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Purchasing Strategies - Questions & Success Stories

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  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    Most salespeople feel that they have already made an initial offer - it's right on the window sticker (MSRP). If you're an informed consumer, you should be well prepared to respond to the "what would you like to pay?" question!

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  • driftracerdriftracer Member Posts: 2,448
    in Wyoming, when dealing with tough old ranchers, that's exactly what I did, and it usually broke the ice.

    They'd ask me "what's your best price?" I'd say "my BEST price is there on the sticker, since I could buy momma some perfume and take her out to dinner if you paid that - what did you have in mind?"
  • carscars1carscars1 Member Posts: 6
    I put down deposit for a car as the dealer didn't have it and have to get it from a different dealer. I am satisfied with the OTD price. There is a rebate or low APR offered, I chose the low APR option as I am pretty confident that I get it. The sales guy wrote a purchase order with no rebate on it.

    Sales guy called me today and said that before they bring the car from the other dealer, they want to make sure that I am qualified for the low APR that the manufacturer is offering.

    I see that they want to make sure that I get approved for the loan with low Apr and buy the car from them. They want to make sure that i buy it so they won't get stuck it in case i change my mind. At the same time, I am concerned that what if I get approved for the loan and the dealer don't have the car for weeks. I have already put down a deposit and I feel like they shouldn't have to ask me get approved for the loan before they even have the car on site. I have to mention that he asked how my credit is and i told its excellent which is true. Thats why I opted for the low APR instead of taking the rebate. I think this should give them comfort that I am a serious buyer and that I have good credit.

    Any suggestions? I would appreciate a quick comment from someone who has some experience in this as I want to get back to the sales guy as soon as I can. Thanks.
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    If I had a dollar for every customer who told me that their credit is excellent... Not to say that you don't have excellent credit, but many people do not understand credit. They think that because they pay all of their bills on time that their credit is perfect. Payment history only accounts for 35% of your credit score, so that may not be the only indicator. If a dealer is requesting to get you approved before they incurr the cost of acquiring a vehicle, that is perfectly reasonable.

    Please understand that I am not criticizing your credit or knowledge thereof, just explaining why the dealer wants to do it this way. On another note, have them compare standard finance rates with the rebate to the low APR payment. If your credit is excellent, then you might be better off.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    Getting you approved for the loan doesn't make you any more obligated until and unless you actually sign for the loan. A lot of customers "fudge" when talking about their credit, so I am sure they just want to check that you are, in fact, eligible for the low rate.

    If it came time to pick up the car and you found out there and then that you were NOT eligible for the low APR, you would be mightily peeved. Getting you approved for the loan right now will save everyone from bad surprises, and gives you time to make other financing arrangements if it doesn't work out.

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  • driftracerdriftracer Member Posts: 2,448
    but a PERFECT example was my daughter buying her first new car 2 weeks ago - I told her to call me and I'd go with her, but she wanted to do this on her own - turned into a nightmare for her.

    She has a 690 beacon, a GREAT beacon score for any of the manufacturer-sponsored financing programs, credit unions, most banks, etc. She has two years on the job. OK, here's the rest of the story.

    She has two lines of credit - one is a Sears card for a $250 limit, with a $60 balance and only $60 ever charged - last month. The other is her cell phone account, with a max bill of $80.

    Also, she's a waitress (assistant shift leader at Hooters), and claimed $2500 a month income, but that's mostly tips, and could verify only $1200 a month in paycheck stubs.

    The salesman ran her credit, saw the 690, knew the time on the job, and rolled the new Honda for her - she was REALLY happy until the F&I guy called her back and told her the deal was a no-go with only 2 lines of credit with total max limits of $400 (combined) and only $1200 a verifiable income.

    Two things happened - first, there is a contract in place, but because she listed $2500 and could only verify $1200, the application appeared false, so that whole thing of making the dealer eat the contract was out the window, even if your Dad is a consumer fraud investigator...secondly, she called me in tears after they told her they wanted the car back.

    After two weeks of battling back and forth, talking nicely to the nice guy sales manager, and talking in a mean tone to the mean F&I guy, I resolved it - we got her restaurant manager to write a letter verifying her total monthly income, had it notarized, and she had to put another $1500 down.

    All this started when one of her friends, whose dad is the used car manager for this Honda store, said "go talk to my dad and he get you a great deal on a Civic" - she had a great deal, and then reality came crashing down around her.

    The great side is she had good equity in her trade, got the Civic for invoice, and has a 4.9% rate through AHFC.

