BMW AUC Price differentials

Z4vincent

Member
Have been searching for a Z4 coupe recently although I'm probably going to leave it until after the new year to buy something now as I've missed out on the cars with the spec I wanted.

Have kept an eye on the BMW Approved Used Cars site and I am noticing a marked difference in prices from different BMW garages for very similar aged and specced cars, just wondering am I missing something as for me if it is being sold from a franchised dealership as an approved used car I would expect it to be in at least better than average or pristine condition with a full BMW history and I would expect some sort of pricing structure..

I have seen differences of about £2000 on a car at one dealer compared to another. Is it worth trying to haggle with a franchised dealer on amounts as great as £2000??
 
Try this place, cheaper than most but wont budge much on price

http://www.bigmotoringworld.co.uk/

They have a grey Coupe
 
Have read some bad reports about this place online in other places and on here. Also should mention the car must have a full BMW history as I'm planning on taking a BMW warranty out. I see your point, I would expect a difference of about £1000-£1500 in price from non franchised to franchised dealers but not £2500-£3000.
 
the cars are cheaper from bigmotoringworld because they take cars in that all good reputabale dealers dont want . . none of them have any service history . . so you can take your chance and pay less but when you come to sell expect less as you will be selling with no service history . . in my opinion stay clear and they dont budge on price in fact you have to pay a surcharge on top of price shown .
 
I know what you mean about the AUC price differentials. Like yourself I've been on there daily checking out cars. The one I went to see I offered them £1500 below the asking price to which they were not offended and did continue to call me until they sold it.

They were happy to come down by £1000.

I think some of them are much better priced than others and some have no clue. According to my pricing matrix the one I'm seeing tomorrow is approximately £2k over priced. I will check out the car and offer them £1500 under the asking price and see what they say.

Haggling / negotiating is part and parcel in life as they say "you dont ask, you dont get" and also in this buyers market an offer is an offer..

Go for it I say, its much easier to buy than to sell!
 
PS they certainly are much higher priced than good private sellers, more so than even the differential on sites like wisebuyers
 
Jembo said:
Try this place, cheaper than most but wont budge much on price

http://www.bigmotoringworld.co.uk/

They have a grey Coupe

...and an extremely BAD reputation. Avoid, unless you actually want hassle.

(Sits back and waits for BigMotoringWorld's representative on THIS forum to turn up and put the positive view on their company........ :tumbleweed: )
 
srhutch said:
Never seen anything positive said about them, not even on here

Had read the reviews here and in other places so they were a no go, besides that i they don't have a full history they are no use to me for warranty purposes.
 
BMW is a franchise so the price vary wildly. Cars at Dealers in the North also tend to be cheaper than the south. Different dealers also employ different tactics - some price high then offer huge discounts, others provide lower part exchange values. They only way to accurately compare is to speak to each one and get down on paper the "cost to change" taking into account everything.

I think in some respects they vary prices and deals on purpose.

I got my coupe from Stratstone Newcastle one year ago and they were by far the cheapest (£17,700 for a 58 plate with 27k miles) so little negotiation on sticker price (£300 off) but did throw in 2 years free servicing and MOT (circa £500) and gave me a decent price for my Megane R26.

Andy
 
I have contacted them about 2 cars so far that had been advertised for quite a while before I contacted them only to be told that the car had sold "yesterday" or "today" and "Would I like them to find me another Approved Used Car?"

That would make me think that the cars did not exist or had been sold a while ago and they just use the adverts to gain contact with you or am I just too cynical or is it another tactic..

I don't have a part ex so it will be a straight sale in any case. I might just wait until the New Year now as I'm traveling from Northern Ireland and it will involve flights over and ferry home which tend to be more expensive approaching or around Christmas.

Also started looking at R32 Golf's and Edition 30 GTI's just to add to the confusion. I wish dealers could just be straight up, would make buying a car a lot easier from distance.

Considering these at the minute but I think the prices are off the mark

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/bmwauc/details/0,,1156___ask-4%40adm-xx,00.html?ch=_V0JBRFU1MjBYMExGNjkwODE=&btp=1x12-price_DESC

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201048374436356/sort/priceasc/usedcars/body-type/coupe/model/z4/make/bmw/radius/1500/page/4/postcode/bt235lq?logcode=p
 
The two dealers I've been to see about AUC cars have instantly offered me £500 off the list price. However I dont consider this a win as I believe their vehicles are overpriced to begin with (taking in all factors, valuations, options, the market, competing vehicles available).

At the end of the day the car is worth to you what you are willing to pay for it, so I would go in with a hard line of what you want to pay. I told both dealers my bottom line and left it with them for consideration..

