Ordering new car, likely to be 222 reg - should final cost be locked in now?

Fairview123

Hope to trade in existing car for a new car. Dealer says with production delays new car unlikely to be delivered before 222 reg. If I place order now dealer giving proviso that bottom line may increase by a few hundred with change of reg year to 222 so final sum payable not locked in. Am I entitled to insist fixing of final price now?

bazz26

Nope. Check the terms and conditions of your sale agreement. It will stipulate that unforeseen price rises from both from the manufacturer and through taxes may occur. At the end of the day you don't pay for the car until it is delivered. Equally if the price was locked now but was reduced when it was delivered later in the year (very unlikely), would you still want to pay the price agreed today?

This is nothing new and has always been the way with manufacturers covering themselves but because of the unprecedented delays in getting cars built now it was rarely an issue or recognised by the customer.

Squeaksoutloud

Does this make it more difficult to shop around. Looking at 2023 reg myself but seeing 9 month lead in times! Normally would price up 3 dealers and shake hands then. Are people still doing this and then hoping it won't change too much over the period.

bazz26

There are price rises that are out of the dealer's control. You see how the cost of living has increased, nearly everything has gone up in price, cars are no different. Car manufacturers generally raised prices maybe once a year but now they are raising prices more frequently because the cost of manufacturing and materials has increased as well as a shortage of computer chips which have a knock on effect of prices. You then have the likes of VAT, VRT and carbon taxes which the Government change on meaning customer is the one footing the bill at the end. The longer you have to wait for a car the more chance that the price of it will go up.

roosterman71

Ordering a car now is a real roll of the dice as you've no idea what you'll have to pay to get the car whenever it lands. I've been to a few VAG dealers who all asked for hefty non refundable deposits (one was 40% of current list price) before they'd even order the car, then when it comes you pay the rest but you don't know until then what the rest is.

Honestly, I don't know how car dealers are going to stay in the business of new cars if you try to sell something and not know when it will come, or the price when it does.

emfifty

Any photos of that coveted "222" plate, rolling out of garages today...?