Caravan Dealers

[scottironsbtinternet.com]

Hi I am in the process of trying to buy a new Pegasus (I know I said I wouldn't).I called a BAILEY dealer in Dundee asking how much my 02 Arizona would be worth in a trade in? I never got a trade in price but what I got was a change over price, so I asked the female sales person(what a joke) when could they go and see my van to give an actual price (not a guestomet).I had to talk her into going to see my van (its less than 45mins away).Today was the day for the visit, guess what, they never showed up, not a call not a sorry when I called them, the excuse was someone was of ill thus they couldn't go and see the van and no indication of when they would go. So I told them not to bother.

If a business can ignore £11000 deal I am a monkey's uncle, I do hear that there is a recession on so the Bailey dealer must be rolling in cash. Needless to say I am not calling them again.

 

[Parksy]

If I were you Scott I'd write to their MD or head of sales with complete details because those concerned could at least have let you know that they weren't going to turn up.

You never know your luck they might try harder to win the sale by offering a better deal.

 

[scottironsbtinternet.com]

Hi Parksy as far as I know the person I spoke to is part owner (family run business )

 

[Parksy]

If that's the case Scott I'd say that they did you a favour.

If they are so casual when they are offered a sale on which they will make money just imagine what they would have been like if you had bought from them and later on needed repairs under warranty.

I'd go somewhere else!

 

[scottironsbtinternet.com]

I know talk about a close shave...lol

 

[Missedagain1]

Hi Scott

Before we changed our van last autumn I rang and emailed over 12 different swift dealers requesting a price for our bailey as trade in and the cost of a new van.

One dealer got back to me within 24 hours, giving me a full breakdown of what costs were involved and was as helpful as could be.

Another dealer would not give me a price for my old van as px but would only give me a figure to change the van and I quote "thats because thats the only figure your worried about MATE"!!! Cheeky B$%$&*d.

Of the other 10 dealers I contacted I had to ring 3 others again to get any details off them but they were all so unhelpful with a trade in price that I ended up selling it to the local dealer who was replacing the front and rear panels and went armed with cash, that did help!! They were interested then.

When you are looking at spending in excess of

 

[Chris_374413356]

I had a strange experience with a family run business in Lincolnshire, they have 2 caravan sales yards.

In both sale yards I looked and saw a van I liked and the price shown on the van was what I wanted to pay against my trade in value (whatever it was going to be). In both cases we went back to the sales office to do the deal...... Then suddenly the price on the vans wasn't the price of the van.

It appeared because I was trading in a van the price jumped over

 

[machighlander]

hi chris, its the exact same with bike dealers, they will give you a price on the deal in ther context its cash or hp, then when you mention you have a trade in its a different story. only way to beat them is to stick to yer guns and see if they buckle, if not, then simple, walk away, there are plenty more.

 

[scottironsbtinternet.com]

By law the price you see is the price you pay (or deal with) if its changed its false advertising? Call trading standerds

 

[Parksy]

I'm afraid that this is a common misconception Scott.

When goods are bought a contract of sale exists between the buyer and the seller but first of all both parties have to agree to the sale.

If a price is agreed and then a trade in is later mentioned the terms of the contract of sale have altered so the dealer cannot be forced to sell under those circumstances.

The 'screen price' in the dealers yard does not necessarily take into account trade ins because the dealer wouldn't know exactly what the trade in consisted of.

 

[Parksy]

I meant to add that used caravans are selling well at the moment and fetching good prices so it might be more worthwhile arranging a private sale and then buying a replacement caravan with no trade in. Most dealers offer a 'no trade in discount' and the buyer is in a good bargaining position.

 

[ValA.]

We've just had a flyer around from our local dealer announcing their open day, and stating what a good year they've had. Business in 2009 was up by 28% over 2008 and in the third quarter of the year sales of the new Bailey Pegasus range accounted for more than 50% of their sales. As a result they're trying now to sell-off some of their traded-in vans - hence the open day. I think dealers who sell Baileys are doing quite well at the moment!!!!

I think few dealers will actually give you a trade-in price - the 'price to change' seems to be the common scenario. Friends of ours who were selling their Bailey Senator a couple of years ago were only offered really silly money by dealers when they just wanted to sell the van, not trade it in against a new one. As a result we were very tempted to buy it off them for not very much more - but backed off at the last moment.

I'd try a private sale too - put an ad on the Free-Ads page on here, or on other Caravanning Forums Free Ads pages, or even in your local Free-Ads paper if you have one. It's just the right time, at the start of the season, to sell privately, and will put you in a better position to buy your new van.

 

[Rabfaetheblae]

Hi

I no its more hassle but i would definately try and sell your caravan privately, firstly you will get better price for your van and secondly you will have cash to have a good banter with the dealers.

