second hand prices

[donniem]

Today has been the last straw for me,I recently asked my dealer for a trade in price for my Cooper,03,52 in silver/black,pepper pack,air con,cd changer,multi function wheel,15" 8 spokes,and 18" BK Racing 229s,his price?,a side splitting £10,800, book price I was told,previous week it had been £11,250,but today I have seen 02 Coopers with less spec being sold by a Scottish dealer for £12,995,I recognise that dealers have to make a living and that they provide a good service,I cannot fault mine,but selling cars £2000 above book might sound great news for us but if dealers are not going to give above book then there can only be one outcome,everybody dealing private,I would love to hear of other experiences,of anybody getting above book,best of all I would love to have the view of a dealer

[ScottyC]

i've a mate that was offered £9k for his cooper as a trade in against an s while the dealer had a car the same age with exactly the same spec (about 3000 miles less) on the forecourt for a little over £11k. he ended up buying a pt cruiser of all cars but the chrysler garage gave him £10500 for his trade in

[KenL]

I know it is business but dealers really take the p*ss sometimes.

I spoke to an honest MINI dealer who said their aim was to make a clear £1k profit from a trade in so they would probably offer a max of £1250 below asking price with £250 or so being the cost to have the car checked out, valleted etc.

More than £2k is taking the p*ss !

Suggest you shop around as the offers car vary wildly. Have a price in your head and tell them if they match you'll order a car there and then.

[Duncan Stewart]

While it is disappointing to be offered less for your car remember the Mini is still amazing - most cars lose a third of their value as soon as you drive out the door. I was offered HALF what a paid for my previous car (a toyota) as a trade in when it was 6 months old.
Try shopping around, I'm sure another Mini dealer will might offer a bit more. I got just under half what I paid for the Toyota when I traded it in for my Cooper (it was then 2 years old). I had been offered as little as a third of what I paid for it.

[AberdeenMini]

Totally agree with you donniem. Most if not all dealers lie about what the 'maximum' trade in value they can give you but as Duncan said, compared to other cars Mini's have tiny depreciation percentages! So just think about what you'd be loosing if you didnt have a Mini:)

[Wul]

Try going to another brand dealer and see what they offer then go back to the dealer and threaten to change brands if they don't match or beat the price (assuming it's higher :eek:) However remember dealerships are franchises and as such mark-ups vary from dealership to dealership!

[donniem]

Wul,you will find this next bit hard to believe,far less understand,but I assure you this story is true,where I live you need five numbers and the bonus ball to fill the tank,and so a few weeks ago I toyed with the idea of going diesel and looked at different models,one of the dealers told me that they would have to contact my dealer to see what the mini was worth,they intended to sell it to my dealer,my dealer offered them £11,495,when they would only give me £11,000 against a new mini,I have honestly contemplated going to mini but maybe what we should do is put in a mass protest if the replies that are coming in are anything to go by,as for the suggestion of trying another dealer that threw up something just as absurd,I was offered between £10,850 and £11,000 against a new mini,but wait for it,they invited me to look at their second hand stock,"suitably priced" and offered me £11,500.I am,if I can help it,finshed with dealers as far as selling is concerned,do you wonder why,perhaps mini should!

[KenL]

It's not just MINI dealers I'm afraid. A few years ago I was trading a Fiat Punto in on another new one. A dealer in Edinburgh would not budge from a £2k trade in and offered nothing off a new car, that's right no discount on a Fiat.

I went through to Glasgow and there got £3100 for my car and a £1600 discount off their new one, so that's £2700 difference overall on a car at £9500 list!