[d-burn]

Hey all,

Looking for recommendations on Private Dealers in the Toronto area that you have had good experience with, or know someone who has. I feel like there is 1 good, honest dealer for every 10,000 out there, so I'd love to hear some feedback.

Not looking to go to a BMW Dealership and pay the obscene mark-up for their overhead + CPO that they charge.

[ChickenFriedRice]

I actually bought my BMW from The Collection of Fine Cars:
http://www.collectionfinecars.com/

Now the key is, I didn't deal with a salesperson. One of my patients is a good friend of the general manager, so I dealt directly with him. I gave him my specs and he went to auction to find me the car I wanted.

If you want the GM's contact info, PM me.

[d-burn]

Hmmm...no one?

I'd like to gather more info before taking you up on your offer. Dealers in that 'area' are generally pretty shady, no?

[Thussy]

I've had too many friends have bad experiences with used car dealers. Hidden accidents, not disclosing that it's a US car until the very last second, poor experiences with sales people leading to people walking away from cars they would've bought, etc.

What year of car are you looking to get?

[Virage]

Originally Posted by Thussy

I've had too many friends have bad experiences with used car dealers. Hidden accidents, not disclosing that it's a US car until the very last second, poor experiences with sales people leading to people walking away from cars they would've bought, etc.

What year of car are you looking to get?

are used car dealers really that bad in toronto? I'm actually looking at a few myself. how about ones providing carproof?

- thanks

[ChickenFriedRice]

Originally Posted by d-burn

Hmmm...no one?

I'd like to gather more info before taking you up on your offer. Dealers in that 'area' are generally pretty shady, no?

Honestly, I would normally never shop for a car in that particular area but I only went through him because it was a direct referral from someone I trust. But absolutely do your research.

[EliteAutoImports]

I run a business in which I source vehicles for people at auction. I am located just outside of Saint John, NB but I generally buy cars online from the auctions in Toronto and Montreal.

As a licensed dealer, I have access the Dealer Only auctions in both Canada and the US. I am not a traditional dealer as I charge a flat rate for my service and for the most part do not have a lot full of cars to try to sell. I do pickup interesting cars for my daily drivers and typically drive them for a few months and then put them out for sale, but this only amounts to a few cars in my possession at a time.

This is a new venture for me as I had recently sold my IT Consulting firm in Ontario and moved back to the Maritimes to be closer to family. I am a true automobile enthusiast with a love and passion for cars. This venture provides me with an outlet for this passion.

My service is not for everyone as you really need to know what you are looking for. Also there needs to be an understanding of the auction process to manage expectations as buying from the auction is much different from buying from a dealer lot. That being said, if you understand the details and have the right expectations, I most likely can save you a considerable amount of money on your next vehicle purchase.

I will only engage a client if I feel I can bring significant value for them in what they are looking for. For me it is not worth my time and yours if we can't get mutual success in a transaction. Through the whole process I am completely honest and candid about all aspects of the transaction.

In the end I decided to do this as I am and have been a serial car buyer and have grown tired of the BS involved in buying a car. The back and forth, admin fees, untrustworthiness, etc..... I did this for me and now am offering it to you.

If you are ever interested in having a chat, please feel free to PM me. Again, if you choose to use my service, great. If not, now worries or pressure on my end. I just see myself as your conduit to buying directly from the auctions.

Cheers,

Troy

[mcmastah]

My current BMW is my third car (bought both previous cars at authorized dealerships as well), and the only thing I`d tell you is don't waste your time with private dealers, and try as hard as you can to negotiate a fair price at an authorized BMW dealer. I think you may be better off purchasing a vehicle from the private market than a private used car dealer. Also BTW if you see prices of cars at private dealers that are way below than similar cars at BMW retailers than 95% its pretty much too good to be true... just my two cents

[EliteAutoImports]

Originally Posted by mcmastah

My current BMW is my third car (bought both previous cars at authorized dealerships as well), and the only thing I`d tell you is don't waste your time with private dealers, and try as hard as you can to negotiate a fair price at an authorized BMW dealer. I think you may be better off purchasing a vehicle from the private market than a private used car dealer. Also BTW if you see prices of cars at private dealers that are way below than similar cars at BMW retailers than 95% its pretty much too good to be true... just my two cents

I completely understand and respect your point of view. I see it from both sides of the fence. In reality, what I am offering my clients is another choice. It all comes down to what you value as part of the process of finding your next car. For some the experience is important as when buying a premium vehicle like a BMW, they want the experience of the upscale showroom and all the amenities that come with it.

