Talking down a car salesman

[Crazy Asian]

I'm going to the car dealership soon to buy a used car.
The price is a little high, and I was wondering if there were any good ways to talk down the price.

I want to get from 25,995 down to 23k.

Like if anyone took psychology or something or knows how to mind fvck with people to get them to agree with you, that would help a lot.

I was thinking I'd get him a pop from a vending machine or a coffee. I read in this one book that the feeling of owing someone something is very powerful.

Any ideas?

 

[STR8UP]

I'm going to the car dealership soon to buy a used car.
The price is a little high, and I was wondering if there were any good ways to talk down the price.

I want to get from 25,995 down to 23k.

Like if anyone took psychology or something or knows how to mind fvck with people to get them to agree with you, that would help a lot.

I was thinking I'd get him a pop from a vending machine or a coffee. I read in this one book that the feeling of owing someone something is very powerful.

Any ideas?

There is only one tactic that can out mind-fukk a mind fukker, and it's the same tactic you might use on a woman. You WALK AWAY. He needs to sell you the car more than you need to buy it.

A good friend of mine is an exotic car dealer. I know the game.

 

[backbreaker]

why do you want to talk him down in the first place? is he not good enough to earn a decent living?

talking him down 3 grand is the difference bewtween him making 800 bucks or making a mini deal (50 bucks). some salesman can sale 10 cars and be on welfare basically.

I mean you are going to take some from time to time but when i sold cars, customers who came in and would try to talk you down just becuase it's the thing to do, they can hit the door.

If you can't afford a 425 dollar payment, which is about what 26 grand is over 60 months, you don't need the car, assuming you aren't putting down a down payment.


and star8up, as a salesman or old salesman myself, i assure you, i dont' give a **** if you are walking away from an exocit car or not.. you might sale 3-4 a month and would get fired for cutting price on 150k ferrari's.

people who buy ferrari's aren't looking at the best deal theycan get anyway.

when I sold infiniti's it's a totally different experience than selling say, madza's. it's a different type of customer, youdont' do go to an infiniti car and seriously look at a car and hope that the salesman can lower the price.

Any salesman that would, isn't a real salesman, espically at a high end lot.


customer comes in and he's 4 grand upside down and really loves this car and the only wy you can sale it is to slash price.. that's one thing and I'd do that all day long. You want customers to be happy.

but guys who would come in and demand the best price (WTF) and **** like that.. i dont' have time to play games, becuase that's all hey are doing.

If you want a happy salesman and one that will follow up with you and one that will make sure evrything is okay 6 months, a year, 18 months from now, get you free oil changes, etc.. let the guy make his commission.

 

[Trader]

why do you want to talk him down in the first place? is he not good enough to earn a decent living?

It's nothing to do with the car salesman. It's about what price the OP is willing to pay. If he is only willing to pay $23k that is his prerogative - who gives a damn about the car salesmen

talking him down 3 grand is the difference bewtween him making 800 bucks or making a mini deal (50 bucks). some salesman can sale 10 cars and be on welfare basically.

I mean you are going to take some from time to time but when i sold cars, customers who came in and would try to talk you down just becuase it's the thing to do, they can hit the door.

That's fine. If both sides cannot agree - then a transaction cannot be completed

If you can't afford a 425 dollar payment, which is about what 26 grand is over 60 months, you don't need the car, assuming you aren't putting down a down payment.

Illogical. It's not about being able or unable to afford a $425 dollar payment - it's about reducing your payment as much as possible

and star8up, as a salesman or old salesman myself, i assure you, i dont' give a **** if you are walking away from an exocit car or not.. you might sale 3-4 a month and would get fired for cutting price on 150k ferrari's.

people who buy ferrari's aren't looking at the best deal theycan get anyway.

This is true. There is a certain price barrier, where below that, it is just not worth it to sell the car to the customer. In which case you have the prerogrative as a dealer not to sell the car to the customer.


To the OP - I recommend you first do some market research on car prices, that way you can gauge the price range the cars sell for. Obviously with the dealer, you are going to want to aim for the low end of the price range. It could be that $23k is so far below even the low end of the price range, that no dealer is going to sell you the car. Well then the onus is on you to come up with more cash or look for another car.

But the notion that one should not try to bargain is ridiculous. The fact of the matter is that the salesman is trying to milk as much money out of you, especially at the end of the sale by casually bringing up *additional features* which make him huge coin. You as a buyer have the perorgative to look out for #1.

 

[backbreaker]

let me rephrase.


Guy A is looking at a mazda 3. he goes online, knows what the retail vaule is, the trade in value is, knows what fair market is, knows about what he can realisticy get knocked off. he goes to he dealer and says, look this is what i can get, i want the car, if you can give it to me for this, we have a deal


Guy B goes to the lot and tells everyone they have one shot to give them their best price.

Guy B can go to hell. Guy A I would sale all day long.

As I stated, there are going to be some times when well... you dont' have a choice if you are smart.


