Dickering

[GWr]

When you bought your Deli, did you pay the full asking price? I have the impression that most people who own Delis probably just paid the asking price out of complete adoration for the vehicle So i'm wondering if the prices are basically set in stone due to increasing demand?

I've been looking around at different Delis for sale, and the pricing is strange somehow. It's probably because the final auction price and amount of work to bring it to compliance determines everything else... For example a deli with more Kms, older year, and sometimes less options will sell for more than a younger deli, with less Kms and apparently more options.

So it leaves me wondering , If you didn't pay the asking price for your Deli, how resistant/cooperative was your seller in terms of bargaining?

[Green1]

I bought at auction, so it was a matter of whatever price we won the auction for, plus fixed costs on top of that... no real "dickering"

in many cases here the importers have a fixed, and not all that large, markup on their costs. leaving very little room to bargain. If buying locally, especially if the vehicle has been in the country a while, then it's always worth a try though...

[konadog]

I know it's kind of a tradition with selling cars, but personally I loath the whole dickering thing - Just ask what you want for it and if I like the price I'll pay it. If you'll take less then why did you ask so much in the first place? I don't dicker at the grocery store etc. and if one of our clients starts asking for special deals, we fire them. As for the more options, sometimes less is more. Was for us anyway - I'd rather NOT have a cool box, sunroof, and so on - I would even rather have hand-crank windows! And as for the odometer / vintage, have a look through some of the posts on the topic and you will find that low kms. don't necessarily mean a better vehicle

[TardisDeli]

When dealing with the Super Reputable dealers, who have done a complete prep, and will be in business next year also, and can answer any questions you have later by phone, and will see you same day for problems, then I would suggest NOT dickering, as they are giving you quality.

However, if dealing with the Less Recommended, then must dicker, as they usually havent done full prep, have no intimate product knowledge, and are only selling these at a profit due to their popularity. You won't get telephone support, they don't have repair garage, the salesperson is not gonna be there next year... so all those promises are worthless.

That's my opinion. So be careful in your research.
Christine.

[clw54]

I know that some dealers have two different price ranges for 92 L300,s. When I bought at five star in Parksville there 2 lot prices were three grand apart and had little to do with mileage. The higher price is for the set up by CC auto in Coombs who go over the van with a fine tooth comb and replace all tires, belts, engine mounts, seals etc. The lesser price is for a routine maintanace and fluid change. I believe you also get the one year warranty. For the difference I went with the full monty and have had no issues with the van. As for dickering? It doesn't cost anything to try.
Chris

[BCDelica]

Welcome,

Having paid both the asking price in a BC private sale to a $600 dollar auction price; where asking prices locally haven't changed much well Japanese auction prices have recently. And to get that $600 Delica to where I want it, including my time, makes it a vehicle worth over $10,000 in my option.

Having owned two Delicas for several years just love the fact they don't lose money like a North American vehicle; all fellow past Astro/Safari owners know what I'm talking about. As a unemployed bum, I would happily pay $14,000 for the right Delica to have Glen or Mardy behind it, even given the fact we've imported a number of Delica over the years.

My appreciation for the Delica wasn't immediate either; it came during the first year of ownership at a time when there was only a couple others in Canada. Even worse is there wasn't any Glen and Mardy's available for part and support; so the worry of waiting for a part from the UK or Aus; well our first Delica was possibly disabled in the middle of some random part of BC, never happened. I worried way to much the first time up the Coquhalla Hwy or when we discovered our battery dead up at San Josef.

Ok, I'll skip to the point; a cared for Delica won't lose too much of your money and dicker what you can. Don't know if this is true, but won't except too much lee way from a dealer though. Try getting them to throw in a hitch maybe?

