When to Bring Trade-in into Discussion?

1socalgal1socalgal Member Posts: 12
edited March 2015 in Honda
This is a pretty generic question. I've gathered a number of internet quotes for the car I'm looking at including OTD quotes - some of which are very enticing. Some are so good that I blush. I've not mentioned to any of the dealers that I have a vehicle I want to trade in, but none of them has asked, either. They, too, may view new car and trade-in as separate deals, which is how I've approached the matter. I've checked Kelley Blue Book and have an idea how much I might get for the vehicle -- and that ties in to how much cash I expect to spend on the car. I don't want to sell it via AutoTrader, etc. I have yet to visit a dealer or even drive the new car but some of the internet sales people are pressing me to make a commitment on the new car. (1) I don't know if an email commitment is legally binding, but (2) I am unsure how to bring the trade-in into the discussion. Just arriving in the vehicle will be enough to signal "ah, this is a trade-in" but could that scotch the dealer's offer on the new car? How should I proceed?

Comments

  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Well, since you haven't made a commitment to buy yet, I would think you bring the trade-in into the discussion now.

    When you tell them what you have to trade, they're going to give you a value on your old car. If you think you can sell it for more privately, and think it's worth your time to do so, then maybe you go that route. But you say you "don't want to sell it via AutoTrader, etc." So you need to let them know you have something to trade in to start the process. The fact that they have waved a price in front of you was done with no knowledge on their part that you MIGHT have a trade. And that's something you've decided to not tell them. Hard to imagine them not asking if you were trading in unless you simply asked for a price without a trade figured in.

  • 1socalgal1socalgal Member Posts: 12
    Edmunds.com lays out 9 steps to buying a new car and never includes the matter of a trade-in. Oddly, none of the internet sales people ever asked - and I didn't want to conflate the 2 deals. True, I didn't volunteer info, but I would have told them had they asked. Well, onward....
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