Well, are car salesmen really fun to deal with?

[imanamerican63]

No, but it fun to play their game!

I walked into a dealership that I have dealt with for my last two vehicles. The first salesperson I dealt with was great, no haggling over what I wanted! The 2nd one I can only describe was an absolute arrogant piss ant! When I walked yesterday, the piss ant was the only salesperson on the floor. I just wanted get an idea to see my options before I buy a vehicle.

This is were the fun begins! I told them about the accident and my car was totaled and that I had to wait for the insurance money before I did anything. The 1st word out of his was “well, you can write a check today and we can hold until you receive it, or I can leave a deposit on any vehicle I want to buy”. I asked “do get the deposit back, if I decide not buy here”? Answer was a resounding “ no, but I could use for service work done at the dealership”. So, I figured after that I would play games with him! I had him run the numbers on a nice premiere vehicle. He went to his boss and they came back with a deal with outlandish payments, I knew I couldn’t afford the payments, so after a few runs at they came back with a slight drop, but still not good enough, with a real high interest rate.

I set there for a bit and I said, “no, I would have to give it a thought and need to wait”! The piss ant called his boss over and explained why I was not able get the vehicle at that time . He gave me card and person text messaging line to the dealership, so we can communicate. After I left, I blocked the link to his text messaging system and ripped his card up!

I know he is going to try to get ahold of me, but I will not do any busy with this dealership as long as that piss ant works for them! He highly obnoxious and tries to be funny! There are times when you want to be funny, but when doing business and cracking jokes, that is red flag for me! Bye bye, I’ll take my chances with another dealership!

[MOMFUDSKI]

1. My husband and I played good cop/bad cop.

Having worked at a dealership I knew how pricing was set. When Mgr said they had X amount of money in this used car I asked what their “internal” rate was. Had him right there. Then husband said we had to go to make the football game and left the building. I never sat down in the office and threw out a lowball offer and said I have to go - husband is waiting in car. Offer Accepted! Done Deal. Took under an hour. Paid cash. Drove that Camry for years

[doc03]

2. In my lifetime I have delt with many car salesman. There was this one, I bought I think three

vehicles off of before he retired. He told me what he would give me for my car and showed me the invoice
for the new one and his price, no bullshit. He was around a thousand dollars less than any of the others I
checked, I didn't have to haggle with him, I just said I will take it.

[Xavier Breath]

3. That's why I loved Saturn and the no-dicker-sticker.

Take it or leave it, but no bullshit haggling regardless.

[doc03]

6. There was one Chevy dealer that was the worse I ever saw. They took the

manufacturer's sticker off the car and printed up their own sticker inflating the price of the vehicle
and each option adding $2500 to the sticker. That was back when $2500 was a lot of money. They were even
ripping off GM. I don't remember the details, but they were into GM for over a million dollar. That was 40-50 years
ago when a million dollars was a whole lot of money.

[Hotler]

4. I used a car buying service. You tell them what you're looking for and they do the shopping and,

find you the best deal out the door. You pay a flat fee to the buying service and the the vehicle cost to the dealer. It worked well for me.

[mitch96]

13. I did that and it was amazing how the "OTD" price changed when I got to the dealership to pay for the car

LOts of excuses.. Person quoting the OTD was wrong etc etc...I have never had a good experience buying a car from a dealer.. Lie upon lie upon lie...For my money they all suck..
m

[MineralMan]

5. I take a different approach to buying new cars.

I check the dealer's inventory online. When I find the car I want with a listed price I am willing to pay, I call the dealer, give them their inventory number, and tell them I will be there in an hour.

Then, I go there, and write a check for that specific car and drive it home. I don't buy cars I can't pay for in full at the time. I also don't want to listen to attempts to upsell me, and simply reject those the first time it comes up. On average, it takes me less than an hour to drive away with the car.

My most recent car purchase, a 2021 base trim Chevy Trax with AWD, wasn't even on the lot. It was on the website with an "in transit" notation. I bought it before it even showed up at the dealership. They called me when it came in and had been prepped. I gave it an inspection, drove it around the lot, and took it home.

Some people will say I paid more than I should have. Well, no, since that was in 2021, when few new cars were available at dealerships. Mine was listed at its advertised basic price. That's what I paid.

Of course, that doesn't work with used cars. That's a different thing.

[doc03]

7. I go to a dealer and tell them I am shopping for a car and to give me their best price.

I let them know right there if I get a better price elsewhere, I won't be back.

[MineralMan]

8. That works, too, but it goes faster if you find a car

that is in inventory on the dealership's website.

Also, the entire strategy requires that you can pay for the car in full at the time of sale. If there is financing involved, you're going to be there a while.

[edhopper]

9. My car is a Honda

I bought used from a dealer. The price was posted online. The car was as described, the salesman was friendly and the added fees for paperwork were reasonable, they even registered the car for me with no extra charge.
The salesman called me on the anniversary of the sale to see how the car was.
Mind you, before that I walked out of two other dealerships because they were jerks. One would only sell me the car I wanted at the listed price if I financed it with them. That's illegal, but I didn't want to spend my time reporting them.

