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GENERAL What's in a name purchasing, procurement, buying a car? Certainly second only buying a house the ongoing expenditure involved in buying and owning a car is possibly the largest investment you are going to make, so mistakes are costly and any savings you can make will be really worthwhile. Plenty of research and shrewd negotiating is essential if you are NOT going to pay over the odds. This web site preaches the mantra of making purchasing decisions based on facts NOT emotions. Find out if you are a natural Buyer or merely am easily influenced Shopper by going to our buyer/shopper page. ANALYSIS Try to forget about a car as a fantasy glamour item that will enhance your status and impress your friends. What practically do you require from a wheeled tin box to transports you around safely and conveniently at a price that you can afford? Start by producing a personal specification by thinking about - FINANCE What is your budget and how are you going to get the money? Ongoing costs - Insurance, Road Tax, Servicing, Spares, annual mileage, fuel efficiency. Don' t ignore Depreciation - it can be a killer when you come to replacement. SPECIFICATIONS & SIZE Engine cc, petrol or diesel, Seating, Dimensions (will it fit in the garage?), Number of Doors, Degree of comfort, Essential extras, etc. SAFETY Airbags etc RESEARCH There is no substitute for this if you want to get just the right car for you at the best possible price. So obtain and read all the magazines and manufacturers brochures you can lay your hands on and it goes without saying use the Internet copiuously.We like What Car magazine because it gives a range of specifications for every make and model sold in the UK. For a good new car price comparator sites go to Honest John or NewCarNet. Hopefully you will finish up with at least a couple of manufacturers and a few models that will match your requirements. People who fixate on just one make and model put themselves at a negotiating disadvantage by not being able to play suppliers off against each other. FINDING THE RIGHT SUPPLIER For new cars there are five main categories to chose from - 1/ MAIN DEALERS Probably the most expensive route (after all they have flashy expensive showrooms to maintain) but you will have peace of mind and you should obtain good service. We say should quite advisedly because in the good times we have found that main dealer salesmen often display a take it or leave it attitude, especially when it comes to talking discounts. You don't have to use a local main dealer because a few phone calls will often reveal that you will get better offer from a dealer in a different part of the country. Subsequent servicing locally will not be a problem because manufacturers insist that service standards are maintained no matter where the car is purchased. However local main dealers are an easy place for exploring part exchange options and are also a good source for test drives, even if you have no intention of using them. 2/ CAR SUPERMARKETS For new and used cars there will be bargains around, but check out the warranty and any extra charges. Pre-registered cars often present buying opportunity. 3/ CAR BROKERS are middle men industry experts who know where to obtain the best prices and will pass some of the savings to you. Business is usually done over the Internet or over the telephone from a back office so don't expect car showroom service such as test drives. You can expect to get a much bigger discount than from a main dealer, if not there is no point in using them. Some are not too reputable so be very careful, especially about paying moneys up front. Suggest using an independent money holding service such as Escrow - see the foot of the page. Cars are often pre-register so officially on the log book you will be the second owner. 4/ DIY IMPORTING FROM EUROPE In the past it was possible to save up to a third on a new car price. However the weakening of the pound relative to the euro has reduced this greatly, but for some models it is still worthwhile. The most popular page on this site is The Guide to Buying a New Car from Europe it gives you all the lowdown on how to go about it. 5/ CAR IMPORT AGENTS If you don't fancy doing it yourself they will arrange it for you. Make sure you get UK specs and for peace of mind best to arrange payment direct to the European dealer. Once again for more information go to The Guide to Buying a New Car from Europe DOING THE DEAL It is all about RESEARCH & NEGOTIATION. Hopefully you will have done your research based on the advice given above. Now is the time therefore to check and brush up your negotiating skills by going to Negotiation. Assuming you have done this as well, the most important thing to remember is to NEVER pay the manufacturer's list price. But how do you know how much discount do you aim for because it will vary by model dependant on many factors such as demand or availability? What car magazine is a great starting point because they will list a target price for every make and model. The target price is a discounted figure that an averagely shrewd member of the public ought to be able to obtain. Use this as a benchmark figure to push on from. From here on in the amount of discount you obtain will depend on your negotiating skills. Beware car sales staff are very well trained and motivated with bonuses so take anything they say with a pinch of salt and if they promise you something important get them to back it up in writing. Don't forget suppliers are like buses - there is always another one behind! So shop around, play the field and be tough. Watch out too if a model is advertised with big discounts because it will certainly be reflected in future depreciation. In the UK as a general rule French and Italian cars will depreciate much faster than German or Japanese. Even if you are buying on credit don't forget it is illegal for a seller to offer less discount than for a cash sale.Part exchange is more difficult because you must haggle on the new car price and the amount they will pay for your trade in. Go in with your lowest acceptable target figures fixed firmly in your head and if you cannot obtain them walk away and live to fight another day.On the other hand you may find it beneficial to sell your used car privately. Use the Kelley Blue Book on http://www.kbb.com to tell you how much to expect to obtain from the sale of your second hand car. Parker's Guide from a newsagent is also good sources. CONTRACTS Before you sign any type of Contract make sure you understand it, including the small print and it also covers the points that matter to you, such as firm delivery dates. PROTECTION Some of the best deals can be obtained from small organisations who want payment up-front before delivery of the car. This can be of concern so to protect your position use an escrow company. It will cost around 1% say £140 for a £14,000 car - well worth it for your peace of mind. How does it work? Contact - Escrow.com - an accredited escrow company who acts as a secure third party to hold the money to protect the Buyer & Seller and their website is very user friendly. HOW BUYERS ARE PROTECTED? 1/ Escrow.com tracks the shipped car and verifies it was delivered. 2/ The seller isn't paid until the buyer accepts the car, or the inspection period expires. HOW THE SELLERS ARE PROTECTED? 1/ The Seller is authorised to deliver the car only after Escrow.com verifies the funds are in place. 2/ Escrow.com confirms when the Buyer receives the car. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION To check if a second hand car you are about to buy has been stolen, written off by an insurance company or subject to an outstanding finance agreement you can use Equifax or 01722 422422. It will cost you around £30, but it could prove to be money well worth spending, because if you buy a car which is subject to an outstanding finance agreement, you could lose both the purchase price and the car.
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DC Cook Direct - New Car sales online
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