Revealed: The top trade-in tricks pulled on dealers by the public

Though dealers are usually the ones trying to get a deal on a car, buyers are just as accomplished at pulling tricks when part-exchanging their old vehicle, new research has revealed.

In fact, some members of the public have employed various tactics to try and get the best price for their car – going against the traditional idea that car dealers are the ones trying to get a deal by whatever means necessary.

G3 Remarketing, a vehicle auction specialist, spoke to a pool of dealers on its books about some of the top tricks people have tried on when trading in their old car.

Swapping a dead battery tops the list of tricks used by consumers, with car owners changing a good battery in the car they’re selling for an older one. This can cost dealers up to £80 to fix.

Up next came customers changing out good tyres on the car they’re trading in for part-used or fully worn rubber – costing dealers up to £240 to put right.

Anthony Matthews, branch manager at G3 Remarketing said: “We work directly with the trade so we hear a lot of horror stories. That’s why every car we sell, whether it’s £200 or £20,000, comes with a realistic appraisal of its condition and we even offer 30-point mechanical checks on qualifying vehicles to de-risk the process as best as we can.”

Other ways people tried to get a better deal when trading a car were by removing the spare wheel and selling it online, leaving a car with minimum levels of fuel and even dropping a car off at the dealership loaded with rubbish on the way to the tip.

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