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Being prepared paid off hen it comes to getting discounts
Page 41
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on a deal, says container-hauling owner-driver Liam Thorne, whom CMfirst met at an auction in 2004, it pays to know your stuff. "I prefer Daf XF95s. I've had three of them in 10 years and feel confident in shopping around. I bought the first two from the same dealer, but when that dealer came up short, I looked through CM.
"I rang several dealers for prices and saw two listed at auction. I went and watched the trucks run through OVA at Doncaster and recorded their selling price. Then, thanks to an out-of-date CAP Red Book, I assessed the book price against the auction prices. Then I worked off 20% profit margins, as you are advised to do if you start any business.
"I went to a dealer that had an XF95 I liked and checked it over. It needed a little work, but otherwise it was alright and I set about sorting a price. He wasn't happy I was trying to knock him down. He kept telling me he had other people coming for it, but, in the end, I think I got a good deal.
"It was priced at £25,750 [ex-VAT] and I got him down to E22,750 with the promise of a full cash payment. It took him an hour to accept. I felt nervous and sick because I wanted the truck. Business-wise, I saved myself a few quid by going prepared," he says.