What are your tips/tricks to negotiating down the dealership?

[08HoeCD]

Also, if you're walking into a dealer for any other reason than signing papers and grabbing keys you've wasted your time IMO.

Well, kinda. But you gotta test-drive a car before you buy it, and so you must be equally prepared to walk as well as buy, since you may end up disliking the vehicle.

 

[Protect1989]

All extremely solid advice. My game plan is to use the LauraGMC pricing as my negotiating point. If I can use that price point as my base, tell them I need X amount for my trade in, and make sure my APR is relatively low then I should be all set.

My trick is going to be bringing in documentation. KBB, Carmax, NADA, etc for sources on the price of my trade in. Hopefully I can talk with LauraGMC and get a price build out on a vehicle that I want or that they have on the lot. Fingers crossed

 

[yates ™]

Walk in with $100 bills

If you finance it's much more profitable for the dealer (than paying cash) and you can usually get a better deal.

Also, if you're walking into a dealer for any other reason than signing papers and grabbing keys you've wasted your time IMO.


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This. Dealers could careless if you walked in with a dufflebag full of cash, they get paid incentives from the lender for you to finance plus they still get the same out of the car.

 

[TxChevyz71]

I think I am going to pull the trigger on a 2017 Denali.

I wanted to see what sort of tips/tricks each of you used to negotiate down the price of your vehicles. Did you call up Laura GMC and use them as leverage against a local dealership? Print out a Truecar certificate? What is your secret recipe for getting the price you want on the vehicle you want?

It also really depends on the vehicle and the options you want on it. If you have your mind set on one vehicle and it has to have THOSE specific options and there is only 1 or 2 available within 800 miles, YOUR bargaining power diminishes.

After buying several cars in the last few years, I feel like True car and costco, and sams can give you a ok number, but I am normally able to get an even better deal. I would take the True car or Costco and Sams club price and use that as a starting point. Make a realistic price point based upon those numbers and call up dealers in the area. In my area there are about 6 GMC dealers.

Buying a car can be a frustrating ordeal for some. But i dont take it personally. I don't do well with dealerships wasting my time. Especially playing the go back and forth with the manager thing and make me wait. I normally tell the salesman to get his manager, and we'll make the deal. I go in knowing what I want, and I will get what I want. We as buyers hold the cards, we have the money to spend. I'm very upfront... "this is the vehicle I want, I also want this...this..this.. and this is the price I am willing to pay TODAY. Clean deal, NO BS" Usually works for me.

 

[cardude2000]

Well, kinda. But you gotta test-drive a car before you buy it, and so you must be equally prepared to walk as well as buy, since you may end up disliking the vehicle.

Well sure. But I assume everyone test drives these vehicles prior to walking into buy them.

->Test drive at the most convenient dealer to settle on options/color etc.
->Negotiate over the phone/interwebs with multiple dealers. [Dear Dealer X: I'm looking to buy a Yukon with these options at this price. I'm sending this email to 5 dealers. The one that can do this deal gets my business by this date.]
->Agree on price/timing/finacing et al with a single dealer. Have them call you when vehicle is prepped/ready.
->Go pick pick up vehicle[short test drive to make sure the wheels dont fall off]/sign papers
->Done.

 

[AZCreeker]

Project 1989,

as I used to work in a shady dealership a long time ago, here are some of my advices:

don't drive to the dealership with you trade in, have relative or uber drop you off.
be polite, smile, know exactly how much you want to spend out of the door.
Say no to every dealer Add-on, politely, even if you say no, they will ask again during financing
once you are done with sales and agree on a price, then bring in your trade.
more time consumming but worth it.
get your financing done prior.

by doing this, the only thing you are really negociating is the price of the actual car:
here is a good 2 minutes read:

https://consumerist.com/2007/03/30/...ff-with-the-four-square-heres-how-to-beat-it/

in the end don't be unrealistic either, for example comparing some B.S advertised price that have fake discount and added rebates that no one qualifies for....

If you want to buy pass all of this and the new car delivery process, just buy a slightly used model at internet price. I realize tho that there might not be what you are looking for used.

Have fun!

 

[08HoeCD]

Project 1989,

as I used to work in a shady dealership a long time ago, here are some of my advices:

don't drive to the dealership with you trade in, have relative or uber drop you off.
be polite, smile, know exactly how much you want to spend out of the door.
Say no to every dealer Add-on, politely, even if you say no, they will ask again during financing
once you are done with sales and agree on a price, then bring in your trade.
more time consumming but worth it.
get your financing done prior.

by doing this, the only thing you are really negociating is the price of the actual car:
here is a good 2 minutes read:

https://consumerist.com/2007/03/30/...ff-with-the-four-square-heres-how-to-beat-it/

in the end don't be unrealistic either, for example comparing some B.S advertised price that have fake discount and added rebates that no one qualifies for....

If you want to buy pass all of this and the new car delivery process, just buy a slightly used model at internet price like we did. 34900 for our suburban LT plus taxes...

Have fun!

THIS.
All day long.

 

[08HoeCD]

Last comment I'll make on this topic: I believe that a good, fair, reputable business deserves to make a profit in any business transaction. That's how & why they stay in business and that's how they keep good, fair, reputable staff on board. For this reason, I do not believe in beating-up a decent dealer by pushing for an unreasonable deal.

Good luck and happy vehicle shopping.

 

[cardude2000]

Last comment I'll make on this topic: I believe that a good, fair, reputable business deserves to make a profit in any business transaction. That's how & why they stay in business and that's how they keep good, fair, reputable staff on board. For this reason, I do not believe in beating-up a decent dealer by pushing for an unreasonable deal.

Good luck and happy vehicle shopping.

The house always wins. And nobody buys unless they feel they got a great deal.

Dealers ALWAYS make a profit on a sale regardless of the bellyaching/show they put on about how much you beat them up. They wouldn't sell the vehicle if it didn't benefit/profit the dealership.

With that said, I agree that being polite, concise and fair is always a good approach.

 

[AZCreeker]

Last comment I'll make on this topic: I believe that a good, fair, reputable business deserves to make a profit in any business transaction. That's how & why they stay in business and that's how they keep good, fair, reputable staff on board. For this reason, I do not believe in beating-up a decent dealer by pushing for an unreasonable deal.

Good luck and happy vehicle shopping.

100% agree, being aggressive only shows to the dealership you are nervous and dont know what you are doing. Nobody needs to be an alpha dog to get a good deal. just patient and the courage to say no and walk out with presented with dealer add on-s or a sudden change in scenario.
By doing all of your homework and understanding the process, maybe one can actually make this a pleasant buying experience.

Remember I was always told buying a new car is America's most hated thing to do after going to the dentist.

ONE LAST THING:

go to the dealership when they are NOT BUSY and preferably mid morning.
good question to ask is, how backed up is your finance guy today, and do most of the legwork by phone/internet.