At the Samsun Second Hand Car Market, dealers, sellers and buyers are testing the pulse of the market. While sellers complained that they were not given the price they wanted for their vehicles, buyers complained about not being able to find a vehicle according to the budget they had set in mind. Stating that prices have fallen, sellers said that despite this, there was no significant movement in second hand car sales. Stating that the most important reason for the stagnation is high credit interest rates, sellers hope that the second hand market will revive after the hazelnut harvest.
Expressing that there is no movement despite the decrease in prices, dealer Samet Pekşen said, “The sector has been very stagnant for 6 months. One of the biggest reasons for this is loan interest rates. Since the purchasing power is low, there is movement only in the purchase and sale of low-priced vehicles. There is no demand for upper segment and priced vehicles. Since there is no demand, prices are on a downward trend. Prices have decreased by 10-15 percent compared to 6 months ago. Prices are quite normal for those who want to buy a car right now. Hopefully, sales will accelerate.”
“HOPE IS IN THE HAZELNUT”
Pointing out that the market is at a standstill, seller Fatih Arslan said, “I have been coming to the market for 2 weeks to sell vehicles. The market is currently at its lowest. There are no buyers or sellers. The market has fallen a lot. No customers are coming either. Those who want to sell vehicles come to the market, we ask each other about our vehicles and go back home. Maybe second-hand car sales can open up after the hazelnuts are sold.”
Emphasizing that no one has bid for the price he set for his vehicle that he has been selling for 10 days, the seller Mithat Özer said, “I brought my car to the market to sell it. The market is currently stagnant. Sales are almost non-existent. We have only come and toured it. Some people ask for the price but there is no sale. I set 190 thousand TL for my vehicle. No one has bid for the price I set. There is no crowd in the market either.”
Halil Bayram, who stated that he will not rush to buy a car, said, “I am visiting the second-hand car market. My wife is sick, I am looking for a car to take her to and from hospitals. The market is not very promising. I am retired and I also work, but my house is rented. Car prices have decreased compared to last year or 6 months ago, but it is still not encouraging. I have a budget of around 250-300 thousand TL. I will wait until I find a car I like.”
Seller Ali Altunay said, “Credits are not possible. There is demand for second-hand cars, but since access to loans and repayment are not easy, the market is not moving. Those who urgently need it sell by pulling prices back even further. Prices have already dropped considerably, but there is no demand. There is a price drop of 30-40 thousand TL in the low segment compared to last year. I put my 1997 Şahin S on the market for 155 thousand TL. Finally, I will leave it to those who will offer 150 thousand TL. I wanted to upgrade, even if I cannot sell it, I will drive it myself.”
Buyer Serkan Arda, who stated that he would leave the market empty-handed because he could not find a vehicle that fit his budget, said the following:
“We are faced with a difficult market. We cannot buy the car we want. I do not believe there is a decrease. Prices are expensive compared to today’s budget. I am looking for a car in the 650-700 thousand TL range, but we could not find a car we liked. We will most likely return empty-handed. I only have my eye on one car. They wanted 850 thousand TL for that. That was also above our budget.”
