Sometime in the future, I am going to embark into the jungle of auto dealerships to purchase a new Explorer. I've read some of the better books on how to survive new-car negotiations (such as Remar Sutton's), but one question they don't answer is: how do you make sure the factory-to-customer rebates are never part of the negotiation? I don't want to get down to the end of the deal and have the say "Oh, at that price we must retain the rebates." In particular, what forms are used to assign the rebate to the dealer, so I can keep an eye out for them? Any fine print of this nature to watch for on the buyer's order paperwork? I'm particularly concerned because I am not trading and I am not financing through the dealership, and those are the two areas where the dealers usually make most of their profit.
I would welcome posts sharing anyone's recent experience with a new-vehicle negotiation, regardless of make and model, but I am particularly interested in Explorers and other SUVs.