Buying a car in Ireland, whether new or used, is one of the biggest purchases most people make. But as my recent experiences show, even reputable dealerships can fall short. Here are the lessons I learned and the tips that could save you time, money and unnecessary stress writes Suxanne Keane
Used car
After our 3 rd baby arrived we squashed into our usual cars for a few months but it became apparent with 3 under 6 that a car with 3 full seats across the back was a necessity. We also decided that if we were going to drive a big ugly family car we would go for the biggest and ugliest and settled on a 7-seater with 5 full seats (that can comfortably seat adults in the 3 rd
row).
After looking around at many cars locally and being told repeatedly when a car was in a terrible state “what do you expect, it’s a family car” we made our way to Dublin to look at a few options, one of which was advertised by a large used car dealer as immaculate.
On arrival it was clear to see that the car was far from immaculate, however, after some negotiations, we decided that it was the highest spec car that suited the budget and went for it.
Prior to a final deal being made we were emailed a service report, listing all the work that had just been carried out to the car by this dealer, including new brake discs and pads. About a week later the car was delivered, and our trade-in was driven away. A quick look around the car revealed that the work listed hadn’t actually been carried out – after multiple unanswered calls to the dealership we were able to contact the driver who brought our own car back.
Once he had returned we eventually received a call from the dealer, apologising that the work hadn’t been carried out and blaming it all on a junior technician. They offered a discount on the purchase price, and took the car back to have the work carried out. A week later the car came back, this time with the service work done but without a working touch
screen.
Multiple calls later they agreed to pay for a replacement with the local main dealer. This was delayed by almost 16 weeks, due to a lack of stock from the manufacturer which obviously wasn’t the fault of the seller, but a delay in paying when the work was carried out almost left me stranded with no car as the main dealer wouldn’t release the car without payment. On a side note, once the payment was made to this local main dealer and I was given the keys back I discovered that the touch screen unit was locked and hadn’t been configured. Back in the service department I was then told there had been an internet connection problem and I’d have to come back another day. In short they had insisted on receiving full payment for a job half done and failed to communicate any of this to me.
New Car
12 months later, after somewhat recovering from the stress of buying a used car we were in the market for a new/almost new estate car to replace a 2016 version that I had been driving since my first was born. Foolishly, I assumed this would be an easier process. We narrowed the search down to a few cars, made the calls and arranged a Saturday visit to Dublin and surrounding counties to test drive and get trade in values on my own. We had spoken to all of these dealerships in the days before, and phoned again on the way to Dublin to double check that the cars were still there. After waiting 2 hours for a “call back in 10 minutes” we arrived at the first stop. Thankfully the car was there and I was able to test drive it, but at the time of writing this I’m still waiting for a call back on the trade-in value of my own car. This car was still advertised as “for sale” for months afterwards.
On the second stop we weren’t so fortunate. The car we had driven there to see was sold the evening before so I had a look at some others they had and I received a trade-in value for mine there and then. I wasn’t happy with this figure or the fact that they hadn’t returned our call that morning about the other car. They did, however, contact us on Monday with an improved trade-in value.
That same day I popped into our local dealership. They didn’t have an estate but I tried out the same car in hatchback format. From taking a few measurements I knew it wasn’t going to work with our child seats but the salesman was professional, came back to me that day with a trade-in value and in general I couldn’t fault the experience. My 4 th and final attempt to try to buy a car was later in the same week. A main dealer in a neighbouring county had a new version of the car I wanted for sale. They requested that I bring my own car to them for a test drive. The “test drive” consisted of the Sales Manager driving around the corner from the dealership and stopping to rummage through all of my personal possessions in the glovebox. He was so uninterested in actually looking at the car that he had failed to notice the 3 channel dashcam which was recording his every move, as it always is when the engine is running. A quick glimpse at the rear-view mirror and the
interior camera would have been apparent. He had traveled such a short distance in my car that he hadn’t even felt the need to put a seatbelt on. Needless to say, I wouldn’t be recommending this dealership to anyone! In conclusion, whether you’re buying new or second hand don’t assume that you’ll get better service from a bigger dealership/garage!
Tips for Buying a New or Used Car
- A big shiny showroom doesn’t mean better service.
- When someone is test driving your own car, always go with them.
- Have a realistic minimum value worked out for your trade-in.
- Shop around, but try not to get too frustrated.
