I’ve been buying cars for years and know all the tricks. Here are a few tips that I hope may help someone. In no particular order.
-
Before you go to a dealer, have an idea of what kind of car you are looking for and how much you can afford for a monthly payment.
-
Know your credit score before you go. Credit Karma is a free app.
-
NEVER let them run your credit until you have finalized the price of the car and decided without a doubt it’s the one you want. It puts a small ding on your credit each time they run it, but not when you check it yourself on the free apps.
It is common for them to tell you they won’t talk price until they run your credit. This is crap. They just want to know how desperate you are for financing so they can use it against you. Walk away if they insist.
-
while it’s important to know what the monthly payments are going to be, you should only negotiate on the final price of the car. They will try to get you to negotiate payments as it’s easier for them to fuck you over that way and it’s confusing.
-
NEVER buy a car the same day. Go in, shop around, get a price (no need for hard negotiating yet.) and then tell them you will call your bank and insurance company and get back to them.
Here is where it usually gets sleazy as they don’t want you to leave without buying. If they start to act hurt, angry, aggressive, get up and walk out. These are all sales tactics to guilt you out of thousands of dollars. These people are not and never will be your friend. It is their job to fuck you as hard as they can for commission.
- Never fall for the false sense of urgency tactics “this deal is only good for today. I can’t offer this low of a price tomorrow.” Or “I have 3 other people looking at this car. It won’t be here tomorrow.” It’s all bullshit.
The best way to deal with this is to just say “bullshit. If you want to make the sale, the price will be the same when I come back or I’ll go somewhere else.” Or you can just get up and leave if they are jerking You off.
- Don’t smile when you meet them. Shake their hand and give short, firm answers. This sets a tone that any trained salesman will recognize as someone who may not have patience for any bullshit. You are more likely to just get a straight buying experience if you act very serious and don’t make small talk. This doesn’t mean to be an asshole, just be aloof. Example:
A classic shitty salesman line is “what would it take to make you buy this car today?” A good reaction to that would be to look him in the eye for a slow 4 second count and then ignore the question. If he persists, tell him flatly, “I’m not buying the car today.”
-
SLOW THEM DOWN! Bring a note pad and write down any numbers they give you. They try to keep talking so you don’t have time to think. Just hold up your hand to shut them up or say “excuse me, I’m thinking.”
-
When you get home, look online for the prices people are offering or check KBB or another site to find an average price. Hopefully you have the salesman’s email or cell number. Don’t go back in, don’t call. Rather, text or email them your offer. There is less pressure for you this way and it’s easier to just block them if you don’t get what you want. If they text / email you back a higher counter offer, don’t answer for a couple hours. Let them stew.
-
This last one is very important. Keep the negotiations about the price of the car and any possible trade in separate. They will often give you a great deal on a car but then fuck you on the trade in or the reverse. This is extremely common and even the less sleazy dealers do it.
Know what your trade is realistically worth before you go in. Also, you can always just sell it privately and avoid this game all together since it is the biggest risk of getting fucked during the deal.
- Always ask about “dealer fees” or any other hidden costs that will be added on. Many places spring this on you after all the haggling is finished and you are about to sign. You are stressed, exhausted and just want it to be over with. Now on the contract you see a line “$500 dealer prep fee.”
They are hoping at this point you will just sign it. Ask about it before hand and negotiate that into the final price. It is a bullshit fee and will be waived if you stand firm on it.
Good luck all!
Edit: never buy the extended warranty. New cars are not going to start to break down before 100,000 miles. It’s a huge money making scam for them. Even if you do buy it, they will try to fuck you over if you actually had to use it. Don’t waste the money.
Edit #2: I forgot to add that the last few days of the month is the best time to go. Most dealers get bonuses from the manufacturer if they sell X amount of cars in a month. If you wait to the last day, they may have already hit that number and won’t be willing to deal, but if not, you can shake them down hard.
They will be more willing to give you a car for a few hundred less even to the point of making no profit just to get those bonuses!!!
Submitted March 28, 2018 at 12:10AM by TheMeatWhistle45 https://ift.tt/2pLN185
