Scrappage scheme to end early

[richy]

Hello all

Just had an email from Ford's press office, saying that "So many new vehicles have been bought under the scrappage scheme since its launch in April, it’s thought funding may run out by autumn."

You might also like to know a motor industry PR lectured me on Tuesday about why I should chop in my '96 XJ Sport for 'something greener.' I tried the line of older cars paying their environmental footprint, parts being easier to replace, and consequently have an extended life and yup, you've guessed it: Evidently still not as green as a nice sparkly new hatchback.

[retrowagen1234]

not suprising they've run out of our money that they have given to random people allready in the market for a new car. loads of em are chopping in rilitively new cars they would have allready chopped in anyway for money off that they could have haggled

[ThePollitt]

Korea, Malaysia, on behalf of the UK, you're welcome.

Chris

[Hirst]

Hey that's really considerate and generous of Ford to tell me that the scheme might run out early. I'm glad they care about whether I miss out or not, I'd best drive to the Ford dealer right now and trade my car in before it's too late! Oh, hang on, I see what you did there.....

[Deleted]

yup, they want all the trade in's for them self! lol

I actually read today that the motor industry in general is putting preasure on the gov't to extend the scheme.

[fredtransit]

Well they are only going to be a grand down on each sale anyway, that was supposed to be their contribution to scrappage. Interesting some dealers are giving 4-5 K off, it's not all coming from the government, so they can afford to carry that on without the government, surely?

[sheffieldcortinacentre]

no they can't & don't call me shirley

[AB car pix]

Stupid scheme can't end too soon.... but I do fear it'll be back under an environmental guise soon though!

[ChasR]

Meh, if fools want to scrap their cars, it's their fault. It's a free country after all.

Sometimes the scheme does work (as it did with a friend of mine. He had a 1996 Renault Megane 1.6e Saloon. Cosmetically it was very tidy (bar the installation of ICE inside the car (done very well, but not something anyone else in the market would want). But the suspension had seen better days, the engine's cam was on the way out resulting in poorer MPG and a noisier engine, in addition to the brakes needing attention all round (The car must have had around 200kgs worth of Audio in it (he is someone who experiments inside the house and out, and generally doesn't drive his car hard at all)

Whilst they are 'small' jobs, he would have been pouring money down the drain on a car that certainly would never be worth more than £300 on a good day. After some haggling and the scrappage scheme, he benefitted from it in helping him get another car (something he planned before the scrappage scheme).

But in general I cannot say that I do agree entirely with the scrappage scheme.

[Lankytim]

I'm delivering a brand new car to a private customer in Newcastle on Monday, apparently ive got to drive his "scrappage" car back. No idea what its going to be, coud be a clapped out "P" reg Escort, then again it could be an immaculate, low mileage classic.

More that likely it will be a typical scrappage candidate and nothing to loose sleep over.

Whatever it is I hope its half decent, ive got to drive it all the way to Bristol!

[Joe T]

Tim, I hope you make it back to Bristol ok!

[MWF]

Jul 17, 2009 16:00:53 GMT ThePollitt said:

Korea, Malaysia, on behalf of the UK, you're welcome.

We have to remember these cars are bought from UK dealers, financed by uk finance companies and that UK tier-1 automotive suppliers sell globally. Our country does benefit despite what Jeremy Clarkson spouts on TG.

Jul 17, 2009 16:46:15 GMT fredtransit said:

Interesting some dealers are giving 4-5 K off, it's not all coming from the government, so they can afford to carry that on without the government, surely?

Promotions tend to be short term or they'll kill a company, I imagine a lot of manufacturers/dealers wanted any promotion to coincide with the scheme.

I agree with the sentiment though, any company that has been able to afford to knock off more than the scheme allowed clearly couldn't have been in the perilous situation we've paid to bail them out of.

[fredtransit]

Exactly. The dealer's obligation to the scheme is only a grand. So the crappage scheme is clearly only a marketing ploy. I suppose in that respect it's a success, but did any of the rare or retro cars have to die in the process? If it had been advertised as a 'special' part exchange scheme, the cars could have been EITHER sold or scrapped. By all means scrap some of the snotters, but a 68 moggy? WTF use is that?

[JohnnySomersett]

I do love how almost all the dealers put their prices up by approx 2K just before the scheme

anyone else notice that?

[fredtransit]

Well course they did! So no punter actually saved anything....

[MWF]

The scheme isn't just a marketing ploy, it was needed, it just wasn't needed by the whole car industry. It's clear which manufacturers/dealers needed it more than others by the variation in discounts offered.

Dealer prices may have gone up before the scheme but it's wrong to assume it was directly related. Especially when you consider all goods were increasing in price at that time.

There are many examples where people made big savings by utilising the scheme.

[fredtransit]

Please don't insult my intelligence. The dealers are only liable for £1000 of the discount. They could have offered this without the scrapping of some good cars.

Yes you can claim it was the owners that cashed them in, but if it's the matter of a grand (or even two), it would be just as possible to take the cars as a part exchange. That way the dealers could still have made some more profit by selling on the cars. You mean to tell me a 68 moggy would not have fetched a grand?

Life and business is about choices. If I had seen a real classic that I could have made money on, I would take it as a part ex and then sell it on. Not rocket science is it? The dealers don't have to add any car to scrappage. the punters were already through the door. What happens to their scrappage car can't matter to them, or they wouldn't have been there in the first place. I doubt any of the buyers would be adamant about the car being scrapped.

If, instead of including the car in the scrappage deal, they took it as a part ex, they would be free to sell it on. All they would loose at first was the grand the gov was giving them. Anything over a grand is a loss from the dealer's profit no matter what happens to the car on scrappage.

[retrowagen1234]

people seem to have forgotten that before this 2 grand off curse word started. it was common place to be able to haggle that anyway. without trading anything in

[fredtransit]

Well I have said this all along. If the dealer wants to sell, they will give the discount. Some people are just not good at haggling.

[retrowagen1234]

totally agree. Its one of the things thats bugged me since it started. my nan and grandad bought a new honda jazz a few years back. nearly traded there old mk3 fiesta flight in for it untill my grandad knocked nearly 2 grand off. just by saying they found somthing else cheaper. then he mentioned he used to be in the car trade and it knocked even more off somehow.... its the power of persuasion, people seem to have lost it because johny parlament says scrap your old car...