How to deal with a used car dealership??

no5.0notch

no5.0notch

Club Member
I need tips on dealing with a used car salesman. The last 3 used cars I bought I couldn't get the salesman to lower the price. How do I negotiate with the salesman. I need advice cuz I'm not that great at it. Looking at buy a truck and want to be prepared.
 
Don't sign papers the first time in. Show interest but no "need" to have the truck. Express that you're a serious buyer not a tire kicker

Leave

Let him call you back and you say you like it but you're still shopping around. At this point he should start lowering the price to attempt to draw you back in.

If its been on the lot for a while, the ball is in your court. Of its sitting its costing them money so they'll try to lower price to move units.
 
Do your research, test drive, calculate your maximum comfortable price, offer that. If they don't take it, walk away. Works for me, and I get the car usually.
 
When buying anything used you have to be able to walk from the deal if you don't get the price you want. The last used car I bought, the dealer countered my offer 4 times before finally asking what he had to do to close the deal. I told him my highest price, showed him I had the money and he accepted.

--Joe
 
soap said:
When buying anything used you have to be able to walk from the deal if you don't get the price you want. The last used car I bought, the dealer countered my offer 4 times before finally asking what he had to do to close the deal. I told him my highest price, showed him I had the money and he accepted.

--Joe
Click to expand...

Yep. This is how it works. Obviously, you have to be reasonable. You can't get a car with a market value of $20K for $15K (normally).
 
I pretty much agree with what Soap said on this.

I've always said there are two steps to getting the best deal;

1) Know The Best Price - This means you need to research to know
what the best price actually is, what is the lowest price it can be purchased
for & best terms.

2) Demand The Best Price - This simply means you won't settle for anything
less than the best price (see #1). It does mean that you're willing to walk.
The first one who gives in, losses.


If I had to buy a car from a dealership (and I normally wouldn't),
I would walk in, hand the sales rep a paper with my offer for the
car I wanted along with my contact info & tell him.....

"I'm shopping several dealerships for this vehicle & the first one that
confirms this offer wins - I buy". Then promptly walk out.

Many dealerships will attempt to keep you at the dealership as long as they can,
for two reasons, one if you spend all your time there, you can't go anywhere else.
And two, it will wear you out & tire you to the point "you'll just want to get it over with".
 
4Gas$ said:
I pretty much agree with what Soap said on this.

I've always said there are two steps to getting the best deal;

1) Know The Best Price - This means you need to research to know
what the best price actually is, what is the lowest price it can be purchased
for & best terms.

2) Demand The Best Price - This simply means you won't settle for anything
less than the best price (see #1). It does mean that you're willing to walk.
The first one who gives in, losses.


If I had to buy a car from a dealership (and I normally wouldn't),
I would walk in, hand the sales rep a paper with my offer for the
car I wanted along with my contact info & tell him.....

"I'm shopping several dealerships for this vehicle & the first one that
confirms this offer wins - I buy". Then promptly walk out.

Many dealerships will attempt to keep you at the dealership as long as they can,
for two reasons, one if you spend all your time there, you can't go anywhere else.
And two, it will wear you out & tire you to the point "you'll just want to get it over with".
Click to expand...

I, and I know you, have purchased many cars for well below market value, and then re-sold them at profit. The dealers know the market value and I agree that generally I won't buy from a dealer. However, if the dealership is the place you're purchasing from, I modify the approach to "what am I comfortable paying for this vehicle?" If you use the best price approach, it has to have the caveat "best price from a dealership". I think the only way I have seen people getting truly great deals on used cars from dealerships, i.e., well below market value, is when they buy vehicles in bulk. Just been my experience.
 
When I shop, Ialways say I don't NEED to buy anything and have worked in sales/management for20 years. This is the price I want to pay, I don’t want to bicker back andforth. If you can make it happen we’ll have a deal today, if not I’ll goelsewhere. I always says I understand that you have to make money as well, Iget it. The last car I bought the salesman literally opened the file on thetrade in, showed me what they paid, etc. and said yep that’s a fair price and Iknow your offer isn’t coming up let’s do it. Left a small deposit, picked it upthe next day. The salesman said “wow” easiest deal I’d ever done.. My buddy shookhis head in awe lol.


