luck money. I'd never heard of it, stuck it in the manual, and gave the new owner a pleasant surprise when I sold it on.

smcgiff

Idleater wrote: »

I bought a motorbike a 8 or 9 years ago and the guy gave me back €50 luck money. I'd never heard of it, stuck it in the manual, and gave the new owner a pleasant surprise when I sold it on.

Mmmm not sure you're doing it right

Son Of A Vidic

looking_around wrote: »

"luck money" when buying/selling a car?

Buy a car? No. Buying a house? yes.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The garage I deal with always gives €50 as a luck penny when I pick up the new car.

Help!!!!

Bought a car 2 weeks ago, the owner gave back €20 " luck money "
Had already knocked 200 off the asking price

harry Bailey esq

I don't drive so never bought/sold a car.However,as a kid i was mad about horses,although i never owned a horse of my own I would go into Smithfield every month and balinasloe the odd year and EVERY transaction at both fairs had 'luck money' changing hands

padd b1975

I bought a car from a Dublin guy a few weeks back, I managed to get 300 off the asking price and when I had counted out the money he handed me back 50€ for petrol.

Can't argue with that for decency.

braddun

Giving a Luck Penny is a very old Irish tradition originally associated with the buying and selling of farm animals. After buyer and seller agree terms, the deal is sealed by each spitting into the palm of their hands, followed by a firm (and wet!) handshake.

Luck plays a vital part in Irish folklore, so traditionally the seller then immediately gives back the buyer a "gift" of a sum of money for "Good Luck". This is an important ritual because failure to give back a Luck Penny could bring ill fortune to them both, and the Irish, being a highly superstitious people, avoid tempting Fate! Typically, both buyer and seller then retire to the local pub where the "Luck Penny" is used to buy the first round of celebratory drinks for them both.

seventeen sheep

I would always have the petrol tank full when selling on.

I've heard of the luck money thing; if buying a car, I wouldn't expect it, but wouldn't be surprised if it was given. I'd definitely expect a decent amount of petrol in the tank though!

Pinch Flat

jamesbondings wrote: »

heard of this for a wallet or purse if they are gifts....never bought or sold a car though

Same here - my mother would always say you 'hansel' a wallet or purse as a gift. http://www.homespun.ie/Hansel_Money.html

Have only sold a car a few times - never privately. Would always insist on a full tank of fuel for the new one at the least.

lazeedaisy

We always called it petrol money, same difference

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

lazeedaisy wrote: »

We always called it petrol money, same difference

Not quite. My garage fills the tank and gives the luck penny in cash. It is an old tradition going back to livestock or land purchases. The notion is that the cash is for luck not for petrol.

conorh91

It's common when buying and selling horses and livestock too.

You'd never exchange luck money at an auction or where there is a professional intervener, but it's a normal element of private sales. It's usually no more than 5%. It's just a superstitious token.

The Backwards Man

I ask for a luck's penny on everything over €20

lazeedaisy

Josue Sweet Dragonfly wrote: »

Not quite. My garage fills the tank and gives the luck penny in cash. It is an old tradition going back to livestock or land purchases. The notion is that the cash is for luck not for petrol.

As usual, us Dubs get it wrong!!!

It was always for a private sale of a motor car! not from a garage as Its expected!!!


As in. The original post, being from. Dublin its something I was brought up with but only buying a car

dockleaf

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Buy a car? No. Buying a house? yes.

Definitely a country thing, have bought and sold dogs, furniture, cars always with a luck penny. Not for houses though, when we sold our first house a few years ago we left a bottle of champagne in the fridge and two champagne flutes on the island as a nice surprise. Also left lots of furniture as it was a young couple buying their first house and they had said they would love any furniture that we didnt need.

Still friends with them years later, though we moved a few counties away.

dirtyden

I am a bogger and I never heard of it. I have only ever bought cars from dealers though. The last car I bought they did fill it with diesel before I drove away which was nice. Is it perhaps a tradition more so in certain parts of the country?

Nodster

Mrs Nod bought a purse at the Saturday Market in Galway and the stall holder put a few lucky coins in it before handing it over

looking_around

dirtyden wrote: »

I am a bogger and I never heard of it. I have only ever bought cars from dealers though. The last car I bought they did fill it with diesel before I drove away which was nice. Is it perhaps a tradition more so in certain parts of the country?

possibly...or maybe an age thing?

