Forecourt Price and room for movement

[Pomie]

Hi All

Been bitten by the Skoda bug after missing out on a 2008 roomster Diesel private sale. '' You snooze you lose" my wife said to me. So after looking online and doing a bit of research we headed off for our first ever new car rekky. After arriving at the car sales yard and draggin my wife away from the new fiat 500 abarths we started looking at the fabias, in particular the monte carlo for $21,990 on the road.

i was plesantly impressed with the car (although i still like the look of the cheapest version on the 2wd Yeti 77tsi for a few grand more). With a quick chat to the finance man, whom we told we only wanted 10k on finace over 2 years, i am just wondering what the score is on working him to give me a discount? If i was buying a second hand car i would have no hesitation in offering 18k on a car that's 22k but that's because i would be dealing in cash. However, in this case I have no idea about new cars. i know they will try to get me for lots of options ie paint protection and extras but the car looked fine in standard trim.

I'm still trying to persuade my wife that the Yeti is better and we will get more resale when we come to sell it but so far it's not working

when i am able to get to the dealer again i wanna test drive (didn't have time today) both the auto and the manual and maybe the yeti. i am used to manuals but maybe for resale and being stuck in traffic for most of my comute an auto would be better.

anyway enough of me rambling on. options or suggestions will be gratefully appreciated
Regards, Roger
PS It was a red monte carlo fabia - which wasn't in stock but would be in about two weeks.

[K1W1]

If you can't get 10-12% off the list price plus some extra options thrown in for free you haven't even tried. Many will drive a much harder bargain.
The Fabia has not set Australia on fire sales wise and even the Yeti really doesn't seem to be selling up to Skodas lofty pre release public estimates so hold your ground and make the dealer work to sell you a vehicle and to earn your business rather than just handing over money to them. Skodas current emphasis on price for the Yeti in TV ads is an indication that sales aren't as rosey as they had hoped. It's the first time Skoda in Australia have gone done the price route so it's a clear indication that they need to move product in greater numbers than they are.
As far as the "Ming, Wing and Sting" (paint protection, etc) goes if you don't want it be 100% upfront and politely but firmly say that you are not interested and lets move on. Most dealers are sensible enough to to not try to persist with these after market ad ons if the customer indicates that they will get nowhere.

[Pomie]

Thanks taking the time to reply K1W1 much appreciated, and at least i have got a idea of what i can expect next time i get to the dealers. I have noticed that dealers in other states have a wide range of prices so i guess they are flexible on prices the sales man said they were flying off the forecourt (i'm not that naive...lol)
thanks again

PS are you a kiwi as my wife is (oamaru girl)

[pologti18t]

$21990 for a Monte Carlo is already "discounted"
Get them to throw some extras in MDS, climate control a/c etc.

[K1W1]

PS are you a kiwi as my wife is (oamaru girl)

Wellington

[Pomie]

went there last year nice and wow they're right about "windy wellington"
I just poped back to the dealers during work today and told them i wanted to take the monte out for a test on sat and maybe be go to the other dealer to try the yeti out and see what they are willing to do as they have a red monte in stock
the first dealer had a silver monte and it had 2011 badges on it and he said it was a 2012 and the badges were all like that ? but the red one at the other dealer has 2012 badges ???

will keep you updated on what i do next thanks for the input people

Roger

[K1W1]

the first dealer had a silver monte and it had 2011 badges on it and he said it was a 2012 and the badges were all like that ? but the red one at the other dealer has 2012 badges ???

Skoda like all European manufacturers have a model year that runs from August to July. Any cars built after the factory returns to work after the summer holidays are usually the new model year. They will be producing 2013 model Skodas in the next couple of weeks.
The first dealer is probably saying it's a 2012 model rather than it was built in 2012.

[wai]

Are you a member of a group or association with your work that has a deal with VW/Skoda when buying a new car? I am an Engineer and as a member of Engineers Australia got 10% off thelist price, plus half price dealer delivery charges. VW reimburses the dealer for this so it costs them nothing.

