How long does it take for a car to be ready?

[user1471867483]

I put down a deposit for a used car (two years old) at a proper dealer just on Friday. I am completely new to this. How long, does anyone know, does it take until it's ready for collection? The salesman said they have to do a 145 point check or something. Just wondered what the standard wait time is. Thank you.

I'll depends on how many staff they have, and what kind of dealer ship. Do they have on site mechanics or just sales people? If on site mechanic would be done in hour or two, if they have to drive to a garage could be days.

It's a big brand proper showroom where they do services, MOT's. I know it was very busy when I went along 🤔

I bought a 2 year old car last year from a main dealer, took 4 days from me agreeing to buy it to picking it up.

I've had it take up to about 2 weeks before. Typically, it's about a week.

Mine was next day! I viewed it Sat at 4pm and they said I have to pick it up next day by 4pm as that's the way it's done these days ( official mercedes garage)
Car was a 2 yrs old too.

I would just say ‘need it by Thursday of this week, if we’re to go ahead’

We are in the middle of August - peak holiday time. It could be slower just now due to staff shortages.

I paid deposit on Saturday and picked it up on Tuesday. They do a safety check/top up fluids etc

I bought from a big dealer on a Sunday. Car was picked up Tuesday night.

Depends, I've picked up on the same day, around an hour later, but if it's not serviced yet then longer

Well, I grabbed the bull by the horns and rang them. Someone said that seeing as I'm the customer, then I have the right to know what is going on! True! He said he was just had a few last minute things to do on the car and it's ready for collection as from tomorrow! I don't know if I'm over-thinking things, but I'd like to have been contacted and kept updated with the car instead of me having to chase it at 3pm. I just wonder how long I'd have had to have waited 🤔. Hmmmm. But maybe I'm wrong 🤷.
Thank you all btw for answering me xx

Where are you buying from?

Think how they will be, based on your current experience, if something goes wrong!

I'd be interested to know what those '145 point checks' are. I suspect that it includes four - one each tyre, four - one for each indicator bulb, four - one for each side light, etc.

One also wonders why they didn't check the car before they advertised it for sale.

They'd have rung you when it was ready. They don't want your car taking up their forecourt space. They need it to sell more cars.

Never met a reputable motor dealers yet that didn't do final checks before allowing a vehicle out on to the road.

I'd be very suspicious of one that didn't.

My DH is car sales for a premium dealership and they can do same day if needs be, often next day. Cars generally just need cleaned and taxed as they are ready to go otherwise if they are for sale. Sometimes if it's financed the finance decision can take a while to come back.

It's cash. I'm very cynical and I think I maybe with this car purchase. I'm just disappointed no one got back to me. I've been saving for 10 years for it.

A few days to a week I'd say.

Final check, yes. But not 145 of them!

Right. Maybe because I came over as a novice?

Okay, so it's a big event for you. You've been saving for a long time but to the car dealership you are just another sale. They Will process the car as quickly as true can. It's not in their interests not to. To be honest you only bought on confirmed on Friday, its only been 3 full working days since then. There may be a few before yours to be done. You are making a mountain out of a molehill. They would have phoned you when it was ready. There was no need for you to chase.

Our last car we chose it, sorted paper work and picked car up 2 days later. We have had some garages take 4 days but that’s been the most.

Yeah, true. I thought I'd jumped the gun too. Silly me. I was only going off what my coworker in my office said, being, "You're the customer. Chase them".