Shhh! We unveil dealer discounts before they do 🤫

I'm a guy with an Apple Mac who, through years of practice, has become incredibly efficient at finding used motors for a bargain and sniffing out motors that are ripe for a discount.

I'm NOT a dealer or an agent, and I won't be spamming your inbox with countless "LAST CHANCE - BEST OFFER - BUY NOW" pretend deals.

Whilst I've been immersed in the motor trade for much of the last decade my real passion is using the internet, tech and AI in innovative ways to save time & money.

So...

You won't find me bashing your inbox with boring vehicle reviews, the latest drab industry news or unnecessary data (you can get that from a Google search if you want it).

But...

You will find me sending alerts for vehicles I think are prime for a discount or a deal in the very near future, along with other cool insider tips to help you save and even make money on your next car purchase.

Everyday cheap used cars are popping up and disappearing all around us. And if you don't happen to be searching for the right car at the right time - during that very brief window when it's available - you risk missing out on the best deals.

What MMC does is to ensure you never miss out on that deal of a lifetime because you're busy getting on living your life.

It all started when I purchased a beautiful 10 month old Audi valued at £27,000 for just £20,000. I received a notification within 5 minutes of it being discounted, had I not been aware of this motor at this time, I would never have nabbed it.

Our goal is to provide our members with early alerts on potential deals, ensuring they save money by never missing out on those fantastic opportunities whenever they arise.

We also try to remove the anxiety out of car buying - after all, car buying is (according to most surveys) one of the most stressful purchases we make and of course it's also one of the most expensive...

Most people don't want to be searching for motors for 10, 12 or 18 hours a day... So instead they leave that to us.

We search for these motors while our members get on living, knowing that they'll get the heads up on potential deals before anyone else even knows about them.

The concept of a Secret Steal is straightforward—it’s all about giving you an early alert so you can be the first to act on a potential car discount or negotiation opportunity.

Unlike tracking price drops for common items like airline tickets or electronics, where discounts apply to numerous identical items, the used car market is different. Often, there’s only one, or perhaps just a few cars of a particular make or model available at a dealership. If you wait for the price to drop publicly, it’s likely too late. The car might already be sold.

At MMC, Secret Steals take a proactive approach. We predict which vehicles are likely to be subject to price negotiations or discounts soon—cars that dealers are keen to sell quickly.

How do we do it? Our team uses advanced technology to monitor the market constantly. We analyse data on market trends, residual values, vehicle availability, and dealer inventory.

But it’s not all algorithms and automation. Real people also consider various micro factors that affect a car’s desirability—things like the number of previous owners, the colour of the vehicle, and warranty specifics.

By combining this wealth of information, we pinpoint specific cars at specific dealerships that are prime candidates for a Secret Steal. We then communicate these opportunities directly to our members.

That’s the essence of our Secret Steal service—ensuring you know about the best deals before anyone else does, so you’re always one step ahead in the car buying game.

Brute force, a few boring systems and a little bit of clever tech.

I've got very efficient at navigating online marketplaces, dealer websites, trends, market data and vast data lakes in order for me to make my predictions.

Quite frankly, I'm a bit of a nerd and have way too much time.

All of the Secret Steals we find are from car dealers.

The dealers are both large and small - from main franchise dealers to car supermarkets to small independents.

We do not monitor private car sales.

Why?

I'm a firm believer that if you're going to spend thousands of pounds on a vehicle then you absolutely should buy from a dealer.

As an absolute minimum, when you buy from a dealer, you are covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which means if a car you purchase develops a fault within 30 days you are entitled to reject it and request a full refund.

Likewise, if the car develops various faults within the first 6 months, you can reject it under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The onus is on the car dealership to prove that the car was free of faults and roadworthy when sold.

Finally, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 also means you are entitled to a cooling-off period when you have made any kind of purchase online. This means that if the car is bought without seeing it, like over the phone or online, the buyer has 14 days to reject their order and get a full refund.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is hugely beneficial and the number one reason why we only track dealers.

Of course, on top of this, most dealers also provide extended warranties which will further enhance your protection (although in reality many of these aren't worth the paper they are written on).

