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'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
The dealer does not set financing as that is done solely by the lending institution. The financing institution will tell the dealer the amount it will lend and the rate at which it will lend. The dealer can pad the rate a bit to increase its reserves. That is why you need to research what financing you qualify for before visiting the dealer. Smart buyers do not expect full disclosure from the dealer for financing matters.
What is the best option?
Thanks.
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'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
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Depending on your price range, my suggestions would be 10+ year old Hondas or Toyotas as was suggested, preferably from a long time owner, or with service records.
Usually after 10 years, the depreciation starts to level off so chances are you might be able to recoup your purchase price when you sell it. But that's only for saleable Japanese cars.
If you must have something fancier and buy and older BMW or Mercedes it might nickle and dime you with servicing, so stick to economy imports.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
i see that these are the vehicles of interest but i have noway of knowing if you live in va. or where or if you will be getting new tags or transfering tags so the best way i can respond to your request is if we are the closet dealer to you and you want to buy from us , bring us your best otd quote and and we will try to meet it . feel free to give me a call if you have more questions or cocerns i'm here until 7 today and 9-5 sat. thanks
This is his follow-up email:
i am --- ---- and i had sent you an e/m fri. but haven't had a responce so just incase you didnt get it in short it said , if we are the closest dealer to you and you want to deal with us just bring us your best quote and we will meet or beat it . thanks
I am flabbergasted. I don't even know how or if I should respond to this. I have never bought or negotiated for a new car before, but both his emails seem extremely unprofessional to me. He never asked me what state I live in or if I would be getting new tags--I would have been happy to tell him. And he just keeps saying, "if we are the closest dealer to you and you want to deal with us." Is he insulted that I'm actually shopping around for the best price on a $20000+ vehicle? It just sounds to me like he doesn't even want to be bothered with the sale.
Does he think this is the best way to actually get me on the lot and in a car? Or should I just cross him off my list? I would really rather not deal with this person, but am I overreacting? There aren't all that many Hyundai dealerships close by and I would hate to have to cross one off the list, but this guy sounds like a total jerk to me.
Any help and opinions would be greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks!
Celena
IMHO, research the car you want and the typical pricing. Then go and visit some dealers and work with them directly. It's not a pair of shoes from Zappo's - it's probably the second most expensive item you'll buy.
My biggest problem with his "if we are the closest dealer and you want to buy from us" is that it sounds like he thinks the privilege to buy from them is mine, not the other way around. I realize I'm new to this, but I'm pretty sure he should be trying to get me to buy the car from him, not deigning to allow me the grand privilege of purchasing from them. All the other dealerships have sent prompt and courteous replies have given me exactly the information I've asked for.
I have researched the car I want and am aware of the typical pricing, which is why I'm negotiating. I've done a lot of reading and from what I can tell, the general consensus is that negotiating online is faster, easier and generally far more successful than doing it in person. Plus, I'm an easily intimidated person and I hate pushy salespeople, so I really think it's the best option for me.
Thank you so much for the feedback!!!
In my experience, most dealerships don't really do the internet... they just respond asking you to come in... this dealership seems typical. That doesn't mean they don't make good deals or have a good sales experience... it's just one facet of the business that they don't participate in.. (online negotiation)..
Not that it should matter to you... but, some dealers just don't want to spend the time with the internet, when it results in so few sales for the time expended..
Just my $0.02...
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There seems to be a pretty big disparity in the quality and experience of internet sales managers at dealerships. Some take a seasoned car salesperson and promote them to that position - it's obviously something they want to focus on. Other times, they just throw any old body into that position, just because they feel they need to have an "internet sales" presence. One of my friend's daughters was given an internet sales manager job at a decent-sized dealership as her first full-time job. Previously, she'd only ever worked as a waitress - no experience in car sales at all. (in fact, I don't think she's ever even bought a car by herself!)
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Does that really matter? Wouldn't sales tax be based on where you register the vehicle?
IMHO, he is asking you the questions so he can qualify you - that's part of sales. I don't think he's acting like it's your privilege to buy from him. If you don't like his style, then move on.
