Everything is overpriced!

[VJG1977]

Did they negotiate the price or do you really pay the price they have listed? I might have to drive out there with a friend or catch a bus or something. They seem like good clean vans.

They do not negotiate. If you do not like the price go some where else. 
Quote from their web site:

Selection & Pricing
Our goal is to provide van buyers the largest selection of fleet maintained, one-owner, off-lease cargo vans in the U.S. and to sell them at Value Pricing that can't be beaten... period!

No time wasted negotiating price with Value Pricing! 

At Value Cargo Vans, your negotiating skills do not determine the price you pay. We believe in Value Pricing... pricing vans at the absolute lowest possible price to begin with. 

If you feel the need to negotiate, you should choose a different dealership that marks their vans up enough to play games with negotiating price.

NO FEES! We do not charge additional dealer profit and try to fool customers by calling it a doc fee, processing fee, etc.
Unquote

In middle Tennessee good used vans are scarce.  This dealer had around 40 on his lot.

 

[buckwilk]

You can look at price guides all you want, they have nothing to do with reality. Every vehicle is different. A vehicle is worth what a buyer is willing to pay and what a seller is willing to accept. That is the end of the story.

 

[66788]

I have purchased my vans through Craigslist and got what I believe to be great deals on them.

1989 Dodge High top van for $400.00 (see below, pics when purchased and now)





I also purchased a 1993 Ford Aerostar cargo van for $300.00 with a great body and brand new rebuilt transmission.   The timing chain stretched and jumped a cog causing the engine to quit running.   The van had 202K on it when I purchased it, and after a new timing chain it ran just fine and now that same van has 360K on it with the original motor still purring along.   The A/C still blows cold after all these years.

The trick is to be watching constantly for good deals.   When you really want one, it won't be found.  When you don't give a damn one way or the other, you will find many great deals.

 

[Thunder Dan]

I have purchased my vans through Craigslist and got what I believe to be great deals on them.

1989 Dodge High top van for $400.00 (see below, pics when purchased and now)





I also purchased a 1993 Ford Aerostar cargo van for $300.00 with a great body and brand new rebuilt transmission.   The timing chain stretched and jumped a cog causing the engine to quit running.   The van had 202K on it when I purchased it, and after a new timing chain it ran just fine and now that same van has 360K on it with the original motor still purring along.   The A/C still blows cold after all these years.

The trick is to be watching constantly for good deals.   When you really want one, it won't be found.  When you don't give a damn one way or the other, you will find many great deals.

Wow, I looked at all your photos of the Dodge and that is amazing!

 

[highdesertranger]

Dan you should see it in person, beautiful conversion work he did inside. highdesertranger

 

[66788]

Dan you should see it in person,  beautiful conversion work he did inside.  highdesertranger

Here's the latest pic of the interior.   I'm done with this van, now working on the Grumman Olson step van, which will be much better looking.

 

[Raven+Squid]

Wow, beautiful job.

 

[VJG1977]

I picked up my van today.

Mine is the white one on the end.
Snapped a few pics of their lot.



They had several good looking vans in the $6k range.

 

[Thunder Dan]

I picked up my van today.

Mine is the white one on the end.
Snapped a few pics of their lot.



They had several good looking vans in the $6k range.

I am just about convinced I need to catch a bus out there. Congratulations on the new van!

 

[masterplumber]

The dealers that advertise they don't negotiate aside - you can usually get 18% - 20% off whatever the asking price is at a dealer. Just for reference. I knew a guy in fleet sales at a local Ford dealer and he told me that is fleet price. That was back in the mid nineties and I've bought several vehicles since - both SUVs for the wife and work trucks for me. I've found that to be true on all of them including my current 2012 Ram which I actually got 22% off of because it was the end of the model year and they already had the new ones on the lot. Good luck and I hope you find the perfect one for you.

 

[introverting]

Well, for starters, it's important to realize that KBB should be checked against Edmund's at least, and then there's that 3rd site that adjusters and dealers use and I can't think of atm...its an acronym, like NAFTA or something. Point being these sites provide good guidelines, but the laws of supply&demand and regional differences can really alter what you find in a particular marketplace.  That said, KBB is generally thought to inflate values if anything.

In my experience, Edmund's has always been lower than KBB.  When I've tried using Edmund's pricing, dealers stop wanting to deal with me.  I've bought a number of vehicles using KBB pricing.  The third source you're referring to is NADA, National Automobile Dealers Association.  They are usually close to or a tad bit higher than KBB pricing the few times I've compared the two.

 

[introverting]

You can look at price guides all you want, they have nothing to do with reality. Every vehicle is different. A vehicle is worth what a buyer is willing to pay and what a seller is willing to accept. That is the end of the story.

A guide is much better than having no information at all.  Your statement is probably more true when you're talking about special, antique, unique, or high-demand vehicles.  I'll continue to use guides as using KBB pricing on new cars has served me well for a number of vehicle purchases.

 

[caretaker]

in my experience when "everything" is over priced, its not overpriced, its just priced higher then you want to pay.

 

[caretaker]

is a cargo van looked differently by DMVs then a non cargo van, or am i misremembering incorrectly?

 

[frater secessus]

in my experience when "everything" is over priced, its not overpriced, its just priced higher then you want to pay.

Right, as long as the product sells..  If the market does not clear (all items sold) then the pricing it out of whack. 

This economic fundament also explains why there is no such thing as "price gouging".    If it sells it's not overpriced.

 

[introverting]

This economic fundament also explains why there is no such thing as "price gouging".    If it sells it's not overpriced.

I disagree.  Clyde Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute."  I'm not going to be a sucker.

 

[Gideon33w]

Just posted mine for sale on here

 

[frater secessus]

I disagree.  Clyde Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute."  I'm not going to be a sucker.

Maybe overpriced for you and me, and that's why we aren't a party to that transaction.   I am cheap frugal so most things are overpriced to me.

By definition the market-clearing price is not too high.  If it were, the market would not clear.