4Gas$ said:
I pretty much agree with what Soap said on this.

I've always said there are two steps to getting the best deal;

1) Know The Best Price - This means you need to research to know
what the best price actually is, what is the lowest price it can be purchased
for & best terms.

2) Demand The Best Price - This simply means you won't settle for anything
less than the best price (see #1). It does mean that you're willing to walk.
The first one who gives in, losses.


If I had to buy a car from a dealership (and I normally wouldn't),
I would walk in, hand the sales rep a paper with my offer for the
car I wanted along with my contact info & tell him.....

"I'm shopping several dealerships for this vehicle & the first one that
confirms this offer wins - I buy". Then promptly walk out.

Many dealerships will attempt to keep you at the dealership as long as they can,
for two reasons, one if you spend all your time there, you can't go anywhere else.
And two, it will wear you out & tire you to the point "you'll just want to get it over with".
Click to expand...
 
CMYZ28 said:
When I shop, Ialways say I don't NEED to buy anything and have worked in sales/management for20 years. This is the price I want to pay, I don’t want to bicker back andforth. If you can make it happen we’ll have a deal today, if not I’ll goelsewhere. I always says I understand that you have to make money as well, Iget it. The last car I bought the salesman literally opened the file on thetrade in, showed me what they paid, etc. and said yep that’s a fair price and Iknow your offer isn’t coming up let’s do it. Left a small deposit, picked it upthe next day. The salesman said “wow” easiest deal I’d ever done.. My buddy shookhis head in awe lol.
Click to expand...

Right. I don't negotiate at the dealership. Just give my reasonable price (what I'm comfortable paying) and then walk if they won't give it to me.
 
Lots of good ways of doing it posted here. As said, most important is to know your market. Know what your looking for, know what its worth, and how much things like mileage, wear, etc effect the price. And be ready to walk away. Know that there are a lot more fish in the sea, and there is always a better deal waiting. I have occasionally gotten really good deals from dealers. But normally always get the best deals buying from Joe Public. They just don't know how to sell correctly, and can be swayed to go below what its worth.
 
And if financing, know the interest rates for a few different banks. You may get the price you want for the truck but may pay a few % higher on the financing if you're not paying attention or know any better. I had a dealer try to do this years ago when I bought a 2 yo Yukon Denali. When I called them out on the financing, they tried to sell me a warranty. Told me that the bank required it. I called BS and walked. They called me 10 min later and made the deal.
 
I get the having to eat thing but they've made buying such a painful process they're decreasing their customer base.
Many people (myself included) would rather go to the dentist then a car dealership.
 
4Gas$ said:
1) Know The Best Price - This means you need to research to know
what the best price actually is, what is the lowest price it can be purchased
for & best terms.
Click to expand...

Since this came up a few times, do any of you have any tips as to the best way to identify the best/lowest reasonable price is? I'm not an avid car buyer, but in the looking I've done I often see wild variations in the price vs. condition/mileage/etc. of the car (plus you only ever see advertised price, not purchase price) that it often seems pretty hard to tell what number I really should be shooting for. Especially if I'm even remotely picky about what I want (which I usually am :lol: ).
 
Birdie2000 said:
Since this came up a few times, do any of you have any tips as to the best way to identify the best/lowest reasonable price is? I'm not an avid car buyer, but in the looking I've done I often see wild variations in the price vs. condition/mileage/etc. of the car (plus you only ever see advertised price, not purchase price) that it often seems pretty hard to tell what number I really should be shooting for. Especially if I'm even remotely picky about what I want (which I usually am :lol: ).
Click to expand...

I compare 3 sources normally when I research vehicle prices.

1) KBB price guild.
2) Search Craigslist.
3) Check the auctions (government).

This usually gives me a pretty good price range.


In addition to value, I also like to check;

Crash test ratings - http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings

Consumer Reports Ratings as well.
 
I usually have talked to my bank / credit union and have a amount pre-approved and shop that price the second I start getting the run around of I need to ask my manager I say bye
 
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