Haggling with a motability dealer?

A question about : Haggling with a motability dealer?

Can you do it? Have you done it? If so did you get reduced advance payments, or an extra to the car?

This Forum Tip was included in MoneySavingExpert's weekly email
Don't miss out on new deals, loopholes, and vouchers
FAQs
Privacy Policy
Past Emails
Unsubscribe

Best answers:

• I think you can do it, i know in the past my parents have had a few extra's when they were choosing a motorbility car - in that case (from memory) it was near the end of the dealers sales cycle and they needed to shift more cars.
  I suspect at the moment with the car situation as it is, there is a good chance that dealers will be willing to offer extras/slightly better models, just to get some stock moving.
• Hi because the margins are so close they can not do a lot i got my car super guarded on ther paint and alloy wheels, treat the saleman well and see what happens
  Regards Moneybuster
• When I tried at Kia and Vauxhall, they wouldn't have it, however I got reduced price parking sensors, free fitting and a full tank of fuel from Honda, tt all depends. I don't think you can get reduced payments though. Aren't they set by Motability?:confused:
• Thanks for the replies. I meant the advance payments, not the monthly cost. I doubt they would bring those down.
• We have had three cars now and have never been able to get anything, and believe me if it was possible we would have achieved it. Various dealers including Honda, Renualt, Ford and Vauxhall all say that Motability are getting best possible price so they cannot offer anything.
  Don't forget that if you go with Ford, Ford Magic can give you vouchers toward the cost of the down payment which used to be Ј200 to Ј300. No other dealer offer this - correct me if I am wrong!
  Also Motability have a grant scheme for the cost of down payments. You may be eligible so you could give them a call.
• Yes you can haggle, will depend on dealer and salesperson, def be nice.
  Theres not alot in the pot but be reasonable, mats and flaps or Ј100 off the advance deposit for your application there and then and you are likely to get it.
  Some dealers are fixed payout some are margin so depends also what car you buy, ie how much it is.
  hth
• This is a good Q
  Last week I tired to get the upgrade from Nissan that they are offring on the Quashquai. Not a chance! Seems it's only for private buyers. Which is fair enough as the car ind' is in such a bad way at the moment. As mentioned above, the best bet would be to try to get some accessories thrown in as they don't set the advance payments and need all the money they can get.
  Hope you get the car you want, good luck.
• We haggled with our Nissan Note-in a nice way of course. I wanted the top spec one with tinted rear windows and sensor wipers. The only problem was the Ј99 advance they wanted. After some gentle prodding the dealer 'lost' the money in the accounts system, full tank, mats and a couple of bits and bobs (pens i think). He did say though that we would get a phone call from Nissan after we got the car and could we be extra nice about the service we received, which we were.
  Best thing we ever did getting a motability car.
• bushbaby103 how is ur new car I am getting the qashqai in 6 weeks,,ordered it ages ago and getting fed up now
• If you looking for an SUV Toyota has their Rav 4 TXR with a downpayment of Ј995,till the end of Feb.
• Thank you everyone. I'm really happy to hear about the grant, I'll see if I'm applicable. My car choices are actually quite small considering the amount of cars on offer, and only one has no advance payment.
• When my OH was getting his Volvo the salesman was trying to get him to upgrade to the next model but it had just over Ј200 advance payment so we refused as we couldn't afford it. The salesman went away spoke to his manager then came back and offered to pay half the advance payment, so we agreed! This is my OH's 5th mobility car and it's the first time he's been offered any deal.
  Edit: I've just had a look at the Motability site and the advance payment for our car is now over Ј1000! It was only just over Ј200 when we got ours a year ago!
• Just a bit of info for you, you rightly state that you can apply for a grant to help you towards the Advance Payment, but it is "MEANS TESTED" with the formula used that the government calculates is what you can live on, is donkey's years out of date, and does not appear to take into account recent excessive rises in Fuel, council tax etc payments. So be warned....
  I am given to understand also that the reason it takes 10-12 weeks to get your car is that the car is ordered brand new, you are not given one that may have been siting outside for months at storage sites.
  The advance payment is set in negotiations between the manufacturers not the dealers, but there is no harm in trying..
• I recently bought a new Mazda through the motablility scheme. It had to have a dog guard fitted. I tried to get the price down from Ј150 and did manage to get it to Ј125 but that was the best I could get.
• I am recently disabled folowing a motorcycle acident and in receipt if higher rate DLA I could get a motability car but I chose to have my own existing carconverted to hand controls which cost me approx Ј325 I get free tax through an exemption certificate cheap insurance due to my age and pay very little for servicing as I use a non franchised self employed mechanic (who used to work for the main dealer anyhow) rather than have a brand new car every 3 years which I have to give back and pay another deposit I keep my DLA allowance and use it to run my own car and save up to update it when required with the residual. Motability is a good scheme but dont just jump in without doing the maths as it isnt the best option for everyone
• I don't know about under normal circumstances, but in October last year my car was supposed to be delivered but there was a problem getting it and it was delayed by 2 weeks and I had to have another colour rather than the one I'd ordered. It's a Kia Carens, so I asked them if they could see their way to throwing in a free boot cover (normally Ј150 plus fitting) for my trouble and they did just that and bought me a huge bouquet for my being so patient. Anyway this proves it's worth asking.