Foreign Used Prices To Raise

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LadyDeath

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This was on the newspapers recently. Local vehicle dealers are calling on the government to put a stop on the amount of foreign used dealers because they are hampering their sales. Due to the "lower", more affordable prices of foreign used vehicles, many are buying and also taking the initiative and importing themselves. In the past recent years, many foreign used dealers have been on the rise due to the demand for these vehicles and the amount of profit that is generated as they make 100% and more from one car.

Local dealers are calling on the government to raise the price of importing vehicles into the country as they are loosing out on sales. The government said in near future to expect prices to raise by a few percent.

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Dear Local Dealers, if your prices are so high, its obvious that people are going to look for a cheaper alternative.
 
The local car dealers (like Richmond Motors) make alot more by jacking up their prices for new brand vehicles. To make it worst alot of the vehicle sold by the local car dealers are 1.5 and 1.6 liters and alot of people are not considering this when purchasing new brand vehicle. The Stealership (dealership) are very unfair with their prices and the government should do something about that. Alot of people can not afford the jacked up prices of some of the vehicles sold by local car dealers and have no choice but to buy a foreign vehicle.
 
They should lower their prices... With the amount of scams going around this little country... I watching Ian what day it was and if you see how much people got scammed... They paid their money and never heard from the person again....
 
Too much unscrupulous business men in the country. What is the requrements to be a foreign used automobile dealer? Alot of these guys on scam.
Also, I don't see why all these people sell their cars when they have reach between 30,000Kms and 50,000kms. people like they not realising yes,
I take my chances with a good local used.
 
The thing with good local used sometimes is that they are very hard to find. When you go to check a local car to buy, some things need fixing, it have scrapes etc. because its a second hand and we have to expect that. When you buy a foreign used although it maybe have more mileage than what it seem, they paint it, replace broken parts, shampoo seats, do an oil up and engine wash, replace mats etc. Although the price of foreign used is ridiculous because care dealers are making 100% and MORE, locals have their car up for sale at some high prices than its worth due to emotional attachment and are nearly/if above the price as a foreign used. That's why alot of people are buying foreign used... Minimum fixing or worries!
 
Depends on where u get your used cars from. Dealers like southern sales, massy motors, etc, sell off cars that have been on lease as we all know. The problem is that some are abused. But there is an internal waiting list as well and only the more expensive vehicles remain for the public. Buying used cars otherwise is a tricky ordeal having to deal with the emotional seller and the con artist. Foreign used cars as some may say are better bets but I don't truly agree. No matter what u buy, new or used, there is something that is going to fail that even when looking with a fine tooth comb and we see it as good. The fact that prices going up means that taxes going up on imports and they not letting it hurt their profit so we as buyers end up paying it. I've looked at cars to import and find them at least 15k cheaper than dealers have them. But I think the extra cost includes the fixing of in-transit damages. So the choice belongs to the buyer really
 
Sky22 said:
The thing with good local used sometimes is that they are very hard to find. When you go to check a local car to buy, some things need fixing, it have scrapes etc. because its a second hand and we have to expect that. When you buy a foreign used although it maybe have more mileage than what it seem, they paint it, replace broken parts, shampoo seats, do an oil up and engine wash, replace mats etc. Although the price of foreign used is ridiculous because care dealers are making 100% and MORE, locals have their car up for sale at some high prices than its worth due to emotional attachment and are nearly/if above the price as a foreign used. That's why alot of people are buying foreign used... Minimum fixing or worries!
I disagree with you saying that good local used are hard to find. They can be found. I have been successful twice with this, with alot of other good options left hanging becuase of my initial choice. Just be patient and look. The thing with us, we rush to buy a car and don't take the time to search for good deals. However, I do agree that aesthetically, these vehicles are in better condition that their local used counterparts. I just rather not be fooled. I can touch up on my own where needed.
They look very lucrative, but with worn out mechanical parts that have endured alot more mileage than what is shown on the odometer.
 
Actually by this raising price local dealers are in loss s because of this they appeal to the Government to lowering these rates.
 
