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How to Negotiate the Best Deal

Before going to look at any car it is best to find out what you can afford. There are constantly commercials on the TV and radio about rebates, discounts and sales; these are created to make you want to rush down to the dealership. Before you go use a financing calculator online. Edmund's has a loan calculator that will let you see what options are best for your particular needs. This calculator lets you add in rebate info, trade-in values, down payments, financing info and more. Plan on having enough time to visit multiple dealerships to obtain the best deal and returning to one of them to make your purchase.
Trade-Ins
You will get more money by selling your car yourself, than trading it in. Look at Kelly Blue Book and get an idea of what your car is worth. You should also look through your local newspaper and dealership websites to see what your car is selling for in your area. If you try to sell your vehicle for a lower price than those you have seen, you will most likely get an offer and you will make more money than you would trading it in at a dealership.
If You Want a Good Price You Must Answer Questions Correctly
Negotiating can be an intimidating process that can end up being quite confusing. The sales people are aware of this. They know what to look for and what to ask. You will be casually asked if you plan on financing or paying in cash. If you say that your financing is already set up and you will not need their financing the price of your car will go up. Dealers do make money when you finance the vehicle through them. So, from the beginning is best to just say nothing about how you are going to pay. The next question may be what you can afford regarding monthly payments. Dealership sales people are trained to make everything sound as affordable as possible. Your only focus should be the final price; nothing else. So, try to defer these questions and focus on the final price only. Saying you are not sure about financing and other issues is the best way to get a good deal.

Do not get too excited about a car! If they feel that you really want it the price will go up. Being friendly is always a plus and they will be friendly as well, but it is important to remember that their goal is to make money. They can put together a lot of deals for you, but they want to make money. The best chance you have to get a good deal is to visit multiple dealerships. You will be given a quote and you can either go with it or take the quote and visit another dealership.

Remember, a sales person's job depends on making sales, so they may be aggressive and they may not want to just let you go. If you really look like you are leaving the sales person may suddenly drop the price for you or ask you to wait while they basically get back up (which could be another sales person or the sales manager).

If you are offered the deal of your dreams it is totally your call to stay or not; however that “fantastic” deal should be good through at least the end of the day. You do have time to look at other dealerships and see if they can beat the deal you were offered. The best way to walk out and set the sales person at ease is to say you need to discuss it with a significant other and make a final decision. Be as nice as possible, because this may be the dealership you return to.
The Three Best Times To Head To Your Local Dealerships
  1. Prices will drop dramatically from August to October. The new models will be coming out soon and dealers need to get cars off of their lot to accommodate them. There may be advertised deals and there may not. Either way you will get a better deal.
  2. Dealerships give better deals at the end of the month. Dealers are looking at the bottom line at this time and sales people are desperate to meet quotas, so you willl most likely get a better deal. There are new and used car sales goals that dealerships are trying to meet and you can take advantage of those.
  3. If you see a customer or dealer incentive sale you will get a better deal. You will get an even better deal if you wait until the very end of this incentive period. Dealers want to meet a car sales goal at this time as well.
Quick Negotiating Tips
  • Dress poor and pull up in an inexpensive car. Pulling up in a Lexus, wearing expensive jewelry and carrying a Louis Vuitton briefcase will not help you get a good deal. The sales people know what to look for. Rolex watches and a nice diamond ring will be noticed no matter what you wear.
  • Stay Neutral! Do not show excitement over a vehicle.
  • Don't answer questions about financing unless you are at the end of the negotiation process.
  • "Are you willing to go up to…?" NO, you are not.
  • If you have researched what you can afford you should not offer that information. In fact, it is best to mention $2,000-3,000 less than that you can really afford.
  • Avoid putting down a deposit UNLESS the car you are looking at is hard to get a hold of. Verify that you can get the money back and find out how soon you must contact them to get it back. A few years back the Honda Odyssey was so hard to get and people were put on waiting lists. If you find a car such as this, you want it and it may not be there when you return you may need to leave a deposit. Again, ask if you can get the money back and then ask again. Getting it in writing is the best thing to do.
  • DO NOT sign anything unless you are in the process of buying the car or if you are leaving a deposit. You can fill things out, but DO NOT put your signature on it until you are absolutely sure. In some cases your really nice, cool sales person will turn into the coldest person you have ever met. They may not care that you made a mistake
  • A monthly payment will be increased with the loan rate you receive. Do not just except a monthly payment that is mentioned. Wait until the loan rate is added in.

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