[.anshuman]

I trust no one, neither Individual seller nor a Dealer. I bought my XUV from a Dealer sitting in a market with bad reputation. I checked- the car was in perfect shape and odo was not clocked, papers were perfectly all right, i got the dealer to match the price i was comfortable at , i already had the service record printout(not in knowledge of the dealer).

The dealer tried his tactics, i fell for none. I knew no one in the market would pay extra for AWD, but the dealer tried to sell me the concept of 4x4, i did not fall for it, in the end i paid him the amount i thought was right for W8 2wd.

In Delhi NCR region the Mahindra First choice dealers are the most dishonest bunch, they have bought franchisees just to use the Mahindra name, to encash the trust Mahindra tag attracts. Each and every car i have come across was clocked. I even posted a thread long back: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...s-trusted.html

[MaxTorque]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

In Delhi NCR region the Mahindra First choice dealers are the most dishonest bunch, they have bought franchisees just to use the Mahindra name, to encash the trust Mahindra tag attracts. Each and every car i have come across was clocked. I even [/url]

Mahindra First allows existing used car dealers to use their name after some evaluation process. But Maruti True Value outlets are operated by Maruti dealers itself. I think this differentiates both of them. Maruti's dealers will never try to fleece their customers as it will directly impact their reputation.

[drsnt]

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

Mahindra First allows existing used car dealers to use their name after some evaluation process. But Maruti True Value outlets are operated by Maruti dealers itself. I think this differentiates both of them. Maruti's dealers will never try to fleece their customers as it will directly impact their reputation.

Maruti dealers are also not honest, in my place they dent paint cars and sell them as "never had accident". they quote exorbitant prices to unsuspecting customers. I knew few insiders very well. I am a regular purchaser from true value but only because I know inside people, Still I cross check with service records.
One example is Estilo bought for 1.80L was being quoted for 2.8L to customers.
They have commission for their agents in profit.
Also true value gives 3 free services and 1 yr warranty to all cars sold thru them but these people will try to hide this as dealers are already paid for it by maruti.
All this is done behind the company knowledge

[samsag12]

Originally Posted by drsnt

Maruti dealers are also not honest, in my place they dent paint cars and sell them as "never had accident". they quote exorbitant prices to unsuspecting customers. I knew few insiders very well. I am a regular purchaser from true value but only because I know inside people, Still I cross check with service records.
One example is Estilo bought for 1.80L was being quoted for 2.8L to customers.
They have commission for their agents in profit.
Also true value gives 3 free services and 1 yr warranty to all cars sold thru them but these people will try to hide this as dealers are already paid for it by maruti.
All this is done behind the company knowledge

Would like to point out a slight correction here, Maruti True Value provides 1yr Warranty only for cars which are less than 5 yrs old, they do sell older models most of which come as "exchanged for new" but warranty factor isn't there. I have personally experienced the same.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by samsag12

Would like to point out a slight correction here, Maruti True Value provides 1yr Warranty only for cars which are less than 5 yrs old, they do sell older models most of which come as "exchanged for new" but warranty factor isn't there. I have personally experienced the same.

No warranty AT ALL on carnation for cars before 2k8 either.

[drsingh]

Used car dealers with lots and their own money invested will never give you an above average deal.

Its simple economics really.he knows the right condition&true value of the cars. Hell never sell a good car at average profit and no car with below average profit.

To sell below average cars at below average prices, they will be glossed i.e. odo tampering.cosmetic enhancement.will throw in better tyres.audio system etc.

And if youre a tbhp member i.e. a little aware about how to spot inconsistencies., youll never buy from such a dealer. Cause the cars at your price are not in satisfactory shape and the few good cars have an extraordinary premium attached to them.






So what is the winning strategy"?

1. You have to be patient. Visit individual owners.
2.have a flexible budget. Atleast 15 %.if an extraordinary deal comes along.youll have a bidding war with other interested parties.
3.Buy an older generation car and restore it to factory specs. Ideal choice is something like a corolla.
4. Go to big dealers in delhi or your favourite metro city.they will have cars in lots from corporates,hotels or just people who want to get rid of a car due to parking considetations or their favourite uncle gave them a VW for birthday!
They need to get rid of cars hogging space and only get paid when the car is sold.

5. Go to your favourite dealership and ask them to contact you when a good exchange car comes in. Even if they dont have an official exchange program.,they do deal with customers who ask them to help sell their older car.

6.check out total loss cars. The insurance industry has a big scam going on. Thell declare a car total loss when they dont want to pay a 1.5 lac bill on a 1.5 lac value car.theyll TL your car. Sell it for 70 k to any buyer they find.and pay you an additional 80k. The TL of higher segment cars are more as the official ASS charges are atrocious.

