Should you buy a car in the 7th lunar month?

The seventh lunar month is always the lowest month of the year for car and motorbike trading in Vietnam due to the taboo of buying high-value assets such as cars.

However, according to the sales report from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), in the last 3 years (from 2016 to 2018), the number of people who avoid buying cars during the period coinciding with the ghost month has tended to decrease. Specifically, in August 2016 (coinciding with the 7th lunar month), 23,540 cars were sold, down 17% compared to the previous month, while in the 7th lunar month of 2017, businesses sold 22,099 cars, down only 4% compared to the previous month.

Most recently, in the seventh lunar month of 2018, VAMA members sold a total of 20,504 vehicles, a decrease of only 4% compared to the previous month. The fact that cars were still sold during the month was largely due to customers with progressive thinking, regardless of the “ghost month” or any other month of the year, as long as the price is good, they will pay.

Not only new cars, used car sales this month are also often sluggish. "In fact, the taboo of buying a car in the 7th lunar month is due to customer psychology, but many people think that buying a car this month is very beneficial. The most obvious benefit is in terms of economics. Normally, in the 7th lunar month, there are few customers buying cars, so most companies and dealers have incentive programs, reducing prices more than the remaining months to stimulate shopping, so this is one of the best times to buy a car. For people with progressive thinking, who are not afraid of the 7th lunar month, this is an opportunity to find a car model that they like at the best price," a representative of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association shared.