@happypill wrote:
I think the trick is you don't want to tell the dealership in advance that you'll be redeeming points. Negotiate your best deal first, then let them call in to get your available $. If a dealership knows in advance that you have these types of funds, they will probably try something shady to make you pay more elsewhere.
+10 Absolutely !
Always negotiate your best deal first, doesn't hurt to even hint you might finance through the dealer (but you should have be pre-approved or have a "check in hand" already set up). The key to getting the best deal is to consider each part as a specific deal #1 price of the car out the door, #2 Trade in if you choose - NOT part of #1 other than a credit off the agreed price #3 financing which you should pre-app through your CU assuming you are not paying cash and finally #4 those "extras" that you can't live with out that the dealer will be very happy to provide (the answer here is no thank you, no no thank you, yes that sounds good by no thank you.....and finally no damnit I said NO).
One of the "tricks" a dealer uses and they do this everday is to "blend parts of the deal" so you are never sure what you are getting on trade, how much you are over paying in interest, and that no matter how concerned that your warranty is going to run out that $2000 GAP policy can be purchased from NFCU for $299. Don't forget to get all rebates in your deal, they just might forget to list it/them or blend them into your "great deal".
The GM Card cash credit toward the purchase is just that, it's just like a check using your money - you use it as a down payment when you hand them your other checks. No need to tell anyone you are holding onto a "cash-credit" because they be happy to blend that into the confusing figures right up front.
