The hardest part of these shops for me is to offer $5000 less than their best offer to me on a new car. How do you handle this, and even if they agreed to it how do you walk out of there after they gave you their best?

Thanks!

Not familiar with this specific shop, but here's a couple excuses to walk:

I have to come back with my spouse. (For joint title, selection of color, options, etc.)

I will provide my own financing (credit union, 401k loan, family loan, etc.) so I need to come back on Monday to complete the deal.

I am not really interested in buying a car. I am just mystery shopping you. (Just kidding on this one, Chix.)

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2013 12:49PM by IMTrashman.

I once made a ridiculously low off and the manager accepted it, probably to give the rookie SA her first sale. I said that the wholeprocess and the time ofday had given me a strees/hunger headache, and I needeed to have a mealand clear y head a bit. Could they please recommend a really good locally owned place where I could get a light lunch? They sent me to a realllygreat place, when I really did decompress from a very stressful shop.

For the most part, I like car dealership shops except the part when the salesperson calls the manager over to talk me into a deal. I had an uncomfortable experience last summer. The manager would not give up and I finally stood up and said something like, "I don't know how to say this any clearer - I am not ready to buy a car today" and I walked out. I reported what I said and it was accepted, which surprised me. I like IMTrashman's suggestion about providing my own financing. I might have to use that one.

I agree - the taking a break and then the own financing are excellent! Thank you!

If they say "no", you've got your reason to leave. If they do offer to drop the price by $5K, tell them you want to think it over before making the commitment.

using your own financing works everytime

techman01 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> using your own financing works everytime


What if the financing offered is 0%, as that happened to me the last time I was doing a dealership shop?

Personally, I always use a spouse as an excuse.

Remember:..... "You don't need them, they need you." Always remember that when buying a car in a shop or for real...

If I lowballed an offer for $5000 less than their lowest price and they said yes, then I might be tempted to buy the car.....sounds like a great deal!!!

I'm not familiar with this question on a shop report, but I am alarmed.

I recall more than one negotiation where I made a low offer, and the salesman said that he needed me to put my offer in writing before he would take it to his manager. If they accept, you now have a contract. What then?

The last two times I bought cars (both from GM dealerships), I also had to make a written offer. I also had to put money up as earnest money with the offer, to prove that it was a legitimate offer to buy. The last time was in April of this year. I really was buying a vehicle so it wasn't a problem, but I could see someone getting in a mess doing this on a mystery shop. Maybe this is just a local requirement? Or have they been mystery shopped too often? Now I am curious...

I would never provide an offer in writing even if I was actually buying a car and especially put up earnest money. I have done many car dealership shops and bought many cars and never heard of this.

"I am not really interested in buying a car. I am just mystery shopping you."

Priceless!

Wonder if that approach would get you a better deal if you were really buying a car???

I just bought a new 2014 vehicle and saved $4500 by applying what I learned doing countless mystery shops:

1. They want you more than you want them,

2. Typical markup on inventory is 8-10% or more, so there is a LOT of negotiating space for the customer.

3. If you don't like what you hear, walk. Then go to a neighboring dealer who has the model you are interested in. Get a written price and go back to lowball Dealer #1.

I've done a couple of these shops to negotiate the price. I've gotten some pretty good prices. One actually came down to the price I offered. I have used two exit strategies: 1) I don't carry my check book or credit cards since they were stolen, so I'll have to come back, 2) Can I have the night to pray about it? It's still a lot of money.

If they pressure for personal info to begin the credit process, I tell them I will be happy to do that when I return. If pressed, I tell them that if the car is no longer there when I return, then it just wasn't meant to be.

I love that "can I have the night to pray about it?" line. Who would dare try to argue with that? I need to remember that one.

I had a guy ask me to sign an offer and asked, "If the manager agrees to this price will you drive it home today?" and I said, "I might be willing to drive it home today but that doesn't mean I'm agreeing to buy it."

You really have to stand your ground on these shops. They all try to get your contact info, SSN, permission to run a credit check, and one actually tried to get me to make an offer before I even knew what rebates they were offering (this was not on a shop; I was actually car-shopping for myself). In the real world I never sit down and never give them more than my name (not even a phone number; what do they need it for? I'm standing right there) until I have decided I want the car and we have agreed on a price. Only then will I sit down and only then will I give the information needed to fill out the license or financing information.

I'm in the process of buying a car in an adjacent state over the phone. I've been researching this model and watching the prices since July. I probably know more about this car than the dealer does at this point. Unfortunately, I never saw a shop for this model so I never had the chance to get paid to car-shop for myself.

In real life, a couple of decades ago, I had a car salesman say: "would you drive it home today if I made such and such an offer." Even though I had planned to think (and pray) about it, I thought it over, and, hearing that sort of a spectacular deal, was forced to say 'yes'. He promptly flew into a fury, along the lines of: "You have a lot of nerve, trying to get that sort of price!"

So, I went and bought the same model of car from another dealership. A few days later he phoned, (I'd made the serious mistake of giving my phone number), and my mother made the serious mistake of telling him I'd already bought the car from someone else. Later, I had the doubtful pleasure of another phone call where he berated me for buying the car from someone else.

The result: even though I like that make of car, and still drive it, I'm reluctant to have anything to do with that dealership, even though it's still the closest one. Logically, I know that he must be in jail, or a mental institution, or something, by now, but I don't want to have anything to do with a place that'd hire someone like him, even if I'm not being logical.

I guess this shows why mystery shoppers are a good idea. That'd sure be an interesting encounter to write up. "Would you buy a car at this dealership?" "Not in a million years--I wouldn't have my oil changed there, or my tires rotated, either."

(He'd been extremely reluctant to give me a test drive, too. I think he thought I wasn't a serious buyer.)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2013 11:42PM by Ishmael.

I never agree to sign or initial any paper they place in front of me. I never give them a price I am willing to pay for the car. They say something like, how can I sell you a car if you don't tell me what you are willing to pay. I don't budge from my stance and tell them to give me their best offer. If you tell them $5K less, there's a good possibility they would come down to it, from MSRP.

The dealerships I shop, you are NOT allowed to do your own financing.

Years ago I was buying a car and had planned to pay cash for it. The salesman wanted me to drive it home that day and I told him I never made a decision and bought in the same day. I told him I would be out of town for 3 days and when I got back I would return. He swore that car would never stay there for 3 days. I said well if it doesn't it wasn't meant for me. I showed up 3 days later with a cashiers check ready to buy. The car was still there and whoever was moving it back to it's location locked the key inside and it was some special key they had to get from the manufacturer. FedEx showed up with the key about half an hour before I did. That car was meant for me.