From: wesf@boi.hp.com (Wes Fujii)
Subject: Re: New car bargaining
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 20:33:37 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.4 PL6]

Bill Pearson (wrp@cyclops.micr.Virginia.EDU) wrote:
: 	Like many of us, I have read alot about how one should
: negotiate for a new car price but felt very uncomfortable about the
: process and wondered how much one could really save.  Several days ago

      <lotsa good stuff deleted>

Other things that often help:

  1) End of the year, month, weekend are all to your advantage.  Saturday
     evening negotiations work better than you'd think because if the car
     doesn't move on the weekend, it will probably sit there the whole
     next week.

  2) Go to your bank, credit union and get the dealer's prices for a 
     starting point.  You can even get NADA price books in some of the
     automotive stores or bookstores now.

  3) It always helps to leave.  Salespeople don't like it and they see
     their commission walking out the door.  When you leave, always be
     on the way to see another car or be going back to recheck another
     one.

  4) When you negotiate the final deal, leave your spouse at home so you
     can call right before the final offer.  You can play phone games
     and do lots of leverage this way.  My last deal (last week) saved
     another $75 off an otherwise "final bottom" price.  Good investment
     for 2 minutes work.

  5) NEVER say that you like their car better than another one.  
     ALWAYS downgrade theirs (ie. "too many things to go wrong" on a 
     well equipped car, "pretty plain" on a car that is not equipped).

  6) I always make a handwritten list of the cars, equipment, mileage,
     etc that I am looking at.  At the far right I have columns for
     pricing, I usually have their price, offers, adjustments, book
     values, my price estimates, etc scribbled around.  When I am
     dealing on car A, I do my figuring where the salesperson can 
     "almost" see what I am doing and compare his price with the price
     from car B elsewhere.  The price B does not have to be a real 
     price but I always make like it is.  This salesperson doesn't
     know and if you seem organized enough, he will believe you.  You
     can use the same trick with car B once you get a good price for
     car A.  ALWAYS have another alternate car to deal on.

  7) If you are trading in a car, clean it up and have it "appraised"
     on an appropriate day.  If it is not cherry and is burning a little
     oil, then trade it on a cold, cloudy, windy day.  The appraiser
     won't want to spend much time in that kind of weather so they will
     go over it quicker.

  8) It helps to have an accomplice.  You can "casually" talk to one
     another with the salesperson in ear's shot.  You can "plant" a
     few things in their head this way.

  9) Be firm but not rude.  You don't want to stop the negotiations
     because of personality clashes.

Wes Fujii
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