2535Miles
04-18-2008, 03:28 PM
I started this thread after reading the following thread: Am I allowed to do this (legal advice por favor)? (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8818)
The aforementioned thread is about legal stuff, but it stems from a bad experience buying a car. I just had a wonderful experience and thought I would pass on some advice that was given to me buy the manager of dealership I know.
I called my friend a month ago because I was in the market for a new car. I loathe even the idea of haggling with a salesperson and wasn't looking forward to the process again so I sought his advice. He recommended:
1. Be prepared by going to Edmunds (http://www.edmunds.com/) and checking the current prices and invoice for the vehicle in which you are interested. Know the market rates and what to expect so you can identify when prices are too high.
2. Ask to speak with the Fleet Manager. He warns, they'll give you the Sales Manager but refuse to speak with him until you get the Fleet Manager. They make all of the final decisions on pricing anyway, so cut to the chase and avoid the salesmen.
3. Tell the Fleet Manager you were recommended to the dealership by another dealer, garage, friend, etc. in another city.
4. Explain to Fleet Manager that you understand they're in the business of making money, and that you respect it, but that you're not going to be taken advantage of and you aren't going to waste their time either.
5. Finally, ask them how much over invoice they are willing to go and then start from there.
So, I did my research, knew the options for the car and the current market rates. I also got some rough estimates on trade-in value for my vehicle and called the dealership. They gave me the Sales Manager first but was finally able to get the Fleet Manager after haggling a bit.
The Fleet Manager was very respectful and was impressed with the research. We made an appointment to test drive for the next day. When I arrived, he didn't try to upsell me on anything. In fact, he showed me a car that was $2,000 (sticker) less than the model I mentioned because he thought it was a better fit for me. I spent less than three hours at the dealer, got a car $100 over invoice and came out $4,000 under budget.
I'm sure a lot of this is luck; it all depends on the people with which you end up working. But I hope the advice is useful to some of you. Have fun and don't let those darn cars salesmen push you around anymore!
The aforementioned thread is about legal stuff, but it stems from a bad experience buying a car. I just had a wonderful experience and thought I would pass on some advice that was given to me buy the manager of dealership I know.
I called my friend a month ago because I was in the market for a new car. I loathe even the idea of haggling with a salesperson and wasn't looking forward to the process again so I sought his advice. He recommended:
1. Be prepared by going to Edmunds (http://www.edmunds.com/) and checking the current prices and invoice for the vehicle in which you are interested. Know the market rates and what to expect so you can identify when prices are too high.
2. Ask to speak with the Fleet Manager. He warns, they'll give you the Sales Manager but refuse to speak with him until you get the Fleet Manager. They make all of the final decisions on pricing anyway, so cut to the chase and avoid the salesmen.
3. Tell the Fleet Manager you were recommended to the dealership by another dealer, garage, friend, etc. in another city.
4. Explain to Fleet Manager that you understand they're in the business of making money, and that you respect it, but that you're not going to be taken advantage of and you aren't going to waste their time either.
5. Finally, ask them how much over invoice they are willing to go and then start from there.
So, I did my research, knew the options for the car and the current market rates. I also got some rough estimates on trade-in value for my vehicle and called the dealership. They gave me the Sales Manager first but was finally able to get the Fleet Manager after haggling a bit.
The Fleet Manager was very respectful and was impressed with the research. We made an appointment to test drive for the next day. When I arrived, he didn't try to upsell me on anything. In fact, he showed me a car that was $2,000 (sticker) less than the model I mentioned because he thought it was a better fit for me. I spent less than three hours at the dealer, got a car $100 over invoice and came out $4,000 under budget.
I'm sure a lot of this is luck; it all depends on the people with which you end up working. But I hope the advice is useful to some of you. Have fun and don't let those darn cars salesmen push you around anymore!