What i am saying is, there is a difference bewteen trying to ge the car down to 23k becuase that's what he knows he can go elsewhere and get the car for if need be, or becuase that's just what he has in his head he wants to pay.

Usually when a guy says he wants a car for a certain amount, what he is really saying is he can only afford X amount a month. he's done the numbers already and knwos he can afford X amount a month of car.

I dont' do car payments, I fi can't write a check for the car I dont' want it. But if were to buy a car today, I could honestly give a flying **** about the price of the car beucase i'm not writing a check for it.

In fact you'd save more money if people put that much thought into the interst rate you are getting, as there is ahell of alot more markup in that than the actual car itself. usually 4 to 5 points.


What i am saying in a long winded way is, what is his reason for wanting to only pay 23k.

If it's becuase he knows he can get that car for 23k and that's the fiar market value fo rthe car by all means he's right.

If it's because that's what he wants to pay and has no rationale other than he doesn't want to pay over 23k, he can go find antoher salesman who will slave himself over a mini deal. I'm would not be the one wasting my time.

If it's a use car most have about 4500 in market give or take, but it does vary. that's cutting it close.


basically unless my GM told me orther wise or i had extordnary circumstances (i'm at 19 cars for the month and need 20 for a 5k bonus) I asically sold cars for what they were honestly worth. I didn't ***** cars out. not worth my time, becuase I know I could eventually sale that car and make money off it.

 

[Duffdog]

I'm going to the car dealership soon to buy a used car.
The price is a little high, and I was wondering if there were any good ways to talk down the price.

I want to get from 25,995 down to 23k.

Like if anyone took psychology or something or knows how to mind fvck with people to get them to agree with you, that would help a lot.

I was thinking I'd get him a pop from a vending machine or a coffee. I read in this one book that the feeling of owing someone something is very powerful.

Any ideas?

Heres how to get the car at the price you want:

First, salesmen are useless peons with no power, but you have to play their little game. Go to your bank and get a loan for the amount you want to pay-- lets say 22000. Get a cashiers check made out to the dealer for that amount.

Walk into the dealer with the check and announce to the salesman that you would like to buy X car today for X dollars. You will have to sit down and they will produce all types of BS documents and warranties and junk in an effort to up the price by any means necessary. They will also try to stall and make you wait additional time to try and make you nervous. Do not fall for it. Instead, whip out your check and hold it in front of the salesman. Say: "Produce the document to sell me the car in 5 minutes or I am going to rip this check in half" If he says anything except "OK", slowly start to rip the check...if he begins to stall, rip it a little more...

At this point the finance manager should get off his ass and have you sign docs and give you keys.

 

[Unbridled_Phoenix]

Heres how to get the car at the price you want:

First, salesmen are useless peons with no power, but you have to play their little game. Go to your bank and get a loan for the amount you want to pay-- lets say 22000. Get a cashiers check made out to the dealer for that amount.

Walk into the dealer with the check and announce to the salesman that you would like to buy X car today for X dollars. You will have to sit down and they will produce all types of BS documents and warranties and junk in an effort to up the price by any means necessary. They will also try to stall and make you wait additional time to try and make you nervous. Do not fall for it. Instead, whip out your check and hold it in front of the salesman. Say: "Produce the document to sell me the car in 5 minutes or I am going to rip this check in half" If he says anything except "OK", slowly start to rip the check...if he begins to stall, rip it a little more...

At this point the finance manager should get off his ass and have you sign docs and give you keys.

This is the way. But not always guaranteed to work; yes the car salesman doesn't have any power, but the owner does, and since he's probably already loaded, he is the one in a position to tell you to go fvck yourself.

These days, I bet this tactic would go pretty far at a realty office as well.

 

[backbreaker]

that would work on just about any regular NEW car lot not lexus, infiniti, land rover, etc becuase new car dealers get cash from the car company for amounts of units sold. even if he isn't making money on that car, it pushes him closer to the goal. that would espically work towards the end of the month.

I worked at nissan before infiniti and they could give a flying **** about losing a grand on a new car (as long as all your deals weren't like that) beucase they banked on getting the influx of cash for units sold per for selling 500 new cars a month.

Used cars not so much. the only thing they can make is the profit. Unless it's a car that has been on the lot for way too long and they just want to get rid of it.

It's alot of politics that goes on and it's not just as cut and dry as I hvae money, give me car. Is it a HOT car? You would get laughed off the lot c oming in thinking you can do that with a say...new toyota camary. at least when I sold them they were that hot. they coudln't keep them on the lot AT STICKER. what the hell am i going to give one away and it's a 3 pound lick waiting to happen everytime someone looks at one?

But the corrola on the other hand. by all means, let's talk.

Last Christmas I bought my GF a Nissan Maxima. it's what she wanted. and apparantly, it's what everyone else wanted becuase they had to back order it (at least the one like we wanted). in that type of situtation, no way in hell I can get him to order one from a nother dealer, get him to go pick it up than have the nerve to short change him. it's a hot car. hot cars sale.


