Carshop.co.uk

spuddy

Hi, has anyone bought from Carshop over in the UK? I've read about some sharp practices online, but then again, it's a supermarket. They mention on their Q&A they've had "many Irish customers", would be good to hear from anyone on here who actually has dealt with them.

EDIT: found one thread from 7 years ago, has anyone had any more recent experience with them?

PaulKK

Been looking at a couple of models there myself. I like how they allow you to reserve before you go. Unlike some of the others.

spuddy

Quick update on events, I bought from Carshop in the end. Found them very good overall, quick & efficient.

I was lucky to deal with a guy from Armagh, so there was no need for discussion about the V5. Car was cleaned and ready for the off when I arrived.

Paid with Revolut card, again no problems, very straightforward.

crystalbrite

spuddy wrote: »

Quick update on events, I bought from Carshop in the end. Found them very good overall, quick & efficient.

I was lucky to deal with a guy from Armagh, so there was no need for discussion about the V5. Car was cleaned and ready for the off when I arrived.

Paid with Revolut card, again no problems, very straightforward.

Hi Spuddy,

Did you do an RAC or AA check before you flew over to buy the car?
What checks did you do beforehand/when you were there in person to make sure you were happy with the purchase?

Thanks!

spuddy

crystalbrite wrote: »

Hi Spuddy,

Did you do an RAC or AA check before you flew over to buy the car?
What checks did you do beforehand/when you were there in person to make sure you were happy with the purchase?

Thanks!

This is the second car I've bought in the UK, first one I had a Dekra inspection, as I didn't have the time to fly over and see it first. This one, I told them I wanted a 3rd party inspection, to gauge their reaction. They had no problem with this, or so they told me anyway. In any event, in the end, I flew over to see it (day trip) and satisfied myself it was legit. I then paid a deposit and returned a week later to collect the car.

As you asked, I'll take you through what I did to satisfy myself the car was a good one. First of all, as they knew I was coming to see it, the car was parked near the entrance, so before I alerted anyone I was there, I inspected the exterior thoroughly. I used the Dekra report template I had from the previous car, and went through the items they checked one by one. There are plenty of similar guides / sample reports you can find online.

When I was ready, I went inside and picked up the sales guy and the keys, and then did all the interior checks. Lastly, the test drive. The sales guy didn't know much about cars, but he did used to drive a delivery van so knew the area really well. I got a thorough test drive on multiple surfaces / road types before we went back to base, and there was no rush nor any attempt to hide any issues with the car I felt.

Back at the showroom, I was expecting a hard sell on the optional extras (warranty, 7 day insurance etc) and the guy was obliged to go through the pitch, but it was fairly obvious that he wouldn't get far, as I pointed out in a friendly manner that these were no good to me given I wasn't a UK resident.

They've got a two-step sales approach, so once #1 was finished, he handed me over to #2, who deals with the money. I suspect normally I'd have gone through a second hard sell, save for the fact that the guy was from NI and knew better. Being a supermarket, there was no negotiation on the price, but one thing I like about Carshop is that their admin fee is optional. I again politely asked for it to be removed, and this was done without much fuss.

Given the second guy was from NI, he understood I needed the full logbook to import the car, however I'd not expect to get that lucky if I ever buy from a supermarket again, so I'd recommend you make it clear you cannot buy the car without it.

So they didn't make a fortune out of me, but at the same time, I didn't waste their time, knew exactly what I wanted, and was prepared to buy on the day, and I feel that we were both satisfied with the sale.

Hope this helps.

crystalbrite

spuddy wrote: »

This is the second car I've bought in the UK, first one I had a Dekra inspection, as I didn't have the time to fly over and see it first. This one, I told them I wanted a 3rd party inspection, to gauge their reaction. They had no problem with this, or so they told me anyway. In any event, in the end, I flew over to see it (day trip) and satisfied myself it was legit. I then paid a deposit and returned a week later to collect the car.

As you asked, I'll take you through what I did to satisfy myself the car was a good one. First of all, as they knew I was coming to see it, the car was parked near the entrance, so before I alerted anyone I was there, I inspected the exterior thoroughly. I used the Dekra report template I had from the previous car, and went through the items they checked one by one. There are plenty of similar guides / sample reports you can find online.

When I was ready, I went inside and picked up the sales guy and the keys, and then did all the interior checks. Lastly, the test drive. The sales guy didn't know much about cars, but he did used to drive a delivery van so knew the area really well. I got a thorough test drive on multiple surfaces / road types before we went back to base, and there was no rush nor any attempt to hide any issues with the car I felt.

Back at the showroom, I was expecting a hard sell on the optional extras (warranty, 7 day insurance etc) and the guy was obliged to go through the pitch, but it was fairly obvious that he wouldn't get far, as I pointed out in a friendly manner that these were no good to me given I wasn't a UK resident.

They've got a two-step sales approach, so once #1 was finished, he handed me over to #2, who deals with the money. I suspect normally I'd have gone through a second hard sell, save for the fact that the guy was from NI and knew better. Being a supermarket, there was no negotiation on the price, but one thing I like about Carshop is that their admin fee is optional. I again politely asked for it to be removed, and this was done without much fuss.

Given the second guy was from NI, he understood I needed the full logbook to import the car, however I'd not expect to get that lucky if I ever buy from a supermarket again, so I'd recommend you make it clear you cannot buy the car without it.

So they didn't make a fortune out of me, but at the same time, I didn't waste their time, knew exactly what I wanted, and was prepared to buy on the day, and I feel that we were both satisfied with the sale.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for that. Very detailed. I've been looking cars from there so this is very helpful