Poll - Can Branded Pre-Owned Car dealerships be trusted?

zoomingrocket · 25th May 2010, 15:16

Well, i got my Opel Corsa Sail 1.4 (2004 model) from Mahindra First Choice (Bavdhan Showroom) in Pune...

Though i didnt find any tampering with odometer, the only biggest problem was the car having its Ignition Coil failed...which we generally dont get to know unless we drive around 200+kms...as it selectively misfires.

Once we got the delivery & went to my hometown, Vadodara...we got to know the problem. All the way we had to take breaks after every 100kms as the catalytic convertor use to get red hot due to misfiring on the cyliders.

Original Ignition coil for Corsa in GMs showroom costs anywhere between 16000-18000/- bucks...
Since its a electronic part, MF easily slipped out saying its not covered in warranty.

So double check all the electronic components in your car when buying a pre-owned.
Especially ignition coils

roamingrao · 25th May 2010, 15:55

61K is the set clocking code for all mahindra first choice dealers ! My guess !!

We saw this 2005 scorpio SLX at First Choice ( done 61 K !!! ). It was the colour and the posh interiors that my family liked ! The ride was also smooth.

I visited the dealer twice, once with tinkering / painting expert, who certified it accident free and second time with a mahindra mechanic from a MASS centre ( on a sunday ) for engine, transmission and suspension quality. We negotiated the price only after assurances on these factors. The full servicing / reassuring exercise was done later at the company service centre. As always, the manager smiles on odo tampering issues ! Hota hai !

The purchase gave us two free services at their workshop within 6 months ( which i promptly not utilise ) and one year of Mahindra - My TVS breakdown service all over India - useful.

6 months on and 10 k km later ( mainly on highways ) we have reason to smile - we had a good buy !

suggest checking any car at dealer ( branded or unbranded ) with your own friendly neighbour mechanic and then proceed. Odo tampering hota hai !

NevGin · 25th May 2010, 16:18

I had bought a used Ford Ikon 1.6 Clxi from Shaman Used Cars in Bombay. From that day till the day it was sold, all that was done was periodic service. My good fortune I guess.

This was years back when verification with dealerships was difficult. Had to go by all that one read and apply it when the time came.

Bottom line: Go prepared. Either you or someone with you should be in a position to validate the used car's condition.

Gansan · 25th May 2010, 16:48

The only place I would trust in Chennai is T.S.Mahalingam & Sons. I have had no first hand experience but many close relatives/friends have recommended their name. I am not sure about True Value and neither does anybody known to me.

basilmabraham · 25th May 2010, 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by roamingrao

suggest checking any car at dealer ( branded or unbranded ) with your own friendly neighbour mechanic and then proceed. Odo tampering hota hai !

+100 to that. Be it an authorised branded dealer or your local dealer, its up to them to tamper with stuff and hide facts. Its entirely upto the buyer to ensure that the car in question is clean. In this matter, I dont think you can trust any dealers.

See my experience with First Choice in Trivandrum.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...worst-lot.html

I was too inclined to buy this car, so overlooked some of the issues that were spotted. But the fact remains that the delaers are 99% crooks, hiding facts and tampering odos.

tsk13 · 25th May 2010, 19:02

Here's one case where we actually got a Lemon. The story dates back to April 2009 when we were on a lookout for Swift and came across 2006 VXi with about 35k on the odo. Later we found trouble with car's suspension and other issues but the surprise came when the mechanic removed the battery and the car re-clocked to 21k. We assumed this to be a consequence of prior clocking. Anyhow, the car is no longer with us.

Anshuman, I don't think any veteran in this industry would like to sell a car which is stolen. I put up in Lajpat Nagar and have seen the dealers for years, this makes me feel that there are less chances of buying a stolen vehicle but 99% chances of getting a clocked vehicle. Exceptions are there but this is what I feel. It's better to buy from the dealers if he's ready to involve the Selling party, convince him of his Commission and drive the new ride tension free.

.anshuman · 26th May 2010, 19:02

^^ I understand that everybody is in this trade to make money, but using unfair practices are not the only way around. Any person who buys cars from Honda Autoterrace or Maruti Truevalue pays a higher price for the trust in the brand and authenticity of the car.

GTO · 27th May 2010, 16:15

I've said this before, and will say this again : Do NOT trust ANY used car dealer, irrespective of whether it is a branded outlet or independent. There is no such thing as a "good" dealer....it is the car that matters. You can get a great used car from a rogue dealer, or a lemon from a reputed dealer.

Whats important is the actual condition of the car. The dealer has nothing to do with it (and couldn't care less). How the previous owner has driven / maintained the said car is all that matters.

Strictly adhere to the steps outlined in this thread and you'll be safe.

Voted for "none of them".

