buying a used car from a dealer

[C4LED]

Following up on some earlier advice:

- Take the day off and go in fresh. Go in towards the end of the day when they're tired and you're not. Make them invest a lot of time so they'll want to make the sale after spending all that time.

- Go in towards the end of the month when they're trying to clear everything out.

- Don't act like you're hooked on the car you're interested in. Pretend to be willing to look at others.

- Blue book can be considered, but there is no fixed price for a used car... it's what ever the market will take, so bid LOW.

 

[Ledean]

Have any of you bought cars from government auction or police auctions .
That might also be a good alternative if they are any good. I have not had any experience there.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

As if it weren't complicated enough already; do an internet search to find out all of the little places to inspect to make sure it was never under water in New Orleans. I'd tell this to anyone in the lower 48 but you're close enough to New Orleans to really be in the zone.

 

[cobb]

Ive searched carmax, but they seem rather high. Most cheapest cars are around 10 grand. Ive heard from Dave Ramsey they sell at full retail and you are much more likely to talk down a private sale than at a dealer. He says a 2 thousand dollar honda next year will still be worth 2 thousand dollars. Also, I have heard the auctions were a good place for deals, but since everyone shops there its not much of a deal anymore.

I cant speak as a buyer, but as a seller at one time I know somethings on our side of the fence.

1. regardless of the price, someone will buy it. May not be today or next week.

2. there is always more than one person "interested" in buying. Many are interested in free cars, like we would ever have any free cars for sale.

3. all salesman are commission, so if its a cheap car, low commission, not really worth the effort.

4. leading back to question 1, over inflate the price, what can you take em for.

5. check the car out. We had one that caught on fire, was fixed and sold 2 grand less than normally go for. I was told since the damage was fixed, it wasnt needed to note. Man, someone thought they got a nice deal, the paint job really sold him. He never questioned why it was repainted either.

Good luck, I will be in your shoes soon.

 

[Manzerick]

I had a good approach that worked. Went into dealer #1... didn't even work out a big deal... jus test drove and was like " can i have my deposit money back if I don't choose this car?" he said "yes" and i put $500.00 down. Went to dealer #2 with my deposit slip. I say to dealer #2...here's my deposit form down the street... i'm not here to blow smoke up your Arse.. giv em eyour best price and you sell a car.. Dealer #2 responds "what did you get for a price?".. my answer: "if you give me your best price, you have nothing to worry about... if you're lower, you win"... Needless to say the car cam down $5,000!!! in an instant. This was a popular car too... amazing!

 

[NeonLights]

Something that helped me once: I stopped in at a dealer looking for a car, found one a year old that had low miles, took it for an hour test drive. I said I needed to think about it, he told me to take the car for the weekend. I discovered it had been a rental car (CarFax), but drove it to a competing dealer to look at another car of the same make and model (new though). They saw me drive up in the other car with another delaer's sign and stickers on it and new I was seriously wanting to buy. I got a great deal on the new car and returned the first car after a three day test drive.

-Keith

 

[Manzerick]

That's an awesome idea!


Anything to drive the $$$ down without the "sales mngr" haggle...

 

[Manzerick]

i've been thinking about the auto industry and the "haggle" and it's real annoying. it makes me think of a question:




Has anyone paid full sticker for a car? (Saturn excluded)

 

[bjn70]

Make the salesman know that you know what the vehicle should sell for. Spend time talking with them about the vehicle, etc. Make offers, counter offers, etc. Keep telling them their price is too high, you want to buy it but their price is too high. After working on them for about 2 hours you will probably reach the lowest they will go. Then you either buy the car or walk away.

Depending on the car you may or may not be able to tell precisely what the car should sell for, but you won't be able to know what THAT one car will sell for until you get ready to sign the paperwork, so you'll have to think on your feet. Dealer "A" on Monday might sell or have sold one for $XXXX, but that is a one-time event that you can't count on happening again. Of course your mileage may vary, and you may find another one for a similar deal or less, or you might not. Dealer "B" may sell a similar vehicle for $XXXX + 200, and that might be the best they will ever do. Don't quibble over a few dollars if this is the car you want. The next one you find may not be quite as good. Of course the next one could be $400 cheaper too. You never know.

See what freebies you can get from the salesman- new floor mats, tinted windows, new tires, extended warranty, etc.

After you buy your car, stop shopping. You don't want to find another one that makes you second-guess the one that you bought.

 

[NeonLights]

Has anyone paid full sticker for a car? (Saturn excluded)

I just did for the first time last year when I bought my Mini Cooper. They are still in very high demand, and it is very, very rare for anyone, anywhere to buy one for less than MSRP, and many dealers are still marking them up over MSRP, and getting it. I had to pay MSRP, and I don't regret it, it was well worth it.

-Keith