We've been talking about a new truck recently and had started the buying process. In this case "new" actually means "used" or new to us. (May as well let someone else pay the 10 grand premium for the first 20K miles if you can find what you want used.)
You know how it goes. Stop in at a few dealerships. See what they have on the lot. Resist the pressure to reveal all your personal information including the secret word required to steal your firstborn.
Why don't we step inside and I'll give you a business card?
Why don't we drive up to the building and you can run it out to the truck?
One new feature, car dealerships seem to employ stringers now, guys who track you down in the lot then bring you inside to talk to a salesman.
We didn't find what we wanted in our two dealer stops, so we resorted to searching the 'net. In one of the searches, the Hubby ran across a Lariat, featuring a leather interior. You might think of "leather interior" and "pick-up truck" as two phrases that don't belong together, along the lines of "jumbo shrinp." However I retain an open mind when it comes to leather. I see no inherent conflict in having wood piled in the bed as I luxuriate in heated leather seats.
We found a contender, but the site didn't give us all the information we wanted to know before committing to the drive to look at it. No problem! Send an e-mail. Waiting...waiting...No reply. No problem! Call internet sales! And get voice mail. Going once. Going twice. Going three times. Hubby throws in the towel. I step into the ring. Going once. Going twice! Finally I resort to asking for "Used Car Sales" and score a real live person on the phone! To his credit he fields my questions and calls me back with the answers.
It looks like the real deal. We decide to advance our forces to the dealership for a first hand look. First we prepare. Get the Carfax report. Check the trade in price for the old truck. Clean up old truck, (with a strong belief in driving your new vehicle off the lot the day of purchase.) Arrange schedules on Saturday so we can make the trip. We're off!
Bonus. NARN is playing on the drive down. I call in and agree with J.B. on Fallujah. (It's a little frightening and I don't really want to talk about it.) Lileks is the caller after me. These guys sound like pros already with five weeks on the air. (AM 1280 The Patriot, Noon to 3 PM Saturday in the Mpls./St. Paul area.) I only caught the first hour.
Our truck salesman is an OK guy. The truck is what we were looking for. Time to deal!
Some people hate the bargaining aspect of buying a car. Not me. I like it.
The internet price is a grand lower than the lot price. Good. I start running numbers in my head, figuring we'll take the grand internet discount, plus we want $500 more than our trade in is worth and a $500 option added at no cost to us. Make that a round number. Tell him what we want to pay. We sign off on leaving with it today if they accept our offer and off he goes to "talk to the manager"
He comes back and the manager figures it about a grand higher than our offer. What a shock! Do we have any room to move on the price, $500.....$300? He plays right into our hands. I don't want to play the back and forth compromise game. I tell him, "No. This is the part where we decide what we're willing to pay, and it's your job to go convince them." We sign the "final offer" with no change to the "first offer." Back to the manager.
He knows we did our homework before we showed up. (For example the carfax gives you an idea how long the vehicle's been on the lot.) We knew before we got there what truck we wanted. We're serious buyers and we know what we're willing to pay.
He comes back to shake our hands and tell us they've accepted our first and final offer.
A few points.
You're better off to buy the last few days of the month. (I bought one new car under dealer invoice price at month end.) Salesmen and the dealer can both be more flexible at month end and will even sell under cost if they need the sale to make their quota.
Also, they'll tell you not to include your trade in when negotiating the price of the vehicle you're buying. That's true if you're willing to sell your trade in yourself if you don't get the price you want for it, (and you will get a higher price generally if you're willing to sell your old car.) We weren't willing to sell the truck we were retiring, so there was no reason to not include that calculation in our negotiations.
Finally, learn to negotiate. Cars purchases are not the only place you can practice. Buying a camera.... a new stereo system.....a computer? Don't be afraid to ask. When was the last time/next time this item will be on sale? How can you help me out with the price? It's a skill you'll use your entire life. Benjamin saved some money at Best Buy.
Now for the waiting. Wait for the truck to be prepped. Wait for the "We Owe" to be signed. Wait for finance. Wait. Wait. Wait. Once you've bought it, they need to find a way to speed up the process to get you out of there. We finally say we have to leave in ten minutes and we do.
Maybe there's a new career in here somewhere..........personal car shopper.
We brought it home with us and the 4 x 4 bonding has begun.
