A warning about a Z4 for sale in Glasgow

[Pondy]

The sad reality is that the car above will probably sell fairly easily (to a colour-blind person) as probably only 5% of buyers would ever lift the boot mat when viewing any car, including an E89.

We only know because we are here. Most don't because they ain't.

 

[Pondy]

I've found this before, and had it explained as "well there's an internet price, and there's the forecourt price". From both independent and main dealers. If I've queried I've seen the cheaper price they've been happy to go along with me bartering off that price rather than the window price at least. Think my 1 series was like that, about a £1k difference on a £4k car internet ad to reality.

I nearly bought an Audi A4 two years ago. The price was £19,990. After several days of sorting stuff I was ready to push the button. When I phoned the (19 year old) salesboy, he said they had put the price up to £21,500. He did say he would give me a small discount off the new price.

I said two words and hung up.

 

[BMWZ4MC]

Well I have bought hundreds of cars and have never, ever encountered a decent car dealer. Maybe I'm just unlucky?

I wonder if car dealers tell people that they've sold hundreds of cars and every now and then a misanthrope comes along...

 

[Pondy]

misanthrope

I had to look that up, you over-educated doctor (sorry.... sturgeon).

I don't dislike people.....I just dislike many people. And I really dislike people who talk bollox and make a living from it. Which seems to be the majority these days, so maybe I do just dislike people in general.

 

[BMWZ4MC]

I had to look that up, you over-educated doctor (sorry.... sturgeon).

I don't dislike people.....I just dislike many people. And I really dislike people who talk bollox and make a living from it. Which seems to be the majority these days, so maybe I do just dislike people in general.

I am but a humble carpenter...

I'm also an amateur misanthrope and not especially lickable (sorry...likeable)

 

[Zed Baron]

Pondrew, from memory didn't you (or your wife) buy an E89 with the swimming pool boot option?

 

[Z450]

Well I have bought hundreds of cars and have never, ever encountered a decent car dealer. Maybe I'm just unlucky?

Possibly. From my own experience main dealers a generally poor, which is no surprise in that they are big PLC with a high staff turn over. Had some good experiences with small independents

 

[Pondy]

Pondrew, from memory didn't you (or your wife) buy an E89 with the swimming pool boot option?

Yes, we did specify that common option on the blue one. Apparently it was bone dry when it left the seller on a transporter. The four gallons of water magically appeared during it's journey (and it didn't rain).

Should have known better than buying a Scottish car from the lake district. Perfect storm (literally).

 

[Pondy]

Possibly. From my own experience main dealers a generally poor, which is no surprise in that they are big PLC with a high staff turn over. Had some good experiences with small independents

I couldn't care less about the 'experience' or who I am buying from. I just want the cars to be good. That is a lottery these days with dealers IMO. But the crap cars are the same prices as the good ones, so it's tricky to separate the wheat from the chaff. That I put down to dealers being ignorant or just not caring. Either way it isn't good.

 

[Zed Baron]

Yes, we did specify that common option on the blue one. Apparently it was bone dry when it left the seller on a transporter. The four gallons of water magically appeared during it's journey (and it didn't rain).

Should have known better than buying a Scottish car from the lake district. Perfect storm (literally).

'Chunnaic iad thu a’ tighinn!' as they would say north of the border

 

[Z450]

I couldn't care less about the 'experience' or who I am buying from. I just want the cars to be good. That is a lottery these days with dealers IMO. But the crap cars are the same prices as the good ones, so it's tricky to separate the wheat from the chaff. That I put down to dealers being ignorant or just not caring. Either way it isn't good.

When I say experience I mean the experience of the standard of cars. Some independents / specialise I have found some nice cars, more so than from main dealers

 

[BMWZ4MC]

When I say experience I mean the experience of the standard of cars. Some independents / specialise I have found some nice cars, more so than from main dealers

Inherently, I don't trust used car salesmen, but I have had good experiences with car dealers and bought very good cars from them.
I couldn't fault anything about the purchase of my wife's Taycan (except the absence of suck, squeeze, bang, blow and the salesman had nothing to offer on that front).
Equally, I've bought previously expensive cars cheaply from dealers and got exactly what I paid for!

 

[Zed Baron]

Amongst my earlier career choices I sold new/used cars, seeing it from both sides I can tell you that there are punters that are bad / devious as salesmen. There is a saying 'buyers are liars' and I've seen some of the sneaky things people have done with their part exchanges that ended up costing dealerships / garages greatly.

 

[Z450]

Amongst my earlier career choices I sold new/used cars, seeing it from both sides I can tell you that there are punters that are bad / devious as salesmen. There is a saying 'buyers are liars' and I've seen some of the sneaky things people have done with their part exchanges that ended up costing dealerships / garages greatly.

From my own experience this is spot on

 

[Bombur]

Misanthrope- I think I'm one of those also. People who are buying from tradespeople/companies whether it cars, goods, consumables often feel they are entitled to rip off the person/company as they are fair game. It does work both ways unfortunately

 

[BeardyJon]

That's definitely a grandad spec Z4, and the grubby dirty marks on the drivers seat reveal someone who never bent their knees to get into the car and just leaned against the seat and... slid down it

 

[derin100]

I would have walked away the minute I saw it was brown! 1970s Allegros were brown, not expensive BMWs (probably why the "havana" is so "rare" and didn't stay a colour for long).

I'm surprised the dealer didn't go down the "colour coded boot interior" route. They missed a trick there.

I disagree.
I think Havana (which my 35i was) is a really cool colour. I think with the Ivory leather and alcantara inserts, it was stunning.
Havana and Valencia are my two favourite colours for the E89.

 

[Zed Baron]

I disagree.
I think Havana (which my 35i was) is a really cool colour.

I always liked the Porsche mahogany brown metallic on the 944's

 

[Pondy]

I disagree.

It's OK to disagree. You would be wrong though!

 

[Scubaregs]

Amongst my earlier career choices I sold new/used cars, seeing it from both sides I can tell you that there are punters that are bad / devious as salesmen. There is a saying 'buyers are liars' and I've seen some of the sneaky things people have done with their part exchanges that ended up costing dealerships / garages greatly.

Watched a colleague yesterday appraise a trade in that the customer had already submitted online.
According to the customer the car had "slight scratching on one panel."

I counted seven badly damaged panels after being invited by my colleague to double check her findings. This was during a ten second walk around the car.

Car was a Merc convertible.