[pologti18t]

The Fabias will all be MY12

Make sure you get a 2012 BUILD date... otherwise stick them for a huge discount.
It's the build date that influences resale value the most

[Pomie]

My wife rang the second dealer today and asked when the fabia monte auto would be here and the price he told her they would be about 2 months away "but should have been already be here" they will be about $28,990 drive away the manuals priced at 21990 are already fully discounted. And they just sold the red one on the saturday
he also mentioned the 2012 badged ones have the swing radio? controls on the steering wheel and no red stitching around the gear stick
he also mentioned the 2.8% finance for the yeti had ended its still on the carsales.com.au website saying 2.8% ( so there goes 1 good bargaining tool i was using trying to persuade my wife why the yeti would be better for us ..lol)

[VAG newbie]

Yes, at $21990 it is fully discounted. At this price, all the fat has been trimmed and there is very little room for the dealer to move. Even if you have a trade-in, the dealer can't give you much higher than what the wholesaler will offer. In my experience, with these promos, you would be lucky to get $500 off. Consider this, tue Monte Carlo was >$25000 drive away at RRP, so at $21990, that's a discount of >$3000, which for cars in this price range, is a huge discount (15%!!). I bet they can't even offer you at $21990 driveaway if you don't want a stock car.

Still, try as hard as you can, get a few hundred bucks off, and perhaps ask for some freebies that are more practical to you, eg. Free service voucher for 3 years, free extended warranty, free loan car during service/warranty repairs....etc.

[Pomie]

Thanks guys
yeah seen a few monte's on carsales in the eastern states for 20,990 drive away, but like you say thats for a stock car and the other side of the country, and my wife likes the red and they would have to get one in for that, also as i am driving a old borrowed manual at the mo and feel like i am driving aggressively when pulling away at lights ect to keep up with all other cars as they all seem to be autos and being from the uk not i am used to that, but when driving the work ute(its a auto) its just put your foot down no hassle stress free, so maybe dsg is the way to go, or maybe i am getting old..lol wow there is alot to think figure out when buying new but luckly these forums are great for opinions and suggestions
and another thing its not in bad taste to see if one dealer can better the other one is it ?

[K1W1]

and another thing its not in bad taste to see if one dealer can better the other one is it ?

Absolutely not. That is what sales is all about, the best deal wins BUT the cheapest price may not be the best deal. Compare exactly what each dealer offers before you make up your mind.
Do not lie and cheat. Be ethical (you have to sleep with yourself so ethical is your version not mine). If you would prefer to deal with one dealer rather than the other tell them. "I can get this deal at X, I would rather deal with you but you have to make it worthwhile for me. What can you do?" Then make up your mind, be prepared to buy on the spot and also be prepared to walk and go to the other dealer if your preferred choice does not come to the party.

[VAG newbie]

Absolutely not. That is what sales is all about, the best deal wins BUT the cheapest price may not be the best deal. Compare exactly what each dealer offers before you make up your mind.
Do not lie and cheat. Be ethical (you have to sleep with yourself so ethical is your version not mine). If you would prefer to deal with one dealer rather than the other tell them. "I can get this deal at X, I would rather deal with you but you have to make it worthwhile for me. What can you do?" Then make up your mind, be prepared to buy on the spot and also be prepared to walk and go to the other dealer if your preferred choice does not come to the party.

Couldn't have agree more. Remember, before you sign the contract, you have the upper hand. The dealer can't point a gun at you to force you to sign the contract. You are the one parting a large amount of money, not them.

The problem has always been, the dealer, a particular sales consultant, will always (except maybe VW dealers....) act as he/she is your best friend. This is what they do. In a matter of 5 minutes, they'll try to gain your trust and make you feel sorry if you don't buy it from them. Remember, never fall for that. They are trained to do it and they will never be your best friend. Stick to what you want but be reasonable. Never be afraid to compare prices and ask for extras.

The other common trick they do is "if I can get this deal for you, will you pay the deposit today?". They then say they need to discuss with their sales manager, but actually they go into the tea room and have a nice cuppa, leaving you with the brand new car with that nice smell, to create the bonding between you and the car, at the same time wear you out. They will then come back after 30-40 min with a figure that is about $1000 more than your asking price. By then you would have fall in love with the car, and would have felt really tired and just want to get it over and done with, very easy you will soften on your ground, and be happy to meet somewhere in between.

Don't be afraid to walk out!

Also, try to leave wife out of the negotiating process. My wife is only good at saving $1-2 by grabbing the weekly specials in Woolies, and saving more than $100 she can't count. She knows that so she only gets involved in picking the car, but not in negotiation.

[brad]

and another thing its not in bad taste to see if one dealer can better the other one is it ?

I'd be pretty disgusted in a person if they didn't shop around at a few dealers & try & play one off against the other.