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Comments
All our Internet Manager does is answer the initial request and then hand the lead over to one of our sales people. So the only difference between an internet lead and a sales call in our store is the method of the initial point of contact.
Couple of qualifying questions. Does the initial reply include a price? If it does how aggressive is it? Does it leave any room for the salesperson or is it an automatic mini?
If the email request says respond by email only, would the salesperson honor that or call upon receiving the info from the Internet Sales Manager?
I'm assuming the leads are passed out like ups with some of the senior salespeople passing on them.
All new cars are quoted at cost. It is a waste of time to do it any other way. A monkey with a note in his mouth can find what cost is these days.
The used car request are quoted with profit on them.
If some one ask to not be called it would be pretty stupid to call them. My guess is it would queer the deal from the get go.
They are given to sales people we know will work them.
My email address also went into their database and though I didn't buy a truck from them I get a monthly "special" flyer in my email from them which some might consider spam but me being an enthusiast almost qualifying for the chronic car buyers club will always look what's on "special" for the month.
You guessed right because that’s exactly what it did for 2 guys that I know.
The regulars here know that the last two times I bought I started with the Internet. These two guys knew this so they asked me if I really saved any money buying that way. So, I made it very clear I didn’t go into it with this in mind. I wanted to save time and I also made it clear that there is no substitute for doing research when it comes to buying a car so if they thought the Internet was their ticket to a better price, they shouldn’t even bother.
Armed with that bit of advice they came here to Edmunds and a couple other places and did their research. Then they e-mailed 3 or 4 dealers with all the particulars and specifically asked that no calls be made and if anyone called that was an automatic disqualification. You guessed it, each of them had 1 salesman call not too long after they received a reply to their e-mails (and it wasn’t from the same dealership since they were shopping different cars) and surprise, surprise, surprise, these were the only dealers that didn’t provide a price in their e-mails but rather wrote “come on down, we have several of what you are interested in”.
When they mentioned this to me, I said, “it looks like you found a dealer that still does business using old school methods and the Internet is just a front for them and this proved it”.
Now a question to you guys in the biz. Would you say that the Internet method has provided more sales over the last couple of years compared to prior years or do you still spend the same amount of time with people who like to waste your time? I have to think that it’s gotten better but I’m sure you’ll let me know if I’m wrong.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
So yes, get quotes after your test drive, so you know what you are working with.
This has helped me so much, also just using the internet to research cars has helped out alot. It is harder for a dealer to pull one over ya, be careful, and not everyone will reply to ya.
Getting Internet quotes from dealers where you have already been talking to a salesman makes it a little awkward because they are usually different people. Therefore, I would get Internet quotes from dealers that you have not gone to, if there are any left that are close by. If there aren’t, get Internet quotes from dealers farther away and use these as bargaining chips. You could easily get better prices from dealers farther away because this would probably be a sale that they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten so they might just give you the best price. If that happens, you are the only one that can decide if traveling that distance is worth the price.
The dilemma you’re in is why I start with the Internet and let the salesman know before I show up that even though I have already agreed to a price, I must be satisfied with the test drive or there will be no deal. I know you can’t do this now; I only mention it so you can consider it the next time.
none of them pestered us at all at the dealership or at home by phone or email and it has been 15 days since our visit. I'm surprised!
Don't get so excited your phone may ring yet.
Good luck and let us know how you do/did.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I would suggest to ask for quotes from all dealers under your real name and email address, and then do the same from a different email address and give them a fake name (be creative, don’t make it obvious that it’s fake). Take lowest quote to your favorite salesman and have him match it. If he doesn’t match it, go to the next store. When you ask for quotes, just make sure that you request for an itemized Out the Door quotes. Otherwise they will pile additional junk fees on you when you get there.
Good luck.
Because of their dismal quality ratings those are being blown out. Looks like you not in a rush to buy cause if you are a couple of phone calls should get you below invoice on it with no problems. Course you need to watch carefully on Toyota invoices cause the dealers are really creative with them.
It depends on whether you are talking new or used car.
Our used car sales have improved on the internet.
We have shipped used cars all over the country. Often without even meeting the customer.
N/C sales on the internet haven't shown the same improvement.
A lot of time wasters and tire kickers
You are just pulling #'s out of thin air. Most of the time you will get dismissed.
I would rather make a mini with an educated customer who doesn't waste my time, that make a little more with a pissed of guy who's "bought cars for 20 year and knows what he's doing". And then gives me a crap survey.
I'm telling you, most of you are going about it the wrong way.
