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Buying Tips - How Do I Get the Best Deal?

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Comments

  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    I agree with you there, i've went to a few dealerships months ago and made my offer however I was basically shot down and they stuck to the selling price of their car and I was never contacted back by them,

    Months in the car biz is an eternity. The reason you were never contacted is probably because, at that time, you found the market condition for that car.

    Now that you're looking again, months later, with new models closer to being introduced, you're now in a different market.

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • joe131joe131 Member Posts: 998
    "...the dealership i'm working with now are at the numbers where I want to be."
    "...I am getting the best deal since the dealer took my first offer..."
    "...checking in with other dealerships...isn't this the whole process of negotiating the best deal?"

    Your posts are confusing.
    Did you and a dealer agree on a price or not? Did you tell the dealer you'd buy at a price he agreed to?
    Your posts seem to indicate you made a deal to buy, but then you say you think you are still negotiating. If you made a deal to buy, then the negotiating is over, right?

    What am I missing here? Can you or anyone else explain?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    LOL!! The answer is simple. He lied to the salesman.

    He gave them a price that was acceptable to him. When it was met with no hesitation, he backed out....go figure.

    And that was after his price was rejected by previous dealers.

    Now if the salseman had given a hard time on the price then finally agreeing to it I'm sure he would be driving the car today.
  • joe131joe131 Member Posts: 998
    I wonder if that same person who gives his word he'll buy and then backs out of the deal would get upset if he went back to a dealer who had agreed to sell at a certain price and is told by that dealer that it had changed its mind and no longer wanted to sell it for that.
  • nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    Good point joe131. If he has done his homework...made an offer...and the dealer said o.k..then there is no doubt that he should go there and get the da-n car. How much advice do you want obyone???Everyone has told you what to do and you still are beating around the bush!!! Go get the CAR!!!
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,296
    I wonder if that same person...would get upset....

    Sure, it happens all the time... on both sides. A lady on the Toyota Sienna board posted of making a confirmed deal via e-mail, then showing up to take possession. But, when she got there the van was gone, dealership gave excuse it couldn't find the keys, then told her they had sold it for more money.

    The only difference is dealerships/businesses are "expected" to act in a professional and truthful manner. No one expects such behavior from individual human beings.
    2021 Honda Passport EX-L, 2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Lowball...remember that one?

    And people wonder why dealers do that.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Hmmm...I'm not the one buying a car. At least I don't think I am. You know something I don't?
  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    The negotiating isn't over, just because the first dealer took my offer, I did not sign anything to purchase the car, nor did I leave a deposit for the car to be held for me, I realize theres a chance it may be sold as I stated before theres other dealers that I can purchase the same car from, there isn't anyone being lied to, why is there such an uproar about negotiating from dealer to dealer?
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    Why an "uproar?" Because when your offer is accepted, the negotiation is over and you buy the vehicle.

    THAT is far different from solicting prices from various dealers prior to accepting one.
  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 24,200
    "...would get upset if he went back to a dealer...and is told by that dealer that it had changed its mind..."

    That exact thing happened to me once. I asked what the price they would be willing to sell for, was given a price, thought about it for 24 hours and then accepted. It was then I was told "That was yesterday's price" and was quoted a price $500 higher. I guess when buying a car, thinking is expensive.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    The negotiating isn't over,

    Sorry but if you offer and they accept then the negotiations are over.

    If you don't want to buy the car for that amount don't make the offer.

    In my book once an offer is made and accepted then both parties have a moral obligation to go through with the deal. That is unless some unforeseen event happens.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    I would have countered with $500 less than yesterdays price. I can play those games too and if they want my business they will take it or I can go elsewhere.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,350
    I think some people are putting too much faith in this "deal". Just because he asked if they would sell a unit for $x.xx, and they said yes, he is not obligated to buy it.

    Not having a tape of the negotiations, I am assuming he said something like "would you sell it to me for X?, not "if you will sell it for X, I give my boy scout oath that I will buy it right now"

    Prices are also only good as long as you are negotiating. Unless stated otherwise, any offer made is null and void once the shopper walks out the door. So yes, it is reasonable for the salesguy to say that was yesterdays offer, although there are more tactful ways to say it!

