[amandachannon]

Hi there,i am just curious to know what other members are or were unhappy about there part exchange .I have been given a ridiculous price for my V/W polo,they have valued it half the amount it should be for a part exchange.Am worried as ordered mini for march1st,as i was told they couldnt value it in dec.But promised me the going price for it,otherwise i said i wouldnt order it.Now i dont know what to do,cant sell it private as i dont have space for 2 cars and cant sell it before as i will be without a car.I feel i am being conned!has anybody else had there car under valued!Its taken the excitement out of getting it as am worried!Thanks guys

[dietcokeplease]

Amanda,

It sounds like you've been a victim of a sharp practice by an unscrupulous salesman or dealership.

In 17 years of buying and selling cars for my family, I've never had a problem with dealers giving me a valuation when in most cases delivery was 3 months ahead. In one case I even got a valuation with delivery being 6 months ahead.

In not giving you a figure the salesman can offer you a low/unrealistic figure and know that you might accept given your present circumstances. It's win/win for him and lose/lose for you.

I would be inclined to double check the value of your car. Go to your local newsagent and price it up in Parkers Guide or What Car? You do have to remember that part exchange figures are likely to be a lot lower on a popular car such as the MINI. Also second hand car prices have fallen significantly given the relatively stable economy and incentive deals for new cars. A lot of people have been shocked at how little their car is actually worth.

There is a free valuation service on www.vauxhall.co.uk that uses Glass's Guide, but I can't get their site to work at the moment.

[Lawrothegreat]

I don't have a huge knowledge of how dealers work - but here is my pennys worth:

I'm guessing your dealer won't actually be buying your VW Polo, because they won't be selling the car at the dealer itself - instead they will be selling it on your behalf to a tradesperson.

The dealer can't guarantee you a price for before trade-in, because it depends on what a tradesperson is willing to pay at the time of delivery of your new mini .

The dealer can value your car now - and this should be done through a central database - the price given would be in-line with trade prices given in the parkers guide etc.

In theory, the valuation at any dealer should be similar, with some variation depending on the salesperson's interpretation of the condition of your current car.

The actual price you receive if purchased by a tradesperson, will be the same irrespective of what car you buy, since it will be the same trades people who visit the dealers in your area.

If your car is older, it may be taken to auction, where the dealer may not get much for it anyway, and certainly a lot less then if sold privately.

When a dealer offers a set trade-in price in advance, it maybe because they are willing to take the risk of loosing money when selling to a tradesperson, which would be part of the planned profit margin for that car. But I can't see many BMW Mini dealers doing that.

To be honest I don't know much about how dealers work, but the above is what I understand. Interestingly my last car was a VW Polo.

How old is your Polo, what is its condition etc?

You will always get much much more privately.

Best of luck. And congratulations on ordering a mini!

[amandachannon]

Its R/98.1.4cl auto,3dr hatchback.It has open air electric sunroof and only 37140 miles on clock.Its metallic silver and in good condition.I also have full service history.I got a quote from what car and they quoted £2,368 part exchange.I also got a quote from parkers on same model but with 60,00 miles on clock and they quoted £2,115.I only ordered the car as they promised i would get the going price for my car.I feel that they are conning me.I have told them i am not letting it go for 1.200.They said they will ring round a few dealers.I cant sell private as i havnt got space for two cars.
I am so mad,i am waiting for them to get back to me.

[Goonery]

Try putting it into Autotrader or the local free papers at the higher price and see what reaction you get, you might find a buyer quickly, used VW's are sought after if in good nick , and yours sounds fine.
If you get a buyer, they might agree to wait on till you get your new one

[Lawrothegreat]

The low mileage might be a slight minor point for some - but £1200 does seem extremely low! I just put your details into the parkers guide and trade price is definitely above £2000, even private poor was £1360.

I wouldn't accept £1200, if the car is in reasonable condition for the age.

It might be worth taking it around a few 2nd hand car garages, and see what you are offered. Ideally you would want to sell it privately - but only if you have the parking space to do so.

Good luck anyway.

[dundun]

ive been offered £8000 for my 2003 03 mini one by my dealer, i have tried ebay and autotrader and all ive got is timewasters or brokers my one is on autotrader for at least £500-£1000 less than glasse's or parkers value my car at and thats a standard mini compared to mine are mini residuals slipping ?

[dundun]

ive been offered £8000 for my 2003 03 mini one by my dealer, i have tried ebay and autotrader and all ive got is timewasters or brokers my one is on autotrader for at least £500-£1000 less than glasse's or parkers value my car at and thats a standard mini compared to mine are mini residuals slipping ?