Well to understand this thread I'll first explain that I've taken a large loss, £3,700 over 9 months of owning my official UK Pug as I sold it back to the dealer in the end. I received absolutely no phone calls for my second hand Pug and lookig at the lower priced second hand Pugs for sale in Auto Trader, I feel sure the more competative imports are driving second hand prices down. So, I put on my sensible finance head (yes I know you've been following Big Bother, but I really do have a sensible head on sometimes).
I made a few calculations and made a very tough decision today.
I rang the mercedes dealer and asked them to release me from my obligation of buying my SLK! I have still left myself on the list having paid a deposit of £500 to buy a new shape SLK due in 2004.
The reason for releasing my obligation is because I predict that imports are and will be driving UK prices down further in the next 2-3 years, buying the SLK in September would expose me to another larger loss a minimum £6,000 but probably much more over the 18 months until the new shape SLK is purchased. I have also been given the assurance that the £1500 deposit I paid for the SLK will be returned to me on my next purchase so I won't loose out.
It also allows me to track prices over the next 2 years to hopefully buy the new SLK at a cheaper price, if imports do bring UK prices down further.
If UK prices do not fall as I expected, it also gives me the option of looking at importing the SLK at a third less of the UK price therefore exposing me to less of a loss - as buying European imports become more acceptable on the second hand market.
I also noticed much cheaper imported SLK's being sold second hand in the papers recently.
Well thought I'd share my thoughts with forum members, sorry if I appear to be a doom and gloom merchant, I don't mean to be.
Well my partners C Class Sports 2.2 CDI Coupe she just bought is a lovely car, so we can make do for now until 2004.
Robbie.
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