Buying a New/Demo Car through Union Shopper Motor Market?

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  Xiaomi on 11/10/2018 - 22:17

  Do you see any downsides to putting my car purchase through this?

  • Pre-inspections?
  • Contractual obligations whereas a car dealership you can decide if you want or not
  • Who is the dealer?
  • Warranty obligations
  • Location of vehicle may cause difficulty if having to return for warranty

  What commission do Union Shoppers Motor get? Does it work in their interest to sell you a certain car from a specific dealer that hands them a bigger commission, but dodgier car? same point touched on by a Whirlpool user

  Reputation:
  Facebook - 128 Likes, 3 reviews
  Google - 4 Reviews, 1 certainly looks face (avatar of a car looks to be made in MS Paint)

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  Priceless Class on 11/10/2018 - 22:46

  Pre-inspections:
  Given that it is a new or near new (as in less than 2000kms drjven which is what I'm looking at) does not having a pre-inspection matter? Many people buy a new car sight unseen when they order one off the assembly line. You could argue their is no pre-inspection on these vehicles.

  Contractual Obligations:
  At some point I need to enter into a contract to buy the car. If I set the terms and parameters of exactly what I want, what do I have to lose?

  Who is the dealer?:
  It is a major brand, so which particular dealer in the network I buy it from doesn't really matter does it?

  Warranty Obligations:
  Vehicle comes with a standard manufacturers 5 year warranty that can be utilised at any of the dealers, so don't see this as an issue.

  Location:
  Any issues had with the vehicle would be covered under the manufacturers warranty, allowing it to be repaired at any of that brands dealers.

  Commission:
  I imagine they do take a cut from the lowest price, but if it's lower than what I could get, does that matter? I'm still benefiting.

  Specific Dealer/Bigger Commission/Dodgy car:
  Possibly they might have arrangements with suppliers due to commission, but again if I get it for a cheaper price than I otherwise would have, does this matter? How are you likely to get a 'dodgy' demo vehicle from a major car brand. Anything actually wrong with the vehicle would be covered under manufacturers warranty.

  I think all of your points are very valid in situations where it is an older car, but do they apply to a new car?
  Appreciate your input.

• 

  resisting the urge on 11/10/2018 - 23:04

  What happens if the car being repaired from things like accidental damage, hail, being a previous unwanted warranty repair (replaced car, or a 2nd), etc?

  If buying a new car, most important thing is that it is not abused, not a lemon, paint and mechanicals are all factory.

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  spackbace on 11/10/2018 - 23:35

  +3

  I'm sure this comes with bias, but this is from a new car salesperson pov:

  1) they will take a commission from the deal, which results in you not getting the best possible price
  2) no general advice - models are constantly changing with what's referred to as "Tech changes", or similar. Now you might say "I want a new/demo Hilux SR5", for example. These just went through a change, which a middle man won't alert you to but a dealer/salesperson will. Likely result is you get sold the old model without being informed.
  3) after sales support - a dealer, particularly your local will look after you a hellova lot more after the fact if they did the deal, rather than doing it through that mob (who's quote request would go through fleet, who just don't care)

  Now you might say you just want the cheapest price, but me as a buyer I also want good service. If I don't get it, I walk out of a store.

  If you have any questions about your car after the sale, they won't get answered. After all, a salesperson would rather talk to a buyer than waste their time with you.

  Many cars have different features which can be easily explained, but are hidden in the novel that is a modern car handbook. There's a reason we allow 30-60 minutes for a delivery, to run through the car with you.

  TL:DR - learn to negotiate then buy from the local dealer.

  Oh and at least 90% of the time a new car can be bought for the same price as a demo. Don't be fooled.

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  Priceless Class on 12/10/2018 - 21:31

  Hi Spackbace,

  Thanks for your insight. Very interesting perspective. Is that 90% of the time thing really genuine? Tips on how to negotiate…

  • 

    spackbace on 12/10/2018 - 21:34

    It all depends, but demo bonuses aren't great. They'll only be highly discounted if it's the old shape or old model.

    As to how to negotiate, know exactly what you want and be prepared to buy at a price. Offer it to the local dealer. They'll counter-offer. If they let you walk, then your price wasn't achievable, they won't let a genuine buyer leave.

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  Priceless Class on 12/10/2018 - 21:57

  So is a 5k difference on a 50k car (comparing demo to new) considered a decent discount or is it worth saying you're a buyer on a new car for the same price range as the demo?

  • 

    spackbace on 13/10/2018 - 13:23

    Too many variables. As I said I don't know if the demo is identical to a new one. Not to mention we're getting very close to 2019 so you'd hope for a clearance on the 18s in December

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  lenny on 13/10/2018 - 14:58

  I've used union shopper for buying whitegoods and bigger electronic items a number of times. In the past I've gotten my best price from a retailer or online then told the union shopper it was a little bit less than my best price or said it includes an extended warranty. Most times they've beaten that price by quite a bit. They're basically just a broker.

  The motor market department will be just the same as any other car broker. For the couple of times I've tried them, I haven't found them to come back with any great prices but it's always worth a go. Provided it's new or a demo, I wouldn't see there being anymore of a problem than buying it down the road.