What about the customer that buys at MSRP then gives you a crap survey? That make you feel a little better since there was profit in the deal?
I'm just curious. When I walk into a dealership and become one of the ups I always ask for the best looking female salesperson they got. Why? If you're going to spend a good amount of time there it's only logical that you enjoy the view. Who cares what you pay as long as you're having a good time doing it.
"Best price" is a myth, there is no such thing. You want to get a fair competetive deal? Do your research, ask for an offer, if you don't like it - counter it, shop it, but you have to know what you are doing.
Saying "Just give me your best price" is saying " I'm too lazy and ignorant to do my own research, so why don't you do that for me".
You wouldn't know "best price" if it landed on your head, if you didn't do you research.
Best way to buy is by being a lay down. Everyone's sooo happy!! You'll be the most popular person at the dealership. Try it you'll like it.
This creates animosity amongs the sales people and it is not very ethical IMHO.
Mack
Mack
:shades:
Does this mean you actually walk in and say "I want your best looking female salesperson"...or do you look around and make your own selection?
I know you are trying to be funny(empahsis on trying) but the other poster is right.
99% of the time, there is NO SUCH THING as a best price.
If you ask for,and get a "best price" and then come back and ask the dealer to lower it by $200, 9 times out of 10 the dealer will.
So, how good was that price in the first place?
Then again when I think about it there aren't many female salespeople around to begin with so more often than not I'll work with whoever approaches me.
Long story short. He takes out his pad and writes the license number of the two trucks I'm interested in while talking on his cell. We get back to the office and he talks to another salesperson then introduces him to me excusing himself saying that he had to pick his wife up from the airport.
So I ask this new guy if that other guy gave him the license numbers for the trucks I was interested in. Course he says no the guy was in a rush and had already left. So here we go back to the lot to get the license plates of now one truck as I had ruled the second one out. No test drive though he did try to get me to drive it.
The laydown. When we were on the lot I asked the new guy how long he had been at the dealership. He tells me its his second day at work, however he has over 35 years in the car business and just came out of retirement since having a daughter that's 5 years old and ready to go to private school. Guy says he is 55 years old.
Get back to the office and I tell him I'll split the difference between MSRP and invoice minus $500. He goes to the desklady comes back in two minutes telling me its a deal only problem is there's a 2.5 hour wait to get into F&I. No problem. Give him a deposit check and tell him to call me when it slows or I'll be back at 8:30 pm whichever is first. Eventually got into F&I around 9:30 pm and out by 10:15.
Some make it so hard to buy a vehicle with months of test driving and research. I really believe a "laydown" is the way to go.
That is some what how it works. I have been in the business for over 8yrs and most with the internet. The dealership does it what it can to make money where it can becasue the internet is so agggressive and that is not where you make money in this busniess its where you move cars. I would like to help with your article so please contact me directly if you would like and we can chat. I have a blog and my user name as shown is nissansubaru.
Thanks
SW
Or get the competing quotes first and make an offer to the test drive dealer.
Don't play games, but at the very least let the first dealer compete for your business. Be up front and courteous.
That’s not always the case. Although I don’t say “give me your best price”, I let the salesman go to the desk and come back with a price. It’s always too high and then to save time I give them my price. It’s a one time offer, take it or leave it and the last two times they took it.
Like in 05’ when I had an internet price that was high and when I called, I was told to come in and they would better the price. The store policy was you had to come in after the Internet price was given. Since the place was close I went in. The salesman goes to the desk, gives me a price that was too high. I gave him mine, deal done.
I told this tale once before.
I went to a Christmas party in 06’, there were some guys there that were talking about cars and buying them (imagine that). I had just bought in June of 06’ so I was interested in some of the war stories that were being told. This one guy says he went in with a large manila envelope and he slides the Internet reply from a dealer out of this envelope just far enough so that the salesman can see that it is a from another dealer. He then says, “This is from so and so as you can see and it’s a good price. If you can beat it I’ll buy from you”. The salesman asks if he can see it, to which he is told NO and this guy says, “This dealer didn’t ask to see anybody’s price when he gave his price to me, so it would be unfair if I showed you his price but like I said, if you beat it I’ll buy from you but you only have one shot at this”.
