Re: SOT: Car Buying 101

I agree that "forced" is too strong a word, but I also could not just get up and walk out since they had the deposit I paid five weeks or so before. Sure, I could have left and then retained a lawyer to get my deposit back, but that would have cost more than my deposit. At the time, those seemed to be my only two options, since we told him a number of times were not interested in a loan from the dealership.

In retrospect I realize I could have just gotten up and gone to see the sales manager or owner and demanded that they let me complete the sale or return my deposit. However, that would have created the type of "scene" that my wife is not very comfortable with.

After this unpleasant event I did complain to the owner of the dealership by telephone but I'm not sure he cares. After all, he hired this guy to give this pitch. As I said, they will not get any more of my business.

-- Vic Roberts

My last car price negotiation was an 'out the door' price. This prevented them from adding other costs if we had only agreed to the price of the car. If they wanted to add in an advertising fee, etc. it was too late.

Caden wrote:

Great idea. I will use that the next time I purchase a car. (In addition to the loan issue, they also said they *were required to* show us how all the gadgets on the car worked for "our safety" :-)

-- Vic Roberts

Reminds me of when my friend got his Honda Civic. The dealer was showing him where everything was, and I sort of took over. Somewhat amused, the dealer asked me if I had a Civic as well, and he seemed a bit suprised when I explained that I had a Legacy and with a few exceptions, everything was in the same place. :)

-Matt

Sounds like a nice place, where is it exactly? I've never bought a car from a Subie dealership, my local one has a new name and presumably new management, and all I've noticed is that the parts prices have gone up. :)

-Matt

Our main dealership in the Rochester, NY, area is Van Bortel Subaru, which I like a lot:

Always haggle on the out the door price. Make it very clear that you want to talk about the absolute total price - all fees and taxes included. Work on haggling until you are happy with the final number.

It matters not a whit to you whether they knock $100 off the prep or $100 of the price. It's the same $100.

My advice is to shop around until you have a feel for what you will be HAPPY having paid. Then haggle on an out the door price. Best results can be found near the end of model years, financial quarters, and months. I bought mine on the last day of the month over the phone. I made it clear that I had cash and was willing to leave a deposit on my CC over the phone immediately, and be at the dealership within an hour. I got a pretty good deal.

Willy Herold Subaru, in Columbus, Georgia.