Motoring News

An expert has reacted to the findings of new research by saying that "car dealers should know as much about their customers as their customers know about them".

A study conducted by Experian’s CreditExpert.co.uk found that over the past year a car purchase is the item that consumers have been most successful with when bartering for a lower price (38 per cent).

The research also discovered that men are nearly one and a half times more likely to have been able to negotiate a better deal on a car than women.

Meanwhile, car buyers aged 45 to 54-years-old were two and a half times more likely to have secured a better price on a car than those between 18 to 24-years-old.

Kirk Fletcher, managing director of Experian’s automotive division, warned car dealers that by the time punters enter a dealership most "already know how far they are willing to negotiate".

He said: "Keeping an eye on the market for changing trends is key to spotting opportunities dealers can tap into. [For example,] knowing what is happening in the market, knowing which customers are likely to upgrade and which ones are downsizing.

"[And] which vehicles are increasing in sales compared to those that are losing their appeal? Where is there a greater demand for the cars that dealers are struggling to sell in their own areas?"

There are databases on the market which can help used car dealers arm themselves with such information.

Written by Bobby Minter