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Example: this summer when I was in the market for a Mustang, I found a suitable unit at an out of town store. Upon first meeting the saleman, I advised him of my target numbers (both new car price and trade) at the outset. I made it clear that these were the numbers that were on the table at another store and he needed to beat them to make the sale. Even in light of this, his first proffered numbers were about $4000 high. Indeed, his price on the new car was, amazingly, over MSRP.
Now, as it happened, I was in town (in Brunswick, a Cleveland suburb) on business and had time to kill so I played along for another couple of rounds. And, sure enough, they eventually came way off their first quotes. However, they never came particularly close to my target figures and let me walk. I went to my hometown store in Columbus the following day and made a deal (the exact same one I'd told the Brunswick store they needed to beat) for the Brunswick car which the Columbus store traded for the next day.
But, we're not all robots are we? Everyone is different in their likes and dislikes... am I right? Of course I am.
If you want a fast food type of deal, that includes a very good price in a limited amount of time, then jmonroe would be the way to go.
If you want to pay the absolute lowest price possible with the time investment principles ... then soca...uhh.. then pch101 is the one.
So, to say who's method is best, one must first ask the question of what are these individuals goals before entering into said vehicle transaction. If they meet these goals during their car purchasing experience, then that is the best method... for them.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
He said " a good negotiator will get the last nickel out of every contract, but a REALLY GOOD negotiator knows which is the last nickel".
Same idea with a car deal, only replace the nickel with $100.00 or whatever amount is important to you. At some point the grinding has to quit and you think you have your best deal and sign the contract.
I wasn't commenting on what you do personally, but what needs to be done to get the dealer's best number. The dealer needs to exhaust his bag of tricks and believe that you will leave if the price is a penny higher if you are going to get the best price. Just as you don't get to walk to first after one ball in a baseball game, they aren't going to show you the bottom line price at the beginning of the negotiation.
Of course, this requires that you use the negotiation process to bump the price downward, rather than let the dealership move it upward. You can and should use the same tactics on them that they would use on you.
It's not about your emotions; it's about the emotional desire of the dealership's staff to turn its time investment into you, the customer, into a commission and a closed sale. They don't spend their time with you kicking tires and serving you coffee just so you can leave them emptyhanded. It's a competitive business, and sales are one way of keeping score.
You should take advantage of their motivations to sell by understanding that the more time that they commit to completing your sale, the more eager they become to close it.
Dealers love to control the process. I don’t see why this has to be.
My last car purchase was a 2006 Outback. I don’t have the advantage of shopping many dealers for a product (I live in a lightly populated state). For the Subaru, there are only 3 dealers within 150 miles. One dealer had very low inventory, as well as a “bad reputation” (I’ve dealt with them before), so that leaves only 2 dealers to work with. The far one (100 miles away) had aggressive year end pricing, and were offering above KBB trade in values on my used Subaru. New car price was below invoice, as well as the rebate on top of that. All this was done via email.
I called the “local” dealer (40 miles away), told them I had a great offer, and they agreed to beat that price. The next day, I drove down with my trade in (they actually appraised it over the phone; they had seen the car before for servicing and warranty work).
My new car was waiting for me in front of the dealership, washed, prepped, ready to go. No need for the “salesman schmooze and the test drive”. Filling out all the paperwork and forms took about 40 minutes, and I shot the bull for a while (salesman is a nice guy, I bought my previous car from him), and there were no tricks, no “bumps” or anything else. Not even an additional “Doc” fee. I got a great deal, and I (or the dealer) didn’t need to play the game of a “bags of tricks”.
Also, my time is valuable; I shudder when I read stories of people spending 5-6 hours at a dealership grinding the numbers. I’d rather have root canal. Like the bobst (or jmonroe) method, my shopping experience is pleasant, stress-free, and enjoyable. I would never subject myself to the shenanigans that many of you say is normal in the car purchasing process.
To me, car buying is not emotional. It’s no different that buying a new TV for my den. If I can’t get the deal I want, I just won’t purchase the car.
Bob
I had dealers calling me with their best offer, did it all via fax and phone, and went with the best deal. The dealers knew they were competing for my business and the process couldn't have been easier. agreed on a price, took 20 minutes to sign the paperwork and I was on my way.
How can I easily determine selling prices?
