Hi,
Bargaining - does anyone know if it is appropriate in Switzerland to make an offer below the asking price when buying a second hand car from a garage and paying in cash?
Any other hints/tips on buying a second hand car from a garage would be greatly appreciated. :)
Hi,
Bargaining - does anyone know if it is appropriate in Switzerland to make an offer below the asking price when buying a second hand car from a garage and paying in cash?
Any other hints/tips on buying a second hand car from a garage would be greatly appreciated. :)
Of course you can offer... the worst is that they say "no"... there is no "norm" here..
if you check the following websites:
they will give you a estimate of dealers prices around switzerland for the year make model etc etc of the car youre interested in.
Also TCS has a valuation service...
All useful to know if youre paying over the odds or not.
happy driving ;-)
Of course you can offer... the worst is that they say "no"... there is no "norm" here..
if you check the following websites:
they will give you a estimate of dealers prices around switzerland for the year make model etc etc of the car youre interested in.
Also TCS has a valuation service...
All useful to know if youre paying over the odds or not.
happy driving ;-)
Thanks Charlie! Yeah, you're right - all they can say is No! :)
2 tips:
Offer cash. Switz has long remained a place where you pay cash (ie pay with banknotes) even for a car
Best time of year to negotiate: December (sure it's in 8 months), as the salesmen try and meet their annual targets
2 tips:
Offer cash. Switz has long remained a place where you pay cash (ie pay with banknotes) even for a car
Best time of year to negotiate: December (sure it's in 8 months), as the salesmen try and meet their annual targets
2 tips:
Offer cash. Switz has long remained a place where you pay cash (ie pay with banknotes) even for a car
Best time of year to negotiate: December (sure it's in 8 months), as the salesmen try and meet their annual targets
That's maybe true for a new car, but for used cars in a smaller garage there are no "targets".
From my own experience the negotiation is brief - you make an offer and they either accept it (possibly after consultation with the owner of the car), or they don't.
Check that the car has the service booklet correctly filled and that it has passed the mandatory inspection recently (including antipollution). If it's been a long time since the last inspection it's common practice to ask for the car to be inspected before you buy it ("expertisee du jour"). When buying second hand is best to take your time, and not be fixated on a color or brand if possible. A few things that bring more value: first owner, owner non smoking, as many factory options as possible (leather, xenon etc.). Other things you could bargain on: 3-6-12 months warranty, a free inspection or oil change, fixing a dent or scratch, a polish.
Good luck!
That's maybe true for a new car, but for used cars in a smaller garage there are no "targets".
From my own experience the negotiation is brief - you make an offer and they either accept it (possibly after consultation with the owner of the car), or they don't.
Check that the car has the service booklet correctly filled and that it has passed the mandatory inspection recently (including antipollution). If it's been a long time since the last inspection it's common practice to ask for the car to be inspected before you buy it ("expertisee du jour"). When buying second hand is best to take your time, and not be fixated on a color or brand if possible. A few things that bring more value: first owner, owner non smoking, as many factory options as possible (leather, xenon etc.). Other things you could bargain on: 3-6-12 months warranty, a free inspection or oil change, fixing a dent or scratch, a polish.
Good luck!