Believe it or not. Motor dealers do provide a purpose (and in most cases a good service) and buying from them provides you with solid protection on what is a sizeable expenditure.

You won't get this peace of mind and protection when you buy from a private seller on Facebook marketplace, eBay etc. The risk is all yours... and boy oh boy have we heard some nightmare examples 😱

We're not affiliated with any car dealers or manufacturers.

We scour the web for motors with the very best chance of getting a deal and send them your way.

We're completely unbiased and not looking to make a sale.

Nope, certainly not. Vehicle brokers go against the very ethos of MMC.

Why? Because brokers are there to take a slice of the pie... and it's a pie you are paying for.

You see when a broker helps transact a sale as a middleman they normally take a commission or fee from the dealer that sells the motor to you.

So, you pay the dealer and the dealer pays the broker.

But here's the thing... if that broker is being paid £500, £1000 or even £2000 for the sale... then that's £500, £1000 or £2000 that you have effectively overpaid for the vehicle. 🤢

Remember we're on your side, we have nothing to sell you and take a commission from no one... we're here to shake things up a little!

Currently, free Limited members receive alerts from the following BIG 12 manufacturers:

Audi, BMW, Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Mercedes, Peugeot, Renault, Skoda, Vauxhall, VW and Volvo.

Our Premium members also get access to all 32 brands that we cover.

Free Limited members receive alerts for hatchback & SUV vehicles.

These two body types are the big hitters on the market and account for approximately 80% of used car sales.

Our Premium members get to choose an additional body type from a choice of estate, coupe, cabriolet, MPV or pick-up for our weekly Secret Steal alerts.

Premium members can also request a tailored report and choose vehicles from any body type.

Free Limited members can choose to receive alerts in one of these 3 price bands:

- Up to £10,000

- £10,001 - £20,000

- £20,001 - £30,000

Our Premium members can also optionally get access to all vehicles in their chosen body types up to £50,000.

Free limited members receive an email twice a week - every Wednesday & Saturday evening.

Each email focuses on one of the 12 big brands and will include a number of vehicles for your chosen budget and vehicle type.

You'll have total control over the emails we send and you'll be able to pause, turn them off or unsubscribe as and when you wish.

Our free Limited membership has grown so quickly that we can no longer keep up with the sheer number of requests from members for tailored searches.

With that said, we do encourage our free members to reply to our alert emails with requests for specific vehicles they would like to see alerts for.

We read every request we receive and whilst we can't make any guarantees, we do our very best to assist... so keep an eye on your inbox and I'm sure a vehicle you'll like will come up sooner or later!

Premium members, as part of their membership, get personal email access to Matt and can make a request for a tailored report for a very specific vehicle type as and when they wish.

A big part of the ethos behind MMC is how we lean into the unexpected choices that await on the other side of a Secret Steal.

This means that we send you email alerts on the best Steals & Deals we can find, which are based on the manufacturer, body type (e.g. SUV) and budget, making the motors we send you a surprise when they land in your inbox!

From a practical level, this allows us to manage the thousands of motors (and numerous options) more easily but more importantly it adds to the sense of fun, as our members get to see motors that they might not normally have considered.

It's also worth us mentioning that of course some makes and models are far rarer than others (due to supply and demand) which means we can't guarantee that Steals will be available for every combination of vehicle, colour, mileage, body type etc.

With that said, Premium members do get personal email access to Matt and can make a request for a tailored report for a very specific vehicle type once every 30 days... just remember we are reliant on the market at any given time!

We scour for motors right across the UK and work on the basis that if a deal or discount is that good, then it's worth driving a few hours to get it.

Obviously, some urban parts of the country have far more stock availability than other more rural areas and this will be reflected in the Steals we find.

With that said, as part of our onboarding sequence we do ask our members where in the country they are located and we use this data to help refine our selections.

Premium members get to filter by location from their online dashboard.

No we don't... and for obvious reasons!

We would need a small large army to go out and check every vehicle that we find which of course would be hugely expensive, a logistical nightmare and very bad for the planet.

It's for this reason that we remind you in every communication that you should always carry out due diligence on any motor you're interested in and likewise the reputation of the dealer you intend to buy from.

We are not affiliated with any dealer or manufacturer and make no assurances about the quality, condition, ownership or reputation of any vehicle or dealer we notify you about.

