"Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney" (braddelaparker)
11/13/2014 at 11:54 • Filed to: None
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"Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney" (braddelaparker)
11/13/2014 at 11:54 • Filed to: None | 0
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The number of car buying adages and strategies and bullshit I've heard over the last week has been nauseating. People really like to make this shit way more difficult than it needs to be.
"I'll be test driving at a dealership different from where I want to buy the car."
"Uh, why?"
"Old car buying tactic. If I have to spend time with the salesman I can't go directly to the fleet/sales manager later and haggle with the boss. If a guy walks in with a checkbook ready to buy, and they have to show zero effort in selling it, they will go cheaper."
Any fellow Opponauts with favorite tripes and adages to share?
FromCanadaWithLove
> Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
11/13/2014 at 11:57 |
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That's a pretty bad idea...
I'd suggest going for a long test drive, be nice, and know exactly what you want. Set up an appointment before you go in.
Aaron M - MasoFiST
> Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
11/13/2014 at 12:06 |
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Be upfront. If you found a good price online, tell the salesperson at the beginning of the process. It saves time for both of you, and if you whip it out during negotiations, it's going to annoy the salesperson...and annoyed people are less likely to want to give you any break.
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Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
> FromCanadaWithLove
11/13/2014 at 12:06 |
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I don't buy adages and strategies and all of that anyway, but I responded to him that humans are categorically bad at getting hung up on opportunity costs and that spending a lot of time with one salesman/dealership/manager is going to cost them money and at some point they're going to feel compelled to make a sale to justify the time expended.
I don't believe that's necessarily a strategy that should be employed, either, but my point was that you can come up with any heuristic or strategy for car buying and have a point and counterpoint to it, but neither really matters.
At the end of the day, you're the one cutting the check and you get to agree to a price or not. You can always walk out, which in my experience is the single most powerful tool in the car buying process. Don't needlessly complicate the process with strategies and games, leave that to the dealer. Leverage your most powerful asset, which is the ability to simply say "no" and leave.
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Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
11/13/2014 at 12:08 |
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That was kind of my point to him. Leave games playing to the folks at the dealership. If you show up playing games, they're going to match you tit for tat. If you come straight at them like human beings, you still have the opportunity for a proper interaction, even if it is up to them to reciprocate.
As Du Volant
> Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
11/13/2014 at 12:27 |
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I know it's for your friends but I'm going to write this as "you" because it's easier.
Simplest way to get what you want at a minimum of hassle when buying a new car is this:
First, research your needs and test drive different models as necessary. If anyone tries to badger you into buying on the spot even though you've made it clear you're just doing research, don't give them your business. You'll get the best service if you do this during the day on a weekday, NOT at the very end of the month. Do it in the evening if there's no other option, but DO NOT visit the dealership just to test drive and look around on a weekend or right before closing time- that's a great way to get shitty service from the staff, as they're going to be busy either selling cars to people who are buying right now or getting ready to go home after 12 hours on the floor.
Once you decide on a car model research the hell out of what you should be paying (make sure you pay attention to what options and rebates are included in your pricing research), and once you know what you want and what fair market price for it is, fire off this email to several dealers in the area:
Hello, I am in the market for XYZ, I am looking to pay X for Vehicle X with X options. I would prefer Color XYZ in that order. If this deal is possible please call me at XXX and I will give you a credit card number for a down payment and finalize the deal within 24 hours.
Kindly Yours,
Or something to that effect.
Some dealers won't answer. Others will try to get you in without addressing what you're asking for. Don't do business with anyone who gives you anything less than either a solid "yes, I can do that for you" or a counteroffer that's still reasonable.
For financing- visit your bank, let them know what you're looking to spend, and get a pre-approval for a car loan from them. This will give you a good idea of what kind of rates you'll qualify for but also helps you weigh your options at the dealership. When you're ready to finalize the car deal, let the dealership know what your pre-approval rate is and ask them if they can beat it. Usually they can shave off half a percent or more, saving you a little money but also saving you the trouble of going back to your bank for a check. If they can't beat your rate, then just finance it with your bank.
Adding a trade-in into the mix makes it more complicated, but you can also research that beforehand. Don't rely on Kelley Blue Book, they're not very accurate. Edmunds.com and Autotrader.com's Trade In Marketplace are much better resources. FYI, if your car needs any repairs or maintenance items (tires, brakes, etc) or has any body damage at all it is NOT in "clean" or "excellent" condition. Another note on trades- every single car is different and a dealership CANNOT give you an accurate trade-in value without seeing the car, so don't ask for one until you're at the dealership and ready to move things forward with the deal. If you ask for a sight unseen trade appraisal they're either going to give you a low number to cover their asses in case the car isn't as good as you described it to be (because that's the case most of the time) or they're going to give you an artificially high number to get you to come back, then find reasons to lower the value. Just have them do it in person.
jariten1781
> Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
11/13/2014 at 12:34 |
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I'm the resident 'I want a new car what do I do?' guy here at work. I typically recommend researching coming up in your mind with a fair threshold price (and trade in value) then negotiating those. If they meet them buy, if they don't walk. Everything else is just noise.
I also always recommend staying away from car buying sites for a couple months after the purchase since most people experience crippling buyers remorse if they keep looking around afterwards.
But yeah, I've heard everything. In one day I had two people wondering if these polar opposites were true: "Go in dressed like a bum so they feel like they have to get the price down low so you can afford it". "Go in dressed to the nines so they know you don't have time to play bullshit games and they'll come down to their final number early".
Tom McParland
> Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
11/13/2014 at 12:50 |
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You should test drive at the dealership that is most convenient and has the exact car you want. If you end up buying from them or someone else it doesn't matter. Just be honest, "I'm just here to drive today not to buy. I want to test out a few cars before I make my decision." Most salespeople are totally cool with that.