The salesman goes off to his higher authority and comes back with a price that is $50 higher than the Internet price. This guy says, “to have some fun,” he got up to leave saying, you missed see ya. He had no intention of driving to this farther away dealer for $50 but before he could say, “OK it’s a deal”, the salesman says please don’t leave, give us another shot”. So, he sits down and is thinking this is going to be fun. The salesman comes back quickly with a price that is $150 less than his first price. So, not being so quick to say OK to the first price saved this guy $100. Of course the salesman wants to see the email and at first this guy didn’t want to show it to him but thought if he didn’t this could kill the deal, so he showed it to the salesman. The salesman looks at it, is shocked, and said, “you would have driven over THERE to save $50? To keep the deal he said, “sure, why not? Now both of them were happy.
You wouldn't know "best price" if it landed on your head, if you didn't do you research.
Now that I agree with.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
yeah, yer right. Why try to find something you might enjoy? Just throw a dart at an inventory sheet at your nearest store (no matter the brand) and pay the asking price.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I didn't bother test driving. Asked the salesman if we needed to do the grind and he said he would give me his best price and would call when the car came in. Two weeks later as promised he calls and asks if I was still intent on purchasing the vehicle. I said sure I'll be in later in the afternoon to wrap it up. He says fine it will be prepped and ready to go.
So here I walk in to the dealership and see the car up front looking really good. Black with chrome rims. I find the salesman and he walks with me over to F&I with his sales folder. Funny thing he sat in with the F&I manager. All the papers were already typed up and they asked if there was any of the mop and glo stuff that I wanted to add to the car like a spoiler, etc. I told them I wanted the windows tinted and since I had a month left on the lease they could keep the car till the tint guy could get at it.
Remember no price has been discussed since my last face to face where he assured me he would give his best price. So finally F&I guy gives me the sales contract to sign. I glance at the price....yep MSRP. Neither say anything so I asked if I could bypass the dealership and pay cash for the tint. The salesman says he can arrange a direct payment to the tint guy so thats no problem. I signed all the forms and the sales contract.
Two days later when picking up the car I asked the salesman how long have you been selling cars for this dealership. He says going on close to 40 years. He says it will be his first and last sales job. I also said to him hey George I thought you agreed that you would give me your best price for the car. He looks at me straight in the eye and says..."I did".
May I ask...why?
Beautiful.
This is not a story about a laydown, this is a story about a true professional salesman.
I don't know about that. The salesman kept his word. But, I think it was a bit misleading in saying obyone katoby would be getting his best price. Which in most peoples minds would be less than MSRP. The fact that he looked him straight in the eye and said, "I did" doesn't mean he was telling the truth. Maybe he was... maybe he wasn't.
I signed because it seemed to be the logical thing to do.
The dealership received 4 Regal GS and only one in black. Without additional information like what's provided by Edmunds I was thinking that it could be the going rate for the car. Plus when comparing MONTHLY payment against the Lincoln I was saving $175 a month. Being a lease I'm also thinking I'll be out of the car in three years.
It also sounds like this salesperson would be a good poker player.
-moo
I stand behind similar people at the local quickie-mart as they buy lottery tickets. I'm happy to let such people help pay my taxes and cover the overhead at the car stores.
This is not a story about a laydown, this is a story about a true professional salesman.
Spoken like a professional car salesman.
By definition when you pay MSRP you are a lay down and to prove it I looked up "laydown" in "car salesman's 101" very first text book and what do you think was there? No words, just a huge smiling face with the name OBYONE under it.
It takes hot pants to buy a hot car. That's in "car salesman 101" too but as long as you're happy it's a good deal also something out of "car salesman 101".
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Ok so are we all in agreement that I am a laydown? :shades:
An interesting point about that dealership. They had been around since the late 1800s selling horse drawn carriages. My salesperson was the youngest on their staff at 59. The oldest I was told was 76. We are talking about the salesforce. Needless to say I doubt half of them are there anymore.
Mack
If you hadn't said, " I thought you were going to give me your best price?"... you would have been what they call in the biz as a "Royal Virginal Laydown".... pure, with absolutely no resistance to price. So, technically you were not a highly ranked laydown... just one of those "commoner"... mid to lower level laydowns. :P
Don't be a sucker - e-mail the nearest 10 dealerships and ask for photos. Otherwise, you will end up negotiating for half an hour.
Floor guy: "Ok, I talked to my manager. He says that he could have Janey wear a platinum wig and high heels, but he can't do any more."
We also pay for the leads.
So the company makes decent coin from both sides, dealers, and customers, but for us is not worth it because we rarely make any money on the deals, and many of them are out of towners who use our quotes to buy from local dealers.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I would suggest you talk with your GM. Tell him since you are the internet department manager, you should be paid as the desk managers get paid. See what he says.
Mack
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Mack