Re: SOT: Car Buying 101

> >First time car buyer. > > > >So where does the haggling end? I agree to a price of X. > >Tax, title, and license is added to that. Is that the > >final bit - or is it common for dealerships to haggle > >more? > > What do you mean by "agreed"? If both you and the dealer agreed on the > price, then I believe the haggling is over by definition, or at least > it should be. > > During my last car purchase, which was not a Subaru, we agreed on a > price and were going to pay the dealer in cash. However, when we went > to pick up the car, we were forced to sit through a 30 minute > "presentation" about how financing the car with the dealer would be > less expensive in the end then removing the funds from our savings > account.

What do you mean, "forced?" YOU are buying from THEM. You are by anyone's definition, the one in the driver's seat. Simply (and forcefully) tell any dealer you are not sitting through their tired sales pitches. You want the papers to sign, you're ready to pay the cash, and you haven't time for their nonsense. We sat through a short bit of nonsense (of a slightly different flavor) when we bought one of our Foresters, but once we saw what was coming off, we simply told them we were not interested in their "extra products" and did not have time to waste listening about them. If you mean it, they will get the message. If you do not mean it, and somehow feel you might lose the "opportunity" to buy from them by being insistent, well, they have you exactly where they want you. I don't mean this to sound smug in any way, so please don't take offense at it, but when you know the score, don't be afraid to say it plainly!

Reply to
D H
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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

Reply to
Victor 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:

Reply to
spam

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

Reply to
Victor 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

Reply to
Hallraker

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

Reply to
Hallraker

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

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They explain their pricing clearly, and they have fantastic service hours and a loaner car program.

Reply to
xymergy

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.

Reply to
Cam Penner

Willy Herold Subaru, in Columbus, Georgia.

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(Sorry, this isn't meant to be an advertisement on behalf of that dealership. I don't work there, I'm not related to anybody who works there, ... I don't even live in Georgia. It's the only Subie dealership within about 100 miles of where I do live. They just happen to be good, too.) C. Brunner

Reply to
C. Brunner

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