Cheers,
Kev

[Fanny Bay Delica]

I purchased 20 months ago and at that time the choice was pay the asking price $9900 or don't get the vehicle as there were 10 people lined up to buy the vehicle if I didn't (in fact I only got the vehicle because the guy with dibs hesitated for about two hours). That was then this is now and I think it's a bit less of sellers market, so you could give it a shot. I would say unless you buy a Deli from say Glen, Mardy or one of the other very reputable dealers you have 2-3 K worth of work that really will need to be done irrespective of how good the vehicle may look (build that in to your offer)

[The Pinkfingers]

Some places (lots) have a policy of not dickering. They are specialty dealers with specialty clients.

I suppose it never hurts to ask, but I agree with Christine. If I'm going to a reputable place with a good service policy / dep't etc, I'd rather have a good relationship than save a couple of hundred bucks on the price. Because later on that good relationship probably will save you a couple of hundred bucks or more.

Private sales dicker away. Also check out the dealer - if they have a history of over charging, then I would certainly try and get their price down.

Rule of thumb - don't be rude or belligerent in the dickering, and everything should be OK.

[Jonny5ive]

I've been wondering about this too. I'm also not much into 'dickering' about price. As a salesperson I know what efforts go into pricing to be competitive, understanding the markets and dealing with suppliers that also spend a lot of time working out the cost to us the retailer. All this before the consumer even looks at the price, we recognize that good honest value is the best marketing tool. I deal with dickering all the time and to me it's a matter of integrity... we the retailer put our integrity in our price, and provide great service. Otherwise if things were about price you can always buy cheaper somewhere else... say a larger chain that sells only on price and not service. A basic rule in life and business is that you can never expect to get more for less. You can think you're getting a deal but really it's almost always never a better deal then paying the going price from a trustworthy seller.

That being said, when it comes to Delica markets I have a hard time figuring out the prices. I look at Max Overdrive's recent ad with great prices on beautiful Delicas... and then I look at Five Star in Parksville and their prices are several thousand (in one case over $3000) more for Delicas of the same year and similar KMs? Or Mardy who seems to be the favorite here has better prices then other sellers and yet his service seems to be above and beyond.

I understand that they may have better service... (maybe, I really don't know) but as a consumer I can't see the value. How can there be so much price difference between two very similar vehicles? I mean several thousand dollars is a very major cost for service... We are talking about independent businesses too... not little guy vs. big chain. Unless I hear major bad news from a dealer then I can only assume that all dealers are the same in terms of service... besides they should still have the same or at least similar prices for similar vehicles?

Just some thoughts...

[Jester]

When I got my Delica from Mardy last year, when he told me the price I didn't haggle, as it was already a very fair value for my money, considering the amount of parts and service he bundled.
And as the months passed, and I received simply UNHEARD of in the world of used car sales support from him, NOW I actually feel like I got more bang for my buck than I did last year!

Generally speaking when buying a used car, often a few days/weeks/months after the purchase i always get an awful taste in my mouth at some point.
Either I find a ding or scratch I wasn't informed of, or evidence of some undisclosed fender-bender or some other issues mechanical or otherwise that the seller didn't bother to inform me about.

With Delica purchase it was such a 180 I was very suspicious of what is really going on lol.
However, for once 'too good to be true' turned out to be real.
I had no major issues whatsoever, everything was where it was supposed to be and how it was promised, and the only issue - minor alternator problem- about 4-5 months down the road was fixed ON THE SPOT and FREE OF CHARGE.

My overall experience from meeting Delica owners, dealing with JDM car and parts dealers thus far has been that there is a feel of NEED to be civil to each other and help each other out.
Obviously dealers need to make money, but in general (other than a certanin single bad apple-or shall i say Bad Kiwi...may their foot never rest on Canadian soil again lol) JDM dealers seem to hold up a higher standard of professionalisms and customer service.

Of course if this niche market becomes bigger, with time there is bound to be more greedy crappy dealers popping up, but so far so good.
And as long as I continue dealing with MY trusted dealer, I will not end up "effed up the A" ever again.

