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Originally Posted by Amano
oops didn't read you already bought it.
so how did you bargain down to invoice?
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I've given other people here ideas on how to buy a new car so I tried to follow my own advice. I've always said the number one rule is 'don't fall in love'. This is easy to say but when the wife says 'I want that one' that kind of hurts my bargaining strategy. Just don't let the salesman hear her say that. Tell him 'Oh, I can live with any color..., I don't have to have XXXX options' meanwhile you are hoping that he doesn't sell the one you have your eye on. I didn't want to have to tell my wife that I didn't buy the car she was in love with because I dicked around over $500.
My wife says 'how can you talk to them like that? You sound like an asshat' I say 'they don't get pissed, they are just there to sell cars' Remember, you buy one every 4 or 5 years, a good dealership sells 5 cars a day. They are used to all types. I always tell the sales manager 'Make the big money off the old ladies, I'm here for a bargain'. You have to have an answer for their canned lines. When they say 'If we make the deal you want will you buy the car today?' You say 'yes.' They will try to somehow hold you to this - acting all indignant 'You said you would buy today' Fuck 'em. I just know in my mind I am going to offer low enough that there is no way they would take the first offer. I had ordered the Consumer Reports pricing report (ALWAYS ALWAYS do this), it costs $12. I knew the MSRP and invoice price of the car and all the options. They quoted MSRP, I offered $30,000. I knew they could not sell it for this but it told them that I was not looking for some BS $500. discount. Them hemmed and hawed and went back and forth to the sales manager and said they couldn't do it. I thanked them for their time and walked out. Now they know you mean business.
Don't hesitate to BS them either. Don't lie. But tell them the things that they want to hear. 'I really like your cars, but I have to get a deal', 'I will be shopping the other dealerships' , 'The other dealership said they would beat your price by $500, you don't want me to go there do you?' , ' I read that there is a factory to dealer rebate on this model, I want part of that'. They of course will have an answer for all of your lines. They are pros. Don't waver. Be prepared to walk away. I usually tell them "Look, I am in real estate and negotiate every day, I used to be a banker and know the numbers backwards and forwards so why don't we cut through the BS and get down to the deal. 'Do you want to sell me this car or not?'. This time I used a trick I hadn't used before. I had my daughter call me on my cell at exactly a certain time when I knew we would be negotiating. They excused themselves but I could tell they were listening. I faked the conversation along the lines of 'yeah I'm at the dealership, I found an OK car but I'll probably be home soon, I don't think we are going to be able to make a deal.' This is like throwing bloody chum into the shark pool. They want the deal so bad you can feel it.
Anyway, stick to your guns. Know the numbers. Know the best deal you can probably get. And when you get to the end, ask for a couple free oil changes, they can give you that and you can feel like you won.