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I did this in 2017 and none of the dealers I contacted would play ball. Every one of them told me I would need to come in. When I went in, they couldn't tell me

I did this in 2017 and none of the dealers I contacted would play ball. Every one of them told me I would need to come in. When I went in, they couldn't tell me the final price until they knew if I would buy a service contract, if I would be financing through them and if so, what my credit score was, etc... I ended up leaving with the car I wanted and paid about $500 more than I wanted to but they wore me down. I think if you buy through Costco you can avoid some of the bullshit, but you do pay more than you probably have to. It might be worth it though just to have an easier experience.

crazygringo 4y ago
Seriously. If they have a glut of the model they can't sell enough of then they'll probably play along -- but otherwise they know you know what you're doing and they'll make very little money on you, and they'd prefer to make more money with somebody else. They're maximizing profit, not number of cars sold, and for many cars it's supply that is the limiting factor, not demand.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- techsupporter 4y ago
  > but otherwise they know you know what you're doing and they'll make very little money on you This has the air of "That One Weird Trick" that used to work in the early 2010s before everyone had heard of it. But now that it's the lead paragraph in every single "how to buy the exact car you want, for so much less money" blogspam, of course it no longer works. I'm not sure why people expected it to continue when the entire business model of car dealerships is to turn suckers into money. "Having to interact with a dealership" is around number 4 or 5 on my list of why I will never buy a car again, after years of not having one.
  - chrisseaton 4y ago
    I don't mind a market price - that's actually what I'm seeking they can quote me as much as they think they'll get from the people who haggle - I just want to avoid the haggle.
qzw 4y ago
Costco seems to have suspended their car buying program. I tried to use it a few months ago and couldn’t even get started. Probably no dealers near me are even participating in the program in such a seller’s market.
groby_b 4y ago
The words "Meh, if you can't do this, I'm probably fine with a used one. CarMax doesn't haggle. Can you make a quote, or am I leaving" usually get them to move. Right now, some might balk. But you know what? That salesperson cares about their quota, and if your purchases pushes them over today's goal number, they twitch. Because the inevitable next buyer tomorrow isn't going to get them over the quota they need to meet today. And if your dealership really plays hardball? Move on to the next one. Or buy used from a place that doesn't haggle. The way to lose this is if you want a specific year/make/model - they'll get you. If your entire attitude is "anything within that set of parameters", it's much harder for them.
supernovae 4y ago
I purchased my Jeep Wrangler in 2018. I found the color I wanted Online. Pre-qualified with my bank. Contacted the internet sales address, told them I wanted the car and I'd be by at 6 to pick it up and they had it ready. My best car buying experience has been Tesla though. Ordered on the app. Put 500 down. Got a build date. Got a notification when it was in delivery. Added my payment info. Got a time to pickup car. Drove home.

crazygringo 4y ago

Seriously. If they have a glut of the model they can't sell enough of then they'll probably play along -- but otherwise they know you know what you're doing and they'll make very little money on you, and they'd prefer to make more money with somebody else. They're maximizing profit, not number of cars sold, and for many cars it's supply that is the limiting factor, not demand.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
techsupporter 4y ago
> but otherwise they know you know what you're doing and they'll make very little money on you This has the air of "That One Weird Trick" that used to work in the early 2010s before everyone had heard of it. But now that it's the lead paragraph in every single "how to buy the exact car you want, for so much less money" blogspam, of course it no longer works. I'm not sure why people expected it to continue when the entire business model of car dealerships is to turn suckers into money. "Having to interact with a dealership" is around number 4 or 5 on my list of why I will never buy a car again, after years of not having one.
- chrisseaton 4y ago
  I don't mind a market price - that's actually what I'm seeking they can quote me as much as they think they'll get from the people who haggle - I just want to avoid the haggle.

qzw 4y ago

Costco seems to have suspended their car buying program. I tried to use it a few months ago and couldn’t even get started. Probably no dealers near me are even participating in the program in such a seller’s market.

groby_b 4y ago

The words "Meh, if you can't do this, I'm probably fine with a used one. CarMax doesn't haggle. Can you make a quote, or am I leaving" usually get them to move. Right now, some might balk. But you know what? That salesperson cares about their quota, and if your purchases pushes them over today's goal number, they twitch. Because the inevitable next buyer tomorrow isn't going to get them over the quota they need to meet today. And if your dealership really plays hardball? Move on to the next one. Or buy used from a place that doesn't haggle. The way to lose this is if you want a specific year/make/model - they'll get you. If your entire attitude is "anything within that set of parameters", it's much harder for them.

supernovae 4y ago

I purchased my Jeep Wrangler in 2018. I found the color I wanted Online. Pre-qualified with my bank. Contacted the internet sales address, told them I wanted the car and I'd be by at 6 to pick it up and they had it ready. My best car buying experience has been Tesla though. Ordered on the app. Put 500 down. Got a build date. Got a notification when it was in delivery. Added my payment info. Got a time to pickup car. Drove home.