You are at their mercy

ken4444

Well-Known Member
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You can do all of the reading, research, and learning before you walk into a dealership to buy a new or used car, but you are still at the mercy of the salespeople who sell cars for a living. You buy a car every, what? 3 years? 5 years? 10 years? never before? The problem you face is that you are at a big disadvantage when working with a car salesperson. They do this for a living, but you are a buyer only on rare occasions. Even if you are prepared for their tactics, they'll hit you with techniques and strategies that are subtle but tilt the odds in their favor.

Don't believe it when the salesperson tells you that they would loose money on a deal.

Don't let the salesperson obscure the actual price of the vehicle by massaging the numbers including the vehicle you might be trading in. You must get from them the actual price of the vehicle you want. Don't settle for a single bottom line number. Insist that they show you the vehicle price, TTL, trace in value, and the cost of whatever other crap they're selling you like warranties.

It goes without saying, but don't get suckered into the discussion about how much you want to pay per month. If you do this, you are guaranteed to pay too much. Instead, do your homework beforehand and know how much of a monthly payment (for how many years) will buy a car of a certain price.

Ideally pay cash for a vehicle and avoid buying a loan. If you're currently in a car that will probably last a few more years, start saving the money now. Sock away money each month as if you were paying on a car loan. Do this for 5 years. Then use that saved money to pay cash for the next vehicle.

Don't settle for the 2 or 3 cars that might be presented to you. Instead, insist you walk the lot with the salesperson so you can see everything they have that might fit your requirements.

Don't be afraid to walk out if you are uncomfortable with the situation or they don't have what you really want. Don't believe the salesperson when they say you're passing up the deal of a lifetime.

When you go to the finance department to pay, don't get suckered into dropping yet more money on add-ons, more insurance, and other stuff that you may not need.

On a related note: Don't get sucked into the common herd mentality that you have to drive a nice car. Dumping money into a car is just that: dumping it. You will never see all of that money back again. You may never see most of that money back. Buy a low cost car that meets the basic needs. While you can buy a $30,000 car, trade it in in 3 years and get a bunch of money back on it, you are still a slave to the system. In the end, you are still spending a lot of money each month for a vehicle. One way operate is to spend the least amount of money on a vehicle each month as possible. Even if you pay cash, you can spread out your cash outlay over the likely life of the vehicle and quickly see what it cost per month to just buy the thing. On top of that you still have fuel, insurance, repairs, and maintenance. If you want to put money into something that has a chance of growing and not depreciating, then invest it in mutual funds or buy a house in an area that is likely to increase in value over the years.
 
You can do all of the reading, research, and learning before you walk into a dealership to buy a new or used car, but you are still at the mercy of the salespeople who sell cars for a living. You buy a car every, what? 3 years? 5 years? 10 years? never before? The problem you face is that you are at a big disadvantage when working with a car salesperson. They do this for a living, but you are a buyer only on rare occasions. Even if you are prepared for their tactics, they'll hit you with techniques and strategies that are subtle but tilt the odds in their favor.

Don't believe it when the salesperson tells you that they would loose money on a deal.

Don't let the salesperson obscure the actual price of the vehicle by massaging the numbers including the vehicle you might be trading in. You must get from them the actual price of the vehicle you want. Don't settle for a single bottom line number. Insist that they show you the vehicle price, TTL, trace in value, and the cost of whatever other crap they're selling you like warranties.

It goes without saying, but don't get suckered into the discussion about how much you want to pay per month. If you do this, you are guaranteed to pay too much. Instead, do your homework beforehand and know how much of a monthly payment (for how many years) will buy a car of a certain price.

Ideally pay cash for a vehicle and avoid buying a loan. If you're currently in a car that will probably last a few more years, start saving the money now. Sock away money each month as if you were paying on a car loan. Do this for 5 years. Then use that saved money to pay cash for the next vehicle.

Don't settle for the 2 or 3 cars that might be presented to you. Instead, insist you walk the lot with the salesperson so you can see everything they have that might fit your requirements.

Don't be afraid to walk out if you are uncomfortable with the situation or they don't have what you really want. Don't believe the salesperson when they say you're passing up the deal of a lifetime.

When you go to the finance department to pay, don't get suckered into dropping yet more money on add-ons, more insurance, and other stuff that you may not need.

