[ QUOTE ]
jdp1962 said:Well of course it's ludicrous!! You did realise I was I was taking the pi** out of it, didn't you? It leads to the most absurd situations. Here's some examples.
Hardly anyone used to buy a new car privately in July.
<font color="blue"> (1) </font> <font color="red">Dealers would have to offer massive incentives to get new stock out of the door in July, in order to meet their monthly sales targets & get their bonuses from the manufacturer. Either that, or they would "pre-register" the cars in the name of the dealership, run them as demonstrators for a couple of months and then sell them as nearly new at a huge dicount to people who wanted a new car, but couldn't quite afford to pay full price </font> in August.
<font color="blue"> (2) </font> <font color="red">Two identical cars, with the same mileage, and the same age. One registered in July, one in August. The guy who bought in July might have paid 10% less, but in a year's time, his car will be worth 15% less. </font>
<font color="blue"> (3) </font> <font color="red"> If a dealer sends 70% of its total annual output out of the door in one month, how well prepared do you think those cars are going be? If you are one of 200 people collecting your new car from the same place on 1st August, how much care & attention will the salesman devote to you and your car? How many corners do you think the dealer will cut in getting the car ready? </font>
The whole thing is madness as all it does is pander to peoples' vanities, and totally distort the market.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well no Sh!t...
<font color="blue"> (1) </font> But our dealers do that anyway, because the new models come out in September. That's just a given! The dealers begin to discount their inventory in August - big TV ads, etc. Dealers are known for having some "Brand New" models still on their lots that are up to two years old - they advertise them though - there is no secret! If you want a 2002 Audi A6 that has 3 miles on the odometer, I'm sure you can find one here at an Audi dealer - and he'll sell it at a great discount. And there are buyers here who will look for these kinds of bargains. So why is that such a big deal???
<font color="blue"> (2) </font> Pardon me, but that's absurd economics - economics that must work in the UK only - it wouldn't be tolerated here. If the car is a 2004 in July and another is a 2004 in August, then they are both 2004 vehicles. Period! If you buy a 2004 A6 in November instead of the 2005 that is on the lot parked next to the 2004, then you probably got a great deal. If the 2005 is purchased by your neighbor the next day, he probably paid more. Two years later, if both are on the road (with the same condition and miles), any potential second-hand (used car) buyer will look to see when they "rolled" (a term here for when it left the dealer's lot). The roll dates will be one day apart. So the resale price will be slightly lower for the 2004 just because its a 2004, but you paid less anyway. So it all comes out in the wash (an American expression). There is no big deal to any of this. Everyone got what they wanted. Where does advertising the year of manufacture change the story??
<font color="blue"> (3) </font> Well, that's just plain stupid on the buyers' part, but it's being condoned by the govt. and obviously the dealers, too.
I know this isn't your fault, but what a mess! And absolutely trivial!
Thanks for the chat though; always interested in these kinds of cultural differences.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif
