bahnstormerm3

has anyone ever used an auto broker to find and buy a car. i just would like to know what kind of experience you had. also here is southern califorina they seem to be given the best deal. thanks

ds2k1

I used a broker in northern california. I think that I got a very good deal, but not the absolute best deal possible. However, the combination of getting me the exact car I want, at a very, very good price, and locating excellent financing options - all without me having to break a sweat - made the experience worth it for me.

allegretto

Here's the thing;

Not a new car, deduct 3 pts.
Have to take it to a shop to know it hasn't been, ah, hurt. Deduct 1 pt
If you finance, pay another point or two for money. Deduct 1 pt.
Deal with phone calls. Deduct .5 pt
Smooth talker factor. Deduct .5 pt (1-2 pts if he's a greaser)
Maybe it's been broken in wrong. Deduct (at least) 1 pt
Smells funny, if present, deduct at least 2 pts.

You get the idea. If you have to, a used vehicle is OK if you meet the owner, check out their home etc. you can get a feel.

But a broker is like doing a hooker, you get what you get and if they lie, well as far as they're concerned, it's part of the business.

Salespunk

For new or used? My wife just got her new car through the Credit Union. It was $1800 cheaper than ANY deal we could find and I talked with 9 dealers in Socal. Turns out our CU does a straight pass through on the cars just to get the financing. We also go .5% below A tier on financing because of the broker. Third part was they found a car that we were told did not exist without ordering from the factory.

searching4996

There are a few of them out here that offer to let you bid in the dealer auctions at Manheim for a fee ( usually 1-2k). They've been excellent, and helped me save a ton of money on a few purchases. As the previous poster mentioned, however, nothing beats buying directly from the former owner. If you like to car shop ( I do), then peruse ebay, craigslist and autotrader for private party posts and have fun. It's still the best way to get a good priced, no suprises used car.

If your buying new the brokers are probably a waste of time and money. Most dealers have internet departments now, you can shop 9 dealers and from home in one day.

blk on blk

I use a broker for my cars, and have always been very satisfied with the service.

scycle2020

hey, lets not bad mouth hookers!!!!!!!

drbf

Never used a broker. How much do they charge and what services do they provide.

ds2k1

Prices vary depending on the car, but an agent pits a nationwide network of dealers against each other to get the best price for the car, and get the true bank rate from a slew of financial institutions to offer you the best possible financing. No mark ups on the car (you purchase directly from the ultimate dealer) or the financing (which is also directly with the financial institution). For this, you pay them a fee (for a Porsche, you can expect $500-600). Also, at least in my case, you pick up the car from them, not the dealer, and the process is completely painless. Only catch is you have to agree to sign up and pay them without knowing what their results will be. In other words, you're hiring them as your agent, and they won't go to work for you unless they know they're getting paid. Requires a little bit of faith in the process. But in my case, I was satisfied and it was easy. Now I just have to wait for the car.

Also, to put things in perspective, I actually called the dealer that my agent ultimately acquired my car from to talk prices (without knowing that's who my agent would go through), and my agent was able to get me a waaaaaaaay better price than the salesman was quoting, and the financing the dealer was offering was ludicrous. Instead of 8-point-whatever financing, I was able to get in the low 4's.

searching4996

Wow, it sure sounds like they are worth what they charge, even for new car purchases. I stand corrected

ds2k1

I think some of them are. Try to find one with an excellent reputation, or through word of mouth. Also, I have seen some people here, through a lot of hard work and due diligence, get the same or better deals, so it's not like they're working magic or anything. It's simply more convenient and takes most of the guess work out of it. If you use a good one, you'll get a very good price, very good financing, for a relatively reasonable fee. Can you do better? Probably, if you work really, really hard at it. So, what's your time worth?

chbj

I had the same great experience with a broker in northern california. They even bought my old car from me at a price I would have never gotten on a trade in. Unless you like negotiating with car dealers this is how I would buy any new car in the future.

One more thing. They asked me if I had a preferred dealer. So they went out to find the best price and then asked my preferred dealer to match it. Once I took delivery the dealer called me to "welcome" me and to make sure I knew the car came from them and that they really want my service business -- not a big surprise there.

USCHANDPOD

Never used a hooker. How much do they charge and what services do they provide.