Buying during the Covid19 pandemic

road_high · 07-09-2020 9:25am

edjkdkjdhjkd wrote: »

Looks like used car market is starting to crash, know plenty of people who have managed to negotiate 15-20% discounts on used cars over the past month.

What examples were these?

narodvale · 07-09-2020 9:30am

narodvale wrote: »

Any benefit to buying a new car in cash at this time? No trade in, thinking Toyota
Have heard a lot of non fact based opinions about forecourts being full of new stock that wasn't sold during lock down, and end of year coming so dealers looking to negotiate, but as I said, this is milkman/postman opinions versus someone in the industry speaking from experience. Tempted to get the boat as well as UK prices on new cars seem to be more competitive at the minute based on some email inquiries

By way of an update. We test drove on Saturday and there were 2 of the make and models we wanted in stock. We were offered an immediate discount of 2k with no haggling down to 31k. We want a different colour and some slight mods which apparently will take a while due to supply from manufacturer. Once the dealer follows up and we can nail down price I’ll call around and see if there is flexibility anywhere else. They were very pleasant to deal with.

Any thoughts or feedback greatly appreciated

Dakota Dan · 19-09-2020 12:42am

Looking at a relatives car tonight, 2012 Yaris 82k km slight scratch on passenger door €5k, seems a bargain what do you think?

beggars_bush · 20-09-2020 3:02pm

Got €1000 taken off a 20k 2017 car yesterday that i test drove

I'm still considering it

SummerK · 21-09-2020 10:47am

beggars_bush wrote: »

Got €1000 taken off a 20k 2017 car yesterday that i test drove

I'm still considering it

Are you trading in a car? If not then you could squeeze a bit more when you visit second time.

Tea drinker · 24-09-2020 11:01am

Seems new car registrations improved? but still down 4.2% compared august last year

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) today released their official new vehicle statistics. New car registrations for August were down 4.2% (4,875) when compared to August 2019 (5,088). While registrations year to date are down 28.6% (78,920) on the same period last year (110,527).

call for reduction in vrt

now is the time for a significant reduction in Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT). This would enable thecar market return to normal sustainable levels that would not only save jobs, but increase overall tax take and help renew the Irish car fleet, reducing both the age of the fleet and emissions from transport.”

https://www.simi.ie/en/news/reduce-vrt-save-jobs-in-the-motor-industry

_JOE_ · 27-09-2020 8:38pm

Is it usual course to bargain with a dealer, and if so, what would be the typical discount that they would offer, e.g. if buying a car for €25K?

L-M · 27-09-2020 9:27pm

Depends on how the car is priced. You might get nothing, you might get 500, you might get a grand.

Edit it’s certainly not unusual, it’s completely normal. For that reason used cars are inflated to allow for it.

glut22 · 06-10-2020 10:51am

I need to trade in an 11 year old car in December. Is there any benefit to waiting until January?

bazz26 · 06-10-2020 10:54am

An 11 year old car is going to be worthless to a dealer whether you trade it in now or in January to be honest. Try selling it yourself in the meantime and then negotiate a better deal buying your next car without having a trade-in.

Tristram · 06-10-2020 6:25pm

Had hoped to check out a few cars later this week. With restrictions back I'll be knocking that on the head

LillySV · 09-10-2020 7:36am

Sorry lads, just seen this thread now ... I’ve been moping around thinking of buying a car for well over a year, both here and Uk and find that the cars are all gone up to mad prices now... so sorry that I didn’t buy in March while in Uk as same kind of machines now going for way more ... I’m looking in the 2015 -16 years (most machines prior to this hit with stupid nox )... is it just me finding this or is it the type machines I’m looking at? I’m looking at suvs predominantly

bazz26 · 09-10-2020 10:40am

SUVs and crossovers are trendy so demand and prices remain strong. If you cannot find one within your budget either here or in the UK for a year then you might have to rethink does your criteria fit your budget.

LillySV · 09-10-2020 1:05pm

bazz26 wrote: »

SUVs and crossovers are trendy so demand and prices remain strong. If you cannot find one within your budget either here or in the UK for a year then you might have to rethink does your criteria fit your budget.

