Offered 7k trade-in, car sold for 12.5k

[The Critic]

It probably cost the dealer $1-$1.5K to get the car ready for sale. They probably strive to make another $2k (minimum) on the vehicle.

Here is a good local example:

2017 Forester XT, 40K miles: https://www.hondaofserramonte.com/u...Forester-0633a7d10a0e0a6b7925ecf9b59bfb35.htm

Dealer spent $923 for a used vehicle inspection, oil change, pad slap for the rear brakes, smog and lot security system.
They also spent another $600 for dent repair and minor paint work to the front end.

 

[ecotourist]

I once sold a used 15 year old Honda Accord on ebay. Never again. It was not an easy transaction. I explicitly listed all known defects and made it clear that it was "as is". Yet the buyer expected me to fix the rust spots on a $1200 15 year old car. They tried counteroffering the winning bid price.

I had a similar experience selling a good running 18 year old Volvo. I disclosed all known problems and asked for a reasonable amount reflecting the problems. A prospective purchaser took it away for an inspection and then wanted to discount the price by the cost to repair all of the disclosed problems. At that point I wouldn't even talk to him.

Sold it to friends who needed a car for about half of what it was worth.

But I've had good selling experiences too. Sold a 2 year old trouble prone Ford Fiesta to the first guy who responded to the ad, and for the full asked price. I had bolted in an interior car warmer and he would have paid extra for it, but I just threw it in. Considering how easily it had sold, I thought maybe I had under-priced it but that was the only call I got.

Hope that car treated him better than it treated me.

 

[lawrencerd]

I recently did a similar deal dumping my Golf., not quite as bad though. It stings a little bit, but realistically how much of my time would be tied up in selling private party? Dealing with wishy washy people, "Can you hold it?" "Hold on, I get paid in X days" "How about (insert lowball offer) ?" Then you have them coming after you potentially if anything goes wrong with the car after they get it. Even if you're 100% in the right, you have to deal with it. So I say, let the dealer deal with it for the profit it nets them. That is their expertise, not mine.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

By the time I'm done with a car, ready to sell it, it goes to the junkyard, so no need to deal with lowball Craigslist or dealers

 

[Duffyjr]

You guys that have sold cars yourself did you ever have anyone ask you if they could make payments to you? When I sold my 99 LeSabre a few years back that I listed on Car Gurus and a local county exchange I had at least a half dozen people ask me that. I finally started saying "sure and when you make your last payment you can have the car".

 

[SZR48207]

Reminds me of how CarMax offered me $1700 for my old F150 but when I traded it in at a Toyota dealership they gave me $3500. You just gotta play the numbers game sometimes.

 

[ls1mike]

By the time I'm done with a car, ready to sell it, it goes to the junkyard, so no need to deal with lowball Craigslist or dealers

I probably wouldn't do it with my tow vehicle, but there are other cars I would.

 

[wwillson]

You guys that have sold cars yourself did you ever have anyone ask you if they could make payments to you?

No, but my answer would have been "absolutely not".

 

[Hall]

and a learning experience.

Learning that businesses exist to make as much profit as possible ? I mean, I would be tempted to check what they're selling a vehicle that I traded in too but I'd also accept it and move on. For one, what they ask for it and what it sells for aren't the same. Two, they spent their own money getting it ready to sell. A few years ago, I bought my wife's (used - Ford) car from a Ford dealership and this is what they did when they got it in:

Cut and program 2nd key
Oil Change, Replace Oil Filter - Motorcraft synthetic blend oil, FL910S filter
Replaced wiper blades
Replaced air filter, serviced breather chamber
Performed wheel alignment
Replaced (4) tires - Bridgestone g-Force COMP-2 A/S, 235/50ZR17
Replaced rear brake pads, machined rear rotors

I have the "receipts" for this and the funny thing is the service shop charged the "used car sales" group full price for labor and parts (probably done this way for tax purposes). Yeah, yeah, I know, no actual money changed hands either. But still, they "spent" well over $1000.

