Smart Auto Buying Tips !

When you arrive at the dealership you will most likely be greeted by a salesman. Usually salesmen take turns with customers as they arrive. This does not mean that this is the salesman you have to work with.

By all means remain professional and business-like throughout this whole process, but it’s a good idea to greet this salesman, and kindly inform him that you have already picked out the car you are interested in, and that you would like for him to introduce you to the rest of the sales staff. Tell him that you’d prefer to get a feel for the sales staff and choose who you would like to work with.

Everybody has their own unique preferences, and just because it happens to be salesman Smith’s turn at collaring the next customer does not in any way obligate you to deal with salesman Smith. You might meet four or five salesmen, and decide that salesman Jones is who you get the best "vibes" from. This isn’t a completely necessary step, but it’s a step that most people never even think of nor consider, and I want you to have as many options as possible.

Salesman Smith might be a 20-year-old in a cheap suit and bloodshot eyes. Salesman Jones might be 40 years old and dressed in a set of Dockers and a nice polo shirt. Pick the salesman that you feel the most comfortable with. You’ll recognize him when you see him. Just say "Hello, It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’d like to talk with you about this car out here…." And then leave the salesman with the cheap suit and bloodshot eyes where he stands. If either of them says anything about this approach, just say "I’d really rather work with salesman Jones". You are the customer, and as long as you act professionally, you’ll get the respect you deserve.

DO NOT mention to any salesman anything at all about your prior research into financing. If you are planning to trade your old car in, DO NOT tell this to the salesman. He will ask you right away if that’s what you are planning to do, and for the sake of honesty, DO NOT commit to yourself that that is what you plan to do. Just tell him you’ll "probably" sell it on your own and that you’d like for him to just work any deals out on that premise. Get the idea of you doing a trade in deal OFF the salesman’s mind immediately.

Hopefully you will have picked out a good salesman and he will see your resolve and back down from any pushy tactics like asking you how much you have to spend or pushing the trade-in issue. If he still seems pushy, just tell him in a very professional manner that you are there to make decisions on your own, and that if you want any advice, you’ll get it from your friend. My favorite tactic is to give the salesperson a time limit. One hour is more than ample time to "get to the bottom line" on a deal. Many dealerships will try to "wear down your resolve" by dragging out the process.

If you still feel uncomfortable with the salesman you picked, ask to speak to the manager. Tell him that you want to work with his most experienced salesman about one specific car. Make sure he understands that you are only interested in one specific car, and that you will not appreciate the salesman trying to divert your attention to other cars and you do not appreciate such invasive questions like "how much do you have to spend?" Don’t be afraid to let either the salesman or the manager know (if it comes to that) that you have two other similar cars that you have already looked at which are sitting on their competitor’s lots.

Once you have a salesman you can work with, go out (hopefully during daylight hours this time) and re-inspect the car. Look at your notes. Maybe the daylight will clear up any doubts you may have been unsure of on your first "stealth" visit.

At this point, you’ll probably have to coax this "salesman you can work with" along and motivate him to do what you need him to do. Here again, if you’ve just fallen in love with this car, then you will be just as well off to have that ring in your nose. YOU are the one with the money to spend, so you need to reverse this "ring through the nose syndrome" and install that ring in the salesman’s nose.

Never lose sight of the fact that you are talking to this salesman for one reason, and one reason only. You are talking to him to negotiate the best price on the best car that is suited to your needs and wants. You are NOT there to make friends with this salesman. Be friendly and professional of course, but if it gets to the point where you are afraid of hurting the salesman’s feelings, then you need to be cruel to be kind---to yourself. That’s where your friend can really help you extricate yourself from this salesman’s ploys.

Remember-HE will try to use every ploy and trick he is trained to use. If you feel unbearable pressure building, just kindly tell the salesman that you’d like to take a break and discuss it with your friend in private. If you have told your friend your entire strategy before you ever arrived at the dealership, then said friend should be able to easily remind you of your resolve, and bring you back into reality within a couple of minutes.

The average person only experiences this process every 2-5 years. This salesman goes through this process EVERY DAY. What this salesman will be very unaccustomed to will be a buyer like you who is armed to the teeth with the information in this guide, and who has a friend there to consult with and help you re-enter reality on a regular basis.

By now you have pretty much put the ring in the salesman’s nose, and you have shown him the car you are interested in, and you have conducted a daylight inspection. You have opened the doors, you have felt the seats, and you have looked at the odometer. You have compared the odometer reading with the loan value and what you ascertained from your "stealth" inspection.

Ask - No, tell the salesman you need to see a "Carfax" report before you go any further. Don’t be surprised if the salesman says "Oh sure we can get that for you when we go back inside, but first I’d like to point out to you this, this, that and the other first though". This is where he will play upon your wants (benefits of the gas mileage etc.) and try to back those up with needs (feature is 35 MPG etc.). This is again where you may need to back off with your friend and re-read the first section of this guide.

Stand firm, and deal with things one at a time. Remember, he’ll be trying remove that ring from his nose and place it in yours every chance he gets. That’s what he has spent years learning how to do.

Not if, but when he tries to divert your attention away from getting the Carfax report, just tug on that imaginary ring in his nose a bit to remind him it is still in HIS nose, and that he hasn’t transplanted it to your nose. Tell him "I want to see the Carfax report before I discuss ANYTHING further with you about this car". If he continues to try to divert your attention away from getting the Carfax report for you RIGHT

NOW, then thank him for his time and make your way towards your car and leave.

He will most likely cave in and start begging you to come have a cup of coffee while he gets that Carfax report for you. If he doesn’t then it’s because he knows there is a serious defect with this car, and he would rather sell it to a sucker than waste his time getting a Carfax report for a savvy buyer like you. Most likely he doesn’t have a clue what the Carfax report might say, and will just try to tell you "we’ll get that for you later" or "we don’t give those out".

Before you go ANY further, GET that Carfax report, otherwise leave. You, the dealer or anyone can get a Carfax report online for roughly $20, but you need the VIN (vehicle identification number) which is 17 digits long. The vast majority of cars have the VIN stamped or etched into a metal plate mounted under the windshield on the driver’s side of the car. Make the dealer pay this cost. He has his asking price somewhere between $2,000 and $5,000 above his cost, so he can afford to run a Carfax report for you.

If he’s that kind of salesman and the management at this dealership puts up with selling cars that have a terrible history, then you will be much better off to just leave that place in your dust.

Many car dealers and salesmen are just out to make a living, but you may encounter the occasional unscrupulous type.