Some good news to all those who are planning to buy a car in the next few days. You can still get your car (or bike) at the old, pre-Budget prices, particularly if you booked your vehicle before the Budget or the dealer is selling older stock.
Car makers said the new rates will be applicable on dispatches to dealerships from March 16 onwards. Given that the Budget this year was bang in the middle of the month rather than at the end, dealerships will likely have old stocks which can and should be sold at the old rates. Which means customers can demand a better price while choosing a new car, that is till stocks last.
Bookings currently held by dealers will be offered at the older price, provided the dealers have the relevant stock.
Customers should demand at least an intervention – if not the old price tag – for vehicles booked before the Budget announcement.
Auto industry experts also said that with the service tax and excise duty increase impacting demand, car companies and dealers will have to roll out some promotional schemes to push sales. Car marketers already believe the double whammy will badly hit sentiment and the market may not bounce back in the second half of this financial year as earlier expected.
The fact that car sales will now be affected even more means dealers and car makers will have to offer more incentive schemes to push car or bike sales.
So go hurry to the nearest dealer to book your car before stocks get over.
Source: ET
