Car buying is not a task to be taken lightly. The cost of a new car equals almost what my parents paid for their first home. It’s imperative to do behind the scenes research to ensure you get a great deal.
Do not be in a hurry. Car dealers can detect the scent of desperation a mile away! If you are totally without transportation, rent a vehicle until you find the right car. If you rush your purchase, you will usually end up on the bad end of the deal.
You can uncover the typical retail cost of a specific make and model right on the internet. With a little extra research, you can discover the wholesale cost as well. These two pieces of information give you an edge when it comes to negotiation.
It’s best to work toward a win-win situation with the car salesperson. They need to make some money on the deal, and you want to pay a fair price. You can often negotiate a price that is $500 above dealer cost, or about 20% off the sticker price. Make sure you take your calculator with you when car hunting.
You can often order a car with *custom* option choices. This could save you hundreds of dollars. You might wait a couple of weeks, but why pay for options that you do not need?
Always check with the dealership to see if you can return the car if you do not like it. Many dealerships now offer this option. Some dealerships will give you a three day trial period in which to try the car.
It is a good idea to wait until the end of the month to go car hunting. Salespersons who want to meet a certain quota will be eager to strike a deal.
Knowing the value of your old car makes it easier to negotiate a better price for it. Try not to talk about a trade-in possibility until you get a purchase price. Sometimes this is difficult, as most salespeople will ask upfront about a trade in.
I took my car to one lot, and was told the trade in value was $1,200. Another dealership said they would give me $3,500 for the same car! So do your research to make sure you receive a fair price on your used vehicle. Stick to your guns when it comes to getting the value of your trade-in, especially if you’ve had your car serviced regularly.
A service contract will likely be brought into the negotiation. Most consumer information shows no need to buy an extra contract on a new car, as it’s not likely a problem will occur during the first months of use.
Whatever you do, always read the fine print of any contract before signing it. Ask questions about what certain phrases mean if and when you do not understand something.
Also, just because a car is brand new doesn’t mean you should buy it without asking questions. New cars can land in the lemon category as well as used ones. Keep on your toes during the negotiation process. You will enjoy both getting a new car, AND creating a win-win situation for yourself and the dealer.
Tags: Car Buying, Car Car, Car Dealers, Car Salesperson, Custom Option, Desperation, Extra Research, How To Buy A New Car, Hunting, Hurry, Model Right, Negotiation, Option Choices, Quota, Right Car, Salespeople, Salespersons, Sticker Price, Trial Period, Two PiecesRelated posts
How To Buy Your Dream Car And Avoid Car Dealers’ Dirty Tricks
How to buy a new Car
Buying a car is usually our second biggest investment after our home purchase and most of us will do it more than once in our life.
There is something emotional about cars, it represents our taste and style, our economic status and our character. Some women even claim that a car is a mans extension of his reproductive organ. One the other hand (the good hand) there are women out there that might express their exhibitionism and extravagance by choosing to drive a red flashy car for the whole world to notice them. Both sexes would agree they sometimes feel they fall in love with a certain car model.
There are people who get very existed from a small scratch on the cars lower side, as if it were their own skin. The beauty of the car, its aerodynamics shape, the gadgets inside, the seats the feel of it all play a major part in our decision making.
In our modern life its almost impossible to function without one and its expensive to acquire, to finance and to maintain.
Buying a new car is a lot of fun, the new car has its unique smell no doubt about it, the very fact you can afford to own a brand new car is a great feeling.
When is the best time to buy a new car?
There are two “best times” to buy a car. The end of December is a good time for car buyers to buy a new car. Everyone is out buying Christmas gifts, leaving new car dealer lots void of customers, motivating dealers to cut costs, and break year end sales records. Another good time to buy a car is July to October as new car dealers sell off cars at low prices to clear space for new car models. Secret factory to dealer incentives can be $1000-$6000 in addition to new car consumer rebates!
How and where to search for prices:
Invoice price what the dealer pays the manufacturer has become the real negotiating point. Allowing for the dealer’s need to make a profit, the price you pay should be somewhere between sticker and invoice.
Virtually all car buying sites on the Internet show invoice and in most cases their buying tools automatically add option/package invoice amounts as you work your way through the process.
Any car buyer, with very little effort, can get an accurate summation of a car’s value, which immediately puts him or her in a stronger negotiating position.
Happily for the consumer, the Internet now allows a prospective buyer to uncover market conditions at any moment in various parts of the country. Search for Edmunds.com on the web.
for example, reveals the True Market Value: CarsDirect.com, which sells cars online, has its own version called Guaranteed CarsDirect price Intellichoice.com sorts out the Best Deals of the Month.
The negotiation phase and the dirty tricks:
After you made your research via the Internet, its important you make some phone calls to car dealers and ask for some written offers to be sent to you via the fax or email for the car of your dreams. That way, you can compare prices between several dealers without being pressured by a salesperson.
You would be much better off selling your old car yourself rather than to trade it in through the dealer because the dealer will have to earn some money on it as well.
Remember, everything is a negotiable, car too. Buying a new car is tricky from the moment you step into the car dealership arena, you might be manipulated by scam artists, well trained sales persons that will use every trick in their fat book of tricks to extort every last Dollar out of your bank account.
There is one well known trick they teach in car dealers sales courses, its called throwing a lowball, in this tactic a customer is offered a very good price on a car, Perhaps as much as $500 below competitors prices. The good deal, however, is not genuine, its only purpose is to cause a prospect to decide to buy at this dealership and not from the other dealers. Once the decision is made a raft of purchase forms are filled out, extensive financial terms are arranged. The dealer knows, customers develop a range of new reasons to support the choice they have now made.
Then something happens. All of a sudden an error in the calculations is discovered, It might be the salesman forgot to add in the cost of the air conditioner and if the customer insists on having it, then $500 must be added to the price…
The cover up operation is played sophistically, some times they let the bank handling the financing find the mistake, other times the boss is not approving the deal because wed be losing money. They make it look as if its not that big mistake as its a relatively small percentage of the price of the car and as they stress out it only brings it to be equal to competitors.
The impressive thing about the lowball tactic is its ability to make a person feel pleased with a poor choice. If anyone tries to change the originally-quoted terms or talk you into buying a different vehicle, just say “no” and go somewhere else.
If you are interested to learn about many others car dealers scams and how to avoid them go to: carbuyingtips.com/scams
Until all the papers have been signed there are still ways in which a shrewd dealer may add to his profit by talking you into extras you don’t want and probably don’t need. These can include added and overpriced insurance, extended warranties, rust proofing (absolutely unnecessary), paint or fabric protection, anti-theft plans, and more. Smile and firmly turn them all down.
Finally, before you drive away, do a careful inspection of the car, looking for scratches or dents; anything that mars the perfect finish. If you’re not happy, get a written agreement (known as a Due Bill). It means you have the right to later return the vehicle in order that flaws can be corrected.
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