Not really. I want to test drive the car, anyway, and since this is such a big deal to the dealer, I see no reason why I shouldn't. I use that time to make sure that I'm not going to have buyer's remorse and to let the dealership get more deeply invested in the deal. I don't sit there with a stopwatch, but I expect the whole process to take about an hour or so, including the test drive and opening chit chat.
You need to get through to the sales managers as they are the ones who can approve low profit deals.
The sales manager has to approve all deals, regardless. I've also gone the direct-to-sales-manager route, and find at least in my cases that it provides no benefit in getting to a low price. Sometimes, I find that the greenpea is actually easier to deal with, because he's more likely to make mistakes that benefit you (like showing you that overflow lot ten minutes from the dealership that you didn't know about and that is just stacked with inventory.)
I had dealers calling me with their best offer, did it all via fax and phone, and went with the best deal.
The fax blast/ email method seems to work better with some cars than with others. You can buy a Corolla, Cobalt, etc.like that at a relatively low price, but when you move up the ladder to the luxury brands, then they have loftier profit goals (even if they'll often settle for less). I may try the email/internet thing the next time just for fun, but frankly, I don't expect to have much luck getting the bottom price on the types of cars that I'm inclined to buy.
If you read these forums, you find a fair number of people who seem to get little to no response from their online dealings. Perhaps the customers complaining don't do a good job of it, I don't know -- for example, many of them may not be making it clear that they are serious buyers -- but a lot of internet departments seem more interested in setting appointments than truly selling online.
I don't see any reason that you can't both negotiate effectively and spend far less than 5 or 6 hours at a dealership. I suspect that a car buyer who spends that much time at a dealership is the grindee, not the grinder -- the dealer is bumping and packing left and right, and isn't going to stop until they can't squeeze another drop. That's an example of the dealer effectively using time against the buyer, not the other way around.
Like the bobst (or jmonroe) method, my shopping experience is pleasant, stress-free, and enjoyable.
Actually, I love buying cars, it's great sport. But I define a pleasant experience as one in which I pay the least amount of money possible.
The far one (100 miles away) had aggressive year end pricing, and were offering above KBB trade in values on my used Subaru. New car price was below invoice, as well as the rebate on top of that. All this was done via email.
I called the “local” dealer (40 miles away), told them I had a great offer, and they agreed to beat that price.
It was smart for you to get them to compete with one another. (You may not want to call that a "trick", but you did use that trick on them.) Just keep in mind that cars at year-end often include significant incentives paid to the dealer post-sale, so you may have been able to haggle for more had you done it in person. But if you live in a rural area, then I can understand why you would prefer to do it via email instead, the methods that pay off in a major metro market aren't necessarily suited to someone in a more remote place.
That's not really the question at issue for the dealer. From their perspective, for the low price deal, it's "I've spent an hour with this customer, and he seems savvy enough to get a good deal from someone else. Should I let him walk, earning zilch and losing a sale to my competition while hoping that someone else comes along soon to buy this car, or should I sell this one now, and replace it with another car that can be also sold for some type of profit?"
Unless that particular model is scarce and demand is high, they'd rather dump the car today and get some other car to take its place than hang onto it as it gathers more interest charges, not sure when it will be sold. For a very popular model, that won't happen because that would be throwing money away -- there is some assurance that another buyer will come along soon enough, and equally good replacement inventory won't be turning up too quickly for a hot seller. But on a regular car with abundant inventory, there isn't much reason not to if they figure that another dealer is going to make the sale if they don't.
Thanks for trying to “help”, jip. I knew if anyone would try, it would be you.
If you want a fast food type of deal, that includes a very good price in a limited amount of time, then jmonroe would be the way to go.
If you want to pay the absolute lowest price possible with the time investment principles ... then soca...uhh.. then pch101 is the one.
I wanted a fast deal and I got it, for my price. How can you do better than that?
You might argue that the price I set was too high (I know that it wasn’t) but given this is the price I’m going to hold to, how would spending more time getting to this price have been beneficial to me?
So, to say who's method is best, one must first ask the question of what are these individuals goals before entering into said vehicle transaction.
Given the above criteria, the way I do it is the best way to do it.
Now do you see why “I Did it My Way” ? (sing along here like Frank did).
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I don't know how you do it but I use a varity of resources, including Edmunds (TMV's and what people post on prices paid forums) and a few places that sell with their "low no haggle" prices posted on the internet. Then I take it from there.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
You're contradicting yourself, You say that you use time to your advantage now you say that the whole process should take an hour or so iincluding the test drive? I would think that someone who uses the tactic of time would spend at least an hour negotiating alone.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I think it's common knowledge that the longer you stay at the negotiating table, the more time you've got invested in a deal (and less likely to walk out on a deal).
