How should I prepare to going to Car Dealership alone?

Question

Im generally concerned about being taken advantage of.
I’m going to buy my first car in a week or so and I’m going alone. I tried to get some people I knew with experience but they’re all busy and I’m realizing that I can’t keep relying on people so I’m on my own.

I already know what car I’d like to get as well if that helps.
Any advice? If so thanks.

Answer 1

I have to disagree with HG. You do want to narrow your search down when you get ready to buy. Sure when you start out, try to look at vehicles in the same class, ie similar price range and body styles, and features.

Example if want an entry level SUV, then look at three comparable vehicles.

Are you financing or paying cash? (usually that means a certified check).

Do you have a trade?

Read some of my other posts on the topic.

Are you buying a new or used vehicle.

The main thing for you to remember....it is your money, you are paying, you are the customer.

A few basic points:

1. Shop around. Go to at least three dealers.

2. You have to plan to leave the dealer. NEVER buy on the first visit. Come back 2, 3, 4 times. They have a specific technique of not giving you a price and taking 3-4 hours to get you a price. This is by design to get you emotional, frustrated and stop you from shopping around. Be confident, tell them you need info, and you have 30 minutes only. If they run the stall plan, then politely say your time is up, write down your number and say call me you get the info I: need. If you are not called back call the sale manager, and ask for another sales person.

3. If you feel like you are getting the run around. Leave. Go someplace else.

4. Get a deal sheet that has ALL the details listed out. Work out the details before they write up the sales contract. Compare that to the final contract. Make sure to tell them they must match exactly or you will walk out. They will sometimes add things AFTER you agree to a price and then say...."Ooooh, we legally have to add fee A, B and C, it is federal law or required by the state, so we thought why list it out? Right? OK sign right here we are really busy and we can't waste any more time on this deal. " Or change the interest rate, etc, etc.

5. Do not get emotional. STICK TO THE DETAILS.

6. YP and MP. Your Problem and My Problem. Recognize a YP vs an MP. You want them to talk about MPs, not YPs. That is when the sales person says that they will get in big trouble if the give you a better deal, or how they will not make any money, etc. A friend had a sales guy say that you are going over to his house and taking food away from his children. Not kidding, true story.

7. A bad deal can cost you EASILY $5000. Low ball on the trade in...Oh the transmission if totally shot, luckily we caught that...so the they pay $1000 for $3000 trade, Higher interest rate add $1000, over priced on new car $1000 and junk fees $1000. So 2k+1k+1k+1k = 5,000 of your money that just evaporated.

8. Do a search on "spot delivery or fronting" Do not leave your trade until the final sales contract and loan agreement is signed.

Read ALL paperwork. Tell the finance guy you will need to read it AWAY from his desk of him rushing you and saying he is too busy to drag this out. It will take you at least 30 minutes. WORDS do not matter, ONLY the written contract.

I don't care if the sales guy is part time priest, only the contract matters.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

New or used?



You probably need to put this off because you are not ready.

Answer 3

I could write a book of advice about dealing with car salesman and their managers. I highly recommend that you don't go alone. At least spend some serious time studying up on it, otherwise you'll get taken for a ride. Even then, even with a head full of knowledge, it's easy to forget and get flustered. I will give you this bit of advice:



1) Don't ever be in a hurry to buy a car.



2) Don't ever sign any papers until you have carefully read all the fine print and understand it.



3) Don't be afraid to stop negotiating and walk away if you feel anxious, tired, confused, angry, annoyed or overwhelmed.



4) Don't just visit one dealership. Canvas several dealerships in your area, both online and in person. Know what inventory is available for the car you want with the options you want.



5). Do your research on prices first. find out the MSRP. Find out how much above or below below the MSRP that model is being sold for in the region, not just the town you're in. Know exactly how much you should be paying for a given car. Find out know what incentives and rebates the manufacturers are offering, and know what specials the competing dealers are running. All this can be researched online. From that, you should be able to calculate a maximum price you're willing to pay.



6) Don't rely on dealer financing. Try to get pre-approved from your own bank or credit union. Getting pre-approved doesn't mean you have to use them, but it's a good thing to know what terms and interest rate you can get. Then check other lenders as well as what the dealer financing is. Be sure you understand what APR is, how compound interest works, what the finance fees, registration, title and licensing costs are, what the taxes are, and what the "hidden" dealer charges are, such as delivery fees, prep fees, etc.



7) Get several insurance quotes before you even go to look at cars. Knowing what that will cost will help you decide whether the insurance and payments are within your budget. Be realistic. Your car payment and insurance shouldn't come to no more than 1/4 of your net monthly income, but preferably 1/5 or 1/6 of it. Otherwise you'll be in a high debt to income situation and credit interest on loans, credit cards, etc will get more expensive.



8) If you have a car you might trade-in, DON'T bring that up at all until after you've bargained for the best deal you can get and they are ready to make the deal. Only then should you bring up the possibility of trading in a car. They will ask you right off the bat if you have a trade-in. Just say you're not planning on it and only spring it on them at the end of negotiations about price.



9) Read these articles and find others:

https://www.moneycrashers.com/how-to-buy-car-tips/

http://clark.com/cars/clarks-car-buying-tips/

https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/top-shopping-tips-from-a-former-car-salesman.html

Answer 4

Look on line and see what cars of that make and model are worth. Offer less than the window price, get it checked by a mechanic or the AAA before you pay for it, and do not agree to finance

Answer 5

Do your research before you go. Know EXACTLY what you should be paying first. Call other dealers on the phone, and ask them for their best deal on the same make and model you want, and use the lowest offer as your starting point. Do NOT agree to pay any more than that lowest offer, and only if that offer is actually reasonable, based on your research. That's the best advice I can give you. If the dealer won't meet OR BEAT the lowest offer, nod, smile, stand up, shake his hand, and walk out.

Answer 6

get the internet price, know what you are looking for and don't be conned. Don't' buy stuff like special paint coatings, undercoatings, etc. check Bluebook values, and maybe Costco's price and find the dealership that works with them. Don't be afraid to walk away if they don't offer what you want.

Answer 7

1st of all, narrowing your choice down to only one vehicle is NOT a good idea; 2nd - if you start by looking at the edminds.com site, you will find prices + lots of info for almost any vehicle............that site will show you what you should pay, as opposed to what a dealer wants to sell for...........when you do find 2 or 3 you like, then you must !!!!!! have the vehicle inspected by a reliable mechanic.........does not matter what the salesperson tells you - get the inspection