01 September 2014

So, 64-reg arrives and with it comes the latest round of articles from the consumer motoring press advising readers to get tough with car salespeople.

 “Haggle hard and shop around,” says Ray Massey in the Daily Mail. “If (the dealer) won’t play ball, buy from someone that will,” says Alex Newby of What Car? in the same article.

 Such pieces are as predictable as rain on a Bank Holiday. And they are also no longer terribly relevant.

Whatever you’re shopping for today, whether it is a car or a new toaster, comparing prices takes no more than a few page-clicks online. Retailers know this. So they check their competitors and match prices upfront, or will adjust them readily should the customer request.

For buyer and seller, it’s all a lot simpler than it used to be, and more relaxed, too. The idea that buying a car demands steely resolve and extensive forward planning is now, frankly, outdated.

Except in the minds of some journalists, it seems. I’ve no quarrel with the advice they offer, which seems sound if at times a little obvious. My objection comes with the terms in which they couch it.

Sure, portraying car buying as a conflict, a battle to be won, brightens what would otherwise make for a fairly dull article. But it no longer reflects accurately the way in which most retailers wish to do business. And for customers it dampens something that should be fun and exciting.

I’d be interested in your feedback on this – do drop me a line.

Ray Castle

Tags: feedback, online customer surveys