Got one question though - if he gives you the best price, would you still buy from him even though you don't like his methods?
And just from what little bit I have seen, you are definitely right about the differences between internet sales managers among dealerships. One has yet to respond, one gave me the run around, one gave me exactly what I asked for, and another gave me what I asked for and more. Like I said in my previous reply, there is one dealership that is offering me exceptional internet sales service, so much so, that I may be willing to pay a little more just to deal with them. I realize they are doing it all to make the sale and that it may not bespeak of the entire dealership, but compared to others, indications are that they more customer-service oriented than most.
You may be right, but why does he keep saying "if we are the closest dealer"? Why does that matter? If it's because people buy the cars there and then take it somewhere else for service (which I would not), then shouldn't their customer service be better to encourage people to come back? Or maybe their customer service is awful and that's why people do that to them.
That's why I was asking other people's opinion on the matter. I wasn't sure what to make of his methods, as I am so new to this. But from his email, it sounds like he will most likely only match it, and I would have to go down there for him just to do that. I don't know that it's worth the trouble. If he did quote a price significantly lower than anyone else, I would consider it. Otherwise, I'm not so sure. If it were marginally lower, it would depend on how I felt about dealing with him outside of the emails.
Seriously.. Stores are losing good people.
I was with my son last summer when he was shopping for a new Jeep Wrangler and one store was like a third world country.
A lot of places turn over their staff constantly.
But you did get a quote, just not one you were hoping for.
I will agree that the response you received lacked basic grammar and courtesy, but having done the internet sales manager position, from experience, sending out rock bottom quotes to someone unknown rarely results in sales. The price is taken and then shopped in person at a local dealer. Hence most dealers use the net as a communication tool to get people to come in. After all, after you get your quotes you'll still have to come in to the dealership in person to get the car.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
The internet attracts flakes, non buyers and non serious shoppers.
It's frustrating to dig through a pile of garbage "leads" hoping to find a good one. This is where phone and writing skills come into play.
1. I am very interested in specific vehicle x in your inventory.
2. I am 100% going to be purchasing a vehicle this week.
3. I want this year, make, model and options. Color not critical, but everything else is.
4. Please send me a good faith price on this vehicle and I will follow up with an appointment to meet and test drive.
While I still could be a tire-kicker, I feel like adding more specifics so it didn't look like a "blast" email would at least give the impression that I'm a serious buyer and ready to talk.
(in the end, specific vehicle x was sold before they responded, but at least they took the time to tell me that.)
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The simple fact is some dealers have embraced the internet and some have not. Experience has shown me the dealers who have embraced the internet, those you give a personalized response complete with a price, represent the best choice for the buyer. A smart dealer will respond to an email inquiry with the exact information the emailer requested. Any dealer who does not provide the exact information requested simply wants the buyer to visit at which time the dealer can resort to the grind process.
Since you live in Virginia, you should to to the Fitzgerald Auto web site. They sell Hyundai and post a no haggle price on line. If you have not already, you should go to True Car and see their price. The thing to remember is both Fitzgerald and True Car prices are not the lowest. They will however give you a maximum you would have to pay.
To price the vehicle, I have found this process works well. All information is available at the Edmund's site. First, get the invoice price. Then reduce that price by any incentive, both to the buyer and to the dealer. Then futher reduce the price by the holdback. Add a few hundred to the invoice less incentive and less holdback.
When you negotiate work up from that number not down from the MSRP, which is what the dealer wants you to do.
(I don't work for them or any dealer, I'm just a big fan and a chronic car buyer)
The sales person is not your friend, regardless of how freindly he or she may seem. Not your enemy but not your freind.The sales person has one objective which is to sell you a vehicle at the highest possible price. Diametrically opposite or your goal which is to buy the vehicle at the lowest possible cost.
You, the buyer, are in control of the process not the sales person. Your best asset in negotiation is your feet. You can always leave and there is always another dealer ready to sell you the vehicle. The sales person knows this and you can use it to your advantage.
