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Smokers knock thousands off car values 16.11.15

SMOKERS are knocking thousands of euro off the value of their cars, it's been revealed.
Experts say cigarettes can damage not only your own health but your vehicle's health - and puts more than half of drivers off buying.
The depreciation is even higher when it comes to luxury, high-end models.
"It is definitely off-putting for buyers. We would say smoking can knock over 10% off the trade-in value and puts at least five-in-ten people off the car," said luxury car dealer, Jeremy Beshoff.
"It's a nightmare trying to get the smell of tobacco out of a heavy smoker’s car. If it's very bad, it could knock between 1,000 and 2,000 euro off the trade-in value of a car worth about 25,000 euro,” he added.
"No matter how many times you valet a heavy smoker’s car you can still drive it down the road and come back with your clothes smelling of cigarettes."
Car dealers must factor in the cost of an intensive valet which can double for smoked-in cars. Luxury valets can jump from about a standard 150 euro to 300 euro for a smoke and ash-ridden vehicle.
The worst affected part of the vehicle is usually the ceiling head-cloth which may have to be removed for cleaning or completely replaced.
Climate control air vents also have to be removed while cigarette burns on upholstery are unsightly and difficult to repair.
Mr Beshoff, who runs Beshoff Motors in Howth, said he is sometimes even forced to refused very expensive trade-ins if they are badly smoke-damaged.
"People who are spending 100,000 euro or more on a car these days are extremely fussy and you don't want to give them any excuse not to buy the car," he said.
While it is illegal to smoke in a car with child passengers in Ireland, penalty points and/or fines have yet to be finalised by the authorities.
And tobacco smoke wasn’t a problem for the 121,098 drivers who bought brand new cars in the year to September - a 30% increase on the same period last year.
But more Irish motorists wanting to sell their used cars are now including their 'non-smoker' status as a positive feature along with mileage, year and spec.
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