Also you'd be suprised at how much power a car salesman has, at least one that has been around and is not new.

It's not like the car industry is jsut so secretive and so unique.. but alot of people really dont' know what they are talking about. someone tells them to go get the best price, and they go to the lot and talk the salesman down, or so they think, only to get pilliaged on the warranties that you have to get but you had no idea you could actually negotiate how much you pay for the warranties.

Regarldes sof how much bargining you do a dealer usually makes about 5 grand off each car sold, a little more at high end lots, with interest rates, warranties, markup and dealer pac that 's in every car.

 

[Crazy Asian]

the car i'm looking at is the infiniti G35 coupe.
the tmv is 21k.
at a dealer it's going to be about 23k.
but the people at the dealer has it 25,995.
actually it was 29,995 a while ago which is just CRAZY. a NEW one was 33k.

 

[user43770]

the car i'm looking at is the infiniti G35 coupe.
the tmv is 21k.
at a dealer it's going to be about 23k.
but the people at the dealer has it 25,995.
actually it was 29,995 a while ago which is just CRAZY. a NEW one was 33k.

Just show the salesman that you've done your research and know what you're talking about. If he tries to BS you then just leave.

 

[fertileTurtle]

Just yell. My redneck friend basically intimidated a bytch arse sales punk to give him what he wanted. INTIMIDATE him.

 

[STR8UP]

and star8up, as a salesman or old salesman myself, i assure you, i dont' give a **** if you are walking away from an exocit car or not.. you might sale 3-4 a month and would get fired for cutting price on 150k ferrari's.

First of all, we aren't talking about ferrari's here. Secondly, this has nothing to do with what kind of car it is.

I know how it works. My associate buys cars from new car dealers who need to hit numbers and resells them all the time. The new car dealer gets his incentives, and my buddy can turn around and sell a brand new car for less than most dealers.

What I was saying is that you need to be willing to walk away f you don't get the price and terms you want from one dealer. Sh!t, I wouldn't be buying from a dealer most of the time anyway. You do your homework, find out what you should expect to pay, and you find someone who is willing to work with you. Car dealers rarely lose in the long run (except in THIS economy).

And to say that you should pay more for a car just to protect a salesman's commission is ridiculous. People who buy things from me could give a rats ass whether or not I'm making a penny. That's just how it is.

 

[PRMoon]

If you want a newish car go on autotrader and buy your vehicle there. Your car may not be new but you can buy one that's close to new. Or you can get good deals (unlike many people here I was a new/used car/motorcycle salesman) and find something used and good condition an customized.

My celica and my prerunner both have quality aftermarket parts on them and I've had no problems with the. I paid several thousand dollars less then what they were worth (my prerunner from an independent dealer) and I've had no problems with either. It does take some work but looking at the typical vehicle maintenance and the owner history will make up for the money you're looking to save in the long run. If you're getting a new car standard, ask for one or new two aftermarket parts to be thrown in a bit above your asking price and you should have a better car for the money close to their asking. Sales departments almost never mind taking money from the parts guys and your vehicle has more value in the long run.

 

[Julian]

Drive a beater and save some dough, then buy the car you want with cold hard cash...that'll usually lower the price quite a bit.

 

[Duffdog]

It's not like the car industry is jsut so secretive and so unique.. but alot of people really dont' know what they are talking about. someone tells them to go get the best price, and they go to the lot and talk the salesman down, or so they think, only to get pilliaged on the warranties that you have to get but you had no idea you could actually negotiate how much you pay for the warranties.

This is voice of knowledge. ^^

My tactic worked on a new toyota sequoia. I honestly could not imagine that working on cars with very slim margins for mark up. Yeah, the camry is a good example of a car with very little profit at sticker price for the dealer. Also, the comment about trying to work the salesman for a better price on a Lexus... that is also very true. I own a Lexus, that brand is well aware that everybody wants one. Toyota knows that their lexus cars are the best that you can buy, when you start talking about price, they typically say: "well, you can go down the street to Mercedes and pay 2 times as much for a car that will break down in a few weeks, or you can pay us what we are asking. Your choice."

I'm actually in the market for the new lexus IS350 --Backbreaker, any tips on getting a good deal on one of those?

 

[Crazy Asian]

Ok so I found a 2007 g35 and they were asking 26.5k.
after about 30 min. of mind games, we got the saleswomen down to 21k.
She was pretty pissed tho haha.
THEN my dad decided that infiniti wasn't a "reliable" company and he wanted me to get a honda (we already have bought 4 honda's...uh).

So we go to the honda dealer and it's now down to two cars.
2008 Accord V6 Coupe EX-L
or
2008 Civic Si with aftermarket rims, intake and exhaust.

Accord is 26k
Si is 19k

He wants me to get the accord, but i'm having a tough time between luxury and fun. The EX-L's interior is like sex, and it's fast too, but it's an auto, and doesn't corner well. If they were both the same price, i'd get the civic in a heartbeat, but the accord is worth 7k more...
I'm leaning towards Si right now.