Car buying 101 - what the car dealerships do not want you to know.

Do you dread car dealerships like the plague? Does the thought of buying a new car excite you and make you sick all in the same thought?  Have you ever thought about why? Well today we are going to help you out and save you money. We are going to give you the inside to winning when buying a car. These are my opinion and I have successfully bought approximately 10 cars doing it this way but you will need to figure out how to make your personality work for you with these tips. Keep in mind and I mean this sincerely, you are lame to car salesman. They believe you are stupid and do not know any better. There are some out there that are great salespeople and are genuine but the group as a hole is very wrong. So let’s get started and be ready as I will give it to you straight.

First of all, you need to get clear right now. This is a game we are playing here and you need to win. Losing means giving away your cold hard cash and that is not an option. My first suggestion is to deal with fleet sales. This is the non-retail side to buying a car. You can get their attention particularly well if you have some form of a business and act like you are going to but more cars in the future. I am not suggesting to you to lie but remember this is a game to them so know the rules. Besides, it’s probably true as you will probably buy more cars in the future particularly if this transaction goes well. Next, start with the price of their car. If they ask tell them you are paying with cash. This will prevent them from trying to focus on everything at once and get you turned upside down. Negotiate the cost of the car and not payments and especially not interest rates. This will be a tip you need to get financed. They love financing as they make money on getting you financed. Do not accept stupid add ons like under coatings or some widget not important. Take them down 5-10% of the listed price at a minimum. The nice thing is that fleet service usually is better about price and play less games but games they still do play.

Once you have gotten the price where you want it then talk about what they will give you for your trade in. Go on to kellybluebook.com and know what your car is worth. Then go on that dealership site and see if they have any used cars comparable to yours. Information is powerful if used right.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that when you first arrived there give them a deadline like 30 minutes. Tell them if we can’t get this done in 30 – 45 minutes then you will walk. When that time comes around if you are not almost done (like 5 minutes from completion) then say bye to them. You can always give them a second chance but do not let them string you out for 2-3 hours as this is how they will get you to sign to anything.

Next is financing. Tell them you decided that you want to finance the car instead. You tell them exactly what you are willing to put down on the deal. Be reasonable but whatever you say to them must be final. Do not get inched along.

Lastly, gap insurances and warranties are something to consider but just know that they are a huge profit center for them and you usually never get the value out of them. Make sure you really want them before you say yes. Also, a lot of times the price is negotiable even when they tell you that they are not. You do not need to be rude or a liar but you do need to be firm and cunning a bit. When you drive off in your new car, smile all the way to your savings account with the left over money you saved!