Serious buyer? Prove it
07-16-2009, 02:48 AM
#152
Poseur
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Wow, all these posts and maybe 2 or 3 like the one above that make sense.
I buy lots of cars (not as many as Mooty though!). I bought 2 last month, sold one yesterday, and will be buying another later this month.
I'm basically the guy the OP was whining about. I ask dealers what their best price is on the car I want. I tell them ahead of time that I typically do not haggle and that I will buy based on several factors including their price.
I just bought a loaded 335i coupe as a daily driver. After weeding out the local dealers that give me the bad juju vibe, I talked to 3 dealers that I like. All 3 found the same inbound car that I wanted. I asked all 3 to give me a price. One told me to come down and we'll work something out, which in my experience means we'll tag-team hard-sell you until you crumble. The other 2 offered their "best deals". I went down to the dealer that gave me the best deal and bought the car on the spot at that price.
The other dealer called me back a few days later and asked I was still interested. I told him that I already bought it. He was upset and asked why I didn't call him first and let him know so that he could offer a better deal. I told him that I made it clear that I would base my decision on his offer and another dealer had a better offer, and if he could have made a better one then he basically lied by saying it was his best offer.
I agree that the customer is NOT always right, sometimes the customer is an idiot who thinks the world owes him a favor and ethics only apply to the other guy. Having set pricing helps weed those guys out.
There are some great dealerships out there, however, car dealers, along with lawyers and politicians, built their negative reputations over many years. A large percentage of your peers are unethical, lie to our faces, and treat us like dirt as soon as the deal is done. Don't act indignant that it comes back to bite you, you earned it.
I buy lots of cars (not as many as Mooty though!). I bought 2 last month, sold one yesterday, and will be buying another later this month.
I'm basically the guy the OP was whining about. I ask dealers what their best price is on the car I want. I tell them ahead of time that I typically do not haggle and that I will buy based on several factors including their price.
I just bought a loaded 335i coupe as a daily driver. After weeding out the local dealers that give me the bad juju vibe, I talked to 3 dealers that I like. All 3 found the same inbound car that I wanted. I asked all 3 to give me a price. One told me to come down and we'll work something out, which in my experience means we'll tag-team hard-sell you until you crumble. The other 2 offered their "best deals". I went down to the dealer that gave me the best deal and bought the car on the spot at that price.
The other dealer called me back a few days later and asked I was still interested. I told him that I already bought it. He was upset and asked why I didn't call him first and let him know so that he could offer a better deal. I told him that I made it clear that I would base my decision on his offer and another dealer had a better offer, and if he could have made a better one then he basically lied by saying it was his best offer.
I agree that the customer is NOT always right, sometimes the customer is an idiot who thinks the world owes him a favor and ethics only apply to the other guy. Having set pricing helps weed those guys out.
There are some great dealerships out there, however, car dealers, along with lawyers and politicians, built their negative reputations over many years. A large percentage of your peers are unethical, lie to our faces, and treat us like dirt as soon as the deal is done. Don't act indignant that it comes back to bite you, you earned it.
07-16-2009, 12:45 PM
#153
Pete,--I like the way you 'negotiate.' Many years ago when I bought a new vehicle I offered them a price that I was willing to pay. They did the old, "let me check with the manager" routine. When he came back I lowered my offer to them, telling them that if they did the old check with the manager routine, it would go down again. They took it at that price.
For my wife's car last month, when it can time to discuss pricing I told him exactly what I was willing to offer and I popped open my MacBook where I had the dealer invoice sheet, retail sheet, bookmarked the latest finance and lease rates, Manheim and Black Book trade-in values, and an Excel spreadsheet that calculated all the variables in real time. He took one look at that and brought the sales manager into his office where I worked with him directly. Smooth and painless.
The trick is to be informed, fair and realistic. Research going rates, rebates, incentives, marketing support and so on. I didn't lowball, I offered a fair price and expected a fair price on my trade-in. We closed at my original offer and everyone was happy.
07-16-2009, 02:54 PM
#155
Not an Addict?
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
it's tough to go to bed when this opportunity presents itself!
i'm not crying about $500 dude, so what are you talking about? actually, it's clear YOU don't understand the laws of supply/demand. if we don't need to discount a car $500 when the market is strong and people are falling over themselves to buy 911s, then why should we? all manufacturer's have an msrp, from microsoft to canon to the new york yankees. what do you want to pay for any of these products or services? i'm just saying be honest, not anonymous, when you approach me and are ready to write a check.
i'm not crying about $500 dude, so what are you talking about? actually, it's clear YOU don't understand the laws of supply/demand. if we don't need to discount a car $500 when the market is strong and people are falling over themselves to buy 911s, then why should we? all manufacturer's have an msrp, from microsoft to canon to the new york yankees. what do you want to pay for any of these products or services? i'm just saying be honest, not anonymous, when you approach me and are ready to write a check.
