Interesting Article - Car Dealer Tricks to Watch For

[Mrs.Rubber2Burn]

I am going to be looking for a new car soon, well maybe I still have to convince hubby...lol. I thought this was interesting.

Car Dealer Tricks to Watch For- Yahoo! Autos Article Page

Sorry, I couldn't get the article to copy/paste correctly.

[AJAY]

Good luck with your car shopping. It's a great time to buy if you can afford it.

I'll throw in a couple more tricks to watch for....

Extras: Undercoating, upgraded this and that, teflon paint coatings, etc. Not that any of these are bad things, but dealer prices for this are horrible. You can get any of these extras outside the dealer for a lot less money. A LOT less. And many dealers send the car out to external services for these anyway.

Extended Warrantees: For some people these make sense, but not for most people. But here was the one that made me tear up a loan contract and start over. A Toyota dealer showed me financing with monthly payments labelled Basic, Better, Best, each with higher prices. The Better and Best had extra warranties financed into the loan, so I took the Basic. But only upon reading everything in the contract did I see that I was actually buying a $2000 warranty with the "Basic" loan package. I almost walked out right then and there, indeed I would have except that this car was for my wife and we had gotten that far already. Made them rework the loan without the $2000 extended warranty. Gotta say this really pissed me off. Don't worry - if you want the warranty later, you can buy it later, even two years later.

Again, good luck and Happy Car Shopping!

[Revlis]

The only problem I see with the article is that it completely misses the most important thing.


YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SALES PEOPLE!

-Have your OWN financing through your Credit Union or Bank. (Remember though that you are NOT doing the dealer any favors by doing so. You'll be costing them all the back end profit so DO NOT SAY "I"LL BE PAYING CASH" or I'VE GOT MY OWN FINANCING"...

A lot folks WANT to say "I'll be paying cash" cause they think it's better for the dealership or it makes them feel special, cool or whatever. Don't do it.

Negotiate the price to what your research says is a fair value, don't get excited, angry, tired, or discouraged. Especially right now, they NEED to sell you a car.

ALSO, Skip the salesperson altogether. Go through their fleet sales or Internet department for everything. SALESMEN ARE NOT THERE TO SAVE YOU MONEY! THEY are there to MAKE their COMMISSION!

SO, if you were asking me, I'd say the article skips the most important part, it speaks as though you HAVE to play the game and you really do not.

1. Find the car you want, or if ordering new spec it out the way you want.

2. Send your local dealerships an email telling them what you want. Do not specify pricing at this point, send it to five or so dealerships, asking for availability and pricing.

3. Have your own financing in hand, DO NOT let he dealership know you are going to be just writing them a check as this will discourage best pricing as they will assume you will be financing through them, earning them a few thousand on the back end.

4. Be patient, let them know you are speaking to other dealerships as well, wait for them to get back to you, and be ready to buy when one of them comes through with a great deal.

5. It's also important that YOU BE FAIR AND REASONABLE. If you're not then none of this works, the dealerships will just shrug their shoulders.

6. Lastly, Don't get sprung on the latest greatest X. Whatever it is, if it's the newest coolest fastest thing on the road? You're not going to have much if any wiggle room, cause they simply do NOT need to make a special deal on the latest and greatest.

I learned this with the Last car I had, there's simply NO Wiggle room when you're ordering a vehicle that others are waiting 6 months for, and is the new hotness...

DO NOT GO IN UNPREPARED!


I'm not an expert so YMMV etc... But in my experience, if you are not good buddies with the store owner, or sales manager? It's best to just skip the salesman entirely.

[Commuta_Busa]

If you ask for the carfax and the salesmen holds up a hand puppet of a fox then walk away.

Good luck

[PADEROLIS]

Originally Posted by Commuta_Busa

If you ask for the carfax and the salesmen holds up a hand puppet of a fox then walk away.

Good luck

^

CONSUMER: Show me the CARFAX.

SALESMAN: I've got something better; a note from the previous owner, " This car runs great! I promise!"

CONSUMER: Just show me the CARFAX.

SALESMAN: But it's a promise!


That commercial cracks me up!

