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The (gasp) telephone still works well too!
: )
Mackabee
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Mackabee
I actually have only contacted three dealers, two of whom I went on test drives with and one recommended by a colleague and I actually did them in order. I didn't ask for a quote; I made a firm offer to each of them. The first was the closest and the salesperson I spent the most time with. Unfortunately his quote was so outrageous that I didn't have any choice but not to use him. The second was somewhat better but still a ways away from what I believe is fair value. So I'm now working with the third. My colleague bought his car from this third dealer but he also talked to the first dealer I contacted (different salesperson). He said the difference between the two dealers, including trade-in, was more than $5000! I don't feel comfortable just sending mass e-mail/faxes out. I want to know who I'm dealing with first. All the dealers I've contacted so far have been recommended to me. Don't think I'll ever want to just randomly request quotes.
A quick round of emails offering your price may show you what the market really is and it saves a heck of a lot of time and trouble.
If so, then it should be very clear that you have to increase your offer if you want to buy that type of car.
Personally, I don't think much of asking the dealer for a quote. I think it is waste of your time and energy.
When we were looking for an Acura RSX in October, I called one dealer to see if they had a red one is stock. He said they did and he would give me a great deal on it.
I said, "OK, what is it?" After awhile, he said $22000 OTD. I thanked him, and hung up.
A few days later I went there and offered $20500 OTD and they snapped it up.
The moral to this story? Just compute the price you are willing to pay and see if they accept it.
Bobst: Like you, I think asking for quotes is a waste of time and energy too. I did make firm offers to 3 dealers, not all at the same time. They all made counter offers to me. These are all dealers relatively close to me so I wanted to give them a shot first. I know three people who got cars similar to the one I want at a dealer a couple of hours away and they ALL got it for $2000 less than my best counter offers becuase they didn't have to pay those ridiculous fees I mentioned above. They all had great experience and worked with a very professional salesperson. All these deals were done on cars being special ordered and all were done recently so there were no special rebates or discounts that my friends got. I also did a lot of research on this forum as well as a few others and know that the price I'm offering is average, not even on the low end. I want salespeople to make money too because they're not there to give away cars. But I think charging more than $500 for documentation fee, for instance, is unreasonable, not to mention that this is on top of 3 OTHER fees that they are trying to charge. Think my next step is to contact the other out-of-town dealer. I probably wouldn't do it for a couple hundred dollars, but for $2000???
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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If you want to get a decent deal, first get answers to these two questions.
Exactly how were their cars different from the one you want?
Exactly how much did your friends pay for their cars? If they paid cash, they probably know. If they financed, they might have been tricked to thnk they are paying less than they actually are.
Once you answer these two questions, I will tell you what the next step is.
Duncan
Color -- both interior and exterior, but they are mostly mainstream color such as black, silver, dark blue and all of my friends' cars are special ordered anyway, it's not like a dealer struck a good deal trying to move something off the lot.
Heated Seats -- I want heated seats and only one of my three friends has that option.
Xenon Headlights -- I want this option but one friend didn't get this.
And that's it. No other differences. Same model, same engine, all 2004 models! Two of my buddies paid for in cash, as I will as well, and only one financed it. All three of them got anywhere between $900 - $1100 over invoice, inclusive of all fees other than taxes and licenses. Of the three counter offers I have now, the best one is $2900 over invoice plus taxes and licesnses.
These next step is to take their price and add on the price for any additional features that you want. That will give you a total price you would expect at their dealer.
Then add on $100 or $200 because you want to buy the car closer to where you live.
Walk into your local dealer and offer that price.
If they accept, then buy the car.
If they don't accept, then come back here for more advice.
You might get a good price.
On the other hand, you might get a poor price or you might get the run-around, making the whole effort a waste of your time and energy. That's how it has worked for me.
For starters, let's make sure someone has the proper pricing .. and that starts with actually "seeing the sales order" from the "friends" that bought the same/like vehicle, don't take their word, see it .. the 2 biggest lies on the planet, what someone paid for their home and what they paid for their vehicle ..
Bobst, let's be honest here, there has to be 200/500+ posts on how folks are paying $200 over invoice on the new TL, how they got this great price on their new RX330 and 2 weeks in Hawaii and paid $150 over, it ain't happening .. I know your trying to help, but your really making things 10 times harder for the buyer and the seller, plus the customer has lost all creditability with the dealer when they drop prices that aren't even in the zipcode, your a nice guy, but your trying a little too hard to get to the "Far Side" ......
Terry.
Terry.
Terry.
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Mackabee
Would you be satisfied if a I said the 40ishK?
UGH technicalities :-P
The dealer has no control over taxes and registration costs so why include them with your offer?