    Finally, businesses are regulated and work under a different set of standards. So there are cases where they could be held to honor a deal where a buyer couldn't be forced to purchase a car.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    I think some people are putting too much faith in this "deal". Just because he asked if they would sell a unit for $x.xx, and they said yes, he is not obligated to buy it.

    Technically making an offer and having it accepted creates a contract. However in most state (I think all) such verbal contracts are only valid on deals under a certain dollar amount.

    So basically if he made an offer to buy the car for a set amount and it was accepted he has somewhat of a moral obligation to follow through.

    Prices are also only good as long as you are negotiating.

    So once you agree on a price its no longer good?

    any offer made is null and void once the shopper walks out the door.

    I will strongly disagree with you on this one. Unless stated an offer should be valid for a reasonable amount of time. 24 hours is more than reasonable. Technically an offer is good until rescinded or in cases where a time limit was included in the offer.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    If I get a customer that makes an offer with intent to buy, and once his/her offer is accepted they still choose not to go ahead, then chances are I won't be following up with them either.

    I may do it just to see if they bought anything, but if they try to renegotiate I won't take them seriously.

    In simpler terms: you make an offer to buy, the price is agreed but you don't buy. Then you call me a few days later and ask me if I can drop the price more. At that point I won't want to waste anymore time unless you come in and sit down with me and give me acredit card for a deposit BEFORE I present another offer ot the manager.

    As for the first offer being accepted, it doesn't mean you offered too much. Maybe a dealer or saleman has met his quota, or target, or it's late in the day or whatever, the car's in stock, ready to go, and that's when they might accept a first offer. We're humans too and don't enjoy grinding as much as people think we do.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • plektoplekto Member Posts: 3,738
    Wow. What a bunch of hacks those shoppers are. Seriously - I can think of a dozen ways to walk out without making the salesperson any wiser about wanting to shop around further.

    The classic is that you need to bring your wife/husband/etc in to see the car. Another is that you need to talk to your credit union to see about financing(this works well if it's after 5pm/they are closed). There are many other ways to do so without being a jerk about it.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    I would think that any salesman worth their weight in sales slips would see that for what it really is.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • joe131joe131 Member Posts: 998
    That's different. You never had a deal. A deal is an agreement, an offer and an acceptance. The first day you did not accept. The second day the dealer did not. So, no deal either day. Neither person reneged on the deal because there never was one.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    You make and offer that is accepted then turn around and say wait...you accepted my offer but I need to check around if that is the best deal I can do.

    What's missing? I wish Bobst was here to explain the logic on this one.
  • vsp1619vsp1619 Member Posts: 1
    I have a few months to spare before I buy my new car- until dec/jan. Any experiences on whether the deals are better before christmas or just after new years?
  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 24,200
    "...I would think that any salesman worth their weight in sales slips would see that for what it really is..."

    Which makes it tough if you are telling the truth. The business is so jaded that even if you don't play games, the salesman still thinks you are.

    I guess I'll follow the advice of a poster from some time ago who suggested that you barge into the dealership, fling your arms wide and yell "Who wants to sell a car TODAY!?"

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Which makes it tough if you are telling the truth.

    But how many times is it the truth? I don't know about anyone else but if I start negotiating my wife is there and I have financing in place.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    It is all a catch 22. Is someone makes a fair offer and we accept it then the customer thinks they left money on the table. If we don't accept then they complain about all the time it takes and the back and forth stuff with the negotiations.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Who wants to sell a car TODAY!?"