    I think it is VERY proper to have a credit apporval before going to ANY expense on a dealer trade or order.
  • chuminthewaterchuminthewater Member Posts: 91
    Or some on-line loan company.

    And compare it to what you get approved for at the dealer, then decide if you want their financing or their rebate.

    We were pre-approved at about 4%, we bought a Pilot (under invoice), AND they got us the Honda 3.29% rate.

    We were satisfied.
  • driftracerdriftracer Member Posts: 2,448
    I've had people fib to me about being pre-approved - bring a letter, or let me call to verify, and don't be offended - we're not talking about $20 here.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    No, but it would let the buyer know what rate he/she can get on the open market. It's nice to know for sure, and to have it as a back-up just in case things go south with the special APR.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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    Review your vehicle

  • chuminthewaterchuminthewater Member Posts: 91
    And since the seller gets some stipend from getting loans for the buyer, it gives the dealer a target to beat.

    people lie all the time, but if this buyer is looking at say 3% versus $1500 rebate, and can qual for a say 4.5% note, maybe they take that and get the rebate.

    If they rely on the dealer, the dealer has the dealer's best interest at state.

    I once had a dealer tell me with my credit I could ONLY get 11.5% note, I laughed in his face - I was just stunned. He said sorry (always at the last minute don'tchaknow), well I said whatever, and I got a 5% note on line THAT NIGHT.

    The best rates (at dealers were around 3.9 at the time (for the pope and maybe your church president only).

    So walk in with your own financing and no worries.
  • cadillacmikecadillacmike Member Posts: 543
    "She has two lines of credit - one is a Sears card for a $250 limit, with a $60 balance and only $60 ever charged - last month. The other is her cell phone account, with a max bill of $80. "

    Cell phone on a credit report?????

    Neither mine or my wife's report contains a cell phone company, but again, we're older with scores in the 720-730+ range.

    And you have to watch out, even my OWN BANK tried to sucker me with a higher rate on my last car. "rates have gone up" or something was the excuse, to which I replied, "can you have someone look into a lower rare for me??", which they did, and I got the same rate as back in Aug.

    That was wierd, a lot of folks would have probably said "OK", because rates DID go up from Aug-Jan, but that doesn't mean they have to charge it all back to you...

    Of course they would have laughed at me if my scores weren't so high...

    And whoever said it was RIGHT ON when he mentioned that just paying all your bills on time does not equal high credit score. The % of balance to credit line, total of all balances, total POTENTIAL LIMIT all factor into it.
  • driftracerdriftracer Member Posts: 2,448
    I just got NEXTEL phones for the family - they ran credit (makes sense) and I asked specifically if they report to the bureaus - they said "most definitely". So, I changed my sons over to separate plans, they're 18 and 19, to establish some credit - even though it's only $55 a month, they'll have 700 beacons in no time!
  • cadillacmikecadillacmike Member Posts: 543
    Right, but as you said, with only a few lines on the report, lenders will still be more cautious than someone with the same high number with a 10 page long report.
  • driftracerdriftracer Member Posts: 2,448
    but how many 20 year olds buying a Civic do you know with 10 pages of credit report? In 5,000-6,000 F&I deals, I've never seen one.
  • expopsexpops Member Posts: 2
    May have already been covered, but I'll ask anyway. Will a better deal be had on a vehicle using a employee purchase plan (X-plan, Nissan VPP, etc) or by haggling?
    My general opinion is that if the car you want is already on the lot, you may be able to negotiate a better price if the dealer wants to move it. If you have to order the car(or is a hot seller) then the employee plan is the way to go, set price usually below/at invoice plus applicable incentives.
    Any comments?
  • malubmalub Member Posts: 9
    I am looking to purchase a new truck in the next 6 mo. I have researched and know what I want, I know what the TMV is in my area and I have a general idea of what the invoice price is. I have been to a couple of dealerships to look around and talk. I am new to this negotiating and I am very intimidated by the whole process so I really need some guidance. The last salesman I spoke with gave me a quote that included all of the rebates. It was still $800 over invoice. When I am negotiating, am I to assume that they are already factoring the rebates into their price? Or should the rebates come off of the final price that we arrive at? Also, everyone tells me to handle the purchase and my trade separately. Do I initially tell them that I have a trade or do I wait until after we haggled over the new vehicle? If we can't agree on the trade value can I still walk or am I bound by the agreement on the new vehicle?
    Thank you
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,347
    you sound like a good candidate to bring along someone experienced in the process. But, I'll toss out a few opinions (since you asked).

