New car buying/leasing is always interesting......

[droner]

......and I actually like the process. It's aggravating not to know how they come up with some of the figures that they give me, but since I read 6 car magazines and multiple auto websites, I usually know as much or more about the cars as the salesperson does. Especially since they move from dealership to dealership so frequently.

I went to the Audi dealership yesterday and the sales guy comes out and starts chatting me up. I immediately move him from the usual BS repartee' onto specific info about the car's technical stats. Then I start talking about the money numbers including the residuals, hold backs, incentives, etc. He stops dead in his tracks, looks at me and says, "Oh, an educated buyer. We don't get many of those." My reply was, "And you don't like it, I suspect."

He says, "You're probably right."   

No deal has been struck yet. Now I wait for the two dealerships to mull over the fact that I'm looking at the other's cars.

[Volznut]

"What is is going to take for me to sell this car to you...today?"

[HerbTarlekVol]

"That one would drive out real nice, you know".

And Droner - if he sends you flowers after you do the deal you might want to get a restraining order.   

[PirateVOL]

Awhile back I was at a dealership buying Mrs PV a car.  The youngish sales lady asked the fatal question, What would it take to get into this car?  My response she winced at and dutifully took to the sales manager.  He came back and suggested my "offer" was unrealistic and that I should go to my financial institution and get the MSRP.  I noted I was glad he had said that and then produced two said quotes and then proceeded down the path of hold backs, incentives, etc, etc and pointed out that my "offer" left him with a profit on the vehicle that was about average for the region.     He turned pale and stalked out.  Mrs PV said I was an  but I stated the SM had just shown his 

Another time I walked in for the "final" negotiations.  I made a point to show the salesman I had my title and loan paperwork with me.  "Negotiations" did not go well so I gathered my papers and walked out.  Five days later I got a call.  They would meet my price.  I noted that it was now the weekend, I had to drive several miles and I needed three additional (minor) extras to make the trip.  The salesman freaked, but got with his SM and returned within 5 mins with agreement to my position.

[droner]

Three years ago when the lease on my 2008 BMW was expiring, the salesman contacted me three months prior to the expiration. He "stayed in touch" over the weeks and then with about 3 weeks to go he started quoting numbers. I kept turning him down and with three days to go I told him "It doesn't look like I can go with a BMW this time." Two days later, with one day to go before I had to turn in the 2008, he called me and offered me exactly what I had offered him weeks earlier. 

[73Volgrad]

I was buying the wife a family car to replace one that was starting to have problems regularly.  Went to the dealer I had purchased from three times before. While discussing price (I knew what they were willing to sell for), they asked what I wanted to pay. I gave them what I wanted for the trade-in and what I was willing to pay. Salesman talked to sales manager and said no. I said fine. I am going home and to another dealer. I told them I did not have to buy a car, but they had to sell cars to stay in business.

Sales manger called three times before I got home. When I finally answered to phone, he said we could make a deal. I told him fine, but they needed to take the tires off the one I was trading (<1,000 miles) because they were better. He said they could not do that. I said fine. Sell that car to someone desperate. I was not.

The owner called me the next morning (Saturday) and said he thought he recognized my name. I told him he should because I had bought 3 cars from him. He asked if all it would take to make a deal was to swap the tires. I said yes. He asked how long would it take to get to the dealership. I told him I had to change clothes and I could be there in 15 minutes.

It took about 15 minutes after I got there to swap the tires (at a tire store next door), And I was home within the hour after I left. We kept that car over 100,000 miles until I wife saw a Camry she had to have and traded for it. She got a great deal because she went to the salesman, told him the book value of the trade, the book value on the Camry, and told him what she was willing to pay (less than going price). He said he needed more money and she told him No you are not getting it. She brought it home.

I buy Nissans now and they hate it when I come in to buy. I do my research and know what they pay and the profit they make. I push to the limit because like I said. I do not have to buy a car, but they have to sell to stay in business.

[VinnieVOL]

I was buying the wife a family car to replace one that was starting to have problems regularly.  Went to the dealer I had purchased from three times before. While discussing price (I knew what they were willing to sell for), they asked what I wanted to pay. I gave them what I wanted for the trade-in and what I was willing to pay. Salesman talked to sales manager and said no. I said fine. I am going home and to another dealer. I told them I did not have to buy a car, but they had to sell cars to stay in business.

Sales manger called three times before I got home. When I finally answered to phone, he said we could make a deal. I told him fine, but they needed to take the tires off the one I was trading (<1,000 miles) because they were better. He said they could not do that. I said fine. Sell that car to someone desperate. I was not.

The owner called me the next morning (Saturday) and said he thought he recognized my name. I told him he should because I had bought 3 cars from him. He asked if all it would take to make a deal was to swap the tires. I said yes. He asked how long would it take to get to the dealership. I told him I had to change clothes and I could be there in 15 minutes.