[outlawbusa]

Though I would be real hesitant about buying something through Ebay without looking at it first, it is a good place to see dealership "deals".

If you go to a car/boat show at your local Civic center, they always have this real low deal advertized...they might only have 1 or 2 and usually they are gone by the time you get there, but car dealerships are not as quick to sell. They also sometimes advertize really low prices on Ebay or elsewhere. Search the type of vehicle you are looking for and do your local miles from zip code requirements and see what the dealers are offering.

I purchased my Excursion like that. I was looking for an H2 and found one on Ebay. When I got to the dealer I liked the Excursion better and still made out better than a state away, which is where I was heading in the first place.

[k03gsxr750]

Altering the Bill of Sale

Never sign a bill of sale with blanks or terms that are “subject to bank approval” or have similar wording. Some dealerships will let a customer sign such a document and release the new car to its happy owner, only to call the buyer back a few days later to say that the loan fell through and they need to come back in to sign some new paperwork, which just happens to cost the buyer more than the negotiated price. Never drive your car off a lot until all the paperwork is filled out completely.

The following four are the most underhanded and childish dealer tricks. Fortunately, they don’t happen very often anymore. But if a dealer pulls any of these stunts on you, they don’t deserve your business. Walk away.

Didn't this just happen to someone here, sister or something to that effect??

Also having worked sales for several years I have seen one if not all of these at every place I have worked. Even walked out on a job that made it a practice to do things like this. If you remember one thing and only one thing its Sales people are the only people in the sale equation that really get to "practice". When have you ever bought 20+ cars in a month, let alone for years on end, yeah didn't think so. Best of luck to any buyer it can be scary out there.

[head east busa]

Get the gap insurance or stated value through your own policy if possible on your new car. The depreciation is so fast right now due to the economy and sales that if god forbid anything totals your new baby you'll get screwed cause most insurance companies only insure the current value of the vehicle and with a loan you could end up upside down. that being said congratulations and send up some pics of your new baby.:cheer leader:.

[MPH 200]

Kristin you have to stop wrecking the old one first.


I am in process of buying a new Tundra. I am getting rid of my POS Mercedes convertible. I have 8 dealers from San Antonio to Waco working the deal. I have specified exactly what I do, & do not want. So far I have 3 prices w/ about a $2K varience for the exact same truck. I will be paying cash. They all know I work for Lexus & will not be servicing, etc. at their dealership. It is all about the price - period.

I am doing 90% of the work on-line to avoid the sales crap.

[head east busa]

Originally Posted by k03gsxr750

Didn't this just happen to someone here, sister or something to that effect??

Also having worked sales for several years I have seen one if not all of these at every place I have worked. Even walked out on a job that made it a practice to do things like this. If you remember one thing and only one thing its Sales people are the only people in the sale equation that really get to "practice". When have you ever bought 20+ cars in a month, let alone for years on end, yeah didn't think so. Best of luck to any buyer it can be scary out there.

This recently happened to a fellow org members sister they got it all squared away but he is correct just be wary of what your signing and if tehy take forever letting you sit in the lobby for the final stuff leave it's a game to introduce power just like pulling someone in when they shake your hand to show domination or power.

[Mrs.Rubber2Burn]

Originally Posted by MPH 200

Kristin you have to stop wrecking the old one first.


I am in process of buying a new Tundra. I am getting rid of my POS Mercedes convertible. I have 8 dealers from San Antonio to Waco working the deal. I have specified exactly what I do, & do not want. So far I have 3 prices w/ about a $2K varience for the exact same truck. I will be paying cash. They all know I work for Lexus & will not be servicing, etc. at their dealership. It is all about the price - period.

I am doing 90% of the work on-line to avoid the sales crap.

I am hoping that by the time I get one picked out and research done I will have finished wrecking the old one.
Those damn toll booths really get in the way of your commute! (unfortunately Adam does not see the humor in it).

[Ace_05]

Buying a new car/truck is such a chore. No more new cagers for me...

[teamorion22]

google 'confessions of a used car salesman' or maybe 'confessions of a car salesman'

edmonds sent someone undercover to sale cars. it's not too long and it's a good read