    - 6 months early is too soon to be negotiating prices. Too much can change in that time, unless you mean you want to buy anytime from now, out to 6 months.

    - Rebates should come off after the price. Same with the trade. basically, negotiate a price on the new car that you are happy with, then take off the rebates (and add fees, etc.). If you have a trade, tell them you may or may not be trading, but get the price on the new car nailed down, then deal with the trade, otherwise you will get royally confused in the numbers.

    - Get everything neatly itemized, in writing. The best way to get burned is to just get a final number, assuming things are (or aren't) in it, and be wrong. It's very simple to do a form, showing price of hte car, + taxes/fee, - rebate, - trade in allowance. That way, you can make sure that all the numbers are in order (less chance of a surprise).

    - do yourself a favor, and, when you have everything detailed out, take some time (overnight?) to go and think it through and review the deal, if you aren't 100% comfortable with what you are doing. THe dealer will always want you to sign the papers right then. Doesn't neccessrliy mean they are trying to trick you, or it's a bad deal. They just know that once you leave, you may not be back.

    IMO, if they won't let you step back and think about the offer, it's likely not something you want to sign up for (or a place you want to deal with_). Of course, there is a chance that the car you are looking at will be sold out from under you, but unless you are looking at something super rare, there will be another.

    - Try not to deal when you are under pressure (such as your old car just died, and you need one right now).

    - Sin (deal) in haste, repent at leisure!

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

  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    don't go in on the last day of the month and not expect pressure to buy right then. No good dealer is going to kindly open the door for you if you want to think overnite at the end of the month.
  • malubmalub Member Posts: 9
    Thank you very much, you were very helpful. One more question though. The last time I bought a vehicle, 5 years ago, as I was negotiating the sales man would hen scratch the figures out and ask me to sign the bottom before he took it back to his manager. I felt really pressured, I didn't know if that meant that I had to purchase if the manager agreed to that price or not. Is this standard practice? Also, is it okay to haggle and negotiate a price and then go try to get a better price somewhere else.?
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    You are not obligated until you sign the paperwork and drive off of the lot. Most people will work a deal and then start calling other dealers for a better price. If you plan on doing this, be prepared to hear a lot of empty promises about the lowest price.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    Treat the car salesman like you would like to be treated.

    No, I don't think it is nice to haggle a long time with a salesman and then take his lowest price to another dealer.

    No, it is not nice to haggle over a price and then mention that you have a trade. That would be deceitful.

    I suggest you be straightforward and honest with the salesman, and keep it simple. Do your price research here on Edmunds. Then go to the dealer and offer a price and see if they will accept it. There is no reason to play games with the salesman.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    Don't let them play games with you.

    If they ask you to sign an offer, refuse to do it. Wait until the bill of sale to sign anything.

    If they ask you a question you don't like, ignore it.

    Don't let them control your behavior.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    If you are really six months away from buying a car, you aren't really "in the market" so why go through this now?

    If you tell your salesperson you are six months out, they will lose interest quickly and for good reason.

    And, yes, be upfront about your trade. Any salesperson worth his salt will suspect a hidden trade. The trade is worth what it's worth either way. If you don't like what you are offered you can sell it yourself.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    I agree, if you are going to be buying a car in 6 months, don't waste a sales person's time.

    I think it is OK to go to the sales manager and tell him you might be buying a car in 6 months and you would like to drive one of their cars to see how it feels. Even a relatively new used car would be OK. No need to put miles on a new car if you are not buying anytime soon.

    As long as you are upfront and honest with people, it is OK.

    Heck, it takes us more than 6 months to even decide on the color car we want. We ain't very quick thinkers.
  • richk1richk1 Member Posts: 51
    "No, it is not nice to haggle over a price and then mention that you have a trade. That would be deceitful. "

    agreed.....however, do be sure to negotiate the price of the car and the price of the trade completely independently so you don't lose sight of the cost/value of each.
  • zeanderzeander Member Posts: 2
    The purchase of my next car relies a lot on how much my trade in is worth to a dealer because I still owe money on it. A couple years ago, I thought about trading it in and I told the guy it all depends on how much I'd get for it. He kept telling me that I needed to choose a new car first then we'd talk about the trade. I'm concerned this will happen again. I'd hate to have my car all picked out and a price agreed to only to find out they won't give me enough for my trade. Any suggestions?
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    Figure how much you would pay for a new car and how much you think your trade is worth. Say the difference is $15000.