MMC is an alert service. The motors, dealers, prices and all other elements of the buying process are your responsibility, not Matt's Motor Club.

If you need some assistance with a pre-purchase vehicle check (and don't have a friend who can assist) then check out the AA or RAC, both of which offer pre-purchase inspections.

The first thing for us to point out is that we don't work hand in hand with any car dealers.

In fact, they have no absolutely no knowledge of the vehicles we identify that are prime for a discount...it's one of the reasons we call them secret 😉.

So the dealers don't actually know they're playing ball with us and they certainly don't know that we're informing our members!

As we've previously mentioned, Secret Steals by their very nature are predictions and there is no guarantee that any dealer will be ready to discount or negotiate.

Using our own historical figures, what we can say is that around three in four Secret Steals will be discounted within an 8 week period of our identifying them.

In many of these cases, further reductions will also be able to be negotiated with the dealer, as they will be particularly keen to sell them.

There are all sorts of reasons why some don't get discounted, but here are the most common...

Vehicles with a budget of less than £10,000 tend to have fewer discounts - this is for a multitude of reasons including they tend to be stocked by smaller independent dealers, have less margin, less depreciation, higher demand and don't carry the same cashflow liability for the dealer.

Vehicles located near a city where ultra-low emission zones (ULEZ) are being implemented - the perfect example being London, but many other cities across the UK are following suit. This means cars (in particular low-priced vehicles) that are ULEZ compliant are in high demand in those areas, hence local dealers will be content to hold onto them for longer.

High-end luxury motors with more demand than supply - as in any market if you've got more demand than product to supply, then prices remain high regardless of all other factors. High-end luxury motors, supercars and classic cars all fall into this category and whilst our service has had success with some of these cars it is far less likely that these dealers will play ball.

Smaller Independent Dealers are under less downward pressure (or are just plain stubborn) - most smaller dealers operate on their own terms (unlike larger dealers who have KPIs to hit) and this can make them more unpredictable as the decisions are typically made by one person - the owner. We see Independent dealers defy both business and market logic on a daily basis by refusing to drop prices and who are still holding them in stock at the same price... a whole year later!? Hey, it's their prerogative but we still like to call it madness.

Many dealers would sooner negotiate and discount with a serious customer rather than discount online - this one is common and is usually because the dealer has a policy not to do wholesale discounts online or, more probably, because they're just plain busy and don't have the time or resources to make the adjustments at all. Either way, if you're serious about a car then simply speaking with the dealer will usually generate further rewards.

No, we only track, check and monitor used pre-owned vehicles... that's any car that has been registered and has at least one owner on the logbook.

To clarify, that could be any car from a nearly new pre-registered car sitting on a dealer's forecourt with delivery miles right up to a 10 year old motor with 99,000 miles on the clock (10 years old & 100,000 miles is our cap).

But when it comes to new cars, we're what you might call prudent folk.

We have always seen the new vehicle market as a necessary evil. Necessary because without new vehicles there quite obviously would be no used vehicles. Evil because in the vast majority of cases, vehicles are driven off the forecourt and drop by thousands of pounds before they've done enough miles to drain their first tank.

The fact is that at best most motors are a depreciating asset (most financial experts would go one step further and call them a liability!) and except for the mad 18 months of the post covid world, the biggest fall in a vehicle price has always been the period between it being first registered and first driven on the road.

Only big businesses, fleets, rental companies and dumb people buy new vehicles....

So let them get their double shot of new glue smell & dopamine fix (with that twitch from their neighbour's curtains) and let them take the financial hit.

We believe buying a new car is nothing short of madness and we like to think that our members agree and are much smarter and better than that too.

In a word... No. This is an art, not a science.

Secret Steals by their very nature cannot be guaranteed. What we can say is that we have a super high success rate and in many cases, you'll see multiple discounts for the same motor over the course of a few weeks!

We predict our Secret Steals using a range of systems, processes and data we have in our possession - but the fact remains - Secret Steals are predictions.

And of course, there are many variables that are outside of our control.

For instance, main franchise dealers operate differently from car supermarkets who operate differently from small independent dealers. And each dealer will have their own internal pressures and policies when it comes to discounting and negotiating.