They fitted in my budget more last year and that’s what has me wondering .... why and how... they’re now older and we are in middle of pandemic... why are people willing to spend more at a time of uncertainty ... anyways Just needed something nice with a big boot and abit of oomph ...if not possible I’ll wait until it is next year ...

scamalert · 09-10-2020 1:10pm

LillySV wrote: »

They fitted in my budget more last year and that’s what has me wondering .... why and how... they’re now older and we are in middle of pandemic... why are people willing to spend more at a time of uncertainty ... anyways Just needed something nice with a big boot and abit of oomph ...if not possible I’ll wait until it is next year ...

how much of a change did you notice in terms of price hikes here and in UK ?
as SUV types seem always to fetch premium depending on spec etc, but then again your not buying new for the year you outlined, so def interesting to see how much price difference there is now compared to like back of Feb/March.

as in Ireland there can be seen a lot more SUV cross over types nowadays, maybe smth to do with general construction boom while its still going on.
as realisticly yes your correct given uncertain times, then off course theres less sales this year compared to any others, so in theory shouldnt be much of a shortage for new ones, but then again if someone sees that and they have cash at hand prob they see buying older is better option then new, thus creating demand where before it wasnt there so much.

LillySV · 09-10-2020 1:16pm

scamalert wrote: »

how much of a change did you notice in terms of price hikes here and in UK ?
as SUV types seem always to fetch premium depending on spec etc, but then again your not buying new for the year you outlined, so def interesting to see how much of hike did you notice.

Depending on model, anything from 2-5k pounds in Uk, if not more. In regards to Irish prices..they were already at crazy prices so couldn’t measure that accurately

On the topic of Irish prices ... does anyone try sell their own car anymore privately ? Looking on done deal at moment and vast majority is being sold by dealers

Yea in regard to the spike in demand... maybe that’s it...

scamalert · 09-10-2020 1:23pm

LillySV wrote: »

Depending on model, anything from 2-5k pounds in Uk, if not more. In regards to Irish prices..they were already at crazy prices so couldn’t measure that accurately

On the topic of Irish prices ... does anyone try sell their own car anymore privately ? Looking on done deal at moment and vast majority is being sold by dealers

Yea in regard to the spike in demand... maybe that’s it...

out of my knowledge range really for SUVs but 2-4k doesnt seem drastic then again just basing that on terms you can have 2wd or 4wd that makes massive difference at least here in Ireland that adds that immediate premium.

as for done deal general rule of thumb is never to buy antything over 5-10k private, given if you dont know the car inside out its a hard loss if getting a lemon. where with dealerships theres tiny bit of comeback.

bazz26 · 09-10-2020 2:27pm

LillySV wrote: »

They fitted in my budget more last year and that’s what has me wondering .... why and how... they’re now older and we are in middle of pandemic... why are people willing to spend more at a time of uncertainty ... anyways Just needed something nice with a big boot and abit of oomph ...if not possible I’ll wait until it is next year ...

Not everyone has financial uncertainty during this pandemic. For some people they still have their job except they are working from home more.

Actually as a result of the pandemic sales of used cars has increased as per this and importing thread as less people feel safe using public transport so they have bought/upgraded their car. Demand influences prices. Also access to the UK used car market will most likely be more prohibited next year due to less value as a result of a no deal Brexit. This will influence used prices here too as you no longer have cheaper options from the UK

LillySV · 09-10-2020 7:15pm

bazz26 wrote: »

Not everyone has financial uncertainty during this pandemic. For some people they still have their job except they are working from home more.

Actually as a result of the pandemic sales of used cars has increased as per this and importing thread as less people feel safe using public transport so they have bought/upgraded their car. Demand influences prices. Also access to the UK used car market will most likely be more prohibited next year due to less value as a result of a no deal Brexit. This will influence used prices here too as you no longer have cheaper options from the UK

Nox has a lot of the cheaper options from Uk already screwed. Only alternative is to try import an older petrol suv with manageable tax here but can't think of any really.... well 3litre options anyways .. would pay up to a grand tax per year if had to

Marcusm · 14-10-2020 11:50am

LillySV wrote: »

They fitted in my budget more last year and that’s what has me wondering .... why and how... they’re now older and we are in middle of pandemic... why are people willing to spend more at a time of uncertainty ... anyways Just needed something nice with a big boot and abit of oomph ...if not possible I’ll wait until it is next year ...