    I HATE when people do that. They do usually buy a care eventually but it is such a painful process.
  • nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    I am not a car salesman, however; you must realize that when you purchase a car in Nov or Dec. (depending on the make and model) a lot of the 2008's will already be on the market (a lot of 2008's are already being made and some are already on sale). A 2007 might go for a lot less than right now, just to get old inventory off the dealer's lot...so it depends on what you are looking for and WHEN you look and decide to buy.
    Perhaps, if you gave the salesmen in this forum more info as to what you are interested in purchasing, they might or will give you a better answer.
  • jetzzsjetzzs Member Posts: 64
    Hi,

    I am planning to buy a new Honda Odyssey EXL-RES in the next few weeks. I would like to do most of the dealing over the internet because I don’t have the time to go around to several dealerships and spend hours hashing out the deal.

    My deal is a bit complicated because I have a high value trade (I realize I will have to take it to the dealership at some point so they can determine a value for it). Any opinions about the effectiveness of the following email approach, in getting the best deal, would be greatly appreciated!:

    Dear Mr. (Salesman’s name),

    I would like to purchase a new 2007 Honda Odyssey EXL-RES in white or metallic grey in the next few weeks. I am willing to pay $28250 including destination, all fees, add-ons, costs, etc. but excluding TTL.

    I have a 2007 Ford 150 XL 4x4 I would like to trade (I won in a raffle and have the title). I would like to get the Edmunds trade-in value for it and realize you would have to inspect it before setting a firm value.

    I would like to finance the balance with Honda’s current financing promotion of 2.9% for 36 months. Would you be interested? Thanks so much.

    Best regards,
    Jim (my husband’s name)


    I arrived at the $28250 because it seems Odysseys have been going for about $1500 below invoice. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

    Marsha in Omaha
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    I'm not an expert, but the part about you winning it in a raffle is irrelevant, and may result in getting a lower trade-in offer - they know you've put nothing into it, so anything you get out of it is "free money." You might just mention that you have the title & there is no payoff.

    Instead, you might just offer more information about your trade - like the current mileage and options on the vehicle. No need to mention what you'd like to get for it - what if a particular store is willing to offer more??

    In any case, you're not going to arrive at a value for that over the internet, but you can probably arrive at a price for the van at least.

    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

  • madmanmoomadmanmoo Member Posts: 2,039
    Everything seems reasonable to me. Your offer on the Odyssey is doable and I'm assuming that Edmunds would be pretty close to what you should be getting on the Ford.

    If I were you, I would see if it would be worth my while to sell that vehicle on my own. You maybe able to make up quite a bit of money between trade-in and private sale on an '07. I assume there is no mileage on the vehicle?

    Good luck!

    -Moo
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    is that Honda dealers have a reputation for putting kind of weak money on Domestic vehicles. I wouldn't mention that you won the truck in a raffle but would give more info about it.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Be sure to check out Internet vs. Traditional Car Buying.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    The value of your trade doesn't "complicate" this deal at all. You are buying their vehicle and they are buying yours.

    The only complicating factor with your trade is that truck values vary considerably depending on optional equipment.

    Get some hard quotes on the Odyssey and then take your truck to several stores to get trade numbers. Do the deal where the numbers are the best overall.

    I've found it best when buying over the internet to indicate that I'm ready to buy NOW, not several weeks in the future.
  • blufz1blufz1 Member Posts: 2,045
    But that's what makes it sooooooo fun! You can play a game, off the game, that the salesman "thinks" you are playing.LOL
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    I have a 2007 Ford 150 XL 4x4 I would like to trade (I won in a raffle and have the title).

    How you got it is nobody's business at all. Like 'kirstie' said if they know you got if free they will surely try to steal it from you for a price much less than they would otherwise have given you, which would be bad enough.

    I would try my darndest to sell the truck myself.

    It's worth a shot. Good luck.

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    Leaving money on the table is what i definately want to avoid and thats why I always want to get the best deal.
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    Jetzzs, do you get a tax credit on trade ins where you live?

    If you do, multiply what the dealers offers you for it times your state tax rate. That will tell you your break even on selling it your self.

    For example in TN the tax rate on an auto is around 7% and you are taxed on difference. So if I have a $20K trade that is a $1400 tax savings, so I would have to sell my trade for $21,400 to break even.
  • jetzzsjetzzs Member Posts: 64
    joel0622,

    That is a good point about the sales tax. If I sell it myself I would need to get at least $1000 more to make up for the extra taxes I would save trading it in. I think that it would be worth it to just trade it in and not have to worry about selling it myself.