The longer you sit there, the more opportunities the dealer will have to bump up your offer.
If you've done your research, know the market in your area for the particular car you're interested in, the more confidence you'll have in your offer. Once you know what number you want, it should be a pretty easy process.
These long drawn out scenarios with multiple offers back and forth may give the buyer the "illusion" that they've worked hard for a good deal. But in reality, in my experiences, you go in with a number you've done thorough research on and resist the bumps. 9/10ths the time, the dealer won't let you walk once you throw it out there. The sales person isn't going anywhere. It's their job to keep you at the negotiation table and turn it into a deal.
As buyers, we've got the check book. We can get up and leave at any time. IF the dealership knows you're willing to walk on a deal, you'll get to a good price in pretty short order.
Paraphrasing here, but it should go something like this....
Buyer..."here's the number you need to meet/beat...give it your best shot".
Seller...."We really need to be $xxx above your offer"
Buyer...."thanks for your time, but that won't get it done" (walks out).
Seller...."wait a minute...I might be able to get your number"
Buyer..."I'm comfortable with my numbers...either you can, or can't do it"
Seller.....(after conferring with the SM and stating the buyer will walk unless "THE NUMBER")..."we can make that deal".
You can wait around for the inevitable BUMP, but it could cost you another $100-$200 more by getting into a "back and forth" discussion, but it will eventually cost you money, regardless of your starting point.
Yes it is the question for the dealership. Anyone with serious business training knows that there is a trade off between inventory turn over and per unit profit, as well as in inventory cost. At any given price point inventory turns over at a given rate and there is a certain profit made on each sale. Move the price up and inventory turn over slows down but profit per unit increases. Of course the opposite is also true.
The trick here is to find the price point that gives the greatest overall profit. A price point that if the price increases the added per unit profit doesn't cover the added inventory cost and if it decreases the savings in inventory costs doesn't make up the loss in per unit profit.
No the question comes down to this. I have this guy here that wants a deal that will give me a profit of $100 sure he can get this deal someplace else but if the chances are good that in the next week I can sell it for a profit of $500 why should I sell to this guy?
So the question come down to, do I sell the car now for a $100 profit or wait a week for the $500 profit sale?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I've dealt with one of the principals in the dealership as a salesman so I haven't run into that for a long time.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Fact is, you're sitting there right now, ready to buy the car. Dealer can make a quick deal, or they can wait.....and hope something better comes along. Do they want to throw the dice when they've got a "live wire" in front of them?
Same for the buyer. From what I've gathered in posts at Edmunds, some couldn't recognize a good deal if it hit them in the face.
Dealership knows that the competition down the street may very well take the buyer's offer. Why let them walk and go down the street?
If the offer is ridiculous, I can see where the dealer may let the buyer walk. But, if it's a "skinny deal", it's still doable. As long as you're professional/courteous about it, I can't see why a dealership would let you walk on a skinny deal.
Somebody mentioned that the longer the car is in dealership's inventory, the more it costs them. True, but it shouldn't matter to the buyer whehter the car was in inventory a day or 6 months. The market for the car is what it is. Dealership can't expect to get more for a car because of the legnth of time it's in inventory since they've got a dozen other ones sitting on the lot just like it.
In my experience, the longer a car sits in inventory, the more anxious the dealership is to move it.
This is the problem when you get stuck in the theoretical mentality of cost accounting -- you start believing that money is earned in ratios and percentages, when it is earned in dollars and cents. Businesses have to manage inventory and cash flow, bogus efficiency ratios don't pay the bills.
The dealer buys cars on credit, and pays interest for holding them. The longer that the dealership holds a car, the less money it earns on it because of the borrowing costs. The dealer will recover all of this and more if it sells it fast -- it collects holdback -- but that holdback will be burned through if it isn't sold within 60-90 days.
A dealership has only so much space and borrowing capacity to carry a certain number of cars. If the dealer lets inventory go stale, its costs are increasing AND it's losing the opportunity to sell more units. In contrast, if it sells a vehicle, the dealer gets money from the sale and an opportunity to buy another car that can also be sold in its place.
No the question comes down to this. I have this guy here that wants a deal that will give me a profit of $100 sure he can get this deal someplace else but if the chances are good that in the next week I can sell it for a profit of $500 why should I sell to this guy?