    Then go to a dealer and say, "I will give you my car and $15000 for a new jazzmobile". If they say Yes, then buy the car. If they don't say Yes, then go somewhere else.

    Kepp it simple.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    .. **I'd hate to have my car all picked out and a price agreed to only to find out they won't give me enough for my trade. Any suggestions?** ..

    Drop off your trade info over at Real-World Trade-In Values with a FULL description .. and you will be close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades .....

    Terry.
  • cticti Member Posts: 131
    I am in the military and have seen more than my share of uninformed sailors get burned buying cars. I can't say that I feel TOO sorry for them as they could have done some research or taken a class.

    Yes, the Navy has a class on money management where one section is car buying. They explicitly mention to do the hide-the-trade bit.

    In any case, you can't do anything where I am stationed without a car. My shipmate decided she wanted a NEW car. She's never owned a car before. Never had insurance.

    She did her homework, though. Before I talked to her she had backed out of a high pressure deal on a Civic. She also wasn't happy with the $1600/6 mths of insurance from Geico.

    Round 2 involved looking for the same car at the other Honda dealer. With no option choices on Hondas, it isn't that hard to do. :)

    After a bit of looking we found insurance for $675 and she was much more confident about actually buying something. Then we came here and looked up invoice on a Civic Value Package. I told her all about the Bobst method of car buying and about dealing ONLY with an OTD price.

    We tacked on the 7% sales tax to the invoice and got a price of $14,900.

    The next day I asked how things went. She never budged from 14,9 and got her car with 8K down (signing bonus) and 7K financed at 2.9%. Not bad for a 20 year-old who had never owned/purchased a car before.

    Jason
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    .. **They explicitly mention to do the hide-the-trade bit**

    Thats actually really poor advice ....

    But, if I had my way .. all military would get 0% interest and their car loans could be frozen while in combat ......... but George W. hasn't called me for my advice lately ....... ;)

    Anywho ... I'm glad things have worked out.!

    Terry.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    1) Decide what car you want to buy.

    2) Decide how much you want to pay.

    3) Find a dealer that has the car and make an offer.

    4) If the offer is refused, then increase the offer. Keep increasing it until the offer is accepted.

    The only trick is to know when an offer has been refused. Last week we made an offer, it was refused, we walked out to our car to leave, opened the doors and started to get in, and the salesman came out to say they had changed their mind. This has happened to us more than once.

    From our experience, you don't know your offer has truly been refused until you get in your car and drive away. Therefore, you should only make one offer on each visit to the dealer.

    If you change your offer while at the dealer, then you are into 'negotiating', and I don't know nuthin about stuff like that.

    I'm glad it helped you, Cti.

    Bobst
  • cticti Member Posts: 131
    ***Thats actually really poor advice ....***

    My wife was the one who took the course and I grilled her for the details. I thought it was good advice until I started reading from y'all why it is a bad idea.

    We military folks may not get 0% financing, but we do frequently an extra $500 rebate and low financing from the military credit unions.

    I would have used the Bobst method for my car purchase last month but the dealer's initial offer - $300 over invoice for military - was lower than what I would have offered.

    I read somewhere on here that buyer confidence a is what makes for a sale. My friend's homework yielded a confident, knowledgable buyer who had no fear of pulling the trigger.

    Thanks for everyone's advice. I know my friend was very happy with her car buying experience after initially dreading it.

    Jason
  • thenebeanthenebean Member Posts: 1,124
    just a little thought on trade ins - i know a lot of people do the hide a trade thing. I had a guy come in who looked up retail on his car, then subtracted a thousand because he thought that we would a) sell his car for retail guaranteed and b)that we really only deserve $1000 in profit (IF, and thats a big if, we sell it at what kbb thinks is retail)

    here's the deal folks. if you buy a car at wholesale (invoice or below) from a dealer, dont expect the world on your trade. the dealer, and rightfully so, is looking to make a little money somewhere, and will try to do so on the trade. do your homework, check all the websites (terry mentioned running it through real life trade in values on edmunds here) and know that there are market conditions that also come into play on trades. and you ALWAYS have the option of trying to sell your car for more money. Have your trade appraised a couple of times, and if you are still getting thousands below what you "think" its worth, then its time to reconsider your thinking.

    another thing, if you think the dealer should buy your car from you at a really high price because that is what the car is worth to you, you have to understand that you love your car, and the dealership, or the next guy who buys it, has no attachment to it - for that extra value you put on it.

