Tips 6-10

6 Disguising the price
The trick The dealer will try to talk to you about your new car deal only in terms of a monthly HP or PCP payment. This helps to divert your attention away from how much discount youre really getting and/or how much youre getting for your part-exchange.
Beat it Always insist the dealer gives you the discounted new car price and the actual part-exchange allowance price when he quotes you finance figures. Refusing to discuss finance until youve agreed the new car and part-exchange prices can help.

7 Fiddling the finance quote
The trick Dealers sometimes try to convince you to use their finance rather than a personal loan from your bank by showing you an online comparison between the two that shows the bank loan as having a higher repayment figure, even though it has a lower APR. What they dont tell you is that theyve deftly included some form of credit insurance cover with the bank loan example.
Beat it Always ask the dealer to provide you with a full credit quotation for any finance-based quotes they show to you, and always check the total amount repayable figure between different financing models before you buy.

8 Target Price rules
The trick Some dealers claim that the What Car? Target Price applies only to pre-registered cars and not brand-new vehicles.
Beat it This is untrue. Tell the dealer that the What Car? Target Price applies only to brand-new cars that are first registered in the customers name, and definitely not to pre-registered cars.

9 The one-day deal
The trick When a salesman has offered you a medium-level discount, the manager may come over and berate the salesman for exceeding his discount allowance. The manager may then tell you that since the deal has been offered it will stand for that day only. This is intended to make you think youve got a special discount that wont be repeated after you leave the showroom.
Beat it Always check to see if the discounted price quoted is equal to, or better than, the What Car? Target Price. Dont accept anything thats higher than the Target Price.

10 Manager special
The trick When a salesman has offered you an artificially low part-exchange price, the manager might come over and berate the salesman for under-valuing your part-exchange. Hell then apologise to you for the error and offer a higher part-exchange price. This price, which will still be lower than your initial expectation, is designed to overcome your disappointment by making you feel youve secured a managers special price instead.
Beat it Always check the value of your car either with the What Car? Used Car Price Guide or our free online valuation calculator, and then get part-exchange valuations from different dealerships.