Not really. If the dealer can obtain both sales, then he makes $600, which is better than $500. That's why it's smart to find out about inventory levels -- it gives you an idea of whether the dealer can do both deals or not. With the hot car, the dealer has to make a choice between the $500 and the $100, but with a normal car, the dealer can sell both of them.
And if selling more of those cars that are available in large quantities, such as a Corolla, allows the dealer to get an extra allocation of a highly popular car such as the Prius which is a home run that can definitely be sold at MSRP, then he'd rather sell both the two Corollas and get his hands on that Prius, and then make several thousand dollars on the whole thing. The opportunity to earn additional profits from taking your trade, the F&I department and post-sales service work could also motivate the lower-price sale.
Time is time. Whether you spend the first half hour with the guy driving around and hearing about the wonderful Corinthian leather (by the way, if anyone knows what Corinthian leather was, please let me know), or whether you spend it with your pen and calculator out, it's still time spent.
When you're haggling for large amounts, a lot of negotiation isn't just about trading numbers across the table, but in the courtship process that happens before that. I use the test drive to learn more about the other guy and his strengths and weaknesses. That's what the sales guy will be trying to do with you, too, so watch what you say, as it can and will be used against you once the numbers start coming out.
Yes but it all boils down to something I have been saying all along, know the market your in. A dealer knows (or has a pretty good ideal) of what they can and cannot sell a car for.
Let me poise the question another way. Would you rather sell the car at a $100 profit today of take a 50% chance that you will sell it for a $500 profit 30% chance of a $250 profit a 10% chance of a $100 or a 10% chance of a $75 profit within the next week?
Same for the buyer. From what I've gathered in posts at Edmunds, some couldn't recognize a good deal if it hit them in the face.
Oh I agree, again you ave to know the market to know if you have a good deal or not.
but it shouldn't matter to the buyer whehter the car was in inventory a day or 6 months. The market for the car is what it is.
Bingo you got it, thats what I have been saying all along. What is the market for the car? If you are to far below that market the dealership will let you walk.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Take those ads to the preferred dealership. Notice what their stock situation is for the model you're interested in. The more, the better.
Find invoice and MSRP here at Edmunds. If it's a common model (like a Chevy, Ford, Accord, Camry, etc) you should be able to hit a target price of a few hundred over invoice (less incentives..which can also be found here).
Let's say you're looking at a Camry. Dealerships should have plenty of stock. I would set my sights on offering $250-$300 over invoice, for example. You should get the dealerships to "bite" on that price. They'll try to bump you, but if you stick to your guns, you're going to find some dealership, somewhere, that'll make that deal.
High line models are a bit different. Audis, BMWs, etc are going to sell for substantially more than near invoice unless it's the end of the model year or a revamped model is soon to arrive.
There are exceptions to that rule, too. '06 Acura RLs were slow sellers. Acura stuck a $4K incentive on those. So, you can get well under invoice on those, for example. ON the other end, the Acura TL-S just came out. They're going to sell for near MSRP until more stock hit's the showrooms.
I was up late one night watching an A&E tv show where they interviewed Ricardo Montebon who did the car commercials which mentioned Corinthian leather. The host asked him what exactly it was and Montabon replied that they made the name up as it sounded luxurious!!!
How is that for truth in advertising.
Did you even read what I wrote? It had nothing to do with cost account and everything to do with maximizing the difference between what comes in and what goes out.
Maybe you should actually read what I wrote and comment on that instead.
The dealer will recover all of this and more if it sells it fast
Not so fast as any loss incurred can be made up by a higher profit when the car is sold.
Lest say that we have 102 cars in inventory and that the turn around time is an average of 3 weeks and you make $250 profit (before commission and inventory costs) on each car. Your inventory cost is $3 a day per car and you pay commission at the rate of 25% of that profit.
Lets say that I have the same 102 car and everything is the same expect that I have an inventory turn around time of 4 week and sells at a profit of $350. Sure you will sell 33% more cars but I will make 7.5% more in profit (after commissions and inventory costs).
So tell me what position would you rather be in?
You are looking at this in a to narrow field of view. You look only at inventory turnover and ignoring other factors that would influence pricing and overall profit.
its costs are increasing
In reality its overall costs do not increase (cost per unit may but not overall costs) since once a car is sold it is replaced in inventory.
the dealer gets money from the sale and an opportunity to buy another car that can also be sold in its place.
