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January Plated Run-Outs

By Mary Nebotakis, Managing Director, Natloans, B. Eco, Dip. Financial Services

Plated Run-Outs — What Are They?

Plated run-outs are a period of sales in which cars tend to sell for particularly low prices, at the beginning of the year. Key points to keep in mind about them are as follows:

Usually, the prices on cars tend to lower around this time of year because as the year ticks over, the value of models made prior thereto tend to drop, as they date. Thus, dealerships will try to sell out all the older and more niche models of cars before they age further, and thereby drop lower in value. This leads to the low prices at dealerships around January.

The fact of the cars needing to be sold at a higher price in the first place is generally a good indicator that some of the cars within the sale are not the optimal purchases. For example, some cars may be coloured in an aesthetically unpleasing manner, and are, for that reason, destined to meet their fates at the January sales.

That being said, the longer you wait from the beginning of the sales, the more likely it is that by the time you get there, you’ll be stuck with everybody’s last choices. So make sure to be quick, in order to get the best deals!

What to Watch Out For

If a car requires a rather enormous discount to sell in the first instance, then it’s more than likely that upon resale, it won’t grant a fantastic return in investment. When making a purchase at such a sale, it is best to bear this information in mind, and planning accordingly.

Some cars may be resigned to these sales for reasons other than their aesthetic value; for example, their actually functionality, or lack thereof. It is unfortunately common for some dealerships to slip in a few dodgy cars along with the bundle, so it is very important that you keep a keen eye open when evaluating a car for purchase.

Secondly, you must keep an eye open, so as to not fall into any sales traps designed to dupe you out of more money than you should give. A classic example of this is the “zero percent interest rates” trick, about which we have already written an entire article, that can be found here. In brief summation, however, always assume that ‘zero percent interest’ is a rouse intended to bait one into paying an inflated price for a product, whilst thinking that they’ve stumbled upon a bargain.

The Best Advice We Can give?

The best advice that can be given is not to be found through a generalised article (though research is a good start), instead, you should make sure to be in contact with a Natloans consultant, if you are interested in taking a risk on plated run out sales.

Our team is more than ready to assist you in making the best purchase possible, equipping you with quotes, and even helping you get finance for a car, just to make it that little bit more affordable.

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