When did it become such a hassle to buy a new car?Why is it that rich people are the only ones that can get a good deal? Anyways I think they all deserve a good beating or worse. They ought to have to go through the hassle the average person has to go through when buying a new car. Oh well. Just venting.
2
Cherie
Providence, RI
October 2002
MAY 13, 2004 01:51 PM
Its like being a telemarketer. They make most of the paycheck on commission. Its just another shitty way to make a living.
3
KlikKlak
San Francisco, CA
April 2004
MAY 13, 2004 01:55 PM
the trick is to have a friend who is a dealer, negotiate with the other dealers for you..........this way you get the best price, screw over "the man", and your friend doesn't have to "hook you up" and take money out of his/her pocket..........so make friends, and play nice..
Buy used, pay cash. It is a much better deal in the long run. If you absolutely, positively must have a new car, pay cash. That is the only way to get a good deal considering an automobile's penchant for steep depreciation. Financially, unless it is a work vehicle and therefore makes money (taxi, tow-truck, dumptruck, etc) a car is always a financial liability.
SYCO475 said:
When did it become such a hassle to buy a new car?Why is it that rich people are the only ones that can get a good deal? Anyways I think they all deserve a good beating or worse. They ought to have to go through the hassle the average person has to go through when buying a new car. Oh well. Just venting.
What are you talking about? How do "rich people" get a good deal? How is buying a car any harder *now* than it ever has been?
To be perfectly honest, with all of the cheap cars with great warranties out there, and all of the information that you can get over the internet, this is probably about the best time to buy a car ever. You've got *far* more leverage when dealing with a car salesman now (or at least you can have more leverage, if you do your research) than people used to.
SYCO475 said:
When did it become such a hassle to buy a new car?Why is it that rich people are the only ones that can get a good deal? Anyways I think they all deserve a good beating or worse. They ought to have to go through the hassle the average person has to go through when buying a new car. Oh well. Just venting.
While I feel your pain.......uninformed customers suck just as equally.
here are a few tips you should know before shopping for a new car.
1. DO NOT let them copy your driver's license and/or social security card before the test drive. They say it's for "insurance reasons" but it's acutally for them to fill out your paperwork while you're on the road. There is no law that says a dealer has to get a copy of your license...quite the contrary...The NJ State Attorney General has said that NOBODY should ever get a copy of your license.
2. DO NOT let them run a credit check on you. If you get that type of credit check, and credit is not issued, it hurts your credit rating. If you're serious about buying a new car, and don't have the time to send away for yours by mail, you can go online for about $30 and get all three copies of your credit report. If YOU request a copy of your own report, there is no penalty.
3. You aren't going to get that zero percent financing you heard on the commercial. accept this and move on.
4. Don't buy a car during one of those "push, pull or drag it in and we'll give you $4000 on your trade" sales. They're for suckers...they won't budge on the price and you'll get fucked on the financing.
5. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FINANCE THE CAR THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP!!!!!!!! So many people just assume that since you're buying it from them, you have to borrow from them. Do you really think the guy who is selling you the car is going to give you the best loan possible? Before you even go to the dealership,try some online financing companies...and try your local bank or credit union. Sometimes, the dealer can actually beat your bank...but if you don't get 3 or 4 quotes for something as substantial as a car loan,you deserve to get cheated.
6. Know what the little extra charges are on the sticker price. Things like "Destination Charges" are legit. Things like "Misc." are not. Make the dealer go through each and every charge that is on the invoice. Dealers often build the cost of advertising into the price of the cars. This is legal, but shitty. You don't have to pay it.
7. "I can't take anything off the price of the car...you're already getting a $3000 cash back rebate" That's bullshit. The rebate comes from the factory and is already built into the price that the dealer paid for the car. The dealer is not losing $3000 profit...the factory is.
If you don't want to haggle, you could always buy a GM Saturn vehicle--that is, if you don't mind buying a vehicle made out of "space age plastic" that gets decent fuel mileage. They have certified used cars, too.
Of course, considering my experience with American cars, I probably wouldn't buy anything but a Toyota or a Honda (preferrably a Toyota). Who wants to buy a car that is going to have problems after the odometer hits 100,000 miles? Not me, that's for sure. That's not to say that American cars haven't improved a great deal over the years. They have. But how many cars do you know that can get 300,000 miles without major repairs? Not many, even by today's standards. And this is coming from someone born and raised in Michigan who used to work in the automotive industry.
If you think that it is inevitable to be screwed in buying a new car, you might want to consider buying a Toyota Prius or Honda Insight. What you'll lose in buying the car you can earn back with high hybrid fuel economy. In fact, I believe that Ford is coming out with a hybrid version of the Escape SUV this year (or next) that will get 40MPG.
One thing that you have to realize is that buying a new car from the showroom and off the lot is generally a bad investment. As soon as you drive away in your new car, you suffer from sticker shock after car instantly loses thousands of dollars of value. I would recommend in looking at a used car and having a trusted mechanic look it over before purchasing it. It is well worth the $60.
Do research and go in with an offer. Know exactly what options you want, what the MSRP is and the sticker price. Never ask them what something costs. You should tell them what you will pay.
I've heard it suggested that you offer 5% over cost and pretty much no dealer will turn you down.
I got a good deal on a Jetta a couple years ago. It was on a lot priced for about 13,500. I got a loan for 10 g's and took that to the dealer in the form of a cashiers check. Slapped that 10 large down and told him I wanted it out the door. Took 4 hours for them to finally agree on my price but I got it...
Grady31
I'm lost
May 2004
MAY 13, 2004 01:35 PM