Because buying a 4-5 year old car in a financial crisis is somewhat easier than buying a brand new one! More demand without increased supply can lead to former prices. In general, the U.K. secondhand market has been great value at 3-4 y/o, ie just off first PCP. Reduced ability to get a new car means these are not going back for resale.

L-M · 14-10-2020 1:11pm

It really makes no sense. I sold a 172 car as a pre Reg, ie no mileage and I’m just after selling the same car now, for €900 less. 3 years later.

carsfan2 · 14-10-2020 3:18pm

L-M wrote: »

It really makes no sense. I sold a 172 car as a pre Reg, ie no mileage and I’m just after selling the same car now, for €900 less. 3 years later.

So the same car now 3 years old sold for 900 euro less than when you sold it the first time?
That’s phenomenal!
What was it?

L-M · 14-10-2020 10:57pm

carsfan2 wrote: »

So the same car now 3 years old sold for 900 euro less than when you sold it the first time?
That’s phenomenal!
What was it?

A Polo.

What makes it worse is the person who bought it had just crashed their 172 Pre Reg Polo that they had also bought off me. And we just happened to have one of them traded back in.

In short, the same person bought a car three years apart for €900 less the second time.

lemonkey · 15-10-2020 11:36am

Thinking of buying a BMW 3 series or VW CC. Budget will get me 2014 to 2015. Both type of cars are 2L diesel. Never had a diesel.

My questions are: with all the talks about diesel cars is it the wrong time to buy one? Potentially more taxes coming to phase them out completely?

L-M · 15-10-2020 7:58pm

No, drive on.

Also in your budget and requirements you don’t really have a choice. So drive on and be happy.

WacoKid · 16-10-2020 10:52am

lemonkey wrote: »

Thinking of buying a BMW 3 series or VW CC. Budget will get me 2014 to 2015. Both type of cars are 2L diesel. Never had a diesel.

My questions are: with all the talks about diesel cars is it the wrong time to buy one? Potentially more taxes coming to phase them out completely?

Phasing out ICEs is a long time away. Until the technology and infrastructure is in place that provides a similar experience to ICEs (i.e. go to petrol station and topping up by say 200 miles in a few mins), the Gov can't really tax these out of use. Drive on!

Tristram · 19-10-2020 7:27pm

Am I mad to be thinking about purchasing now as we go into lockdown? Will dealers be offering discounts to move stock in the next few days or does it make any difference to them at all? Will prices drop closer to Christmas when we hopefully emerge again or is this wishful thinking?

L-M · 19-10-2020 7:54pm

Tristram wrote: »

Am I mad to be thinking about purchasing now as we go into lockdown? Will dealers be offering discounts to move stock in the next few days or does it make any difference to them at all? Will prices drop closer to Christmas when we hopefully emerge again or is this wishful thinking?

Unless you can find a dealer that’s stuck for money it’s going to be a no.

At the minute stock is very hard to replace and with a brexit etc and the possibility of a small new car market next year it’s a sellers market.

theoneeyedman · 19-10-2020 9:41pm

Are dealers open during this level 5 craic? My son needs a car for work, has a deal done with a dealer, but isn't ready to collect until the end of the week. Are they going to be able to open?

L-M · 19-10-2020 10:08pm

theoneeyedman wrote: »

Are dealers open during this level 5 craic? My son needs a car for work, has a deal done with a dealer, but isn't ready to collect until the end of the week. Are they going to be able to open?

Im sure he won’t have an issue collecting as the repairs are allowed to stay open.

maggots_123 · 21-10-2020 2:44pm

Looking to buy, I have my eye on a car but is it worth calling the dealer up today as we go into lockdown tonight?

at9qu5vp0wcix7 · 07-11-2020 6:59pm

Bump - is it ok to buy during level 5?

SummerK · 08-11-2020 1:24am

Frances Freezing Loft wrote: »

Bump - is it ok to buy during level 5?

Yes absolutely if you like something.

Tea drinker · 10-11-2020 7:50pm

Seems more than OK :-)

New car sales up 6% in October despite Covid challenges
Registrations down 25% so far this year, driven by collapse in car rental market

New car sales rose 6.24 per cent in October compared to the same month last year. Figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), show 2,315 new cars were registered last month. Total registrations for the year so far stand at 86,870, a drop of 25.2 per cent on the same period last year.