    also, your car isnt always going to be worth more than you owe on it. chances are, its worth less than you owe. the dealer doesn't want to pay more for your car (after he's given you a below invoice price) when he can buy your car at auction for xxx number of dollars.

    just some thoughts from the other side - so you can see how we deal with these kinds of things. hopefully it helps, and good luck with getting your best price!

    happy motoring,

    thene
  • driftracerdriftracer Member Posts: 2,448
    "also, your car isnt always going to be worth more than you owe on it - chances are, its worth less than you owe"

    Why? Cash down, short-term loan, trade equity, things like that can put you in a great position. General statements like that are what keeps the urban legends flying and people scared to make a business move because of incorrect assumptions.

    As long as you ALWAYS keep in mind that that the value of the car, and the balance of your loan, are in NO WAY related to each other, except in your mind.

    I've seen people make the stupid mistake of selling a car for less than they could have because they were only trying to hit their payoff bogey.

    I've also seen people ask what someone's payoff is, and only offer that much, simply because they have that mental block that the value and payoff are related.
  • thenebeanthenebean Member Posts: 1,124
    drift - not saying its not possible. but i am trying to make the point that people do try to tie trade in value to payoff. maybe i worded it wrong - sorry to be confusing! but in the experiences i have had (i havent been doing this forever, but i've been selling for a year and a half now) more often than not, people owe more on their car then it is worth. people seem to think that since they owe say, $10000, that their car is automatically worth $10000, or more! i think we're trying to say something the same, you just worded it better - thanks!
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    cti, congrats to your friend, and she owes you a huge "thank you" for making the purchasing process go smoothly and best of all, feeling like she got the right car at the right price!

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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    Review your vehicle

  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ... ** people seem to think that since they owe say, $10000, that their car is automatically worth $10000, or more!** ...

    Welcome to the world of auto sales ............... ;)

    Terry.
  • manamalmanamal Member Posts: 426
    Since the car value is disconected from the loan amount, why do the car dealers always ask for the loan payoff? I am guessing it is so that, if you are buried, they will not discount the new car as much, and offer you more on the trade.

    Is that correct?
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    We need your payoff in order to give you numbers on the new car deal. I can't give you payments until I know how much you will be financing and your payoff needs to be included in that. And for all of the cash buyers who have payoffs, we need to know how much it is to give you an accurate otd price.
  • asafonovasafonov Member Posts: 401
    And for all of the cash buyers who have payoffs, we need to know how much it is to give you an accurate otd price.

    You lost me here. Care to explain why?
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    Simple

    You are buying a car for $20,0000
    You are trading a car for $10,000
    tax and plates will be about $800

    If you owe nothing on your trade then give me $10,800 and have a nice day.

    If you owe on your trade in and want an accurate out the door price, your payoff needs to be added to the deal. How much is it?
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ...... It's just basic mathematics, and they want to approach the customer with some reality before spending 2 1/2 hours in the fantasy zone ... plus, most folks are flipped by $3,000 or more in their current vehicle .. the bad thing is, they won't admit it or they won't face it - yet ..

    Most people look at the highest figure they can find in any of the info sources, of course they don't deduct for the bald tires, no recent service and that small $2,900 ding they received at Aunt Gracys when they backed over the dog house ... if Kbb is higher, they use that figure, if the Nada is higher then they use that figure, if the 24 year old loan officer at the Credit Union think it's worth $35,000 then they use that figure .... sometimes it's best to be the 2nd or even the 3rd dealer because it takes that many visits for the "real deal" information to sink into the customers head ~ ever hear of: "they shoot the messenger" ..?

    I read lots of these posts on the other boards, but try not post back, it's a waste of time for me .. and the reason why is, that I've seen Thousands of contracts and many deals that someone said: "I got a better deal - "they put $2,000 more into my trade" - "the dealer was greedy and wouldn't work with me" - "they insulted me with the trade figures" ... the funny part is, most people get their feelings hurt and when you look at the "Difference figure" (the real deal number) most times, not all, the figures are rarely a few hundred away .. and Most times, the biggest difference is options and the MSRP .... aah yes, it's just that folks have a tendency to leave that part out .l.o.l..



    Terry :)
  • manamalmanamal Member Posts: 426
    I guess the other issue is that some people are assuming non-existent equity to make a deal. When I bought my new Forester (which is in the shop after 3 days), I was counting on several thousand in equity from my Camry. The dealer offered me 9K, which was $600 in equity. Thankfully (as I already posted), CARMAX offered me $11400 (or 3000 in equity).

