Is the dealership being dodgy? - Please help

**vect0r4** · 30-04-2017, 01:41 PM

*Note - sorry guys, I'm reposting it here, accidentally posted my original post in Tiguan section *

Hi all

One of the dealerships I've come across is selling to me a MY17 car as brand new. It has a build date of Aug 2016, and compliance took place in Oct 2016. Further, they claim the car has not been driven and has been in storage all this time. I also understand that the car has already done 120km on the clock.

This raises two issues for me:

1. The fact that the car has been sitting at the dealership for such a long time, should I be concerned about the state of the car or damage/wear/tear to the car over this time? I'm sure its not in undercover storage, but sitting out in the open.

2. From my understanding, it is reasonable for a brand new car to have up to 30km on the clock to account for testing by the manufacturer, transportation on/off the ship/truck, as well as some possible further testing by the dealership. However, as the car has already clocked 120km is highly suspicious (especially since the dealership claims the car has been sitting in storage and not driven). If the car had to be moved around within the dealership, there is no way it would have travelled an additional 90km to 100km. To me, this highly suggests that the car has been driven on the road, possibly for demo purposes. In my experience, cars that have been driven on the road would need to be registered, and once its registered, it can no longer be deemed as a brand new car. It would have to be sold as a dealer demo. I've seen cars with as low as 90km on the clock that the dealership has deemed as a dealer demo vehicle simply because the car has been registered and they have driven it on the road (the dealerships had removed the plates but had told me it was registered and was a dealer demo). This fact makes me very uneasy as it appears the dealer is trying to pass this car as brand new when technically it should be a demo for the above reasons. Also, an important thing to note is that the car I am interested in buying does not have number plates on it at the time of inspection, but its not hard for dealerships to remove it when showing potential customers the car.

Would there be any valid reasons as to why the car has already clocked 120km, and is this acceptable for a brand new car?

What are my options and what should I do to verify the above issues? What should I be asking the dealership?

Thanks guys in advance.

**agentthumb** · 30-04-2017, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by vect0r4

*Note - sorry guys, I'm reposting it here, accidentally posted my original post in Tiguan section *

Hi all

One of the dealerships I've come across is selling to me a MY17 car as brand new. It has a build date of Aug 2016, and compliance took place in Oct 2016. Further, they claim the car has not been driven and has been in storage all this time. I also understand that the car has already done 120km on the clock.

This raises two issues for me:

1. The fact that the car has been sitting at the dealership for such a long time, should I be concerned about the state of the car or damage/wear/tear to the car over this time? I'm sure its not in undercover storage, but sitting out in the open.

2. From my understanding, it is reasonable for a brand new car to have up to 30km on the clock to account for testing by the manufacturer, transportation on/off the ship/truck, as well as some possible further testing by the dealership. However, as the car has already clocked 120km is highly suspicious (especially since the dealership claims the car has been sitting in storage and not driven). If the car had to be moved around within the dealership, there is no way it would have travelled an additional 90km to 100km. To me, this highly suggests that the car has been driven on the road, possibly for demo purposes. In my experience, cars that have been driven on the road would need to be registered, and once its registered, it can no longer be deemed as a brand new car. It would have to be sold as a dealer demo. I've seen cars with as low as 90km on the clock that the dealership has deemed as a dealer demo vehicle simply because the car has been registered and they have driven it on the road (the dealerships had removed the plates but had told me it was registered and was a dealer demo). This fact makes me very uneasy as it appears the dealer is trying to pass this car as brand new when technically it should be a demo for the above reasons. Also, an important thing to note is that the car I am interested in buying does not have number plates on it at the time of inspection, but its not hard for dealerships to remove it when showing potential customers the car.

Would there be any valid reasons as to why the car has already clocked 120km, and is this acceptable for a brand new car?

What are my options and what should I do to verify the above issues? What should I be asking the dealership?

Thanks guys in advance.

They don't need to register the cars for democracy cars, they have an allocation of dealer plates they can use for this purpose.

My advice, if you are that unsure of the deal, walk away. Doesn't matter what they are telling you, walk away. Find another dealer that you feel you can "trust".

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**vect0r4** · 30-04-2017, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by agentthumb

They don't need to register the cars for democracy cars, they have an allocation of dealer plates they can use for this purpose.

My advice, if you are that unsure of the deal, walk away. Doesn't matter what they are telling you, walk away. Find another dealer that you feel you can "trust".

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With the number of kms on the clock, is it fair to assume the car is a demo?

**agentthumb** · 30-04-2017, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by vect0r4

With the number of kms on the clock, is it fair to assume the car is a demo?

It could have been an internal runaround car, could have been a loan car for someone waiting for repair or a new car. You don't know. You just have to trust the dealer is doing the right thing.

The fact the car is complianced in 2016 (manufacturing date doesn't really matter), makes it a MY16 car. Bam, there is one year depreciation on the car before you bought it. Walk away, get a MY17 car.

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**vect0r4** · 30-04-2017, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by agentthumb

It could have been an internal runaround car, could have been a loan car for someone waiting for repair or a new car. You don't know. You just have to trust the dealer is doing the right thing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This doesn't sit well with me one bit. It's in fact very misleading to be selling a brand new car, when in fact its been used. The fact it has so many kms on the clock already suggests to me the car has been used.

**vect0r4** · 30-04-2017, 02:15 PM

Is it true that as long as the car was not registered beforehand, they can sell it as brand new, regardless of how much km was on it?

**Flipper Dog** · 30-04-2017, 02:21 PM

You be wanting to be getting a good deal on price, it is not like Golfs are rear and with the Golf 7.5 around the corner dealers are giving the current models away.
Out of interest what model Golf are you looking at, unless it is optioned up or unique my alarm bells ring 1. why is this car still sitting around as stock plus 6 months and 2. why the high kms.

I recommend another dealer, if you don't think this is right then the dealership has lost your trust.

**Flipper Dog** · 30-04-2017, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by vect0r4

Is it true that as long as the car was not registered beforehand, they can sell it as brand new, regardless of how much km was on it?

Yes, but you don't have to buy that one. Local brands do it all the time trying to clear stock 12 to 18 months old. I have just seen an ad for a base model Hilux and the fine print said plated 2015 models. These were being sold as new (mine you with a discount and free goodies thrown in).

**vect0r4** · 30-04-2017, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Flipper Dog

Out of interest what model Golf are you looking at, unless it is optioned up or unique my alarm bells ring 1. why is this car still sitting around as stock plus 6 months and 2. why the high kms.

I recommend another dealer, if you don't think this is right then the dealership has lost your trust.

It's just a standard Golf with no options or tinting/paint protection etc. Which means theres no reason for them to drive the car to get these installed.

If they tell me the warranty is based on the compliance date of Oct 2016, and not when we take possession, is that even possible for it to still be a brand new car?