So to summarize pick a reputable dealer and you will not HAVE to haggle.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Well, I spent a lot of my life in an East End of London (UK) Market so it is only natural for me to "dicker", "haggle" or "bargain". I consider it a sport. It is doing business ~ a social thing. Most dealers will have that in mind when they deliberate the price. Sometimes one must recognise when not to dicker, to recognise a good deal when you see one. I call this "pouncing" ~ important not to be confused with "poncing" ~ when one sees a good deal one must "pounce" with fever and zeal. Basically, when you see an item for sale and you think it might be something you want, you have to consider how much money you have and what you think you will have to spend on it after you purchase it. Like replacing the timing belt and seals, &c., formulate that into the equation and you have a better idea on what you really want to spend on it.

Falco.

[mdrive]

When we put a price tag, we calculate all cost, especially full servicing cost, compliance with quality stuff. In most cases, it is not possible to negotiate the price. Few dollars here and there is not a big deal. We get customers who wants to pay $8000 for a $10,500 delica. The only way to entertain that customer would be to cut down all the parts and service we put into those vehicle to make it worth while.

[GWr]

I've been wondering about this too. I'm also not much into 'dickering' about price. As a salesperson I know what efforts go into pricing to be competitive, understanding the markets and dealing with suppliers that also spend a lot of time working out the cost to us the retailer. All this before the consumer even looks at the price, we recognize that good honest value is the best marketing tool. I deal with dickering all the time and to me it's a matter of integrity... we the retailer put our integrity in our price, and provide great service. Otherwise if things were about price you can always buy cheaper somewhere else... say a larger chain that sells only on price and not service. A basic rule in life and business is that you can never expect to get more for less. You can think you're getting a deal but really it's almost always never a better deal then paying the going price from a trustworthy seller.

That being said, when it comes to Delica markets I have a hard time figuring out the prices. I look at Max Overdrive's recent ad with great prices on beautiful Delicas... and then I look at Five Star in Parksville and their prices are several thousand (in one case over $3000) more for Delicas of the same year and similar KMs? Or Mardy who seems to be the favorite here has better prices then other sellers and yet his service seems to be above and beyond.

I understand that they may have better service... (maybe, I really don't know) but as a consumer I can't see the value. How can there be so much price difference between two very similar vehicles? I mean several thousand dollars is a very major cost for service... We are talking about independent businesses too... not little guy vs. big chain. Unless I hear major bad news from a dealer then I can only assume that all dealers are the same in terms of service... besides they should still have the same or at least similar prices for similar vehicles?

Just some thoughts...

You said this much more eloquently than I ever could, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. I am NOT a dickerer (is that a word? I never dicker. If I like the price I buy. If I don't, I don't buy, and simple leave theitem for someone who is confortable with the price. Having said that, I just noticed that the prices on these vehicles are continually rising while the vehicles themselves are just the same 15 year + vehicles. So as a consumer/potential buyer, I had to ask....

In light of the recent noise with new cars being overpriced by thousands compared to the US market simply becasue as they put it inthe news "they charge what the market will bear" ; It leaves one to wonder. If we are willing to pay $14k or $17K for a 15 year old vehicle whose new value was $25k - $30K, are we the consumers outpricing ourselves?

Just a thought. just a thought... In the end we like, so we buy, so it never really matters does it?

[mdrive]

The price is very high in Japan for a good quality Delica, sellers in Japan they know the import regulation in Canada. If you buy a 15 yr old car that is not much in demand (for example Nissan Sunny / Sentra), you may find it for $150. So buying price is rising steadily. Besides, buyers are requiring more and more thorough servicing than ever, all these costs are added to the vehicle eventually. Also the sales volume and mark up % will play the final role in pricing. If a shop (a) sales 4 vehicles every month vs a shop (b)selling 8 vehicle every month, the selling price will be much lower for shop (b) in general as most overhead cost are staying the same. Again various other factors play a role in pricing (intention of mark up, investment, cost of borrowing, location etc).

[The Pinkfingers]

The price is very high in Japan for a good quality Delica,

What is "very high"? I heard someone say $600.