Do not believe anything a sales person tells you. A healthy skepticism is always best.
If you have done your research, you know approximately how much the dealer paid for the vehicle. Though in reality, the dealer probably paid less. Keeping that in mind, you should always be able to achieve a fair price.
And finally, just say NO to anything offered in the dealer's F&I office. Every product is vastly overpriced and most are essentially useless. For example, that $2,000 extended warranty they offer might have cost them $800. Do you think giving the dealer $1,200 makes financial sense?
Regardless of how much a $2000 warranty cost the dealer, if it can cover your $5000 transmission repair that's out of factory warranty then you're ahead.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
On a Honda Civic or a Toyota Corolla those warranties aren't expensive and will more than likely never be used.
Buy one for an Audi or a Volvo and the cost will be through the roof and for good reason.
Heck, the biggest warranty company in the country wont even sell one on Land Rovers after getting burned so many times.
Still, some people need the peace of mind and there is nothing better than having that 5000.00 transmission rebuild cost nothing.
The question is...How risk adverse are you?
Another point is that you don't have to buy the warranty at the dealership when buying the car.
You can buy it at anytime before the original warranty period is over. You can shop around the internet.
(This is only for the brand's own warranty. Never get a 3rd party warranty)
Most are flaky and they come and go.
Find out how long they have been around and what their track record is.
If a person believes an extended service contract is needed, I think it best to only buy from the OEM. And only buy after the sale. During the sale the dealer is counting on the fact the buyer having just said yes will spend too much. For the contract.
Find out how long they have been around and what their track record is.
Why take the chance? Stick to the manufacturer's warranty.
I bought an extended 3rd party warranty from the place I worked at where I bought my BMW. The warranty paid for itself within 1 year.
When that expired I bought another one. If I'd be driving a Corolla or Camry I probably wouldn't. But since my car is past the 4 year factory coverage I just don't want to take the chance.
I just find it irresponsible when people make a blanket statement telling car buyers not to buy "anything" in the finance office. They're not the ones that will be stuck with an expensive repair bill should something go wrong. The carbuyer will. And sometimes the cheapest plan found on the net may not cover everything, may have a cap on repair amounts, or company may not be around when it's time to make a claim.
Case in point. I sold an out of warranty 5 year old Mercedes S Class to a family. We had the car on the lot for a month, with the manager driving it almost daily. No issues. A family buys it, declines extended warranty, and after a few months the car starts to develop stalling and electronic problems. Our shop could not replicate the issue, and no codes popped up.
We sent it to MB and they found the car needs a torque converter and possibly a new transmission at a cost of between $5000-$10000. Although the car was past our used car guarantee period, our management decided to help out somehow and cover some of the costs.
As cars get more complicated these days, it's just good to have that protection in case you need it.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
All you are buying is an expensive insurance policy. If you end up using it you will thank your lucky stars that you bought it.
People with limited resources are often the same people who buy cars they really shouldn't buy such as that Mercedes. They just HAVE to drive a fancy
european car when they should be buying something that makes more sense.
They pay top dollar for these extended warranties and they are expensive for a very good reason.
The insurance/warranty company is betting that your car won't break down, and you're betting that it will.
It's ironic, in a way---it's like when you have good medical insurance and you get diagnosed with a horrible disease---you get to jump up and down with joy and say "Hurray! I'm covered!" :P
Or, just buy a Toyota.
Back when I was a manager for Sears, we really pushed the salespeople to sell what they called Maintenance Agreements. Sometimes we made more profit on these than on the actual product!
If you shop around, you can (should?) get a the manufacturer's warranty for a very good price.
Maybe it will be a bit more, but that's the cost of piece of mind.
Again, it's up to each buyer to determine what is a priority for them.
With my last Jeep, I looked at buying a Jeep warranty from a dealer via the internet. Price was very similar to what 3rd party ones cost.
I decided not to buy one after all.
My only point is the fact that there are some solid companies out there that sell the warranties.
With an aftermarket warranty you can take your car anywhere instead of to a dealer. Helpful when you are not near a dealer.