.anshuman · 27th May 2010, 16:20

^^ I agree. Thanks for Adding the Poll.

vjabraham · 27th May 2010, 16:36

Well my experience buying a pre-owned car was pretty bad. I bought a 2006 M800 for around 150,000 INR from a dealer called Car Selections, Chennai. I regret

buying this car (especially from this particular dealer) but now I have to live with it because I wasn't careful enough. It's a lesson learnt the hard way but atleast I'll be more careful now!

JustCause · 27th May 2010, 18:42

I will sell my car to such a dealership if I need to take the load off my shoulder of verifying buyer credentials etc. and things mentioned by GTO in the after you sell your car section.

I would rather scout around for months & get a pristine car than get a lemon in 2 days & spend a lifetime on repairs.

Basically, hunt around for as is where is deals. My former driver got himself a Palio ELX 15k run, 4 yr old for 80k.

CARDEEP · 27th May 2010, 18:53

I have ticked the "None Of Them" option.

I have read about horror stories of people buying used cars from company owned networks (in the forum itself), & in few instances, acquaintance have informed about purchases gone wrong.

Somehow, I am not comfortable with the option of buying second-hand cars, owing to lack of trust on the second hand car dealers (branded or otherwise).

Aravindpn · 27th May 2010, 22:24

Its " None of Them". Have visited many of the used car dealers in Bangalore and trusting them is always difficult. Best is buying directly from the owners since by seeing the life style and manners, a primary evaluation on how they maintain the vehicles can be inferred. However, there is a network in cities whereby the dealers will buy great condition cars ASAP from sellers and will add it to stock before a genuine buyer will search and reach out for deal.

carboy · 29th May 2010, 14:55

We need a carfax service in India!!!
Nobody* in the US buys 2nd hand car without getting a report first.

*-exaggeration!

Simhi · 30th May 2010, 05:54

Every pre-owned car dealer is doing a business and his first priority would be to get highest margin. When I was in process of selling my Santro (in very good condition and no paint job required), First choice quoted a price of 125000. However, the guy mentioned he would get 140000 without paint job and 160000 with paint job. I am not sure what paint job he was talking of. They would just fool the customer that they have carried out 100s of quality checks.

Better look for individual sellers who have maintained service records. Take a good mechanic to evaluate the car and then make a call. In the end, it's matter of trust - whom you want to trust?

View Poll Results: Can the Branded Pre-Owned car dealerships be trusted?
All Of Them	2	1.60%
Some Of Them	60	48.00%
None Of Them	63	50.40%
Voters: 125. You may not vote on this poll

25th May 2010, 15:16	#16
zoomingrocket Newbie Join Date: May 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 10 Thanked: Once	Double Check Electronic Parts like Ignition Coils Well, i got my Opel Corsa Sail 1.4 (2004 model) from Mahindra First Choice (Bavdhan Showroom) in Pune... Though i didnt find any tampering with odometer, the only biggest problem was the car having its Ignition Coil failed...which we generally dont get to know unless we drive around 200+kms...as it selectively misfires. Once we got the delivery & went to my hometown, Vadodara...we got to know the problem. All the way we had to take breaks after every 100kms as the catalytic convertor use to get red hot due to misfiring on the cyliders. Original Ignition coil for Corsa in GMs showroom costs anywhere between 16000-18000/- bucks... Since its a electronic part, MF easily slipped out saying its not covered in warranty. So double check all the electronic components in your car when buying a pre-owned. Especially ignition coils
	() Thanks

25th May 2010, 15:55	#17
roamingrao BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 340 Thanked: 191 Times View My Garage	61K is the set clocking code for all mahindra first choice dealers ! My guess !! We saw this 2005 scorpio SLX at First Choice ( done 61 K !!! ). It was the colour and the posh interiors that my family liked ! The ride was also smooth. I visited the dealer twice, once with tinkering / painting expert, who certified it accident free and second time with a mahindra mechanic from a MASS centre ( on a sunday ) for engine, transmission and suspension quality. We negotiated the price only after assurances on these factors. The full servicing / reassuring exercise was done later at the company service centre. As always, the manager smiles on odo tampering issues ! Hota hai ! The purchase gave us two free services at their workshop within 6 months ( which i promptly not utilise ) and one year of Mahindra - My TVS breakdown service all over India - useful. 6 months on and 10 k km later ( mainly on highways ) we have reason to smile - we had a good buy ! suggest checking any car at dealer ( branded or unbranded ) with your own friendly neighbour mechanic and then proceed. Odo tampering hota hai !
	() Thanks

25th May 2010, 16:18	#18
NevGin BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 503 Thanked: 437 Times	I had bought a used Ford Ikon 1.6 Clxi from Shaman Used Cars in Bombay. From that day till the day it was sold, all that was done was periodic service. My good fortune I guess. This was years back when verification with dealerships was difficult. Had to go by all that one read and apply it when the time came. Bottom line: Go prepared. Either you or someone with you should be in a position to validate the used car's condition.
	() Thanks