7.My preferred strategy is to go to different dealers in a big market with reference from a known guy or be willing to pay some token money.tell them you want a car under 5 years old .under 50k.full service history. And that youll negotiate and check the car at the owners house. And youll pay the dealer a fixed 20k in case you buy the car. And wait for his call.

[gkrishk]

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

Maruti's dealers will never try to fleece their customers as it will directly impact their reputation.

I don't believe this. True Value salesmen operate on a commission basis and will try all the tricks of the trade to fleece you into buying a dud. I know: I was a victim. I bought a M800 a few years ago. They showed me a car with good tyres and changed two of them to bald ones just before delivery. The clutch gave up a couple of months later and I had to change the battery within six months. I'm sure the odometer was clocked too. All this from a Maruti dealer.

[MaxTorque]

Originally Posted by gkrishk

I don't believe this. True Value salesmen operate on a commission basis and will try all the tricks of the trade to fleece you into buying a dud. I know: I was a victim.

That is truly sad. Did you escalate this through proper channel?

[gkrishk]

That is truly sad. Did you escalate this through proper channel?

Unfortunately I did not. Sold the car as soon as possible. In retrospect I should have done as you suggest at least to help reduce such malpractices.

[msmatic]

Excellent Thread, let me begin by saying this at the outset : DO NOT BUY CARS FROM ANY USED CAR DEALER, unless you are hellbent on getting cheated. The so called branded and company backed used car dealers and their 100+ point checks are the biggest jokes.

The best option is to look for individual sellers, negotiate the price, and take the car to an authorised service centre for an evaluation. Most of them charge anywhere between 1 to 2k, but its peace of mind while spending lakhs of rupees.

The problem is most auto classifieds are cluttered and its a pain to search the kind of cars you would like. The only exceptions being our own - team-bhp classifieds and carwale.com. Another interesting trend I've noticed is that sellers are ready to hold onto their cars for more than 6 months to a year, until they get their desired price, and will not negotiate much.

[Sahil]

Most used car buyers that take the dealer route somewhere already know they are paying more for less. Not many trust the dealers and hence bargain harder there.
I haven't ever bought a used car but sold several of my cars via team bhp. I am very particular about my cars and hence would rather sell it to someone who understands the efforts put in the cars upkeep. This results better value from both ends and much more transparency.

[Altocumulus]

True Value gives 1 year warranty for cars less than 5 years and 6 months for cars more than 5 years. Also they have cars without warranty where the condition is pretty bad and the cost of repairs is high (maybe came in as an exchange).

I currently have 2 cars, an alto and an esteem, both of which is bought from True Value. My previous zen vxi was also bought from True Value. I had mixed experiences with them, mostly good.

For my esteem at the last moment I opted out for the warranty and paid 25k less. It was a risk but it paid off. 1.5 years since no issues at all with the car.

I prefer buying used cars and getting it done up rather than buying a new car. Its much cheaper and I don't get hit by the depreciation when I try to sell it. For example, I bought my 2008 Alto in 2010 with 8k on the odo (verified at maruti) for 2.3L including transfer(7.5k) + insurance + warranty. After 3 years I have an offer for 1.5 - 1.6L (33k on the odo). So the previous owner lost a lakh in 2 years, while I around 65k in 3 years if I intend to sell it now.

The trick is to be patient and look around. I just got my friend a 2002 Lancer done only 29k (genuine) in pristine condition just for 1L. Even the tyres are unchanged, verified by the date of manufacture on it and the tread depths also justified the odo reading. The engine is absolutely silent. Took it to a workshop, put it on a ramp, checked for any under body rusting or accidents before making the deal even though it was another of my friend's car. After buying it just changed the tyres to Yokos, servicing and all oil change. So within 1.30 L we have a Lancer almost as good as new.

[rajshenoy]

I am trying to sell my car to Maruti true value and waiting to see if they came come till 10K from what i intend to sell my car. If the difference is huge, i think it makes sense to sell the car directly, but otherwise i dont see any problem.

But after reading this thread, i see that true value does not transfer the ownership immediately. I am a bit confused here.

I know that upon making the sale i will get a delivery note and later there is RTO procedure for transferring the ownership and once that is complete, i will need to inform RTO with duplicate set of forms.

Will maruti true value do this for me ? or do i need to follow up with them about sale and ownership transfer ? Only reason i want to sell to them is to avoid all legal trouble.

[wysiwyg25]

How long does it take to transfer insurance when buying a used car.

[petrolhead_chn]

Originally Posted by wysiwyg25

How long does it take to transfer insurance when buying a used car.

It is usually done before transfer of RC. It takes about 3-4days. Any driving school agency should be able to do this for you.