Was interested (vaguely) in a car today, but although there's a relatively local branch of the dealer group, the actual car is at another.
Knowing it unlikely, I asked the local branch if it was possible for them to get the car to their premises. They duly called back and said no problem at all. What was my part exchange? Ok, a little chit chat later and then he said "so, we'll just put the deal together and we'll arrange pick up".
I said I needed a test drive, and this was met with actorly disbelief and the words "well, most people just deal over the phone and then come and pick the car up. You've driven one of these before, why do you want to test it?".
At that point it all fell apart of course, so no deal for me as I'm not trogging hours round the M25 on spec.
Has the world moved on since I last bought a car? Has anyone here ever done it that way? Surely you always need to drive the car first? Perhaps it's me and this is the modern way?
Last edited by: Crankcase on Fri 15 Mar 13 at 15:22
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I usually buy a car by judging the person I am buying it from. Having said that, I would not be comfortable with buying a car I couldn't refuse/reject after my first drive of it.
Even when buying a new car I would always drive it first on delivery and then accept/not.
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Depends on the car in question, nearly new/common model then i'd do a deal subject to a final inspection and drive of the car in the flesh at swapover time.
If it was something rare/older then i wouldn't without prior inspection and test drive.
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My last 4 cars have come from the same dealer some miles from here in Callington (almost in England!)
I knew what the cars were before viewing, checked them out on-line like y'all can do with anything these days,
so the actual viewing and test drive was just a formality really.
Actually, I didn't like the Lancer when I first drove it, but it sort of grew on me the more miles I covered,
and it's still here 2 years later.
The moral of the story though is that I trust the dealer 100%.
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>> "well, most people just deal over the phone and then come and pick the car up. You've driven one of these before, why do you want to test it?".
It wasn't a Ford, was it?
I'm just reminded of something from some years ago. I stayed in a hotel which was run by a chap who'd previously been in sales and much of that in the motor industry. He'd sold cars for Volvo, Rover and Ford.
I asked him which he'd preferred. He said that both Volvo and Rover exercised his sales skills as someone would come in, listen to the spiel, test drive the vehicle, go away and then if he'd done a good job, come back, haggle a bit and buy one.
He found working for Ford soul-destroying. He said that someone would come in and if the Ford they wanted was in stock somewhere in the right colour, they'd buy it.
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Friend of mine works for Porsche and frequently comments how many of those buying a new Porsche are new to that level of disposable income and are too embarrassed to ask for discounts.
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5 years or so ago I bought a 1 year-old Citroen C5 from a dealer 300 miles away in County Durham (I'm in Surrey). It was exactly the spec I wanted at a very reasonable price, much better than anything more local. I'd driven a demonstrator before so I knew it was the model I wanted. So I got the RAC to inspect it, it checked out OK, so I agreed with the dealer on the handover with the proviso that when I travelled up there to give it a test drive I still had the right to refuse it if there seemed to be anything that wasn't as described or mentioned in the inspection, which seemed like a remote possibility. It all worked out very well and I think I got an excellent deal on a very nice car, so I'd definitely do it again. Wouldn't be so comfortable if it was much older and out of warranty though.
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Funnily enough, I bought a Mondeo estate some years ago without seeing it. It was fine actually and a jolly good deal. A Ford Direct car ( ex-Hertz as it turned out ) It was an 03 plate 130 diesel LX. At the time it was only 6 months old and with 6000 miles and I want to remember paying just north of of ten grand for a car which, had it been new and unregistered listed at £17500 at the time.
Only downside was that it was described as "silver" but in fact turned out to be a colour Ford then called "platinum" which by anyone's standards was Danimac beige. Never did care much for the colour but it was otherwise tickety boo.
Good car but I didn't keep that one all that long as someone made me an offer for it I couldn't turn down. It was replaced with a slightly older, much cheaper but better specified ( Ghia X ) version of the same car but this time in "real" silver paintwork.
Anyway, to answer the question, I think if it's one of the manufacturer backed schemes, EG Ford Direct, Network Q etc, and it's the model you want it's probably fine to risk it.
If you like beige.
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I've bought a 6 month old car with a few hundred miles on the clock from the main dealer that registered the car without bothering to check it. Turned out okish. There was one tiny ding in it but still worthwhile given the price I got it for, and that ding was not mentioned and didnt impact the price when I came to part ex it.
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My mate's wife bought a Ford-direct Fiesta without seeing the actual car they were buying. They were delighted with it.
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Bought a 12 month old ex rental mondeo unseen from a car supermarket - just turned up on the train and drove it away.
No problem with it other than it had been smoked in which would have put me off if I had seen it before hand, but to be honest it was nothing other that a "white good" to me - not a car I bought from want, it just fitted my needs at the time and was cheap. Circumstances changed not long after I bought it and I was able to chop it in for the A4 Cab.
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This one was a Jaguar S type. And of a vintage and mileage I'd not have been happy about without a drive I don't think.
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We bought the old Prelude off Ebay - 500 miles away in another country and just saw the pix. We weren't disappointed and the elderly owner met us at Stansted and put us up for the night and fed us as well. After 8 years we still exchange Christmas cards. I don't know how to tell her it's now retired.
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>> Has the world moved on since I last bought a car? Has anyone here ever
>> done it that way? Surely you always need to drive the car first? Perhaps it's
>> me and this is the modern way?
>>
I thought that last time I bought a car 6½ years ago. I was in the processing of buying my car when I noticed a couple arrive at the sales desk next to the one I was at.
They ordered an XC90 which was over £40k at the time without looking at one or test driving. It's possible they may have been in previously however the impression I had was they'd never set foot inside this dealership before, never been inside an XC90 and had just ordered one.
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Buying sight unseen - No FM2R
