I’ve decided to get my first small SUV Motability car, (assuming I’m still breathing before it arrives). If I choose one with an AP, do I have to pay the dealer anything at the start? Is there a way I could secure a car without a long lead time, provided I don’t mind what car it is? Any other newbies advice would be most welcome ?
Technically, you don’t have to pay the AP until the day that you collect the car. Most of us don’t and it’s far better that way, just in case you change your mind after you’ve ordered, which you might do for a multitude of reasons (longer than anticipated lead times, better or more suitable car comes on the scheme etc). The reason that I say ‘technically’ is because some dealers ask for a deposit or even the full AP at the point of ordering. Whilst this shouldn’t happen, Motability’s attitude is that it’s at the discretion of the dealership. Obviously you could try another dealership who may not require this, but that’s easier said than done as franchised dealerships can be some distance apart, and that may not be easy for many disabled people.
The other reason to avoid paying anything up front is because you never enter into a contract with a dealership. A dealership is an agent acting on behalf of Motability. Anything you sign at a dealership is purely admin and not legally binding. The only time that you enter into a legally binding contract is on day of collection when you enter your PIN to accept the car. At that point, the contract is between you and Motability Operations. If between order and delivery you change your mind, whilst the dealership is legally obliged to refund any deposit, some make it difficult and it’s hassle that most people could do without.
Another reason not to pay the AP up front is because APs can change. If the AP drops after you have ordered it, it is a simple (less than 5 minute) job for the dealer to cancel and reorder at the lower AP. This is a desktop exercise only and doesn’t actually mean that they have cancelled your order (as some imply if they can’t be bothered to do it). It’s purely Motability admin and does not affect the actual order (see below).
Obtaining a car that is in stock isn’t impossible but it can be difficult, because the dealer will make more profit selling that car to a private customer. Sometimes dealers have a surplus of stock, a cancelled order or need to make space, possibly for a newer model, so it can happen, but most will want to place a new factory order. My advice would be not to go for a car just because it is available quickly. It’s better to wait for something that suits your needs. You will have the car at least 3 years. Order in haste, repent at leisure!
My final, but most important piece of advice, is to understand how the order process works and not be mugged by a dealership as, sadly, most won’t explain this to you. When you ‘order’ a car at a dealership you will see the ‘order’ on the Motability website as soon as the dealership inputs it (later that day or the next day). However, this does NOT mean that your car has been ordered. It simply means that Motability have approved the dealers request to order that car for you. The actual order is between the dealer and the manufacturer.
Dealers are given build slot allocations for each model of car each month. They may have a backlog of orders and private customers will take priority. It is not uncommon for a dealership to ‘sit’ on your order for a month, two months or, in rare cases, several months, until they actually place it. They will almost never own up to this. This forum is rife with examples of people waiting months longer for the same car as someone else who ordered at the same time from a different dealership. All sorts of conspiracy theories are spouted as to why this is and dealers will come up with all sorts of spurious reasons as to why your car is taking longer than expected, which most people accept, but this is always down to the fact that some dealers can place orders immediately and others sit on it for months before doing so. Anticipated delivery dates on the Motability website mean nothing. That’s best guess inputted at the point of order by the dealership, and nothing more.
The way to minimise this problem is to let the dealership know that you understand how it all works by asking very probing questions before you order. I will always say “where are you with build slot allocations for this model? If I ordered today, when would you be able to place a firm build order with the manufacturer?”. I also make it clear that I would expect to have a manufacturer order tracking number (which is NOT the Motability order number) within days. When a dealer realises that you understand how it all works, the BS usually subsides and you start to get a more honest answer as to when you can expect your car. If they admit that they can’t place the order for a few months, phone a few other dealers. You might find that another can order immediately.
