danmdevries wrote:Frank, I suck with negotiating prices. I go in with something in my head, the salesmen confuse me, and I come out paying way more than planned.
I figure if I can get out at 22 max including tax and all the extra fees they tack on, I'll be happy. But Hell... I'll drop that to 18 so they can beat me up to 22. But I know I can't swing more than that since I just bought wife's new car, and I now need a new roof.
ok, so here are a couple things to consider. anyone can do this.
-before you set a price in your head, remember: there is no such thing as MSRP. Every time they start there and then knock off $$$, it is meaningless, the numbers are amazing...but meaningless. Why not say MSRP is a million, but today only (urgency to act!) we can save you 970,000, making it 30K?
Ask (as though you are educated and being nice) to see the invoice. If they are legit, the invoice will be what they paid.
You can then offer a few HUNDRED more, or if feeling good, ask what incentives they will get from the manufacturer. If it's a few hundred, offer the invoice price and hold on to that. They may counteroffer just a few hundred over that and now you can meet in the middle...but increase slowly.
This may be different for used, but ask anyway. ask to see how long the vehicle has been sitting on the lot. that costs them every day. You can help them stop the bleeding.
-they need the sale more than you need the vehicle!
they could lose their jobs, and may have to change careers if they can't/don't sell enough.
you could lose a car you want, but you can find similar nearby.
more pressure on them, they are just better actors. but these facts should bolster you.
-the confusion comes from negotiating three separate deals at once...something they do every day and you do like never.
it's why I said 3 mutually exclusive negotiations, and maybe two if you don't need financing.
"how much are you looking to spend a month?"
answer: let's figure the walk out the door price first...
or,
haven't decided if I want to finance yet. we'll get to that...
or,
does that change the price? let's do the walk out price first. I haven't even decided if I'm buying that car yet.
-the reason you never give them your keys is so at the point of wrestling for control, you may need to do a fake walk out.
there's a good chance they will call you back at the door. tell them you don't want to waste their time but you need a serious bottom line out the door price.
-if the sales person pulls the old "let me talk to the boss, firmly yet nicely say, Better yet, bring him/her here. If he is the decider, I should be dealing with him...no offense.
You can do this Dan. Just remember, in any interview, job interview or sales situation, the person asking the questions is the one in control.
don't know about your area, but some of the new car dealers around here have non-negotiable prices on used cars.
then it's simply a matter of checking sources for typical/average sales figures for that same vehicle near your zip code.
the further down the food chain from a dealer you sink when looking at used cars, the worse shape that car is in. A sleazy car lot is almost always offering the left overs from the auctions or the discards from trade-ins of new car dealers.
All the wax and carpet shampoo in the world won't extend the life of a poorly maintained vehicle.
so, this is me shooting off my mouth. guys in the car biz may pick apart my methods. But my goal is not necessarily to pay less than anyone else has ever paid, but I do not want to be the sucker. And knowing the facts before purchasing allows me to not be swayed by stories, magic, and the beauty of the car.
a gorgeous can of tomato soup should cost the same as any other can of tomato soup, and you know what that price range should be before you go to the store.