Buying a Car?

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Noah_ZA

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Hi guys.

Im looking at buying my first car, first financed car :P
Im looking at buying a VW Polo Comfortline and what I want to know is:

There are legit dealers like VW/Mcarthy/Mastercars/Renault bla bla.
Then there are the dealers populate an entire road, like in the middle of randburg
there are all those random dealerships...Southgate wheels/ignition auto etc.

The thing is, the price difference for the car im looking for between these types of dealers
is ridiculous (almost 50k), why the huge difference?

Im guessing those random dealers are dodgy or something, i really dont know.

Have any of you bought a car from any dealership other than those legit ones.
As im scared i buy a car 50k cheaper and it has no gearbox or something lol :P
 
Its unlikely that the price difference on the same spec car (color / age / mileage) will be as much as R50K. Are you 100% sure you're comparing apples with apples?
A non-franchise dealer can still offer you an extended warranty for peace of mind. So as long as the dealership is not brand new and has been trading for a few years... I don't view it as risky. A quick check of the dealerships name on the old interweb will alert you to any issues (hellopeter etc).

FYI: The Polo's used to be a high risk Hijack vehicle a while ago in Gauteng. Not sure if that's still so. Might be worth your while checking that out too.
 
I generalise of course, but the cheaper dealers are more prone to selling cars that were not well looked after, were in accidents or resprayed, high mileage, not properly checked under the hood. They can spit and polish a car that it looks like a new one on their floor, but when you buy it, there is a notable chance of you having problems.

The branded dealers often has corporate governance where they have to follow certain rules and where certain criteria needs to be met for a car to be sold there. They usually have lower mileage, are better looked after and go through a proper check before it gets released for sale.

I repeat, this is a generalisation, but you are generally looking at a safer option when buying from the branded dealers and what you see is what you get.

Wherever you decide to buy, opt for something that has some time left on a warranty or maintenance plan - if not, take an after market warranty with if you can. It offers some peace of mind. And if you buy from a non branded dealer, take the car's VIN number and phone any one of the branded dealers to check if there is a history of problems on the car.

TL;DR - It's generally safer to go with branded dealers.

PS. Don't know where you are, but you can look at VW Hatfield in Pretoria or VW Hatfield in Bryanston... great service! Just bought my new car there last week. Got a good deal as well.
 
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I assume you're referring to used cars.

If you don't know anything about cars I would try and get somebody that does to go with you. A mechanic or panel beater friend would be great.
 
Polo's are still very much in demand for thieves and hijackers. I am a member on the Randburg Crime Group and a week doesn't go past where a Polo/Fortuner/Hilux isn't stolen.

Just keep that in mind.
 
werfie said:
I generalise of course, but the cheaper dealers are more prone to selling cars that were not well looked after, were in accidents or resprayed, high mileage, not properly checked under the hood. They can spit and polish a car that it looks like a new one on their floor, but when you buy it, there is a notable chance of you having problems.

The branded dealers often has corporate governance where they have to follow certain rules and where certain criteria needs to be met for a car to be sold there. They usually have lower mileage, are better looked after and go through a proper check before it gets released for sale.
Click to expand...

This is actually very true.
Buying from a 'cheaper dealer' can be like a lucky packet.
 
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