The collapse in the car rental market – down 84 per cent due to the collapse in international travel – has played a major part in this drop. New hire-drive registrations so far this year amount to 2,914, down 15,438 on the same period last year. Traditionally representing 16 per cent of all new-car registrations, but that is now just 3.4 per cent for 2020.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/new-car-sales-up-6-in-october-despite-covid-challenges-1.4397621

smellyoldboot · 15-11-2020 7:57pm

Will many dealers be open to go in and have a look with a view to buying during Level 5? Anybody done this recently?

Not keen on buying without at least sitting the arse in the vehicle even if no test drive allowed.

bazz26 · 15-11-2020 11:18pm

As per the Government Covid-19 guidelines dealerships are only open for essential things such as servicing and repairs. Alot of them seem to be offering click and collect online sales only but I don't think officially they will be leaving the general public into showrooms under current Level 5 restrictions. Level 5 restrictions finish in 2 weeks time so unless there is another significant spike in cases I'd imagine showrooms will be open again by then.

smellyoldboot · 15-11-2020 11:58pm

Thanks. This "lockdown" is a loada bollix tbh but gonna see if theres a smaller dealer willing to skirt the rules a bit and stay away from the main fellas. Click & Collect might work for a washing machine but who wants to do that with a purchase as big as a car.

User1998 · 16-11-2020 5:24pm

I walked straight into possibly the biggest car supermarket in Ireland and you wouldn’t even know they were meant to be closed. Had a test drive in a couple of cars as well

User1998 · 16-11-2020 5:24pm

smellyoldboot wrote: »

Thanks. This "lockdown" is a loada bollix tbh but gonna see if theres a smaller dealer willing to skirt the rules a bit and stay away from the main fellas. Click & Collect might work for a washing machine but who wants to do that with a purchase as big as a car.

I walked straight into possibly the biggest car supermarket in Ireland and you wouldn’t even know they were meant to be closed. Had a test drive in a couple of cars as well

un5byh7sqpd2x0 · 16-11-2020 5:27pm

smellyoldboot wrote: »

Will many dealers be open to go in and have a look with a view to buying during Level 5? Anybody done this recently?

Not keen on buying without at least sitting the arse in the vehicle even if no test drive allowed.

I did the other day, in a main dealer. No issues with test drives.

Jim_Hodge · 02-12-2020 11:44pm

The first two I tried last week were only open for service and parts. Luckily the dealer I usually use arranged a test drive and we got a deal done.

Told Gardaí I was getting brakes checked.

fryup · 04-01-2021 10:11pm

so what's the story are all forecourts closed at the moment?

2Mad2BeMad · 04-01-2021 10:14pm

fryup wrote: »

so what's the story are all forecourts closed at the moment?

Picking up my new car(used) wednesday off a big dealership.
Havnt test drove it yet but told him I will be on the day before I sign anything.

Think there click and collect only but couldn't imagine to many people buying cars without testing them at least

fryup · 05-01-2021 11:02am

are they allowed to deliver over 5km limit?

fifth · 05-01-2021 2:38pm

Can I leave my county to go and collect a new car? The car dealers I've spoken to have said yes, I'd be allowed to and they'd give me some 'paperwork' to show at checkpoints. But I'm not convinced. Anyone know?

The car I'm looking for can't be sourced locally, for context. I'd be looking at a couple hours driving. If not, they can deliver but that will be €€€. I'd hang on until February but there's no guarantee we'll be out of lockdown either.

User1998 · 05-01-2021 6:04pm

Technically no you shouldn’t as its non essential. Its up to you to decide weather its worth the risk

fifth · 05-01-2021 6:04pm

User1998 wrote: »

Technically no you shouldn’t as its non essential. Its up to you to decide weather its worth the risk

Since I posted, a couple of dealers said they'd deliver to me, so i'll just do that instead.

fryup · 09-01-2021 11:48pm

fryup wrote: »

are they allowed to deliver over the 5km limit?

anyone?? please

L-M · 09-01-2021 11:49pm

fryup wrote: »

anyone?? please

Yes

fryup · 11-01-2021 11:55pm

^^^^^^^^^^^^

is that still the case after today?? things getting strict

Buying during the Covid19 pandemic

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