[brooklynite]

10. What game?

We've bought three cars in the last 25 years. We knew the reasonable cost and what we were willing to pay. Never spent more than 20 minutes and never had to haggle.

[edisdead]

11. Most reputable car dealerships are no haggle

Been that way for at least a decade.

[FHRRK]

12. Had a classic one years ago

Was buying new car with the wife, started at a Nisson dealership and started the dance.
Initial sales guy was good, told him we will basically finance half and cover half with check. With that we need to focus on total price. Wife drives the car likes it, so we are good to go. Except sales manager and Finance guy step in, play the let’s make them wait game after asking me how much payment can I afford, tell them it doesn’t really matter, based on price of car and interest rate I am confident that we will be in an acceptable range.
After about 15 minutes that comes in a 2x what it should be, ask them what interest rate did you use, response was you said monthly payment didn’t matter, so I ask again and the smarmy asses say 28%.

Leave, wife is frustrated, wants to go home, Honda dealership right across the street so we go in, find a car, work a deal and done in an hour. My wife is too nervous so asks me to drive it home.

Can’t resist, drive it back across the street , original sales guy out front, can see the two douchebags in the showroom, honk, flash the high beams, jump out and flip them the bird.

[DFW]

14. I'm the same way when I need a car.

I doubt most normal mortals do that, though. I'm sure most people who get a new (whether used or never used) car buy it on some kind of payment plan. I am paid in dollars, but live in Euros, so I need to keep an eye on the exchange rate when it comes to major cash outlays.

I frankly never have the time to play around with the choosing and negotiating. I prefer to go in to the dealership, tell them what I want, ask what new options are there that I'm not familiar with, usually reject all of them, but treat myself to a few low-tech perks if I feel they are things that won't break down weeks after delivery.

The very first time I got myself a new car over here was an adventure. I had brought my Datsun (later Nissan) from the States, never dreaming what the Germans would put me though. I had to get so many things replaced to conform with German specs that I would have been better off selling it in Boston, but who knew? I kept it until it refused to behave, and started to look for a locally made car. There were three dealerships near where I lived, so I took them in geographical order. this was in early 1986. Catalytic converters were still optional here (!!!). First was Audi. Their trunks were so small, I said thanks, but no thanks.

So, I crossed the street to Mercedes. It was already starting to rain, but I did need a car. So, I went in there, was shown a few models small enough to suit me, but enough trunk space to accommodate the growing family on short trips. Not bad, actually, until the salesman told me he could have it delivered within 18 months. I said ha ha, what's the real time frame? He said it's really 18 months. Right. Auf Wiedersehen.

Then I was down to last chance gulch. I went into the BMW dealership at the end of the local "auto Strip." Now it was pouring, and I wasn't exactly the image of the upscale auto snob. Apparently, anyway. I looked around, saw a few models that might have fit my needs, but not one of the salesmen would even say hello. So, I left. Next stop was the local bank to make a few other payments. The guy there who handled my account, and knew I was looking for a car, asked what I had decided on. I said I had decided on nothing so far, and told him my three frustrations. He said he knew the owners of the BMW dealership, and was pretty sure they would be royally pissed to hear that their salesmen wouldn't even talk to someone who had walked in. The daughter of the owner, who was also the business manager said that if I wasn't too disgusted with them, if I was willing to come back, she would take care of me herself. Since I was still without a car, I said sure.

So I went back there, and went to the reception, where my request was to meet with "her" was met with some skepticism. But they called, and were surprised when she said she'd be right down. She was very pleasant, and furious with her staff that none of them would even say hello to me. She noted, correctly, that if they let people walk in there without even speaking to them, they wouldn't be able to pay the rent. She asked me what I needed, and I told her. With catalytic converter? I said yes, even though not everywhere in Germany yet offered lead-free gas. They had a model at the time that couldn't go super-fast (I didn't care), and was exactly the right size, and with decent trunk space. Since this was toward the end of the Reagan high interest era, the dollar was still artificially high against the European currencies. I made a deal to buy a new BMW 500 series for $15,600. Signed the contract within an hour, payment due upon delivery (6 weeks). I had that car for fifteen years.

The car was indeed there within 6 weeks, and she later told me that within 6 months, she had fired every one of the sales staff that had been working for them when I first walked in. She got married, started to raise a family, and sold the dealership, but my wife and I still work with them. At least when I call for an appointment I get one, and the people there know I don't come see them unless I want a car. Many years pass between cars, but when it's time, then it's time, and I am not interested in spending weeks on deliberating whether or not I want some extra gadget that asks me what I want for breakfast the next morning (I don't).

[Jerry2144]

15. use a credit union buying service

shop around to find the car you like with the features you need/want. Then provide the info to your local credit union buying service. They will handle finding a car that matches what you want, negotiate for it, and arrange delivery. You can then get it financed with the credit union with no hassles and no games, other than the extended warranty question. They handle financing with great rates. The best part is that the credit unions are non-profit.

