Distance buying a Volvo Selekt XC60
 

Hi

Newbie to these forums but I am very close to taking the plunge on a nearly-new, high-spec XC60. Whilst my local dealer in Glasgow has a car that is well suited to my needs (ok, wants!), I think I can see better value elsewhere but of course that potentially means a longish round-trip to collect.

Looking to get your experience on this... a few things

• Should I ask for a live video or similar ahead of time?
• I guess you make payment ahead of arranged day in anticipation of smooth handover?
• How solid is the valuation they give you on part-exchange (will be part-exchanging my BMW 3 Series Touring)
• Anything else I should be wary of?

Thanks in advance!
Alasdair

I did similar last year; drive up from London to pick up a new XC60 near Stirling (but combined the trip with a stay with family in Scotland). It went really smoothly to be honest, get as many videos sent to you as you need and make sure they cover what’s important to you. The drive back down was much nicer!

I paid a refundable deposit of a couple of hundred then paid for the car in full once I’d driven it; certainly wouldn’t pay in full before you’ve had the chance to check it out in person.

Good luck :)

Is there a massive difference between the two cars price wise?

In answer to your questions:

1. A video tour should be offered and can be tailored to highlight any area you want to inspect in more detail.
2. For my Selekt car I paid a refundable £500 deposit to secure the car.
3. The valuation for my Insignia was fair and was not questioned once I arrived at the dealer. A quick walkround was done but nothing more. I think a lot of dealers take a bit of risk on a px so the price offered will reflect that.
4a. If the car is within 6 months of its next service interval make sure the dealer completes this and stamps the book.
4b. Make sure you ask for the Volvo Excess Return voucher. Gives you £250 towards your insurance excess if you prang it. I didn't ask and the dealer didn't offer it. I'm now in an email tennis match in an effort to secure what should've been provided at point of sale.

If I could change anything it would be possibly holding out for a pro/plus version of the model I bought. I am now considering spending a bit of cash to add a few things the original owner didn't spec. Might be worth looking again at the local car with more toys :tounge_smile:

Yes - a fair bit, and also there is the question of getting exactly the features I really want. And yes, I suppose I could just spec. a new car and pay but I have always bought ex-demonstrator / nearly new and think it provides good value for money.

Thanks for the other info folks - very helpful.

Try Clelands, Galashiels. I bought my SELECT XC60 from them just over a year ago and found them excellent to deal with.

When I bought my car from an independent last month, the process was:

* Paid £500 to secure the car while negotiating
* Sent dealer details of my expiring PCP agreement (settlement figures from the finance company)
* Sent dealer honest description of my part-ex and got an unseen valuation that they stuck to post handover
* Sent dealer deposit when happy to proceed
* Applied for finance and agreed handover date
* On handover date, taxed new car after visual inspection
* Dealer contacted finance company and funds released

Handover complete, I drove away. The whole process was a lot easier than sitting in an office spending over an our filling out endless forms.

The two-week cooling off period introduced a bit of uncertainty for me because they processed the V5C on my old car immediately, but didn't sort out the V5C on the new car until the two weeks were up - they told me that they didn't want to add an unnecessary owner onto the history and the fact they did that on my old car didn't really occur to them.

In all, the process worked fine, but do clarify the situation with both V5Cs so that you fully understand the implications of adding owners and time periods. To my mind (being fair), both V5Cs should be processed after the two weeks.

I will give them a shout... what I am after not listed with them but their web site says they offer a Sourcing Facility which may be worth a look.

At Clelands we have a used vehicle sourcing department and a team on hand to source any car the you desire. We can source and supply all models of used Volvo car and can guarantee that all of our second hand Volvos are available at the most competitive prices on the market and that all of our Used Volvo Cars are of the highest quality and in optimal condition.

Thanks!