dirk

Sorry if this is off topic, I just know that this section of the forum yields more results in a quicker amount of time.

I'm in the process of negotiating a price from a dealer, and basically, I was wondering if anyone had any advice for how I could tell a dealer "well this other dealership offered me this.. what can you do on top of that?" w/o sounding like too much of an asshole (for lack of a better term)

Im a nice guy, and I'm young, but I don't want to get taken... I know that on this forum and the public consensus is that dealers are the spawn of satan and try every shiesty, no-good, rotten trick to extort every last dollar you have from your bank account. But, I still think a person is a person and there may be an honest dealer out there just trying to make a living. Quite a paradox.

Any advice on how to stand my ground and get the best deal I can w/o completely offending someone is much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
- Dirk

Lung Fu Mo Shi

I had a similar situation.

I was already negotiating for a vehicle locally with a good guy, when one of my e-mails came back late with an offer about $300 lower and free minor accessories (no body kit, etc.)

I told the local one that I wanted to give him the opportunity to respond to that since we had spent so much time already and that I'd much rather deal with him locally than with someone else.

He came back and said that he would be unable to match the $300 under MSRP (this was in May), but he would throw in the accessories I had already decided on for free.

Since he was local and a good guy, I went with him.

If he's reasonable and you don't give the impression that while you've been chatting with him you've been going around his back he should be fine.

If he comes back with a higher offer, but close, you need to decide if the experience, service, no-hassle is worth it.

dirk

It's not so much a question of asking him to match another dealer's offer, because I don't see the harm in that. It's trying to find a subtle way to say,"if you want my business, do better than this guy or i'm gone" that perplexes me. Afterall, that would make me just as sleezy as every corrupted dealer out there, neh?

ssm_tsx

Go in there with your best price and just ask them if they will meet it. If they don't, walk. It's as simple as that.

kiteboy

Find out what invoice is and offer them what you feel is a fair profit on top of that. Most sources I see suggest 3-4%, but it's up to you. Be open about the invoice price, and tell the dealer what you think fair profit is.

Don't worry about offending anyone - they're professionals at this and if they act offended, either they shouldn't be in the business or it's a sales tactic.

Do a search on the undercover salesman article at Edmunds.com for an eye-opener.

dirk

but that's what originally made me feel for salespeople and to see them as people instead of scum sucking leeches..haha

p.s. thanks to everyone who replied and offered advice... keep it coming

Buff-Daddy

Hi dirk, it is my opinion that salesmen can read you fairly well and if you come off as a "nice guy" who "doesn't want to come off as an asshole", odds are you are going to get pushed around. This isn't the time or place to make friends.

This is just my opinion, but I feel that it is only the weak minded, push-overs that get eaten alive at dealerships. No matter what showroom you are in, you are in control, you own it. No matter how snotty the individual is that you are working with, just remember one thing. It is thier job to serve you. If their attitude doesn't reflect that, I am not afraid to remind them and put them in their place, or ask to deal with the sales manager directly.

The easiest way to avoid all judgement and sales BS is to deal with the internet sales manager online. It is hard to stereotype people over the web, you can send them all of the figures that you find online (leasecompare, invoice from Edmunds.com, etc.) and just let them know what you want and what you are willing to pay. The only time you will have to set foot in the building is to take a test drive (if you already haven't) and to sign the papers.

If they don't sell cars, they don't make any money. I even told my wife to keep telling me that she liked another car better while we were in the dealership to make them think that we were going to walk. If you are jumping up and down with a huge smile on your face when you are looking at the car, they are not going to deal. Do your homework, bring in your paperwork and don't back down. Have a number in your head but never tell them what it is. End of the month is obviously the best time and December is an expensive month for us all, so I am sure they will want to move a few vehicles. Good Luck!