Hope this helps you in your quest for your coupe
 
bluestreak56 said:
The two dealers I've been to see about AUC cars have instantly offered me £500 off the list price. However I dont consider this a win as I believe their vehicles are overpriced to begin with (taking in all factors, valuations, options, the market, competing vehicles available).

At the end of the day the car is worth to you what you are willing to pay for it, so I would go in with a hard line of what you want to pay. I told both dealers my bottom line and left it with them for consideration..

Hope this helps you in your quest for your coupe

I take it you were viewing the car when making these offers. I will probably be making offers unseen due to the traveling distances involved. They do come with warranty but that only equates to about £400 of a difference on the face of it.
 
Z4vincent said:
bluestreak56 said:
The two dealers I've been to see about AUC cars have instantly offered me £500 off the list price. However I dont consider this a win as I believe their vehicles are overpriced to begin with (taking in all factors, valuations, options, the market, competing vehicles available).

At the end of the day the car is worth to you what you are willing to pay for it, so I would go in with a hard line of what you want to pay. I told both dealers my bottom line and left it with them for consideration..

Hope this helps you in your quest for your coupe

I take it you were viewing the car when making these offers. I will probably be making offers unseen due to the traveling distances involved. They do come with warranty but that only equates to about £400 of a difference on the face of it.

Ah yes I was indeed, I totally agree with you I know how much they p/x'd the one im after (having spoken to the previous owner) and they have slapped £3,500 on top of that as list..
 
bluestreak56 said:
Z4vincent said:
bluestreak56 said:
The two dealers I've been to see about AUC cars have instantly offered me £500 off the list price. However I dont consider this a win as I believe their vehicles are overpriced to begin with (taking in all factors, valuations, options, the market, competing vehicles available).

At the end of the day the car is worth to you what you are willing to pay for it, so I would go in with a hard line of what you want to pay. I told both dealers my bottom line and left it with them for consideration..

Hope this helps you in your quest for your coupe

I take it you were viewing the car when making these offers. I will probably be making offers unseen due to the traveling distances involved. They do come with warranty but that only equates to about £400 of a difference on the face of it.

Ah yes I was indeed, I totally agree with you I know how much they p/x'd the one im after (having spoken to the previous owner) and they have slapped £3,500 on top of that as list..

That doesn't surprise me in the slightest given their prices and they would give you a big £500 off :headbang:
 
Well it's happened again or I'm very unlucky. Emailed Cooper Teeside about a vehicle on the AUC site and they phoned me, guess what. It was sold yesterday but tried to sell me various other cars that are at Cooper sites.

Do they not realise I can look up other cars on the BMW site also..if they aren't ghost cars that is.

When I told him the spec I wanted they weren't a bit interested anymore, said thank you and good luck with your search. No messing around and quite abrupt like I was asking for the world. Playing hardball. If that's what they want then I can do that too. My offers will now be £500 less at any car they have in future.

I have just remembered why I prefer buying private..
 
Spoke to a BMW Indy today regarding a Z4 and I brought up the possibility that BMW dealers have ghost cars listed for sale on the AUC site.

He states it is a problem for him and he also thinks they do it leaving lowered price cars on the listings to entice prospective purchasers to contact them. What's that all about :roll: :thumbsdown:
 
That's an interesting thought. From having a good browse at the AUC a lot, I think that cars stick for a while, but then once they reach a "good price" they rarely stick around for long. Got to also remember that the stock is coming through all the time, so possible to find one dealer with a highly priced car who is reluctant to move it on for anything less, yet another dealer with fresh stock can be cheaper and still make money - all because they market has moved on and they've picked it up much cheaper.

If that makes sense :?
 
Wondermike said:
That's an interesting thought. From having a good browse at the AUC a lot, I think that cars stick for a while, but then once they reach a "good price" they rarely stick around for long. Got to also remember that the stock is coming through all the time, so possible to find one dealer with a highly priced car who is reluctant to move it on for anything less, yet another dealer with fresh stock can be cheaper and still make money - all because they market has moved on and they've picked it up much cheaper.

If that makes sense :?

Yes that makes sense to me alright. I'm just speaking from my personal experience as I have contacted dealers about 3 z4's so far and all have miraculously been sold within hours although I do notice they are still not removed from the AUC site. This may be because they had reached that "good price" or the other. Possibly dealers being slow to update.

The Indy I spoke to didn't confine this to Z4's, he actually stated that he has other BMW models for sale and when customers come to him they quote AUC vehicles as a bargaining tool which is why he noticed it happening.

Anyway I hope that Monaco Blue or Silver Auto with the spec I'm after filters down to me soon. :P
 
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