I also want to clarify that not all dealers are like this! There are many great dealers out there. But unfortunately this is the story that I hear more often!
A salesperson in a dealer may not know all the numbers behind the scene, so they have to go into their manger to work the deal to try to get to where the customer needs to be. This can take multiple tries depending on where they start in the quote. Here is what gets me. How does a dealership expect a mom or a dad to sit in a dealership for 5 hours with children waiting for a car? Just not realistic. But if it wears you down enough, your done! Sold! Because you cannot even imagine starting over again. So you buy the car/take the deal! Then its off to finance office. Here we go again....
Let start the negotiating all over again, because they are going to try and sell me stuff that I may or may not need and raise my payment.
I know a dealer that will "go off" on his sales people if people walk out the door with out buying a car! Buying a car is a huge decision for people. Especially if you are a first time buyer, maybe have some credit issues or just have a very specific budget. Everybody has expectations of what they want to see happen. That includes the dealer.
I tell people to follow your gut. If something does not feel right or your exhausted, then leave and go home. I believe in taking 24 hours to think it over unless you are totally for sure and everything fits together perfectly. Emotion can sometimes make bad financial decisions.
Here are a few pointers to help.
1) Allow yourself a certain amount of time that you know is acceptable to be in the dealership. If they do not respect your time, then why do you want to give them your business?
2) If you have small children, try to get a babysitter. Being a mom of 3 girls, I do not think I could have handled sitting in a dealership with all of them. I would have been so tired and emotionally cooked!
3) Stick to your budget. Do not let someone else set it for you. You may have to switch the car your looking at.
4) Gap insurance is usually less expensive through your insurance company if you feel you need to have it.
5) You do not need to buy extended warranty's on new cars. Don't double pay to warranty, you can buy one when it gets close to the manufacturer warranty expiring.
6) Do NOT shop by PAYMENT ! Shop by the price of the car. That is how you know your not leaving money on the table!!!
7) If you have credit challenges and the finance manager is quoting a very high rate, see if you can find a local company to get your credit cleaned up and then you can go back and save yourself a ton of money in interest!!
The last thing that I want to say is that :
I totally agree with you. I want to add that one has to come into the shop prepared. It is important to be informed about the market prices of the car you want so you can easily compare deals offered by different dealers and determine which one is the best value for your money.
ReplyDeleteErwin Calverley
I agree with number 3. You should always stick tight to your budget, since you would be the one who would be using the car, and would also pay for the possible maintenance it would need in the future. Also, be ready to walk away if nothing fits your budget. There will always be another dealership around the corner that would have a car which would suit your circumstances.
ReplyDeleteTyra Shortino
Don’t forget to test drive the car, especially used ones, before actually buying it. Little details that you don’t like in the car, but you’d deal with them anyway, can be used as part of your negotiations in lowering the vehicle price. Also be firm, and don’t let your opinion be drowned out.
ReplyDeleteNaomi Champy
I agree with your first point. I am a time-freak, and I tend to stick to schedules. : ) It would also be good to have ample time to inspect the car you are eyeing when trying to purchase a used car. Look under the hood and under the car itself. Doing this would let you evaluate the chassis’s integrity.
ReplyDeleteKerstin Shed