 

[The Critic]

I have the "receipts" for this and the funny thing is the service shop charged the "used car sales" group full price for labor and parts (probably done this way for tax purposes). Yeah, yeah, I know, no actual money changed hands either. But still, they "spent" well over $1000.

Contrary to popular belief, the used car dept does not receive a significant discount on service/repair work compared to a retail customer.

 

[Hall]

Contrary to popular belief, the used car dept does not receive a significant discount on service/repair work compared to a retail customer.

I believe that but I also suspect it's in the used car group's tax advantage to pay "full" price. That's why it's done.

 

[Andrew1972]

it’s a sellers market for used cars and Subaru is desirable. Private sale is not for ever.

I was gracious for a high trade in value of non inspectable due to severe rust (they did not notice) of my 07 MDX with 200k.

I noticed they sold for same amount as trade in and called it not drivable off lot for test drives.

 

[eljefino]

You guys that have sold cars yourself did you ever have anyone ask you if they could make payments to you?

I did once for a mediocre 200k+ heap where I was happy to get the "down payment". The rest of the weekly payments were just gravy.

 

[dja4260]

I was recently offered $3500 for a car I sold for $6300 privately. Years back I walked from a dealer after they said they would give me KBB for a car. The dealer offered me 2k, and I sold that car for $6000 privately.

 

[CKN]

I was recently offered $3500 for a car I sold for $6300 privately. Years back I walked from a dealer after they said they would give me KBB for a car. The dealer offered me 2k, and I sold that car for $6000 privately.

The dealer low balled you. There is not a $4,000 .00 difference between trade in and Retail on most vehicles. Also. on older cars this gets muddled. I am assuming since they offered you two grand-it was old and high miles.

 

[Pelican]

I had a Subaru Impreza trade-in for my car purchase earlier this month. The local dealer offered 7k trade-in and used every excuse in the book for the low ball offer.
I was offered 9k trade-in at a dealership a few hours away. The 9k was at the very top of KBB trade in value while 7k was below minimum.

The car was listed for sale at 12.5 on the dealer website and was gone in one week which l presume indicates it was sold. I'm glad that l rejected the 7k offer and moved on as l also received a lower price on the car elsewhere.

My first trade in experience in buying a new car was eye opening and a learning experience.

We don't know the following:
1) Were both dealers Subaru or only one or neither?
2) Did you buy another Subaru
3) How do we know that the price difference wasn't added to the new vehicle without knowing what you bought and what you paid for it
As others have said this is business and the dealer is not required to do YOUR best interests.

 

[PeterGreen]

One factor about trade-ins here in the land of high taxes--Cuomo country. When you trade in a car, you only pay sales tax on the difference in price between the trade and the new car--it can be significant when the taxes are almost 9%.

 

[DGXR]

Yeah they are going to offer you as little as possible without making you walk away, which obviously failed in your example. Around 2001, Carfax offered $700 for my very clean 1992 Thunderbird LX, it had no issues at all. I told them to kiss my grits and sold it private party for $1200 a few days later. The girl was so happy to have it. Win-win.

 

[javacontour]

It probably cost the dealer $1-$1.5K to get the car ready for sale. They probably strive to make another $2k (minimum) on the vehicle.

Here is a good local example:

2017 Forester XT, 40K miles: https://www.hondaofserramonte.com/u...Forester-0633a7d10a0e0a6b7925ecf9b59bfb35.htm

View attachment 52020


Dealer spent $923 for a used vehicle inspection, oil change, pad slap for the rear brakes, smog and lot security system.
They also spent another $600 for dent repair and minor paint work to the front end.

ZMAX and Phantom Footprint? That sort of thing is fluff. The rest is likely warranted, but those items are of dubious value.

 

[The Critic]

ZMAX and Phantom Footprint? That sort of thing is fluff. The rest is likely warranted, but those items are of dubious value.

It is a Sonic Automotive dealer. They partner with ZMAX and MOC for a lot of their service products. Phantom Footprint is probably a anti-theft/GPS tracker for inventory management.