General Scrappage scheme with the 500?

[JimR123]

Hi,

We're looking at maybe getting a brand new 500 (Pop plus loads of options).

Our existing car is more than 10 years old, and appears to meet the criteria of the new "Scrappage Scheme" announced in the Budget recently.

I contacted our closest Fiat dealer, as I noticed on their own website that they support the scrappage scheme, and listed their cars, but didn't include the 500 in the list. Upon asking the dealer if we can buy a new 500 and get the free £2000, they came back with, we don't have full details yet, so can't say.

What's the situation with the scrappage scheme? Should we be able to get a new 500 with £2000 for our old car?

 

[306maxi]

Hi,

We're looking at maybe getting a brand new 500 (Pop plus loads of options).

Our existing car is more than 10 years old, and appears to meet the criteria of the new "Scrappage Scheme" announced in the Budget recently.

I contacted our closest Fiat dealer, as I noticed on their own website that they support the scrappage scheme, and listed their cars, but didn't include the 500 in the list. Upon asking the dealer if we can buy a new 500 and get the free £2000, they came back with, we don't have full details yet, so can't say.

What's the situation with the scrappage scheme? Should we be able to get a new 500 with £2000 for our old car?

Probably. Nothing is finalised yet but details will be on the Fiat site soon I'm sure.I'm considering the same thing on a 1.2 Sport. I heard about this a couple of months ago and held onto my R reg 406 purely for this reason

Currently the only car on the site listed for the scrappage scheme is the Panda 1.2 Eco but I'm sure more cars will be listed in time.

http://www.fiat.co.uk/Content/?id=17415

If they don't include the 500 I'll be a little disappointed, but I'll just get a Panda.

 

[JimR123]

Anybody know of any fiat dealer websites that are advertising that the scrappage scheme applies to the 500?

 

[306maxi]

You're just going to have to wait I'm afraid.

I went into a very helpful dealer on Thursday and he hadn't been given any additional information other than the information which was generally available on the web.

I suspect you'll be able to get a 500 with it but until they say it for sure it's all up in the air. Ford seem to be doing a wide variety of their cars on it. I can't see why Fiat won't be it's their decision

 

[Murano16v]

A new Fiat ad re the scrappage thing on Autotraders website shows the Panda, Grande and Bravo, but not the 500. I suspect they will stick to their guns and not knock anything off the 500.

 

[306maxi]

A new Fiat ad re the scrappage thing on Autotraders website shows the Panda, Grande and Bravo, but not the 500. I suspect they will stick to their guns and not knock anything off the 500.

That ad links to the Panda scrappage scheme so nothing is definite.

 

[Scrogg]

The only thing that Fiat have officially announced to the dealer network so far is that the scheme will be available against the Panda, so anything else at the moment is speculation.

Knowing Fiat UK and the speed at which they get permission to do things from Turin, I would say it will be Tuesday/Wednesday before they can announce anything.

 

[jimboy]

As a cynical old git I am very sceptical about the whole 2 grand off, all together, on any car.

Picture this

Just walk in to car dealer, ask whats the best deal haggle etc, get a good price on car of choice, then hit them with your old banger then see the reaction you get.

 

[white 500]

i'm sure the 2grand trade in is only for high economy "green" (not the colour) car's hence the panda eco so at a guess i would personally think if it is going to be available then it will be on the stop start 500, i wonder how many people are buying knackered cars for a couple hundred quid on e-bay just to trade in... i'd do it

 

[306maxi]

i'm sure the 2grand trade in is only for high economy "green" (not the colour) car's hence the panda eco so at a guess i would personally think if it is going to be available then it will be on the stop start 500, i wonder how many people are buying knackered cars for a couple hundred quid on e-bay just to trade in... i'd do it

You can only do it if you've owned the car for 12 months or more.

The 500 is green as well so I can't see why it couldn't be part of the scheme other than if Fiat doesn't want to have it be part of it.

 

[JimR123]

I thought the idea of the scheme was to help car manufacturers to sell more new cleaner cars and get old dirty ones off the roads.

Well we're only getting a new 500 if we get the discount, and we don't like any other fiats. I hope a fiat rep is watching this forum!

 

[306maxi]

I thought the idea of the scheme was to help car manufacturers to sell more new cleaner cars and get old dirty ones off the roads.

Well we're only getting a new 500 if we get the discount, and we don't like any other fiats. I hope a fiat rep is watching this forum!

I don't mean to be rude but Fiat doesn't need to include the 500 in the scrappage deal to make a crapload of sales. I went to a dealer on Wednesday night and he was doing two handovers for new 500's. The guy in our local dealership is a nice guy and is always always busy and usually with people wanting 500's or people who have bought a 500. If Fiat include the 500 then great, if they don't then I'm going to buy a Panda which is a cheap clean car. I'm in the same boat as you if I'm honest but I'm not about to insist Fiat include the 500 just because that would suit me

 

[306maxi]

I read on another site that manufacturers can't choose which cars to include in the scheme. We'll see though.

 

[ben]

Where does the 2k ultimately come from? Does the government give FIAT the money for every car they sell as part of the scheme, or are FIAT expected to make a 2k loss?

If it's government funded, then surely there's no reason not to offer the 500, as they won't lose out at all...?

 

[306maxi]

1k govt 1k Fiat

 

[rpenhale]

Ordered a stop/start yesterday for £200 deposit, made it very clear to the dealer if the 500 is not included in the scrappage scheme we don't want the car or any other Fiat, will go and buy a Mini or an Alfa Mito instead as these are being offered under scrappage. They said fine if it doesn't happen you get your £200 back, surely if this kind of thing is happening nationwide Fiat would be bonkers not to honour the scheme or loose sales to rival manufacturers?

 

[Venters]

Ordered a stop/start yesterday for £200 deposit, made it very clear to the dealer if the 500 is not included in the scrappage scheme we don't want the car or any other Fiat, will go and buy a Mini or an Alfa Mito instead as these are being offered under scrappage. They said fine if it doesn't happen you get your £200 back, surely if this kind of thing is happening nationwide Fiat would be bonkers not to honour the scheme or loose sales to rival manufacturers?

I think too many people get hung up on sales numbers as opposed to revenue generated.
Since £1K of this money comes from Fiat they effectively take a thousand pound hit on a car they do not feel they need to discount. The real question becomes why would they do that to themselves. It's about money not numbers of sales at the end of the day.

 

[Jake_in_notts]

The government have funded the scheme to a limit of 300,000 cars manufacturers have to "chose" which cars they put in the scheme and
will benifit in the publicity and extra sales, I don't beleive that the 500 needs help to sell atm and im sure wont be included.

 

[306maxi]

The government have funded the scheme to a limit of 300,000 cars manufacturers have to "chose" which cars they put in the scheme and

That's not been confirmed at all. Some sites are even suggesting that if a manufacturer chooses to participate that they have to make all of their cars available. Who knows.

 

[306maxi]

I think too many people get hung up on sales numbers as opposed to revenue generated.
Since £1K of this money comes from Fiat they effectively take a thousand pound hit on a car they do not feel they need to discount. The real question becomes why would they do that to themselves. It's about money not numbers of sales at the end of the day.

But just remember the margins on the 500 are still good even with the discount if you go off the prices they're charging for Pandas.