    So, I guess it makes sense to deal with that. Kind of like pulling the credit right upfront, to make sure the deal will go through.

    (I found that pulling the credit works in my favor...when the see my Beacon score of 750+, and I make it clear that I could trade the car there, but I have enough credit to sell it elsewhere, we are able to focus on the price of the new car with no issues. Negotiations go much faster that way.)
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ...... Your a "smart shopper" and your not afraid to get a little lesson in reality 101 .... and speaking of credit, I just got a customer bought at 5.9% with a FICO of 620 .. his credit was super, it's the bureau's the were whacked out .. it's always good to know the "good and the bad" ...

    Look at how many posts I answer over at RWTV's - now step back for a minute .. most of these folks have a Nada book in one hand and a Edmunds print-out in the other, then they see a RWTV figure .. all of a sudden, they get the "dead mullet look" and they look like one of those bobbing heads in the back window of a 49 Mercury - they don't like what they read, so they use the other figures instead .... that said, I get 25/35 emails a month from the guy who posted in January or the buyer from 2 weeks ago that finally "gets it" .... I guess it's an underground "update deal" ..l.o.l...

    Terry.
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    You should start posting some of those e-mails. We love hearing that you were right.
  • thenebeanthenebean Member Posts: 1,124
    terry,

    you're 110% right! people always bring in the trade in value that is highest (kbb, nada, edmunds) and expect us to give them that for their trade. I tell them to have kbb, nada, or edmunds write them a check for that, then bring it back here to do the deal ;-)

    i always explain to customers there are many different guides out there, and they all take different things into consideration when putting a value on a car. the best way however seems to be actual market value (or auction reports) because we could go to the auction and buy the same car for that price. try to tell that to a customer! they arent too happy at all.

    i mentioned in another post (i think it was here somewhere) that i had a guy come in with the print out of KBB retail! he wanted to see what we would sell it for, and take his trade in value from there (essentially deciding what we OUGHT to earn for profit) i told him that if i could sell all my used cars for kbb retail, i would be a rich and happy woman! ;-)

    anyways, its a mixed bag out there - people dont wanna get ripped off, and i dont blame them, but they also need to learn that sometimes, their car just isnt worth to the rest of the world what it is to them! trade in values are a tough thing.

    oh, for whoever it was that asked about the payoff, it makes a difference in how the numbers are worked out. we may show our discount on the car by giving you more on your trade to cover the payoff (then keep our car at MSRP) or show you a discount on the car to cover the payoff, and show you a lower number on your trade. its all a numbers game - you just push them around a bit till the customer and dealer like how they look.

    happy motoring!

    thene
  • chuminthewaterchuminthewater Member Posts: 91
    No they don't.

    I happened to take an average of several of them. And I also averaged them at different levles of condition.

    The fact is, the used market is a joke, plain and simple.

    If you must get a certain price for your old car, sell it yourself.

    You will never ever get a good price in trade, unless it is nearly worthless anyway, or unless you know of several $K in repairs that are needed that you are successfully able to hide from the dealer.

    I have had a few real junkers that dealers offered me a lot for, and they adjusted the new car price accordingly.

    In the same breath, I had a dealer, SHOW ME THE NADA BOOK and price and ask, is that price ok for your trade?

    I was stunned in my time buying cars - it was the only deal that was clean start to finish - I assume that dealer was simply 1 car away from meeting the month's quota or something.
  • thenebeanthenebean Member Posts: 1,124
    you can always get more selling it yourself. that's a known fact. in fact i tell people that when they come here! You will always always get more selling it yourself than trading it in. there's no one book that is the be all end all of used car values. you just go out there, have an idea of what your car is worth by checking online at edmunds and the other sites, and go from there. if you feel you are getting a fair deal - then its ok.

    i wouldn't say you will never ever get a good price in a trade, but i would say that you will almost always get more selling yourself than trading in. sometimes the convenience factor is enough for people (and in some states, the additional tax savings).

    its different everywhere - if you are happy, thats all that matters
  • driftracerdriftracer Member Posts: 2,448
    don't want to deal with tire kickers, midnight phone calls, long stories and excuses from kids who are trying to get their parents involved, going to DMV and doing all the hassle and waiting, etc.

    Plus, in most states, there's tax credit for trading that you don't get if you sell privately. I've sold many vehicles privately, but on some that I thought I'd have a problem with, I traded instead.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    don't want to deal with tire kickers... <--host kirstie_h

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