Sometimes it can come right down to whether the salesperson you're dealing with got out of bed on the right side that morning.

With that said, every dealer does have similar pressures for things like cash flow, stock funding, overaged stock, stock turnaround, and sales targets and of course, is susceptible to wider market conditions. It's these factors (and many others) that we hone in on and build our predictions on.

Finally, to be totally transparent we do (very rarely - less than 0.4%) see prices increase despite our best efforts. This might seem strange but there are a few reasons for this...

For starters, some dealers have dynamic pricing systems that track market prices so if there is a spike in a particular model it will automatically increase the price despite the other factors - these increases tend to be only temporary and are typically reduced again a few days/weeks later.

Likewise, some unscrupulous dealers will also increase their prices only to reduce them just a few days later... they do this, purely so they can say they've just discounted them 🤥.

If a dealer hasn't discounted a vehicle online within a certain period of time, it doesn't mean they don't need to sell the vehicle and that they aren't prepared to do a fantastic deal with you.

The simple fact is that many dealers are just too busy to track and monitor their stock and the constant market fluctuations surrounding them.

Other dealers rely on automated systems (which aren't always reliable) or a single used sales manager (who could be busy, on holiday, sick or down the pub :) and others will just have a policy not to discount to anyone other than a serious buyer.

So I repeat, just because a dealer hasn't discounted a Secret Steal vehicle on their website doesn't mean they don't need to sell it...

In fact, it's quite to the contrary...

When we identify a Secret Steal, it's because in our view, for any number of reasons, they really do need to sell it... and having that knowledge puts you the negotiating customer in a position of strength.

And when you're armed with this knowledge and ready to negotiate (or make an offer) with a dealer then the next most important thing you can do is...

Talk to the right person!

Don't talk to a sales exec who has no authority to discount, instead talk (or email your offer) to a retail sales manager, used sales manager... or for smaller dealers... the owner.

In simple terms, you want to talk to the person that is responsible for the used vehicle stock... they'll know what it owes them, how long they've held it, whether it's still funded and if new similar stock is arriving.

All of which puts them in the perfect position to negotiate a deal with you.

Don't be fooled by the monthly price that most dealers flirt at you.

Yes, £199 for a nearly new Jag might look attractive but the simple fact is that only focusing on the monthly payment will cost you thousands of pounds over the time you run the vehicle.

Manufacturers have long been pushing dealers to present their vehicles more like a mobile phone contract than a car purchase... and it works... let's face it, £199/month looks way better than £35,000 any day of the week!

But here's the thing... cars aren't phones!... the average car is 20-50 times more expensive than the latest iPhone and the numbers at play are truly eye-watering.

And what more...

Oftentimes... until you're in the hands of a preying sales exec... there'll be very little mention of whether it's a lease, PCP or HP finance product (by the way, unless you're buying an electric vehicle I would never recommend a lease!), whether there are mileage restrictions, initial lump sum payments, end of contract payments etc, etc.

These all have a huge bearing on your purchase and the overall lifetime cost of ownership of the vehicle.

So please, please... never, ever look at just the monthly cost of a vehicle!

Always look at the lifetime cost of ownership.

And how do you find this?

Well, it's incredibly easy!...

The starting point is by negotiating the advertised purchase price... which of course is what we focus on 🥳

It keeps it simple and once you've negotiated a price you're happy with then everything else will fall into place... you'll be able to sit down with the sales exec or business manager, discuss your part exchange and look at your finance options (which of course if you have a strong credit rating can be negotiated on as well!) and discuss your monthly payments.

Oh and congrats, you'll have just beaten the system and saved yourself another bucket load of cash. Good job.

MMC is perfect for people who aren't in a rush to buy.

Why?...

If you don't have plans to purchase a car right now, but think you might want to purchase one sometime later, you'll get a better deal if you receive our Secret Steal and Real Deal alerts.

The fact is that every day we find new motors which we tell our members about and of course the more you receive the better the chance you'll find a super deal on your next used motor!

Likewise, by monitoring the vehicles that we send you over a given time, you'll naturally see more and more gems pop up and you'll 10x your chances of getting your next motor for ££££'s less.