Don't worry about the price until you know it's the right car for you. By all means, have it inspected my someone who KNOWS BMW's and not the corner gas station. Know what you are buying...these are nice cars but they are VERY expensive to maintain.
Isell - I include taxes and reg in my OTD offers because some dealerships "misunderstand" and try and slip their doc fees into the TT&L. By including everything I eliminate these "misunderstandings".
kleemit - go to the Real World Trade-in Values thread and post a detailed description of the 528i including all options, mileage, and location and Terry can give you an accurate price.
Any pearls of wisdom is appreciated.
thanks
Karthick
I have been in contact with several internet people from different stores would this be rude or just good business as far as getting the best price. I am not stringing them along and advised up front that i am not serious yet.
Going through the internet doesn't automatically get you a lower price. I would deal with a salesperson you feel comfortable with.
kcram
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Smart Shopper and Wagons Message Boards
I have narrowed down to the vehicle I want. I have looked at options and prices but am not sure how to go about it. I am considering going through a few dealers by internet but also have the salesperson that i spoke to in mind as well.
I just wondering what the courteous thing to do was and if getting more people from the same dealer would cause a problem with anything commission... thanks i will check out the chat tomorrow
Car_man
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Smart Shoppers Message Board
What is annoying is to spend a lot of time with a customer. Go on test drives, have a good rapport etc and then have the customer go through the internet. They will talk to an internet person,thinking maybe they will get a lower price...they won't...say nothing about working with me only to have the internet person find this out way into the transaction.
Not a big deal, just frustrating sometimes.
I am telling each person I talk to that I have spoke to other dealers.
I also need to drive the vehicle, so I speak to 1 salesperson and then do my searching on the net with the other dealers to see how my deal sets against theirs.
kosher,smart or underhanded?
thank you
My question is how binding is an internet quote? In my opinion I have it in writing, they should honor it. A little background:
I'm right at the end of my car quest. I researched, test drove, and finally requested internet quotes based on a "wish list" you fill out re: packages, color, etc. I received one response with an incredible deal. The dealer was not near me, however, so I went to my local dealer to see if they would match it and they're telling me they can't, the quote's too low, and that the other dealer will probably not honor the quote once I show up. What's going on?
The way to get the "best" price is to go to (or send an email) every dealer in your area and get quotes on the car from every one. Then go to the one with the best quote and determine if the deal is as good as it sounded. If it is, great, if not go to the next best and repeat. This is the way to ensure that you got the best, rock-bottom price.
If this sounds like too much work to you (it does to me), instead figure out the max you're willing to pay for the car out-the-door (OTD) (including everything - tax, registration, doc fees, whatever). You can do this by looking at invoice and TMV and talking to people on the forums. Go to your nearest (or favorite) dealer and offer a few hundred less than that OTD. Go back and forth once (your offer, counter-offer, last offer). If the price you end up at is at or less than your max, buy the car. 10-15 minutes time spent on negotiating.
Yeah, you might be able to get $200-400 less the hard way, but is it worth it?
If they can't/won't give you that for a credit card deposit, probably not a legit deal.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I think one of the most confusing things that has been generated is the "idea" of the "internet" or the "fleet" manager ... depending on the size of the store, it's usually just one of the salesman, he's usually working off one of the computers and he knows what his limits are, based on store policy .. some stores get 5/6 emails a week, some get 30/40 a day depending on the area and the product ..
Most of the emails read like this: "I need a loaded 545i with the sport package, don't want cold pack, only heated rear seats, I will pay $900 over invoice, only if it's black with dove interior, will be buying in 2 days, brother-in-law in biz, have 5 prices already, can you beat it.? I will give you name and number when you give price ...."
Dealers don't know if their talkin' with an Indian Chief or a Cuban refugee .. So, we know where this ones going .l.o.l. into the circular file ... most dealers get Dozens of these and then folks wonder why they get little or no response on their 20 offers, or get some whacked figure .. thats why "internet managers" have the life span of Goldfish .......
Pick-up the phone and Get with the person you been mailing with and work your best deal ... just because CR's says it should sell for this or that is meaningless, they don't own the vehicles, the dealer does .. the dealer might have 2 in the ground and -0- coming in, the dealer 12 miles away might have 22 on the ground and 20 coming in, thats what makes the difference, not some stupid guy like me printing stuff .l.o.l....
Terry ;^)
Car_man
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Smart Shoppers Message Board
I just emailed every dealership in my area, including the one we test drove at, for their best OTD price. Ended up find a dealer close to my mom's job that offered invoice-500 after a rebate. In and out in 1 1/2 hours. Best experience I've ever had looking/buying a car.