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Smart Shopper Internet vs. Traditional Car Buying
3011 messages, Last post on Aug 27, 2009 at 10:23 AM
You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester
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Replying to: jungle_cat (Apr 21, 2009 11:09 am) It's always a good idea to let a dealer know how you plan to pay for a car. However, there aren't any discounts for cash. |
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Replying to: lrguy44 (Apr 21, 2009 7:34 am) If you do go the RFQ email route, don't be one of those people who say you won't accept phone calls. When I have sent out my email requests in the past, I would use the response to determine if I would continue dealing with that dealer. Those that were come on down and will talk, I put on the back burner. Those that responded with a price or a phone call I would engage further. I have often gotten the best price over follow up phone calls when the dealer knew I was serious about buying and not using him to shop price and save $100 over another guy. keep us posted.. |
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Replying to: jungle_cat (Apr 21, 2009 11:09 am) Secondly the best way to get quotes is by going to the dealer’s website. Find a car that you are looking for and ask for the itemized Out the Door price for that stock number. Asking for quotes works. Here are some examples of first responses I received last week on a $35K+ Honda Odyssey. Hello, My name is XXXXXX, and I am the Internet Salesperson at xxxxx Honda in xxxx VA. Here is the breakdown you requested on the 2009 Honda Odyssey EXL DVD: Sale price $28,774.00(includes freight) Processing fee 189.00 Title fee 20.00 Tag Fee 38.75 VA Taxes 926.44 Total Out the Door $29,948.19 Please let me know that you received my offer, and if I can further assist you. Thanks! Here is another one: From your inquiry, I understand you are interested in the 2009 EX-L Odyssey with DVD . Your on the road price is as follows $28,035 Odyssey + $670 freight (destination-same thing) + $99 processing fee = $28,804.00 taxable total + $864.12 VA tax 3%, + $115 out of state title work fee + $15 temp tag + $43.75 tags + 2.00 reg. card + $10.00 title + $6.00 lien fee = $29,859.87. The price is based on 3% sales tax, if you county is higher, that is not assumed, nor are any inspections or emissions that may be required. Our price is good for 3 days and in stock units. Sterling Gray is currently in stock. Have you driven the Odyssey? If not, when would be a good time to do so? We are open Monday - Friday from 10-9 and Saturday from 9-6. And this is the best one: MSRP: The Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price or MSRP represents the selling price recommended by the manufacturer for the vehicle you are considering. MSRP on your vehicle is $35,425.00 Invoice: The price the dealer pays to buy a car from the manufacturer, exclusive of hold back or other discounts. Very seldom is this the bottom line of the cost for the vehicle to dealers. Invoice on the vehicle you are considering is $32,250.80** Dealer Holdback: An allowance paid by the manufacturer to the dealer to allow the dealer to purchase a vehicle for less than the invoice price. Dealer holdback on the vehicle you are considering is $695.10 Dealer Cash: An incentive to a dealership from the manufacturer to assist in selling a particular model. The dealer cash that is available on the vehicle you are considering is $2,500.00 xxxxxxx Honda of xxxxx Internet Discount*: A special incentive from our dealership to you! Your Internet Discount is time sensitive: Purchasing within 72 hours a discount of $500* Purchasing within 1 week an additional discount of $300* Purchasing before the end of the month an additional discount of $200* Your quote is based on the following formula: Your Quoted Price-Dealer Holdback-Dealer Cash-xxxxxx Honda of xxxxxxx Internet Discount. $32,250.80-$695.10-$2,500-$500*=$28,555.70** |
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| You can find some good deals on used cars on backpage.com. There's a whole automotive section for people selling their cars. I found my Honda Civic there last month and got a great deal. I definitely would recommend checking there if you're looking for a used car. | |
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Replying to: exb0 (Apr 21, 2009 4:52 pm) And they say dealers play games. I don't care if it is finance or cash until after the deal is done. There are 3 separate transactions in a car deal, car, trade and payment. |
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Replying to: exb0 (Apr 21, 2009 4:52 pm) All I got from an Infiniti dealer is avoidance of my questions and "come down and talk". To me, that doesn't make sense to say that if you are the internet manager? |
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What do people do with trade-ins when trying to do a deal on the internet? I'm guessing you still have to go to the dealer and negotiate in person, but wanted to see what those who had done this had to say (buyers or sales people).
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Replying to: newcarbuyer12 (Apr 22, 2009 6:14 am) |
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Replying to: golic (Jan 12, 2009 9:30 pm) Ah, I have a similar story about our Honda dealer (only one in this area). Had engine problems with my ’98 Accord and took it there. Said I need an alternator for $670. Called an independent shop for a quote and they were $250 less. Called the dealer back and said no thanks. They say oh, we happened to find a deal on an alternator for $150 less than our first quote. No thanks still, I don’t trust you now. Pick up the car and get it over to the independent shop and they simply diagnose that I need a new battery. Two years later, the alternator is still going strong. I guess I won’t be using or shopping that dealer ever again. |
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Replying to: lrguy44 (Apr 21, 2009 7:51 pm) Dealers DO play games but so do customers of course. It’s all a matter of my desire to pay as little as possible while the dealer wants to get as much as possible. It’s the great American marketplace and I have no problem with that if the process is honest and upfront on both ends. The disadvantage to the customer is, dealers do this every day and have a system they practice over and over to extract the maximum dollar from each customer. The customer does this maybe every few years and is not only at a disadvantage in the experience department but this is also done on the dealer’s home field (necessarily so of course). The bait and switch and unsuspecting “add-in’s” (well documented in these forums) that go on by the dealer are simply dishonest. Using the internet is a good way to take emotion out of the equation and get exact details in writing, assuming those details are honored. Frankly, if I don’t need a test drive, don’t have a trade-in and have a check from my bank or credit union ready to go after a bottom line price by e-mail, why can't I simply show up and pick up the car? I have no desire to sit down with a slick finance guy because I’ve arranged my own finances and I don’t want an extended warranty. He doesn’t need to convince me on what I’m “missing out on”. I don’t really need to become buddies with the salesman either, just show me the necessary papers to sign and I can be out of there without wasting too much of your time. Perhaps there are people that enjoy the personal interaction and hands-on stuff and will get wide-eyed about extra options (and don’t mind paying for them) but for me, I just want a good value on a basic automobile. If your dealership or you personally gain something from it and I don’t feel ripped off, I’ll feel good about that too.
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