Dealing with sales
October-23rd-2002, 03:33 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: WA
Posts: 383
Dealing with sales
How did you guys deal with the dealer?
How did you get the price you paid for your car?
Can anyone share their story? Good one or bad one.
Hope I can get some ideas from your experience.
How did you get the price you paid for your car?
Can anyone share their story? Good one or bad one.
Hope I can get some ideas from your experience.
October-23rd-2002, 07:52 AM
#2
Protege Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Mid-Missouri
Posts: 31
Some advice
I've bought several new cars in recent years and found the following tidbits of advice to be critical.
1. Know how much YOU are willing to pay for the car going in. Keep in mind that high demand cars can not typically be bought for invoice. For the Protege it should not be a problem to get pretty close to invoice however. Go into negotiation knowing how much the car costs and how much you are willing to pay. If they reject your offer, leave and try somewhere else.
2. Get a credit report for yourself. If you know your beacon score you can get a very good idea of what financing rates you may or may not qualify for. If you don't have your own credit score (or don't know what a credit score is) you are at the mercy of the F&I blokes with regards to interest rates, unless you plan on paying cash. But with 0% on leftover 2002's why pay cash if you can qualify?
3. Only deal with a salesman you feel comfortable with. If you don't feel comfortable with the bloke you're dealing with, there will always be some lingering doubt and who needs that?
4. Check dealer inventories on the Mazdausa.com website before you go in to the dealer. If you know what they have in stock and even the VIN, the dealer will know you mean business and you will be less likely to encounter BS.
5. Above all else, be ready to walk out whenever you feel uncomfortable with the transaction. Don't get pushed around into making a purchase TODAY! Give yourself time to think and analyze. If you have done your homework, you shouldn't have to do much work with the salesman anyway.
6. Don't drop your guard in the F&I office. Look very carefully to see that no weird fees have been added in without them telling you. Fees to be aware of include doc. fees (legit but shouldn't exced $100-150), regional add fees (legit and probably about $100), theft guard (don't get it if you don't want it), rust-proofing and other dealer prep fees (I wouldn't pay them myself, I feel it should be included).
Hope this helps.
1. Know how much YOU are willing to pay for the car going in. Keep in mind that high demand cars can not typically be bought for invoice. For the Protege it should not be a problem to get pretty close to invoice however. Go into negotiation knowing how much the car costs and how much you are willing to pay. If they reject your offer, leave and try somewhere else.
2. Get a credit report for yourself. If you know your beacon score you can get a very good idea of what financing rates you may or may not qualify for. If you don't have your own credit score (or don't know what a credit score is) you are at the mercy of the F&I blokes with regards to interest rates, unless you plan on paying cash. But with 0% on leftover 2002's why pay cash if you can qualify?
3. Only deal with a salesman you feel comfortable with. If you don't feel comfortable with the bloke you're dealing with, there will always be some lingering doubt and who needs that?
4. Check dealer inventories on the Mazdausa.com website before you go in to the dealer. If you know what they have in stock and even the VIN, the dealer will know you mean business and you will be less likely to encounter BS.
5. Above all else, be ready to walk out whenever you feel uncomfortable with the transaction. Don't get pushed around into making a purchase TODAY! Give yourself time to think and analyze. If you have done your homework, you shouldn't have to do much work with the salesman anyway.
6. Don't drop your guard in the F&I office. Look very carefully to see that no weird fees have been added in without them telling you. Fees to be aware of include doc. fees (legit but shouldn't exced $100-150), regional add fees (legit and probably about $100), theft guard (don't get it if you don't want it), rust-proofing and other dealer prep fees (I wouldn't pay them myself, I feel it should be included).
Hope this helps.
October-23rd-2002, 09:26 AM
#5
Protege Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Mid-Missouri
Posts: 31
Go to mazdausa.com. Click on the model of interest at the top of the screen. Click on locate at the top of the next page. Enter your zip code and dealers in your area will appear. Click on each dealer to view their inventory. Very nice feature IMO.
To get your credit report there are various websites that will work. You'll need a credit card to pay the $25 or so fee. I can't remember which service I used months ago, but surf around on the Edmunds web site and I'm sure you'll find a service. Once you find a service you will have your credit info within minutes. Keep in mind that depending on your age and credit history, you may or may not qualify for "special" interest rates.
To get your credit report there are various websites that will work. You'll need a credit card to pay the $25 or so fee. I can't remember which service I used months ago, but surf around on the Edmunds web site and I'm sure you'll find a service. Once you find a service you will have your credit info within minutes. Keep in mind that depending on your age and credit history, you may or may not qualify for "special" interest rates.
October-23rd-2002, 09:45 AM
#6
Protege Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 14
I bought my car used, with 7500 miles. The list price was 15995, I was able to get the price down to 12500, but this method required two walkouts. All you need to do is argue until you get the price you want, trust me it works.
October-23rd-2002, 09:49 AM
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: WA
Posts: 383
Hi Thel, thanks for the reply again.
I followed your instruction and checked on the inventory of the dealer I am planning to buy from.
What I want to ask now is, how did you play with those info? I mean the dealer inventories and the VIN. How did you "let" that guy know you have such info and thus, make the deal "know you mean business"?
I followed your instruction and checked on the inventory of the dealer I am planning to buy from.
What I want to ask now is, how did you play with those info? I mean the dealer inventories and the VIN. How did you "let" that guy know you have such info and thus, make the deal "know you mean business"?
October-23rd-2002, 09:50 AM
#8
Mark the Spark
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: NJ
Posts: 590
Get a price from a dealer. Then wait a week say you went to another dealer up north or south and they quoted you 1k less. Then the first dealer will quote you less. Really simple eh? Then again, it was my Dad that did most of the dealing. The dealer may not fall for a kid pulling that stuff.
October-23rd-2002, 09:55 AM
#9
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: WA
Posts: 383
I hope I will have the luxury of time to spend doing the stuff you guys suggested me to on that day (about the walkouts and go back again bargin stuff).
Cause I live about 5 hours driving distance away from that dealer. I will have only less than a day spending there to look at the cars on that day. Both me and my wife need to work. We are planning to take one day off from work on a weekend and head out there to buy the car. So the time is pretty tight.
Cause I live about 5 hours driving distance away from that dealer. I will have only less than a day spending there to look at the cars on that day. Both me and my wife need to work. We are planning to take one day off from work on a weekend and head out there to buy the car. So the time is pretty tight.
October-23rd-2002, 10:02 AM
#10
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: WA
Posts: 383
Originally posted by MarkSpark
The dealer may not fall for a kid pulling that stuff.
The dealer may not fall for a kid pulling that stuff.
2 weeks ago when I went to another Mazda dealer, I was first met by salesman sitting inside the ground floor office. He was nice to me. Then later after test driving and some bargining when we are about to leave, another guy came down from the 2nd floor office, whom I believe should be a manager or high ranking staff or something came down and tried to talk us into the deal. This guy was a total jerk. No only did his attitute and tone pissed both me and my wife off, but also he treated us like we are kids and did't know what we were doing. He treated us as if we are first time car buyer. He kept telling us things we already know and some other sh_t.
Anyway, this is the kind of guy we don't want to deal with anymore. I just want to see if I can avoid the simular situation from happening again.
October-23rd-2002, 11:06 AM
#14
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Outside Tampa
Posts: 440
Like everbody has said, the more info you have the less bs they dish. I'm 22 and no salesman really took me seriously until I started talking. I researched what I wanted for about a monthe, read every article I could find, got my credit repot( very important, this blew there minds when I told them I had that, and get equifax if possible) . And if you see something that your not sure of ask. If you don't then you will kick yourself later.