I'm interested of the demographics now lol

conorh91

dirtyden wrote: »

I am a bogger and I never heard of it.

Are you a bogger-bogger, or are there street-lights outside your door?

There are of course different grades of boggers, and those living in the vicinity of streetlights, public footpaths and roundabouts are at the mild end of the scale.

Bpmull

My dad always does it so I now do it when selling a car. Normally 20 euro if it wasn't an expensive car then 50 if it's more. Out of the 3 cars I've bought only the most recent I got something well it wasn't even money back as such but there was no diesel in the car so the owner put 50 in it. There nothing nicer than having a bit of diesel in a car after buying it. Hate the whole collecting your new car and having the low fuel light on the minute you start it.

marketty

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I ask for a luck's penny on everything over €20

I hope I'm never behind you in the Q at Aldi

Never heard of it before but it sounds like a nice gesture.

I'd be like the poster's sister earlier handing over the literal 1c coin if I were in that position, as I'd never heard of it

whupdedo

looking_around wrote: »

possibly...or maybe an age thing?

I'm interested of the demographics now lol

I'm early 30s and I wouldn't dream of buying or selling anything without receiving or giving a luck penny, I sold 2 second hand stoves in the last 2 weeks and I gave them a score each for luck, likewise I wouldn't buy anything without making it clear that luck money would be given back

It's not a superstitious thing, it's just traditional in the country, something our city cousins are lacking in :pac:

Wibbs

It\s an old tradition alright. I suppose younger generations may have heard of it less. Luck money was also attached to knives. If the receiver didn't hand back a nominal amount like a penny or whatever it meant the friendship would be severed or somesuch. Nice tradition I reckon.

ericsinjun

I'd always give luck money on anything I've sold. Always got it too. It would feel odd if that part of the deal didn't happen

dirtyden

conorh91 wrote: »

Are you a bogger-bogger, or are there street-lights outside your door?

There are of course different grades of boggers, and those living in the vicinity of streetlights, public footpaths and roundabouts are at the mild end of the scale.

Id say I am fairly high up on the bogger scale but since leaving home many years ago it has been mainly city living.

I no longer have a pair of wellies ;(

whupdedo

dirtyden wrote: »

Id say I am fairly high up on the bogger scale but since leaving home many years ago it has been mainly city living.

I no longer have a pair of wellies ;(

Your only a wannabe bogger :cool:

The last time I bought a car, the seller put a "lucky charm" in the glove box.

Lapin

super_furry wrote: »

It's a country/traveller thing.

Its a city/traveller thing too.

A great Dublin tradition in that most cultural of Dublin institutions - The Smithfield Horse Fair.

Ice Storm

Apparently some people take the luck penny a bit too seriously:

A dispute over a "luck penny" on the sale of a pony at Enniskillen Mart left a 44-year-old man lying bleeding against a wall, an 83-year-old pensioner in an ambulance and a bystander being hit over the head with a crutch.

:eek:

smcgiff

dirtyden wrote: »

I no longer have a pair of wellies on in bed

FYP

Ice Storm wrote: »

Apparently some people take the luck penny a bit too seriously:



:eek:

See... unlucky not to give luck money.

osarusan

Jaysus, mid-thirties and from rural east Clare, and never heard of this before.

Shocked to see that it seems to be so common.

CaliforniaDream

I'm under 30 and grew up in Galway City.
I've had this done when I've bought a car and did the same when I sold one. Usually 50E. It's just a nice gesture I think.

looking_around

osarusan wrote: »

Jaysus, mid-thirties and from rural east Clare, and never heard of this before.

Shocked to see that it seems to be so common.

Originally from Clare too. I'm surprised at how common it seems to be, also. Wasn't expecting it.

Aglomerado

I'm also from rural East Clare. I remember my dad selling his old banger to a neighbour years ago for £250, and he gave the buyer £10 back as luck money.

rottie 11

Iv sold a good few cars on donedeal and never gave luck money, they haggle enough so thats their luck money

I remember 3 years ago i went to buy a glanza and he filled the petrol tank in front of me, think it was lik 55euro. Was happy with that