Buying car

[tumbledown]

I'm trying to buy a nearly new car from a manufacturer main dealer. The car I wanted that they had on site turned out to be not quite right.

The salesman asked if I wanted him to look for a nearly new one from the manufacturer that matched the spec I wanted.

I said yes and he came back with the perfect car. One catch - he wants me to pay for it in full (or rather pay the large deposit and sign the finance agreement for the full amount) without actually seeing the car. He says they will then order/buy it from the manufacturer and it will take ten days to deliver.

I've always bought cars for around £5000 from private sellers in the past and obviously would never do that without checking the car over.

But this is nearly new, manufacturer approved with two and a half years left on the manufacturer warranty and from a main dealer and I have no experience of buying like this.

The salesman acts as though it is almost unreasonable of me to want to see the car first but that seems crazy to me.

I guess I wouldn't see a new car before a bought it - or would I?

Has anyone got experience of this? What should I do? Any thoughts/tips gratefully received.

 

[Deleted member 226268]

Try visiting another main dealer ?

 

[Darryl Wright]

I always lease my cars and I never see them before I get them, I know the model and just go to a dealer for a test drive.
The dealer must give you an option to return the car if it's faulty in any way.

 

[MikeJ]

You're asking them to transport the car from wherever it is so you can view it. Find out where it is and go look at it? Someone's got to take the risk you not wanting to buy the car.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Having brought leased rented sold scraped and destroyed vehicles it all sounds like a lot of hassle to me . No modern car is worth it as they are all the same . It something I would do buying a classic . I lease a car but much prefer the older cars . The best deal now would a 20 year old Merc it will never let you down and keep it for 10 years and it will be worth a fortune

 

[sirearl]

Never ,never buy a car that you have not driven,most small cars produced today are a pile of uncomfortable crap particularly German imports so beloved of half wits.

 

[garyk]

The salesman acts as though it is almost unreasonable of me to want to see the car first but that seems crazy to me.

I guess I wouldn't see a new car before a bought it - or would I?

Not unreasonable at all but perhaps unreasonable if you want one to your exact spec. Can you not drive one that is the same model but doesn't have your spec? i.e. find one they do have stock of?

Personally I wouldn't buy a new car without having driven it, unless as others have said its a lease deal and you can give the car back but even then you have to live with it for at least 24 months.

 

[Dan Angell-Collins]

I used to sell cars and we offered a similar service. The reason that the dealer needs you to do this is that they have to buy the car into stock, so if you change your mind they are left with a car they potentially didn't need or want in stock.

Usually there is an agreement that the car is 'as described' so if it turns up and has stained interior/higher mileage/dents/doggy or smoke smell etc then you are within your rights to refuse it as they can then send it back to the seller. It will still be subject to a test drive and them carrying out a PDI (pre Deliver Inspection) to make sure it's mechanically sound etc.

If you are looking for a specific model and colour it's a good way to get exactly what you want with the reassurance the dealer will back the car but I would make sure you are 100% set on that car. I once had a customer who wanted a Skoda Octavia VXR TDI nearly new in the black and that was only way we could get hold of one as our nearly new was Blue. Make sure you are aware if it has any extras fitted and test drive the nearest car they have to it.

Hope that helps - let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer.

Dan

 

[smallclaimsassistance]

Have you tried asking if you could go to the car's location and test drive it?

 

[Lezlie]

Ask for a million photos of the car! Inside and out.