Regards Rab

 

[JTQ]

We personally struggle to see where having a quoted "trade-in price" is of any meaningful value in an exchange deal. Its just a figure that in itself has no relevance as it cant exist outside that particular exchange deal. It is wholly dependant on the trading arrangements and margins both buying and selling of that specific dealer.

Its not that they are going to give you separate "deals" on both buying your van and selling you a new one; you are there to do a single exchange deal. We doubt any dealer is going to give you a fantastic standalone price for yours and then let you buy from them or another dealer a new van with a fantastic purchase price uninhibited by any exchange. You are either doing an exchange deal or not?

We just get the figures for the best exchange deal we can; another figure for a non-exchange deal, and we have also always have managed to get a "sighting" of the Glasses guide values for our van. We contract with those two prices valid up to the day we collect our new van and then independently decide if we sell privately or exchange.

Are we missing something in not seeking this ethereal "trade-in price"?

 

[scottironsbtinternet.com]

I know what ppl are saying about sell it myself but I have a mover fitted to my van and need that changed over so both vans need to be at the dealers, also the book price for my van is

 

[ValA.]

No, but instead of the

 

[Missedagain1]

Hi Scott

I understand about the motor mover but could you not get a mobile caravan fitter or mechanical to remove it from your old van and then fit it to the new? it may cost a couple of hundred pounds but if you sell privately and then get a discount on the new van that could work out in your favour.

Or as a work colleague did with his was to sort out the deal on the new van with no trade in (saving

 

[GrahamDerby]

Am i missing something, but i dont see any caravan salesmen or caravan company sticking up for their own industry in this forum , whats the matter with them ? have they not got the bottle to stand up for themselves !!!!. We all know that they should be featured on TV under Rogue Traders program.

 

[Guest]

I note my comments got 'lost' with the original Post, but again without trying to be 'defender' of the dealership, I am trying to put a realistic perspective on the situation.

It was discourteous of the dealer to not turn up, and certainly not to contact Scott, but at the end of the day it is he who wishes to change his van and may need to do some of the leg work, whether that is fair or not. In any market there are good and bad dealers, but in a recession they are all trying to cut costs and having a stock of used goods is not always what the bank managers wish to hear, even though one can argue that it is investment money. Also as others have mentioned caravan sales are doing well at the moment so dealers will be quite busy with straight sales and people wishing to get vans for the new season. Also Scott's trade in van is a 02 model, which while I am sure is in perfect condition, is not necessarily going to be top of a dealer's wish list. Selling it privately and then doing a deal without a trade in, is always the most profitable, but again he will have do some 'leg work'. Removing a motor mover is relatively simple and can be done in a couple of hours. To my mind he has 2 choices.

He can either get the van ready for a deal, and literally 'hawk' it round all the Bailey dealers and see who offers the best 'swop' price. If a dealer has only to spend a short time looking it over, then he/she will be far more willing to give a price and do a deal. His second option is to again get it ready for sale, and advertise it on E bay, or this Forum etc and see what happens. He mentioned previously that the van was a considerable distance from where he lives and that is awkward, and is going to raise issues unless he can make it more easily available to prospective buyers. As also mentioned previously the area where the van is kept does not have too many dealers and I regret I do not see too many coming up from England just to look at his van.

However as also mentioned before, there is one other main ddealership in that area and he maybe should give them a call to see if they are interested.

 

[Guest]

And to try to answer Graham's comment on dealer response. I would suggest that if you were working as a salesman in a dealership, it may not be the best thing to let your boss know that you are sitting at your desk browsing the PC Forum, instead of being outside selling to the punters in the yard. While you could argue that this is a ready market, I somehow doubt the 'boss' will see it quite like that.

 

[scottironsbtinternet.com]

Ok guys ..2 dealers went to see the van today both had further to travel than the idiots in Dundee one quoted

 

[Guest]

Well done, if you have your achieved objective then good. Now you can change the title of your Post to 'Caravan Dealers, not all bad'.

Now all you have to do is get a delivery date on your new van.

 

[readcaravans]

im not sure anyone will want to answer this one, for the simple reason that someone will most definitely argue.

plus each caravan dealer will have their own specific trading terms, how much profit they want to make from a sale and how they achieve it, whether it be from the new sale or from the sale of the part exchange

 

[scottironsbtinternet.com]

I agree with reads..if a dealer knows he can move my van quickly he will give a higher trade in,if its going to sit in the forcourt for ages I would get less thats not what I was moaning about..it was the fact that the Bailey dealer want all the

 

[GrahamDerby]

Well done Read caravans for taking an interest in reading through the comments on these pages. It shows that you are interested in what we the customers think of some of the vans and the service we recieve. At least armed with this information you can sort out any problems before they arise.

Keep up the good work