Hi, am looking at buying a car and have arranged an independent inspection. Vehicle is at a pretty well known saryard so not flyby night outfit. I've bought from them before but this time I am currently overseas - hence the need for independent inspection. They've asked me for a $500 deposit subject to inspection to hold the car. Is this normal? I've never had to do this before and haven't agreed to buy it. I wanted to see the inspection report first and then would have to go through hassle of having my only returned. Just seems strange but maybe this is the way things are done now?
andrewrender,
Jan 7, 9:37pm
We did this late last year for car we were looking at, before I gave them the deposit I made sure we had in writing that we could walk away from the deal at any point for any reason and get our deposit back.
msigg,
Jan 7, 10:23pm
It's your call, pay and get an inspection, or just conntact the inspection service or whoever to chck out the car and hope it's still their.
gumboot999,
Jan 7, 10:47pm
pay nothing upfront. it's them telling you that you're possibly just a tyre kicker and not a serious buyer. the profit margin built into the transaction will far outweigh you stumping up with 5 billies.
lusty9,
Jan 7, 11:19pm
your overseas and someone wants 5 hundy, Hello?
tony9,
Jan 7, 11:29pm
I guess you would realise that you would want to buy it from an NZ address etc. Otherwise no CGA.
mscharlie,
Jan 8, 2:09pm
I've had a family member go in and check it out and surely the fact that I'm paying for a professional inspection is enough to take me out of the tyre kicker pool. Yes Im overseas but realistically, people these days travel. I have bought from them before without a problem.
kecal,
Jan 8, 2:19pm
if it was me and i had brought from them before id tell them to take a hike.
curlcrown,
Jan 8, 3:23pm
No wonder people don't like car dealers, it's because so called buyer behave like such tossers when buying a car. What would you do if you booked and paid for an inspection and the car was sold to someone else before you made up your mind? Do you really expect the dealer to hold the car when he has nothing?
kazbanz,
Jan 8, 6:26pm
mscharlie-Im sorry I genuinely don't see the problem. You want to buy a car as long as it checks out ok. Then you sure as heck don't want to loose it. So a holding deposit stops the car selling to anyone else whilst the inspection is carried out. It stops the car selling to anyone else and also locks up the specifics of the deal-ie the total negotiated price etc. Hey if you don't want to put a deposit down then don't--its your choice. But equally if a salesman at the dealership sells the car before you have made the full commitment to buy (paid some money) then its you that's lost the cost of the inspection fee and the car you want to buy
andrewrender,
Jan 8, 7:14pm
This is exactly what we did Kaz.
as we live a good 45 min drive from where we purchased the car I sent through photos and details of our trade in and negotiated the price of the new car. then paid deposit to make sure no one else to buy the car before we drove it.
kazbanz,
Jan 8, 7:31pm
Omeg- yep and in so doing YOU demonstrated you were a genuine buyer.
3tomany,
Mar 1, 6:03pm
+1 a deposit to hold the car is not unreasonable so long as it is clear that purchase is subject to the inspection being satisfactory.
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