It took about 15 minutes after I got there to swap the tires (at a tire store next door), And I was home within the hour after I left. We kept that car over 100,000 miles until I wife saw a Camry she had to have and traded for it. She got a great deal because she went to the salesman, told him the book value of the trade, the book value on the Camry, and told him what she was willing to pay (less than going price). He said he needed more money and she told him No you are not getting it. She brought it home.

I buy Nissans now and they hate it when I come in to buy. I do my research and know what they pay and the profit they make. I push to the limit because like I said. I do not have to buy a car, but they have to sell to stay in business.

This is the kind of bada** car buying story I wish I could describe for myself someday.  Hasn't happened yet, though.   

[VinnieVOL]

Awhile back I was at a dealership buying Mrs PV a car.  The youngish sales lady asked the fatal question, What would it take to get into this car?  My response she winced at and dutifully took to the sales manager.  He came back and suggested my "offer" was unrealistic and that I should go to my financial institution and get the MSRP.  I noted I was glad he had said that and then produced two said quotes and then proceeded down the path of hold backs, incentives, etc, etc and pointed out that my "offer" left him with a profit on the vehicle that was about average for the region.     He turned pale and stalked out.  Mrs PV said I was an  but I stated the SM had just shown his 

Another time I walked in for the "final" negotiations.  I made a point to show the salesman I had my title and loan paperwork with me.  "Negotiations" did not go well so I gathered my papers and walked out.  Five days later I got a call.  They would meet my price.  I noted that it was now the weekend, I had to drive several miles and I needed three additional (minor) extras to make the trip.  The salesman freaked, but got with his SM and returned within 5 mins with agreement to my position.

This is a good one, too. 

[Volznut]

The last car I bought was in 2010. I was in the market and was down to a VW Jetta or Mazda 6. The VW dealer saleslady didn't really think I was interested in buying, even though I was. She showed me a red one, but when I asked for a black one, she said they'd have to get one transferred from another dealer and I'd have to pay a $500 fee extra. I told her I wasn't doing that, and if they wanted to sell a car to me, get back to me, and walked out. That same day I went to see the Mazda 6, a black one, really liked it, got the price I wanted and bought it.
The VW dealer called me 2 days later and said they would work with me on the fee. I told them that if you snooze you lose.

[droner]

The last car I bought was in 2010. I was in the market and was down to a VW Jetta or Mazda 6. The VW dealer saleslady didn't really think I was interested in buying, even though I was. She showed me a red one, but when I asked for a black one, she said they'd have to get one transferred from another dealer and I'd have to pay a $500 fee extra. I told her I wasn't doing that, and if they wanted to sell a car to me, get back to me, and walked out. That same day I went to see the Mazda 6, a black one, really liked it, got the price I wanted and bought it.
The VW dealer called me 2 days later and said they would work with me on the fee. I told them that if you snooze you lose.

500 bucks to get a car transferred from another dealer?  That's crazy talk!

Not even my BMW dealership charged me a transfer fee for my 2011 and it came to SC from Virginia.

[HerbTarlekVol]

500 bucks to get a car transferred from another dealer?  That's crazy talk!

Not even my BMW dealership charged me a transfer fee for my 2011 and it came to SC from Virginia.

Yeah, that's just a way to pop an extra fee on to the vehicle. 

It costs a dealership about $150 tops to have somebody go to another dealership (if it is out of town, in town it costs basically nothing) and trade one of their vehicles for another vehicle.  Dealers do "trades" every day.  They only cost is to pay somebody to go get it and the gasoline to get the car they are trading there and the one they are trading for back. 

[Volznut]

500 bucks to get a car transferred from another dealer?  That's crazy talk!

Not even my BMW dealership charged me a transfer fee for my 2011 and it came to SC from Virginia.

I think they wanted me to buy the red one and didn't think I was a serious buyer. bad salesmanship

[HerbTarlekVol]

I think they wanted me to buy the red one and didn't think I was a serious buyer. bad salesmanship

Car dealers often put bonuses to their sales force on particular cars for various reasons.  It could be that it has been in inventory for a long time and they want to get rid of it and turn some money on it, or it could be a car that they have had some issues with and want it gone.  There are a lot of reasons for a salesperson pushing a particular vehicle. 

It's usually best not to buy one that a salesperson is "pushing" on a customer.  Normally that signals a reason that the dealership wants it off of their lot now, other than a normal profit opportunity. 

[volsboy]

I sold cars at a local dealership for about 2 years. They would get the profit they wanted on any vehicle. If you didn't want to pay their price they would tell the customer good luck and see you later. And this is annually one of the top-selling Ford dealers in the West region. We used to love to get smart buyers in the store. If they wouldn't accept the price we offered, we didn't haggle. We knew someone would pay our price. They always did. With all the internet prices available to people these days it's harder to make much profit. I've seen people walk out over a $100 price difference. On a $50,000 vehicle. I truly didn't want a customer like that.