So you would rather sell two cars for $100 profit each than sell one car at a $250 profit? If so please see me, I have a wonderful deal for you.
Not really. If the dealer can obtain both sales, then he makes $600, which is better than $500.
Ah but if the dealer can make both sales whats to say he couldn't make two sales at a $500 profit each? $1,000 is better than $600.
And if selling more of those cars that are available in large quantities, such as a Corolla, allows the dealer to get an extra allocation of a highly popular car such as the Prius
Thats the wrench in the gears. If you are lucky and get to the dealer when its the end of the month and the dealer needs just one more Corolla then you can get a deal. However if that one Corolla that they need just was sold too bad for you. Also what if they need to sell 10 more corollas by month end for that extra allocation and its wednesday nigh the last day of the month, are you going to buy all ten that they need?
The opportunity to earn additional profits from taking your trade, the F&I department
More sand in the gears, If you get the short end on the trade in or paid to much in financing did you really get that good of a deal?
Hey I bough that new sludgemobile for $2K under invoice and they gave me $3K on my trade in (that was worth $8K trade in value). Which is one of the reasons I don't trade in cars.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Ah Socal, the back peddling begins. You specifically states that you use time to your advantage in negotiations. Now you are saying that it only takes an hour or so. So what is it? Do you use time to your advantage or do you have a quick sale and get over with it.
FWIW an hour or so is not that much time in the purchase of a car (for a can of soup maybe but not a car).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Lets say that I have the same 102 car and everything is the same expect that I have an inventory turn around time of 4 week and sells at a profit of $350. Sure you will sell 33% more cars but I will make 7.5% more in profit (after commissions and inventory costs).
So tell me what position would you rather be in?
That's a great theoretical exercise, but not really on point.
The issue for the dealership is more simple that: I've got a unit taking space and burning costs, and I've got a live prospect ready to buy it. Do I sell it to him or not?
Answer: If selling this car loses a very real opportunity to sell it soon to someone else for more, than no. But if it's like most cars, that can be easily obtained, then sure, why not? It's extra profit, even if the profit margin isn't that impressive.
The fact that you resorted to percentages in your example illustrates what you're missing. The dealer doesn't earn money in percentages, but in dollars.
To go back to your earlier example, it's better to sell two cars for $600 than one car for $500. If the dealer can only get his hands on one car, then he may hold out and wait for the $500 deal to come along later, but if he can do both, then he will.
First you were saying that a half hour is a long time, but now an hour is short? You've confused me with that one.
As I noted, time is time. If you spend the salespeoples' time talking about the CD changer and the double-wishbone suspension, how is that not a use of his time?
You don't need to spend an hour shouting about numbers or waving a hammer above your head in order to be laying the groundwork for negotiation. Really, it doesn't have to be so overtly aggressive, at least not in the beginning, to be effective.
Corinthian leather was a phrase invented for marketing use to describe the leather used in certain Chrysler luxury cars in the 1970s. The first use of this term was to describe the leather in the 1974 Chrysler Imperial, but the best known use of this term is from the advertising campaign for the 1976 Chrysler Cordoba, featuring celebrity spokesperson Ricardo Montalban.
According to one source, the term was created by employees of the Young & Rubicam advertising agency. [1].
Corinthian Leather is a marketing term that does not actually indicate any particular type of leather.
The television series Ed seemed to satirise this branding in an episode where a character attempted to sell ordinary frozen turkeys as "fine Corinthian turkeys" in a Thanksgiving moneymaking scheme [2]
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I thought it came from Corinth, TX.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Its exactly on point.
The issue for the dealership is more simple that: I've got a unit taking space and burning costs, and I've got a live prospect ready to buy it. Do I sell it to him or not?
the answer to that is basically what are my other options? Am I selling the car to this guy at far less than I know I could to the guy pulling in right now? If yes the guy I am talking to is going to have to come up with some more cash.
Its basically this, there is a market out there that is determining price. If you are below the range you walk without a car because there are plenty of others willing to buy inside that range.
The fact that you resorted to percentages in your example illustrates what you're missing.
the only percentage I included were commissions and how much more someone else would make if the held on longer to get more money. The fact that you are calling me on that shows that you cannot address the figures nor my argument.