For me, I was always just interested in the car itself. I had always done my homework and for the most part I have never met a dealer who could provide me with information that I already didn't have. In the end, this experience comes with a cost and this cost is in the form of overhead. In the end this cost is paid for by you. You need to decide for yourself if this cost provides you any value from your perspective. Again, what I do doesn't work for everyone.

I also live with the stigma of being a "used car dealer" Generally people have their guard up as I am sure everyone of us have a few stories to tell about an experience they have had in the past. I know I have.

Lastly, I don't know how many times I have been told the line about you buy from us and we will take care of you. Only to find out that the sales rep you bought from is now with XYZ dealer. The cold hard reality is that dealerships mostly survive on Service revenue and I would doubt you would find a dealership service dept that would not be willing to take your service dollars because you did not buy from them. For me the service has nothing to do with the sale.

I am just choosing to take a different road.

Cheers,

Troy

[Virage]

Originally Posted by EliteAutoImports

I completely understand and respect your point of view. I see it from both sides of the fence. In reality, what I am offering my clients is another choice. It all comes down to what you value as part of the process of finding your next car. For some the experience is important as when buying a premium vehicle like a BMW, they want the experience of the upscale showroom and all the amenities that come with it.

For me, I was always just interested in the car itself. I had always done my homework and for the most part I have never met a dealer who could provide me with information that I already didn't have. In the end, this experience comes with a cost and this cost is in the form of overhead. In the end this cost is paid for by you. You need to decide for yourself if this cost provides you any value from your perspective. Again, what I do doesn't work for everyone.

I also live with the stigma of being a "used car dealer" Generally people have their guard up as I am sure everyone of us have a few stories to tell about an experience they have had in the past. I know I have.

Lastly, I don't know how many times I have been told the line about you buy from us and we will take care of you. Only to find out that the sales rep you bought from is now with XYZ dealer. The cold hard reality is that dealerships mostly survive on Service revenue and I would doubt you would find a dealership service dept that would not be willing to take your service dollars because you did not buy from them. For me the service has nothing to do with the sale.

I am just choosing to take a different road.

Cheers,

Troy

left a comment note on your website as I can't pm yet

[d-burn]

I'm not ruling out Private sale transactions either. Seems to be hard to find what I'm looking for in the private sale market though, and most people tend to price their car for thousands more then its worth. Especially with the tax being the same on private sales vs. dealer now, unless you are offering below wholesale, what is the incentive for private anymore?

[EliteAutoImports]

Originally Posted by d-burn

I'm not ruling out Private sale transactions either. Seems to be hard to find what I'm looking for in the private sale market though, and most people tend to price their car for thousands more then its worth. Especially with the tax being the same on private sales vs. dealer now, unless you are offering below wholesale, what is the incentive for private anymore?

Your very right on the difficulty in finding private sales. This is due to the fact that the majority of the BMW's you see on the market are lease returns. Also, most people selling vehicles in this class do not want the hassle of a private sale. Just do a search in the trader and select just private sale and you will have very few entries. You will also find that many of the private listings are in fact dealers.

I also agree on the disconnect with many on the pricing. 9 times out of 10, it is driven by what they owe.

Cheers,

[B6T]

Originally Posted by d-burn

I'm not ruling out Private sale transactions either. Seems to be hard to find what I'm looking for in the private sale market though, and most people tend to price their car for thousands more then its worth. Especially with the tax being the same on private sales vs. dealer now, unless you are offering below wholesale, what is the incentive for private anymore?

The incentive is that the private owner has had the car since new and can give you full service history. They aren't some guy that just bought the car based on pictures from TradeRev or Manheim.

Apex Motorcars in Vaughn typically gets great reviews from those who have bought vehicles there.

Platinum or whatever it's called typically gets horrible reviews, which is unfortunate because they seem to have an amazing inventory of cool cars.