    Marsha in Omaha
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    But I think the point that the others have been making is that if you researched the price, came up with a good number in your mind, and it was accepted, you should just go ahead and complete the deal. The key is, did you thoroughly research the price? For example, how does it compare with Edmunds' True Market Value? Also, are there any as-yet undisclosed add-ons to the price (excluding state-mandated taxes and fees)?

    Basically, you've used the Bobst method: stated your price and they agreed. Now all you have to do is sign the papers. It isn't worth fretting over $50 or $100 you might have saved from the dealer on the other side of town.
  • hondahawkhondahawk Member Posts: 16
    I bought my '05 Accord on the very last day of the year in 2004. They were chompin and the bit to sell and the dealership was packed. I waited until November that fall to contact them through their internet department and corresponded with them back and forth over e-mail until I was ready to bite. I made an appt and slipped in amongst the throngs. I purchased well under invoice with some add ons. That seemed to be a great strategy that worked well for me. Good luck
  • jetzzsjetzzs Member Posts: 64
    Hi,

    Does anyone know when the '08 Honda Odysseys come out? I am debating as to whether I should buy this weekend (it is the end of the month as well as the end of the quarter) or wait until the end of July.

    Also, does anyone have an idea if the incentives and financing deals will be better for July?

    Thanks so much! I appreciate any input.

    Marsha in Omaha
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,296
    The age old question this time of year... selection Vs. increased incentives. Generally speaking, I believe incentives will be better in July than June.They (incentives) are not posted in advance, so hard to say for sure on Ody.

    If you are fairly flexible on color and options, shouldn't hurt to wait.
    2021 Honda Passport EX-L, 2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere.
  • jetzzsjetzzs Member Posts: 64
    Hi Everyone,

    Thanks so much for your advice on the email offer. You all had some good suggestions and I integrated them into the letter and sent it to two dealerships in my area.

    I have received a reply from one in Des Moines, IA. Their initial offer on June 20th was $30,177 + fees. In response to my offer they say they are perplexed but will sell me a 2007 EXL-RES for $29,900 + fees.

    Are they bluffing? Or could the deals in the posts here, be that much different than what is available here?

    Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much.

    Marsha in Omaha
  • fordfoolfordfool Member Posts: 240
    Marsha,
    Honda Odysseys are going for under dealer invoice price because the factory is kicking back a $750 rebate to the dealer in addition to the 3% of MSRP holdback kickback. So the dealer is actually getting the van for $1600 to $1700 under invoice. Note that's under the Invoice price, not the higher MSRP. So bid accordingly. I'd begin $1000 under Invoice. The links below explain the rebates and give invoice prices.

    http://www.edmunds.com/incentives/RebateController?styleid=100801026&popuppage=on

    http://www.edmunds.com/new/2007/honda/odyssey/index.html
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    Holdback on Odysseys was reduced from 3% to 2% of those shipped on or after 1/4/07.
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,296
    Don't agree to anything "plus fees", until it is determined what those fees are. Some doc fees go up to $500.
    2021 Honda Passport EX-L, 2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere.
  • madmanmoomadmanmoo Member Posts: 2,039
    Some docs go up to $700.

    -Moo
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,296
    I suspect at some point they'll be giving cars away for free and having $20,000 doc. fees instead. Crazy.
    2021 Honda Passport EX-L, 2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere.
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Some docs go up to $700.

    Yeah, but those docs come in a tasteful, bound, hand-tooled with gold inlays, leather cover. Smile
  • madmanmoomadmanmoo Member Posts: 2,039
    Hrm, note to self: Give cars away for free, but have a $20,000 doc fee. Brilliant!

    -Moo
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,296
    You thought I was serious? Duhhhh, twas a joke mooman. Have another cup of coffee and wake up! :)
    2021 Honda Passport EX-L, 2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere.
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