Sometimes it is better and more profitable to let someone walk.
it's better to sell two cars for $600 than one car for $500.
yes and its better to sell one car at $500 than one car at $100. Its even better to sell two cars for $1,000 than two for $600.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
maybe if you actually read what I write you wouldn't be so confused. I said negotiations shouldn't take more than a half hour or so. You said the whole experience (test drive, getting to know the salesman, F&I, et al) should take only an hour or so. there is a major difference. Secondly you are the one who keep saying use time to your advantage in negotiations, an hour is very short for someone who makes those statements.
You contradict yourself Socal.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
You know, ever since you told me buying cars is “Easy-peesy” last summer, you have posted a series of horror stories about car transactions involving your family. Are you ready to take your bows now as a skilled car buyer? Sometimes simplicity requires sophistication.
BTY, you were pretty nice to flc2006. No reason for him to take offense that I saw.
1. The fax attack has limited to no success on really "hot" high demand models (prius/all newly released redesigned models).
2. you must get through to the sales or fleet manager. The internet department in most dealerships are just staffed by regular sales folk who don't have the authority to make a skinny deal.
3. fax attack must be done at month end when dealers are trying to reach monthly sales goals.
That being said, while Edmunds offers good information regarding pricing, I wouldn't look to the TMV as a guide as to what to pay.
Case in point - I purchased a 2007 Corolla LE about a month ago (there was no rebate in my area at that time) which had an MSRP of $17,325 and invoice of $15,681. Edmunds TMV states that others were paying $16,678 for a similarly equipped vehicle.
I used the fax attack specified in information received from www.fightingchance.com and received 8 offers ranging from $15,500 to $16,250 (the high offer was due to an assistant SM passing me off to a regular salesman therefor bringing a commission into play). I ended up taking the low offer of $15,500 and only paid tax and tags to close the deal. There were no other hidden fees, doc prep, etc. for everyone who is thinking that.
If I would have accepted the TMV as accurate or as a starting point for negotiations, I could have easily overpaid by approx. $1,200 or more.
It's eventually going to come around full circle again....debating opportunity costs, average profit/vehicle (spread over 100s of vehicles) and accounting theory. Along with dealership business models, whether "grinding" is worthwhile, etc.
But, if you want to start the debate again....have at it.
We've been down this road before. We already know the outcome.
TMV is just another tool. Not the only tool, but a tool nevertheless.
Some like face-to-face deals (I do). Some like "fax blasts". Some like e-mail only.
Like anything else, if it works for you, it's the "right way" for you.
Nope not handy at least. I tried to get a friend of mine that is an expert on dealership finances to come here and join some of this but he just doesn't want to. To bad he could clear a lot of this up.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Yep we do, I am bowing out of anymore dealings with Socal.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
My Head hurts already.
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Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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A reporter with a national newspaper is hoping to talk with consumers who have ever gotten or given a car for Christmas. The reporter is especially interested in funny/unusual or good or bad experiences and what works or what doesn’t. Please reply to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Tuesday, December 5, 2006 with your daytime contact info.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
That is good. Really good.
I have used the "December to remember" line and taken my wife to ALL the local Lexus events as a hint and all I get is "well, you only have 120k miles on your current car. Dad always keeps his until 250k."
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
For example, I learn something new all the time. Snake pointed me to a GM dealership in N.J. (I believe) that advertises their cars' discounted prices on the internet. In the market for a "Vette"? Kerbeck's is where you go to use their internet pricing at your local dealership. Grand Honda in Chicago advertises good prices in the Chicago Tribune on all Hondas. If I was in the market, I'd use their ads as the price to beat at your local Honda stores.
I do believe the easier you make the deal, the better you'll end up. Do your research. Deal with people you trust. Know what other cars are selling for around your area (newspaper ads, Edmunds, rebates, incentives, etc). Know what the stock situation is for the model you're interested in. Have your number in mind for the particular make/model you want. Stick to that number. Have confidence that it can get a deal done.
The longer you grind at the negotiation table, the more "bumps" you're going to get. One of those "bumps" is likely going to tickle your fancy (as these things go, it's likely to be the last bump). Take the "bump" out of the equation.
Understand that, for the most part, the salesperson doesn't set the "buy" number on the dealership's end. It's management that does that. The salesperson is there to demonstrate the car and to "bump" your number.
Be polite and courteous, but firm in your number. From that point, it should be "easy-peasy".
flc?....well, what can you say. Gotta let stuff like that roll of your back. Tried to help. Didn't intend to be mean. He's a young guy. He'll learn in good time.