But, I never buy them anyway so it doesn't matter for me.
As has been stated, people concerned about the reliability of their vehicle should buy a vehicle that has a stellar reliability record. With today's vehicles there are many to choose.
An extended service contract probably costs an additional $40 or so on a monthly payment. People concerned about possible repairs after the OEM warranty expires should take that extra $40 each month and put it in an interest bearing account. If a repair is later needed, the cash is available. Of course, if there are no repairs the cash is still available for other things.
Why anyone would choose to pay the dealer and service contract provider a huge profit for an overpriced extended service contract is a mystery.
Products sold in The Box which might have some value to some buyers may include GAP, dent coverage, and perhaps a maintenace contract. However, to be of value these products must be purchased at a fair price, which is rarely the price set by the dealer.
An extended service contract may cost the dealer $900. The dealer may offer such that contract at $2,500 and negotiate down to $1,800. An unsuspecting buyer might think they got a great deal. However, a savy buyer could easily find the same contract from a dealer on line, after the sale, for perhaps $1,200. Now really, isn't a thirty-three percent profit for the dealer more than fair?
Seems the only folks suggesting a buyer purchase an extended service contract at the dealer at the time the vehicle is purchased are the dealer and the dealer's top sales people who occupay the F&I office. In other words, the same people who make the huge profits from those F&I prodcut sales.
Anyone can, as mentioned in your post, find a situation where someone benefited from an extended service contract. The F&I office is full of such examples. F&I folks use those examples to instill fear into the minds of the buyer as they know such fear is a powerful sellng tool.
Extended service contracts are priced to allow the dealer and contract provider to make a healthy profit. Such profit will not be realized and the service contract provider will not remain in business unless the majority of service contracts ultimately provide no net cost benefit to the buyer.
Smart car buyers research the cost of the vehicle they intend to purchase. They go into the dealership with a confident pricing goal. However, fewer buyers truly understand the profit margins and actual values of the products sold in The Box.
A buyer might purchase a $30K vehicle at a cost which results in a profit of 2-3 percent to the dealer. Those same buyers might spend $3,000 for various products bought in The Box without realizing that $3,000 resulted in a 100 percent or more profit for the dealer.
Truly, a buyer's best bet is to say no to everything in the F&I office. The word no is the only way to maintain the integrity of the vehicle purchase.
I got approved through a bank for a 2.3% interest rate and was excited about it, but it wasn't until I called the loan agent back that someone told me: I can't apply for a loan with a Florida address and buy a car in Washington, because the car has to be registered in the state I purchase it and that has to match the loan information. Worse, she explained that I can't buy and register a car -at all- until I have a Washington license and an address there.
Is there any way I can go about this and buy a car when I touch down in Washington state so I don't have to pay over $1000 for a rental car while I search for an apartment? Do I really need the Washington state license to register a car there? Is there anything I'm missing?
Thanks for any help
Hopefully, someone who knows for sure will chime in.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
What you need to do is establish residence in Washington apply for new states license then you could register car in that state. not what your doing.. unless you want to travel back across country to register where you use to live. that would be crazy..
What does seem funny to me is if you are approved for a loan it should have no bearing on what state your buying a car. your approved on a specific amount.
Call bank or credit union back and tell them you will be buying in Washington state and living there at time of vehicle purchase..
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
The reason why the bank is saying that - Banks typically do not want to fund the loan if the vehicle is being titled or registered to an address/state where the buyer isn't living OR doesn't have any history at that address. It raises a red flag - and they will sometimes consider it a "straw" purchase and deny the loan that originally had been approved.
Good luck - Contact the DMV there for help - Because you're better off paying $1000 for a rental, rather than buying in Florida and paying tax there and then re-registering in WA and perhaps having to pay an additional tax or fees!
My questions...
Is this a fair discount for a vehicle damaged like this?
What was the estimated discount the dealer bought this vehicle for?
Is there anything else i need to be aware when buying a repaired new vehicle like this i need to be aware of?
Thanks for any informed Input
BLX