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Smart Shopper Internet vs. Traditional Car Buying
3011 messages, Last post on Aug 27, 2009 at 10:23 AM
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Replying to: boomchek (Oct 29, 2008 9:19 am) On the other hand though, if the salesperson attempts to hold all the money and the customer DID see the car advertised on line, the salesperson loses all credibility. That is why a good salesperson has to properly qualify his/her customer. |
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Unless a charge is on the MSRP like D & D, plus tax & license, why should I have to pay the dealer extra charges like doc fees and registration fees, these are just added profit. That should be included as part of doing business. I don't/won't pay them, but I let the salesmen know up front. I ask for an out the door price and all I want to see is car/truck price +, tax +, license fee. Period! Why is it that nobody wants to give you a good price by e-mail. I have done my homework and I know what other people are paying. Why is it you go on the manufactures web site. They asked me if I want a price quote by e-mail,I answer yes. I get a phone call. They make you put your phone number on the request otherwise it won't process your request. Another one I did last night was off the dealers web site. It said get an instant quote by e-mail. The vehicle was a new left over 2007 model. I request the info and I get back an e-mail to call them for the price. Now I know there might be another one of these within 200 miles but I doubt it. This dealer probably has had this truck 1 1/2-2 years on their lot, they should have offered to come to my house with it. I just don't get it, I read a few days ago November sales of new vehicles were the worst since 1982. I am looking for a pick-up truck and have read that there are a flood of 1,2 & 3 year old used trucks out there. The dealers are acting like it's business as usual. I understand that some dealers think if they give you a really good price that you will use at another dealer. If you don't want to do internet sales then say so. Don't lie to people and waste their time by telling them they need to come to their store or give them a verbal only quote. Rant over! 
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Replying to: bar20 (Dec 15, 2008 3:24 pm) Example, let the know not only the year, trim line, color, and packages - plus provide them with your full name, phone number, and a time frame when you are looking to buy. When I do this, I will often get detailed quotes. Just like "you" don't want to waste your time at the dealership, these guys are not going to waste their time responding to 100s of anonymous emails, where people have no intention of buying or just using to shop around. just my 2 cents. |
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Replying to: bar20 (Dec 15, 2008 3:24 pm)  The main reason I would want to call an Internet customer is to make sure he is an actual buyer, and not a 6 year old playing on daddy's computer. |
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Replying to: bar20 (Dec 15, 2008 3:24 pm) I have no problem paying a reasonable amount for registration fees. It's not just added profit. They are saving me from going to the DMV. You don't want to pay that? Go register the car yourself. I'll happily pay that fee and save myself some time. A. |
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Replying to: bar20 (Dec 15, 2008 3:24 pm) I am an internet manager and my job is to answer to email inquiries, and obviously sell cars. I get the inquiries daily. 75% of them never respond back, whether you send a price or not, whether you're nice and email them back, or leave a phone message. Some people will ask for photos to be emailed of cars, only to never respond again. The least they can say is thanks but no thanks. I will not go out of my way with email leads unless I know the person I'm dealing with is at least a grown up who just might be legally allowed to buy and drive a car. Some will not give a phone number, and use your price to shop at their dealer locally. I am sorry but I do not feel like acting like a step ladder for someone far away by working out a price they can take to their local dealer and shop me. If you want a good price and save money, then you have to earn it, just like anything in life. That might mean making some phone calls, providing a REAL NAME and a REAL PHONE NUMBER if you want a REAL QUOTE, maybe showing up with your trade in, etc..... But it all comes with the job, so I don't mind. But don't be surprised if you do get a phone call to check if you're for real.  Happy Shopping |
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I think your missing what internet shopping is. I choose internet shopping to not have to hassel with the "sales" pitches. I can research my on products on line, review both consumer reports and buyer reviews. I know what I want and I want the to be told what I can buy the car for at the lot. I dont want to be called and I am trying to avoid any lot time. You are just using the internet to advertise your inventory and to make contact with potential customers. The deal can be made with no face time. The bottom line is you need customers and you need cars leaving your lot. The MSR and Invoice Price are all available, what internet buyers want is what are you capable of doing for us to get us below the invoice price and to include some options for mass produced accessories that you are now nickel and diming your customers to increase your profits. The invoice price is not the "true" cost of the vehicle. It is below the invoice. Floor mats arent $150, mud flaps arent $100. Dealers are making money, profits may be down but that is not the consumers fault. Internet shoppers want the bottom line with a click of a button. You internet salesmen need to provide this. I just spent 7 hours at the dealers on a "internet" purchase. Thid did include 2 test drives but was not any thing near what I would consider a "internet" purchase. Until "internet sales" provides the service we want: 1. offer the invoice price 2. haggle for the accessories you want 3. get the sales and managment to tell you what their lowest sale price is 4. tell them to give you some time 5. call all the other local dealers and see if they will beat the price 6. Tell the salesman what the other dealer will sell at 7. Accept their new offer or call the other dealers agin I just bought a 2009 RAV4 and am happy with the price but 15 min after we took the sales counter offer another dealer called me back with a lower counter offer. I dont think we hit the lowest price but I was down to $100 difference on quotes. |
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Replying to: enoli (Jan 06, 2009 2:30 am) 7 hours??? What the heck was going on that it took that long? If you handle an internet sale properly, your car, price and paperwork should be waiting for you. Then you take a quick test drive (or not), sign the papers, and away you go... about an hour. Sounds like you did pretty good though. Congrats on your Rav4. |
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Replying to: enoli (Jan 06, 2009 2:30 am) Why does everyone think that dealers somehow have free accessories to throw in. Do some think that we have a accessory factory with elves in the back, or maybe a compost that turns garbage into free floormats Any business whether a car dealership, a bank, or a furniture store..their goal is to make a profit so they can keep their doors open. If they're not making much on a big sale, then they will try to make that up in the sale of other items whether add ons, insurance, etc.. So how many rounds of stepos 6 and 7 are you willing to go? You want the lowest price up front but yet you will shop it elsehwere and then expect me to lower it again........ 
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Replying to: enoli (Jan 06, 2009 2:30 am) As Jip mentioned, for many of us, the ideal end to the internet transaction would be to show up and find just about everything already in order, sign the paperwork, and drive away. If there's a trade involved, this won't exactly work, but some of the process can be streamlined. There's no way internet sales are going to evolve to a point where the dealer offers invoice + at-cost accessories, just so you can shop that price and then come back asking for a bigger discount. |
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