On a related note: Don't get sucked into the common herd mentality that you have to drive a nice car. Dumping money into a car is just that: dumping it. You will never see all of that money back again. You may never see most of that money back. Buy a low cost car that meets the basic needs. While you can buy a $30,000 car, trade it in in 3 years and get a bunch of money back on it, you are still a slave to the system. In the end, you are still spending a lot of money each month for a vehicle. One way operate is to spend the least amount of money on a vehicle each month as possible. Even if you pay cash, you can spread out your cash outlay over the likely life of the vehicle and quickly see what it cost per month to just buy the thing. On top of that you still have fuel, insurance, repairs, and maintenance. If you want to put money into something that has a chance of growing and not depreciating, then invest it in mutual funds or buy a house in an area that is likely to increase in value over the years.

Sad commentary on your idea of buying a vehicle.
Try posting on another site.
On this site we like our cars and my spouse and I for one had a very positive experience buying and enjoying our Si.
 
Yep. He sounds very bitter. There is nothing wrong with a loan. MOST people are not capable of saving up enough to buy a decent newer car outright. Especially when it is a 0% or 2% loan. There is also nothing wrong with buying a brand new car if one plans on keeping it more than a few years. In addition to the peace of mind of not having to wonder how well a used car was or was not taken care of.

Not to mention that a house is never a good investment if you plan on living in it.
 
Salesmen aren't all bad lol. If you go in looking to play hard ball they will play back.
 
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I think some of it is solid advice. Definitely be aware of the tools dealers use to make money and be ready to walk. Leaving is the most powerful tool you have in negotiating. Be aware of what you are willing to pay and what a fair price is for both you and the dealer. They do need to make some $$ on the deal. The finance office can definitely be a tricky spot to navigate. There are lots of guides and help available online these days. No one should feel blindsided anymore and knowing the difference between total price and monthly payments is huge.

However, for most of us here on an "enthusiast" forum the car is more than an A to B appliance. I don't think many people go into modding their Civic with the idea of increasing the value but instead the idea of increasing their fun with the car. I for one have horribly ruined a perfectly fine commuter car but man, I frickin love driving it! Especially that one week a year that we all go down to the Dragon and shred the gnar! hahahah.

I never had any expectation to be able to sell it in the future. It was drive it into the ground with mileage or drive it into the ground with merciless mods and "fun" driving. I mean hell, look what I just did recently to this thing:

P1020937_zpsnvpzogb7.jpg



This is my hobby! Some people spend every Friday and Saturday night at a bar "borrowing" drinks until they pee them out again costing how much? I definitely want a "nice" car, but maybe not in the way most people think of a "nice" car. Mine is paid for and ill continue to throw money at it when it fancies me to do so.....

Now what new tires should I get? The $800 set of Dunlops or the $1200 set of Toyo R888s? Decision decisions.... at least the Toyos will wear out in less than a year so if I don't like them I can get new ones sooner!
 
I think some of it is solid advice. Definitely be aware of the tools dealers use to make money and be ready to walk. Leaving is the most powerful tool you have in negotiating. Be aware of what you are willing to pay and what a fair price is for both you and the dealer. They do need to make some $$ on the deal. The finance office can definitely be a tricky spot to navigate. There are lots of guides and help available online these days. No one should feel blindsided anymore and knowing the difference between total price and monthly payments is huge.

However, for most of us here on an "enthusiast" forum the car is more than an A to B appliance. I don't think many people go into modding their Civic with the idea of increasing the value but instead the idea of increasing their fun with the car. I for one have horribly ruined a perfectly fine commuter car but man, I frickin love driving it! Especially that one week a year that we all go down to the Dragon and shred the gnar! hahahah.

I never had any expectation to be able to sell it in the future. It was drive it into the ground with mileage or drive it into the ground with merciless mods and "fun" driving. I mean hell, look what I just did recently to this thing:

P1020937_zpsnvpzogb7.jpg



This is my hobby! Some people spend every Friday and Saturday night at a bar "borrowing" drinks until they pee them out again costing how much? I definitely want a "nice" car, but maybe not in the way most people think of a "nice" car. Mine is paid for and ill continue to throw money at it when it fancies me to do so.....

Now what new tires should I get? The $800 set of Dunlops or the $1200 set of Toyo R888s? Decision decisions.... at least the Toyos will wear out in less than a year so if I don't like them I can get new ones sooner!
That an oil cooler nix?
 
ATF cooler for me but yes, its an oil cooler technically. hahaha
Oh lol I haven't finished my coffee yet and I read after cooler and thought you went f/I and I'm thinking the tubing is way too small for that lol.
 
Ya, don't get ripped off, do your homework, but bottom line: buy a car you will enjoy driving. Being happy is more important that saving a few dollars IMO.
 
Ya, don't get ripped off, do your homework, but bottom line: buy a car you will enjoy driving. Being happy is more important that saving a few dollars IMO.
Yeah that's why I regretted my lx.
 
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