25th May 2010, 16:48	#19
Gansan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 4,535 Thanked: 5,561 Times	The only place I would trust in Chennai is T.S.Mahalingam & Sons. I have had no first hand experience but many close relatives/friends have recommended their name. I am not sure about True Value and neither does anybody known to me.
	() Thanks

25th May 2010, 19:02	#21
tsk13 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 1,256 Thanked: 361 Times	Here's one case where we actually got a Lemon. The story dates back to April 2009 when we were on a lookout for Swift and came across 2006 VXi with about 35k on the odo. Later we found trouble with car's suspension and other issues but the surprise came when the mechanic removed the battery and the car re-clocked to 21k. We assumed this to be a consequence of prior clocking. Anyhow, the car is no longer with us. Anshuman, I don't think any veteran in this industry would like to sell a car which is stolen. I put up in Lajpat Nagar and have seen the dealers for years, this makes me feel that there are less chances of buying a stolen vehicle but 99% chances of getting a clocked vehicle. Exceptions are there but this is what I feel. It's better to buy from the dealers if he's ready to involve the Selling party, convince him of his Commission and drive the new ride tension free. Last edited by tsk13 : 25th May 2010 at 19:05.
	() Thanks

26th May 2010, 19:02	#22
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	^^ I understand that everybody is in this trade to make money, but using unfair practices are not the only way around. Any person who buys cars from Honda Autoterrace or Maruti Truevalue pays a higher price for the trust in the brand and authenticity of the car.
	() Thanks

27th May 2010, 16:15	#23
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,546 Thanked: 300,788 Times View My Garage	I've said this before, and will say this again : Do NOT trust ANY used car dealer, irrespective of whether it is a branded outlet or independent. There is no such thing as a "good" dealer....it is the car that matters. You can get a great used car from a rogue dealer, or a lemon from a reputed dealer. Whats important is the actual condition of the car. The dealer has nothing to do with it (and couldn't care less). How the previous owner has driven / maintained the said car is all that matters. Strictly adhere to the steps outlined in this thread and you'll be safe. Voted for "none of them".
	(1) Thanks

27th May 2010, 16:20	#24
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	^^ I agree. Thanks for Adding the Poll.
	() Thanks

27th May 2010, 16:36	#25
vjabraham BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kochi Posts: 66 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Bad Mistake, lesson learnt! Well my experience buying a pre-owned car was pretty bad. I bought a 2006 M800 for around 150,000 INR from a dealer called Car Selections, Chennai. I regret buying this car (especially from this particular dealer) but now I have to live with it because I wasn't careful enough. It's a lesson learnt the hard way but atleast I'll be more careful now!
	() Thanks

27th May 2010, 18:42	#26
JustCause BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Currently, New Delhi Posts: 422 Thanked: 100 Times View My Garage	I will sell my car to such a dealership if I need to take the load off my shoulder of verifying buyer credentials etc. and things mentioned by GTO in the after you sell your car section. I would rather scout around for months & get a pristine car than get a lemon in 2 days & spend a lifetime on repairs. Basically, hunt around for as is where is deals. My former driver got himself a Palio ELX 15k run, 4 yr old for 80k.
	() Thanks

27th May 2010, 18:53	#27
CARDEEP Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NCR Posts: 3,248 Thanked: 2,522 Times	I have ticked the "None Of Them" option. I have read about horror stories of people buying used cars from company owned networks (in the forum itself), & in few instances, acquaintance have informed about purchases gone wrong. Somehow, I am not comfortable with the option of buying second-hand cars, owing to lack of trust on the second hand car dealers (branded or otherwise). Last edited by CARDEEP : 27th May 2010 at 18:54.
	() Thanks

27th May 2010, 22:24	#28
Aravindpn BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 83 Thanked: 26 Times	Its " None of Them". Have visited many of the used car dealers in Bangalore and trusting them is always difficult. Best is buying directly from the owners since by seeing the life style and manners, a primary evaluation on how they maintain the vehicles can be inferred. However, there is a network in cities whereby the dealers will buy great condition cars ASAP from sellers and will add it to stock before a genuine buyer will search and reach out for deal.
	() Thanks

29th May 2010, 14:55	#29
carboy BANNED Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Kolhapur Posts: 1,717 Thanked: 1,901 Times	We need a carfax service in India!!! Nobody* in the US buys 2nd hand car without getting a report first. *-exaggeration!
	() Thanks

30th May 2010, 05:54	#30
Simhi BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 627 Thanked: 1,303 Times	Every pre-owned car dealer is doing a business and his first priority would be to get highest margin. When I was in process of selling my Santro (in very good condition and no paint job required), First choice quoted a price of 125000. However, the guy mentioned he would get 140000 without paint job and 160000 with paint job. I am not sure what paint job he was talking of. They would just fool the customer that they have carried out 100s of quality checks. Better look for individual sellers who have maintained service records. Take a good mechanic to evaluate the car and then make a call. In the end, it's matter of trust - whom you want to trust?
	() Thanks