[imanamerican63]

16. That my intention to use my credit union!

I have a great reputation with them, thanks!

[hunter]

17. I've bought cars from dealers twice in my life, the last with my wife more than 25 years ago.

That car went off with one of our children to college.

With any luck I'll never have to buy a car from a dealer again.

I'm a pretty good mechanic. I can buy someone's junk car for cash and turn it into a reliable ride.

I don't much care what my cars look like, only that they are reasonably safe, get pretty good gas mileage, and pass California's smog tests.

In a perfect world we'd be turning our cities into attractive affordable places where car ownership is unnecessary. With a population of 8 billion people this planet cannot support an automobile for every adult.

[TheBlackAdder]

18. Get the 'Out-The-Door' number. Most like to pull the Four Square scam, trying to shift to monthly payment.

Dealers will add additional overpriced extras, try to offer loans what add a few interest points to the loan rate, all kinds of fees, etc.

Get offers from other local competitors to price match. Even if the local dealer tries to leverage more money for convenience, they almost always will cave if you stay firm and hold your ground.

Watch the Days on Market. Many cars have been sitting on the lot for months to a year or more. Mice and other things can happen to an idle car for that long.

Upcharges if paying cash is another scam. They want to juice you for trade-ins and added interest on loans.

Out-the-door is the discounted selling price less any manufacturer incentives, plus all fees (tax, tag, title, doc). Delivery/Freight should be included in the MSRP. If it's listed as an additional item, that's probably the dealership trying to boost the selling price with a bogus charge. Dealer Prep/PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection) is paid for by the manufacturer, so if that is listed, they are also scamming you.

Any other number is how the dealership scams the buyer by playing around with the numbers.

Don't say you are paying cash. Most dealer profit comes from Finance, Interest, add-ons and extended warranties. Spring the cash option when finalizing the sale with the finance officer.

If it's a used car, also perform a Pre-Purchase Inspection by an outside mechanic, so you aren't buying someone else's problem that will manifest itself in a few months. There could be hidden damage. Also, the only extended warranties that are relatively reliable are manufacturer's extended warranties. If they can't get one of those, the chance of getting reliable full coverage or major coverage diminishes. Many dealers use bogus extended car warranty companies. If you look on-line at them, most are only 3 of 5 stars and the dealer selling them typically will get 40-50% of the warranty asking price. Reconditioning fees should be incorporated in the asking price, not a separate line item, which would probably be a scam too.


Car loan interest rate reductions:

1) Tier Bump - Ask the dealer to call the lender to get special financing or change you from a lower tier to a higher one that will reduce the interest rate--special financing. Finance manager pulls a favor from the bank. A call-in favor if say your credit score is a few points lower that what is needed.

2) Large Loan Discounts - Not all banks offer these, typically loans over $30K.Could drop 0.1% - 0.5% off the loan rate. No one asks for them and the dealer won't mention them. This is another customer driven task. If you are close to qualifying for one, you might want to put less money down so you can get this discount then apply that money to your loan repayment later.

3) Shorter Terms - Most lenders will allow odd loan terms, so a 63 month loan might keep the 60 month rate whereas a 64-month might change the loan rate to a higher number.

4) Loan To Value (LTV) - Get better loans if you own 20% of the vehicle, or put 20% down. You should be able to apply Large Loan Discount with an LTV of 20% or more on more expensive cars.

5) Multiple Security Deposits - Some banks allow this. Every multiple of the bank security deposit lowers the money factor a little. So, instead of a $400 deposit, $2000 will lower the rates a little more.

Use outside financing if possible to avoid dealers adding a point or two to the rate offered by them. Don't tell them you are paying cash or using outside financing until the end, when closing the deal. Listen to the presentation of the Finance Officer about what's available first. Get a signed purchase order because outside banks need the PO to close the loan.

Know your credit standing.
Visit some Credit Unions and your bank.
Get pre-approved to have leverage when at the dealership.
Some dealerships might say they won't sell you a car if you don't finance from them.
Be prepared for that to happen. If so, you can refinance that loan if you need that car. If you have bad or no credit, make 8-12 payments on time and that should allow a refi. Just make sure the first loan does not have a prepayment penalty.

[MurrayDelph]

19. I bought my current Prius (the third one) via Costco four years ago

I'd purchased the second one then years earlier in Los Angeles, and the "Finance Guy" kept pushing extended warranty and did not want to take No for an answer until I threatened to get up and on the way out stop to tell the manager how this guy lost a sale to someone who needed a new car by the weekend. Suddenly, we were signed.

When I bought the current car through Costco in Washington, the conversation went
Q: Are you interested in extended warranty options?
A: No, thanks
Q: Okay. I had to ask.

We then sat around talking movies until the car was ready to go.

Guess which dealership style I'm going to do business with again.