If a used car is coming from Skoda UK stock, it shows up on the used car locator as at your local dealership. Fair enough as your local dealer can sell it to you and have it delivered. However, the price varies dependent on where in the country you are, not by a bit either, we're talking less than 15k to over 17k for the same car! Not exactly cricket! So the question is, anyone know where the cheapest place in the uk is? I presume this would be the minimum Skoda would be willing to accept and therefore I could just use this figure at my local dealership. Have a look at 61 plate superb 1.8 se s if you want to play!

How bizarre! How can they justify the different prices if the same car is being touted nationwide? I think I'd be taking a print out of the lowest cost and telling them that I wasn't going to pay a penny more and would expect a decent discount! Cheeky swines....

My thoughts exactly. I know its the way of the world but that kind of behaviour puts me off buying. If anyone does want to play along them I'm particularly looking at the 1.8 TSI SE twindoor in black with 18" wheels, reg: DG61CKP, 7681 miles. The cheapest price I've found so far is:£14935.

It'd be great if you could pop your own postcode in and post on here what price it comes up with!

Alternatively, I might ring Skoda UK on Tues and ask them where the cheapest place to buy the car is .

I have noticed this every time I look to change the car and I think it also varies on models from dealer to dealer. At the end of the day I am only looking at the difference I have to pay between the trade in and purchase. I might be that the dealer with the lower sticker price is going to give you less on the trade in price.

My local dealer in Harrogate, Benfield, have some 1.8TSi Octavia Elegance Estates, 6 month old, low milage for around £11 K

There on sale or return with Skoda UK

Think all marque must deal like this. I had the same when I bought my baby beemer - Garage in Preston were £1000 for teh same car than Edinburgh. When I point this out Edinburgh beat teh Preston price.

Mercedes were the same, when my old man got his 6month old C270 CDi a few years back it come down from Newcastle

Sorry, but why isn't it "fair" to have price differentials across the country?

The reason for it is the "free market" so the price will correspond to what the market in that area will stand. We all know that London and the South East is more expensive than, say, Middlesborough, because of the difference in overheads, wages, etc. it doesn't just apply to second-hand cars but to a whole lot of other products too.

If you want the whole country to pay the same then be assured that the price paid would be the current highest nationally, and not the lowest!

Sorry, but why isn't it "fair" to have price differentials across the country?

The reason for it is the "free market" so the price will correspond to what the market in that area will stand. We all know that London and the South East is more expensive than, say, Middlesborough, because of the difference in overheads, wages, etc. it doesn't just apply to second-hand cars but to a whole lot of other products too.

If you want the whole country to pay the same then be assured that the price paid would be the current highest nationally, and not the lowest!

Yes, but it's not working like like that.

In London one dealer is offering the same model / age / mileage £1k less then another dealer nearby. Then a dealer in Cardiff wants about £1700 more than the lowest price in London for same model / age / mileage.

That car is listed at £16,799 at Derek Slacks in Middlesbrough.

Fine, so if White Dove think they can get that price, let them try. So what? It doesn't actually mean they will sell it!

We sell bird peanuts for £2:20 a kilo, my sister-in-law buys the same in Surrey for over £3/kg, and the shop in Newtown is £2:50/kg. It's called the local market price.

I really don't see what all the fuss is!

Totally agree. Different areas are more expensive than others, be it houses, cars, wages etc. Take advantage of it or don't

How bizarre! How can they justify the different prices if the same car is being touted nationwide? I think I'd be taking a print out of the lowest cost and telling them that I wasn't going to pay a penny more and would expect a decent discount! Cheeky swines....

thats just life and how the market works - I bet if you wanted to buy a packet of hobnobs they wouldn't be the same price in every shop!

Fair enough it's what the local market will stand and charging people more for goods & services in areas of higher wealth is the modern world. Many of the higher prices are in low wealth areas however, let's take more money off of those less able to afford it because they've bought into our 'good value, reliable, we'll look after you' brand. I can't agree with that.

May be you can't agree with it, Dave, but i'm afraid that is how the market place works, and I can't see it changing without a major change in the social and economic system.

"Fair enough it's what the local market will stand and charging people more for goods & services in areas of higher wealth is the modern world. Many of the higher prices are in low wealth areas however, let's take more money off of those less able to afford it because they've bought into our 'good value, reliable, we'll look after you' brand. I can't agree with that"

But for most things the buyer can chose whether to buy or not. If you don't like the price the internet is a great tool - if it's cheaper elsewhere, buy it elsewhere unless you are prepare to pay more to walk into a local shop/garage or whatever. Internet prices are not governed by whether an area is affluent or not.

I can't see it changing without a major change in the social and economic system.

Indeed.

How about going to your local dealer and showing them a print out of the lowest price, and ask if they can get it for you ?

Already underway with that approach, but is the cheapest I've found the cheapest price? I'll see what the local dealership comes back with.

My thoughts exactly. I know its the way of the world but that kind of behaviour puts me off buying. If anyone does want to play along them I'm particularly looking at the 1.8 TSI SE twindoor in black with 18" wheels, reg: DG61CKP, 7681 miles. The cheapest price I've found so far is:£14935.

It'd be great if you could pop your own postcode in and post on here what price it comes up with!

Alternatively, I might ring Skoda UK on Tues and ask them where the cheapest place to buy the car is .

Well, I already knew my local dealer was expensive - that car comes up at £16,250 for me. Well done Fred Rees in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

Swansea (Sinclairs) is about the same - £16,235

And the shocking thing is a brand new identical model is only £600 more on drivethedeal.

Edited 8 April, 201214 yr by Phil_P

Those who believe in and defend the capitalist market, stop reading here, or else contact me to make a payment to recompense me for the work I have put in, should you benefit from it.

Those of a more left persuasion, based on the particular car I was looking at, entering the postcode of every uk dealer into the used car finder reveals Harrogate as the cheapest place to purchase a skoda uk car. Useful for negotiation with your local dealer.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to benefit from this yet: one wasted 100+ mile journey to see a damaged car; lack of interest from my local dealer, including a missed appointment with no phone call.

You walk into 1 or 2 dealers looking to trade in/trade up, you want the best price for your car against the next one.

I walk in with the identical car in every detail & i want the best trade in price.

Well we might not get the same deal.

I have kerbed one wheel, and worn 2 tyres. Yours was perfect & only 1000 miles higher mileage.

But they might still give me a better deal than you.

A customer yesterday want a car in the spec that our car is, and its near the end of the quarter, they are going to want my car because i am there and buying not looking.

The customer that is putting back his car and will trade up to mine has accepted a stupidly low trade in value, and is going to take finance and GAP insurance.

Its the car trade.

The country is overflowing with cars.

If you want a bargain get on a Megabus for £1, or fly Ryanair someplace and you will find a bargain.

Or make friends locally at your dealerships.

They will still see you as their salary earner, but sometimes they do not ask you to 'assume the position'.

george

I think I'll just go to the auctions, cut out the middle man. Let's face it, you'd have to be extremely unlucky (2 major component failures) before you'd have spent out the same as buying from a dealer. I'd also buy slightly older so being shafted on dealer servicing won't come in to it either.