I disagree with you saying that good local used are hard to find. They can be found. I have been successful twice with this, with alot of other good options left hanging becuase of my initial choice. Just be patient and look. The thing with us, we rush to buy a car and don't take the time to search for good deals. However, I do agree that aesthetically, these vehicles are in better condition that their local used counterparts. I just rather not be fooled. I can touch up on my own where needed.
They look very lucrative, but with worn out mechanical parts that have endured alot more mileage than what is shown on the odometer.

Very true. Most times the body is cheaply repainted on the damaged area and its so obvious that it was repainted that you see the sanding marks under the paint itself and the clear coat never truly matches. So of course with a paint job it must look newer and to most people who don't pay attention to the finest of details may figure the car is a really good, true low KMs car.

I've had my own experience maintaining a foreign used "Low KM" car and the amount of carbon build up I saw on the throttlebody and how clogged the PCV was, that could never have been a 23,000km car especially in contrast to my 96,000km engine in a vehicle that has been in the family from brand new.

I've also spoken to someone from the Malay region where dealers here used to get cars from and he told me the actual mileage of those cars that were for export were actually much higher than what we see locally. He gave me estimates that mileage of certain models were actually between a 60,000 to 85,000km range. So based on that, when you purchase a car reading 35,000kms on the odometer its probably been interfered with to reduce its mileage by half. Then factor in ownership for one year, say you put 20,000kms on it in a year and half, thats already close to or over 100,000kms if not more of actual mileage and its further evidenced by the fact that problems arise not very long after ownership. Yes it is an old car but sometimes certain things are evidence of high mileage.

When added to the fact that a lot of buyers don't look at the finest of details, it only makes perfect sense to purchase one of these cars with an unknown history record and possibly hidden ratch work by the local dealer to get it out of their hands due to its affordable price. I don't give anyone wrong for purchasing a foreign used car, I just have a problem with the people who interfere with the mileage.
 
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Odometer roll back is a big big business. Most if not all of these cars are rolled back before being shipped to Trinidad.
As you said, it is to get the prospective buyer to do just that, buy. I just cannot see how a dealer can have a yard full of vehicles with all them reading 31,000kms on the odometer.
..... and the prices on foreign used keeps going up.
 
Odometer roll back is a big big business. Most if not all of these cars are rolled back before being shipped to Trinidad.
As you said, it is to get the prospective buyer to do just that, buy. I just cannot see how a dealer can have a yard full of vehicles with all them reading 31,000kms on the odometer.
..... and the prices on foreign used keeps going up.

Sometimes they try to make it seem legit by having some at 20,000 and others at 55,000 or so. The problem is that all are usually within that range and if you look at how tattered some of the seats tend to be, you realise that 55,000 may as well be 155,000 to 205,000.

Realistically no low KM car should have a loose glove box latch or a broken center console lid. That tends to happen from wear and tear. Accidents happen but not on the majority like that.
 
Good points in here but these used car dealers getting to smart yes....i wont ever allow anyone in my fam to buy a used car just so too much variables with the sellers.....i see people running down some cars these dealers import in and ketching their behinds to find parts after.....i say go with the firms if you can afford it or local used....plus the koreans have up there game and the prices for their vehicles new dont look so bad
 
Parts is a serious problem especially when we had Singapore imports, the amount of trouble I had to find replacements for the 3ZZ down here. Not me again.

I still get trouble to find parts for my local now but I don't mind as I don't need anything major.
 
These are not true methods to paint the car, due to this local dealer are not popular due to these unusual methods to cover the parts of the cars.
 
These are not true methods to paint the car, due to this local dealer are not popular due to these unusual methods to cover the parts of the cars.

True, they don't ever do a good job covering the rest of the car and usually over spray is a huge problem. But its not just the dealers who don't do a good job masking before they paint, "professional" painters do the same thing.
 
People usually import from SBT Japan, Tradecarview and many more and nearly all cars on them sites are high in mileage. We all know that the cars 'new' mileage is fake so what is the government doing about it ? Why isn't something being said about this ? Can this be classified as fradulent business activities?
 
As you mention that, wasn't the importation of Singaporean used cars banned for the same mileage roll back issue?
 
Yeah i agree with your reviews,its a time to learn about the painting skills for these type of dealers and professionals to get good remarks.So these works get better.
 
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