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Buying Tips - How Do I Get the Best Deal?

5169 messages,  Last post on Oct 29, 2009 at 11:33 AM

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#5101 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [jwilliams2] by snakeweasel
May 22, 2009 (8:15 pm)
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Replying to: jwilliams2 (May 22, 2009 7:05 pm)

Car dealers can use pinstripes as a way to differentiate their product from their competition.
 
OK I have to ask how does it differentiate from which competition? If you mean from the same model car from another dealership I don't see how (since most people won't see them from distances greater than 10 feet), if you mean different makes I think that being a different make is difference enough.
 
It is kind of a stretch to imply this is illegitimate.
 
Its only legitimate if the customer asks for the pinstripes to be applied. It really is a stretch to apply them to every car and say its needed.
#5102 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [snakeweasel] by jwilliams2
May 22, 2009 (8:50 pm)
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Replying to: snakeweasel (May 22, 2009 8:15 pm)

OK I have to ask how does it differentiate from which competition? If you mean from the same model car from another dealership I don't see how (since most people won't see them from distances greater than 10 feet), if you mean different makes I think that being a different make is difference enough.
 
Differentiate, meaning makes the car look better/sharper than a competitor's without. Not that hard to understand.
 
Its only legitimate if the customer asks for the pinstripes to be applied. It really is a stretch to apply them to every car and say its needed.
 
A dealer can offer a product configured any way he sees fit. If a dealer wants to sell all cars with upgraded purple wheels, thats his choice, and he can charge what he wants. As long as he puts it on the proper addendum.
 
The consumer always has options, and can buy or not. Never heard a dealer say its "needed". Just his way of marketing. Smart, maybe not.
 
Again, not that hard to understand, and not illegal or illegitimate.
#5103 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [jwilliams2] by snakeweasel
May 23, 2009 (4:29 am)
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Replying to: jwilliams2 (May 22, 2009 8:50 pm)

meaning makes the car look better/sharper than a competitor's without. Not that hard to understand.
 
Sorry but its hard to understand how something that is unnoticed when your more than ten feet away makes a car look better/sharper. Also the fact that it makes the car look better/sharper is completely subjective.
 
A dealer can offer a product configured any way he sees fit.
 
Agree but is it a meaningful configuration and does the customer have a choice in the configuration?
 
Never heard a dealer say its "needed".
 
Having it on every car they sell implies that it is needed. Basically "we don't sell it without it, take it or leave it" is pretty much the same as "it's needed".
 
Again, not that hard to understand, and not illegal or illegitimate.
 
I will agree its not illegal, but I have to disagree that it it legitimate as the reality of the situation it doesn't truly improve the car. Its not hard to understand.
#5104 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [snakeweasel] by jwilliams2
May 23, 2009 (7:03 am)
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Replying to: snakeweasel (May 23, 2009 4:29 am)

Sorry but its hard to understand how something that is unnoticed when your more than ten feet away makes a car look better/sharper. Also the fact that it makes the car look better/sharper is completely subjective.
 
Well, most folks get closer than ten feet to the car they are considering buying. And you are correct, the addition of pinstripes are subjective, but in some applications, they do improve the looks of the car, and many people like them.
 
And as I said, it is the dealers choice to market his product as he sees fit. The consumer has the choice to either buy the car as is, or refuse to pay for unwanted extra equipment. The consumer can also choose to buy at another dealer.
 
So to call it illegitimate, is really a stretch. I personally would not pay for them, so I would exercise my right to not pay or go elsewhere. You can certainly do the same. I think we have beat this to death, so lets move on.
#5105 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [jwilliams2] by jipster
May 23, 2009 (7:22 am)
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Replying to: jwilliams2 (May 23, 2009 7:03 am)

The consumer has the choice to either buy the car as is, or refuse to pay for unwanted extra equipment.
 
Like I posted earlier, most consumers will end up paying for those add-ons whether the dealer waives the fee or not. He'll just tack the cost on somewhere else. The sales manager will not drop the price of the car as much, or he will insist on a full doc. fee instead of a discount. They aren't going to give you something for free.
It's a good bargaining ploy as well. The sales manager says that he waived $2,000 worth of dealer installed options, now why can't you the consumer meet him halfway on price.
 
Us savvy Edmunds buyers will have a smart out the door price that doesn't include any money for dealer add ons. That way we know the add-ons aren't being sneaked in somewhere else. Still probably better to shop somewhere else.
#5106 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [jipster] by verdugo
May 23, 2009 (8:08 am)
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Replying to: jipster (May 23, 2009 7:22 am)

Still probably better to shop somewhere else.
 
Amen. In the back of my mind, I'd keep thinking "If they already tried pulling a fast one, what else are they going to try?"
 
IMHO, a transaction requires a degree of trust. Once they start playing tricks, I take my business elsewhere.
#5107 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [verdugo] by blckislandguy
May 23, 2009 (11:49 am)
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Replying to: verdugo (May 23, 2009 8:08 am)

You know, it always amazes me that many people (myself included) will hone in on just one aspect of a commercial transaction (say, "price") and not look at the whole picture such as shopping the financing as carefully as you shop the price, getting a "free loaner" promise in writing, discussing the level of "free gas" in the gas tank upon delivery, etc. etc. I will see working families complete with hungry, wailing babies in dealerships waiting to get "approved" for a specific payment and I shudder. All in all, people should sloooow it way down and do way more research.
 
I think that when people put their blinders on, they tend to focus usually too much on just one part of the transaction and then can get blindsided.
#5108 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [blckislandguy] by jwilliams2
May 23, 2009 (1:58 pm)
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Replying to: blckislandguy (May 23, 2009 11:49 am)

I think that when people put their blinders on, they tend to focus usually too much on just one part of the transaction and then can get blindsided
 
Totally agree.
 
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former". -Albert Einstein
#5109 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [jwilliams2] by blckislandguy
May 23, 2009 (3:53 pm)
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Replying to: jwilliams2 (May 23, 2009 1:58 pm)

You know the quickest way to get a dealer sales guy to lose interest is to tell him that you want to order a car to your spec and that you are willing to wait. He knows that he can't make money from a guy like that. The sales guy can only thrive on the impulse buyers whose only car is now on the lift at an automatice transmission shop, whose kids are wailing away, and it is way past supper time.
#5110 of 5169
Re: I want to buy a LANCER GTS 5 SPEED [blckislandguy] by mikefm58
May 23, 2009 (8:18 pm)
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Replying to: blckislandguy (May 23, 2009 3:53 pm)

You know the quickest way to get a dealer sales guy to lose interest is to tell him that you want to order a car to your spec and that you are willing to wait. He knows that he can't make money from a guy like that. The sales guy can only thrive on the impulse buyers whose only car is now on the lift at an automatic transmission shop, whose kids are wailing away, and it is way past supper time.
 
Now why would you want to do something that would cause the sales guy to lose interest. In my past experience ordering to specs is very profitable for the sales guy. Granted, they don't make an immediate sale, but it's still big bucks for them. Any what's your point?

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