MAJORITY OF BRITS LACK THE CONFIDENCE TO NEGOTIATE WHEN BUYING A CAR

A survey of 2,000 motorists commissioned by CarGurus has found that less than a third of car buyers (29%) always try to negotiate when purchasing a car. The survey also found that those who had successfully negotiated a car's price managed to save, on average, £896. With combined transactions of new and used cars in the U.K. totalling over 8.5 million in 2022, Brits are collectively forgoing billions of pounds in potential savings by not negotiating. While motorists that bartered saved on average nearly £900 per purchase — equating to an average of 11% off the total asking price by those who negotiated successfully — there was disparity between age groups and locations. Buyers aged 18-24 were the most successful in knocking down the price, saving an average of £1,730. This was followed by those over 65, who secured £1,023 off the car's asking price. Drivers aged 45-54 were the least effective in their negotiations, saving £753 on average. Regionally, car buyers in the North East of England were able to save the most through their negotiating skills, saving on average £1,395. In contrast, Welsh buyers managed to get £723 off. The survey also looked at reasons why motorists weren't negotiating, and found more than half (53%) found it too uncomfortable to negotiate, 16% didn't want to offend the dealer, 15% didn't know how to, and 9% thought it was rude. Younger buyers (18-to-24-year-olds) were seemingly the most polite, with 55% not wanting to offend the dealer.

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