In fact, it's for this very reason (and the fact that the average person takes between 6-8 weeks to buy a new car) that we provide our paid members with lengthy 6 & 12 month plans so they have more than enough time to find the perfect motor.

So unless you like paying full price on your next motor, sign up for a membership today and keep your eyes peeled for our Steals & Deals.

Premium members save an average of £1890. Elite members can save substantially more than this.

No, we don't profess to be the miracle cure for used car buying.

What we do at MMC is unlikely to change how the vast majority of people buy their used cars (although we'll keep trying of course!).

When it comes to car buying most people are lazy and easily led. They'll view some online ads, visit the dealer and then get sucked in by the salesperson's patter and before they know it, they're hooked into a purchase, have spent way more than they should have and have another HP agreement to their name.

But here's the thing... it's a trap!... and the manufacturers and dealers know it... that's why sales execs are trained extensively on how to sell with emotions and ultimately how the dealers make their vast profits.

At MMC we're shaking things up a bit,... by delving deeper and looking at the data beyond the car advert.

We combine technology, the internet, vast data lakes and public information so that we can make predictions on when vehicles will be discounted or are more likely to be easily negotiated on.

What we're doing is an art, not a science and we can't guarantee that every Secret Steal will come off (there are too many circumstances outside of our control to do that) likewise, it involves a little work from yourself, for instance tracking a vehicle or negotiating with the dealer.

Lazy people will see this all as too much hard work.

But our members aren't lazy...

They're not afraid to do things a little differently, they're smarter than the average bear, they like to gain the high ground, and they're prepared to play a longer game (and it's a game that can actually be fun).

And guess what, they're far richer (literally) because of it 😉

In order to maintain our service and ensure that our members get the most from it, it's important for us to manage its growth and ensure that demand doesn't outstrip supply.

We don't currently cap our Limited membership as it acts as both a taster and ticket to upgrade to Premium membership.

Premium & Elite membership is capped to ensure that we provide the best possible service for our paid members.

As a free Limited member, you'll have the option to upgrade immediately or if we're at full capacity then you'll be able to join our waitlist which will give you priority access.

As members leave and/or our capacity increases then we will re-open the doors as and when it's suitable to do so.

Whilst we aim to increase the number of members and help more people save money, we are mindful of the fact that there is a finite number of vehicles on the open market at any one time.

Getting alerts on Secret Steals is great, but truly grasping the ins and outs of the car industry is a game changer. It'll help you maximize your potential and skillfully navigate through the sea of dealerships and their preying sales execs.

The Sleuth 🕵️, our comprehensive 7-Day Mini Course, is designed to offer you deep insights into the motor trade and equip you with strategies to maximize your benefits with MMC.

Every day for a week, we'll uncover the hidden workings of the car trade. This journey will enlighten you about the intricacies behind the scenes, helping you understand both the dealer's and your perspective.

Each instalment of the course will unravel one key insight, presenting it in a clear, concise manner. These are the industry secrets dealers keep close to their chest – revealing their vulnerabilities, something no business would typically disclose.

Our goal is that by the end of this week, you'll have a transformed outlook on car buying. Armed with patience, determination, and the power of MMC, you’ll be perfectly positioned to secure the best deal on your next used car. Get ready to approach car purchasing from an entirely new angle, with all the insider knowledge you need. 😊

NB: We respect your inbox which is why The Sleuth mini course is optional.

The only way to become a Premium (or Elite) member of MMC is to become a free Limited member first.

Once you're a Limited member then if there's availability, you'll be able to upgrade to Premium membership.

If Premium membership is at full capacity then you'll be able to join the waitlist which means you'll get priority notice of when the doors are next open.

I've been using this concept to purchase vehicles successfully for friends, colleagues and myself for over 7 years now and in that time I've pretty much perfected the system in a way that provides pretty consistent results.

Over the last 18 months, the list has grown so quickly that I'm now assisted by a small and wonderful team of Secret Agents - all helping me dig through thousands of motors each month so that our members don't have to.

Thrilled to be of help!

If you're enjoying my Secret Steal alerts then I would love you to share Matt's Motor Club with your best friends. We're starting a savvy cheap motor revolution here!