While criticizing everything the government does, we should also point out the things it does well. I have learned that the Ministry of Trade will soon enact a law to prevent unfair profits from car sales.
The Minister of Trade Mehmet Muş announced that the new law is ready, according to which, after the first registration of the car, companies, galleries, and renters will not be able to sell the new vehicles “with less than six thousand kilometres” that they purchased, within six months of the purchase date.
Minister Muş made the following statement: “You see, there are used “new” vehicle advertisements. A new vehicle is bought and sold for a higher price. This situation triggers further increase in car prices. The regulation is ready for enactment. According to this new regulation, companies, galleries, rent-a-cars will not be allowed to sell new vehicles that are not older than six months and with less than 6 thousand kilometres in mileage. We want people who really need a car to buy a car. From now on, this is how the used car market will work. As for establishment of joint prices or manipulation of the market by companies, currently, an investigation is underway by the Competition Board to deal with those problems. We believe that after the regulation is enacted, citizens will have easier access to new cars. We will no longer see silly advertisements like used “new” cars…”
Indeed, “used new car” is a strange expression. By selling “used new cars”, which is an act that damages competitiveness in the market, many people make unfair profit. The vehicles would be sent to the car galleries before they came to the dealerships and were sold well above their normal prices. This situation caused the used vehicle prices in the market to rapidly go up. For example:
I had bought a fully electric small car. Although I liked its comfort, I was not happy with its short driving range. While I was hoping, “I will sell it immediately to anyone who offers me 30% more,” I received an offer which was twice higher than the purchase price. Naturally, I said goodbye to my small electric car. Of course, the prices continued to rise afterwards but I don’t regret my decision, considering the profit I made from that sale. Sadly, the gentleman who bought the car from me that day will not be able to sell it at a higher price under the current conditions. It’s not for nothing that they say Turkey is the land of opportunities.
“Line Between Opportunity and Immorality”
When I sold the car, people said to me, “Why did you sell it? You will never be able find a car as good as that one”. I told them that I will never buy that car again. If you are not addicted to a certain brand, any vehicle that meets your quality, comfort and safety expectations will do the trick. Frankly, in my world, driving an expensive car is not a prestige factor. However, it is extremely important to deal with those who shamelessly violate the rules of ethics and moral while supposedly trying to help Turkish people to buy the car they love.
Wherever I go in Turkey, I see brands that have invested millions in their dealerships yet remain unable to supply them with vehicles to sell. But, for some unknown reason, the “used new cars” of international brands do fill the galleries. Dealers can’t make their voices heard, but I think someone could no longer stand it and finally said “Enough is enough!”.
I think it might be wise for some of you to check your calculations once again which had been made based on the forecast that car prices would continue to go up, since it will become more and more difficult to make new additions to hike the car prices, except for hikes related to increasing foreign exchange rates. I don’t know if this would have happened without the global chip shortage, but you know what they say, there is good in every evil.
