Car buying experience

[Save-n-Invest]

@Girlzilla88 , the Alfa is black with tan interior. I'm hoping for spring. Presently I get to walk past it on my way to shovel snow. 

[Girlzilla88]

@Save-n-Invest     Nice and Haha that's funny XD     Soon though soon. 

[dunn2500]

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@Girlzilla88 wrote:

@dunn2500    Yes it all boils down to Dealership as well as Make (owner) so shopping around is always a good idea but not when you don't know what you are doing and cause a lot of unnecessary inquiries even though down the road they should consolidate but that's another story all together. XD     It sounds like what you do works good for you and I have always been big on OTD pricing but some people don't even want to take the time to go to dealerships in the area for the OTD quote and such and to me that is a shame.     That can help a lot of people to find the best value for their buck.

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inquiries?....you dont need to fill out credit app to get a price, that would be crazy, .... i have never gotten a good OTD price walking into a dealer which is why i changed ...its always the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th negotiation that their best price comes not once was it the first....its easier to send an email than drive....least its been my experience.....I only use 1 inquiry per vehicle, maybe 2

[Girlzilla88]

@dunn2500     But again it sounds like you know what works for your area.   If you want the best OTD pricing by going through specific financing for a certain promotion and then you try a different financial place to see if you qualify for theirs yes it will cause more inquiries also if you are working with a lower Credit Score then you will end up placing more than one inquiry that way as well      The app comes into play when you are wanting specific promotions and some do require you 'qualify' in order to receive them.

[dunn2500]

promos forfeit rebates......40k @ 60/m with 2% is only 2k interest. if you surpass that in rebates 0% isnt worth it....if you can get 0% you can surely get CU lowest rate...it just makes sense if you do math....if you check around more and more are buying vehicles online vs going into a dealership....everyone hates to go buy a car because of the circus show it is....

a salesman at gmc dealer last week i was talking too, hit me up today saying he was regional manager of so cal solar company asking if i wanted solar for my house, lol.......you cant make this up i swear seriously, 

[4sallypat]

@sccredit You and I are in a similar situation!

My kid is going off to college (Cal Poly Pomona) this fall and we started to look for a used car - same $10K limit...

We are also trying to get into a house so our mortgage broker said "NO new financing allowed" until the mortgage is secured.

From car dealers we have found, most 9 out of 10 have dealer installed add-ons.

I found this very distasteful when you get there to find out they tacked on $4,000 worth of crap and you have to negotiate down from that inflated amount.

So what I found is that some dealers and large auto dealerships will not add on the extra crap.

• AutoNation dealers has honest pricing w/ 5 day cooling off contract w/ full refund included and some limited warranty.
• Norm Reeves Auto has honest pricing w/ 5 day right to return, but store credit and some limited warranties.

[tehdrizzle]

I would highly recommend looking at private sellers.  Dealerships have extreme markups in most cases, and cash is always king with private sellers.  Plus you don't have the issue of the salesman trying to push financing on you.  Pay cash for a car that cheap, there really is no reason why someone should ever buy a car more than 10k, it's just wasted cash.  Cars are meant for A to B travel, not to live in.

[sccredit]

@4sallypat We ended up at Tustin Hyundai. We called about an Accent they had and asked about the add on crap. Delaer said "oh we don't do that stuff here, I know it's frustrating". Sure enough - none of that went on. We negotiated on the price they were asking plus tax, license and docs fees. That's it. It was a great experience.

[dunn2500]

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@tehdrizzle wrote:

I would highly recommend looking at private sellers.  Dealerships have extreme markups in most cases, and cash is always king with private sellers.  Plus you don't have the issue of the salesman trying to push financing on you.  Pay cash for a car that cheap, there really is no reason why someone should ever buy a car more than 10k, it's just wasted cash.  Cars are meant for A to B travel, not to live in.

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very true....even though i just bought a 50k truck, i usually keep them for 15 yrs or so but still there is alot of truth in your statement!

[Anonymous]

i think i would rather have root canal with no pain killers than shop for a vehicle.

in a perfect world, dealerships would show you the invoice price, right on the vehicle, perhaps right next to the window sticker. put them side by side.

based on the invoice price, you could make a reasonable offer, and the whole thing could be done and you could be on your way in 45 minutes.

i know we don't live in a perfect world and what im suggesting is likely never to happen.

assuming the dealer is honest and showing the true invoice price (not making one up to look "official") it would certainly make the public a little more relaxed throughout the sales process.

I know for a fact that there are great dealerships all over this country, that are ethical and offer great deals. but at the same time, there are many snakes out there that overcharge everyone every single day.

cheers!