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(3) Quora The following method is the best I’ve ever heard. I was an executive at banks for 30 years and I was at lunch one day with one of the bank lawyers and he was looking for a new Mercedes. So he went to the local dealer and found the model that he wanted got the best price that he could have them give it to him in writing and it said I need to think this over I’ll call you back next week. Since you’re talking about a 70 or $80,000 car what he did was emailed it to the sales manager copy of the sales order to the sales manager of 10 Mercedes dealers within 50 miles of his home. And said here’s the best deal I’ve got if you can beat that give me a call back. Worked like a charm
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Keith Knuuti
May 23, 2020
There’s another version of that was explained to me by a guy who taught negotiation at a business school.
You ask a dealer to put their best offer in a sealed envelope, with the understanding that you are going to look elsewhere and get another offer or offers. You don’t say where you’re going — it could be anywhere. If their offer beats the other offer(s), you will buy the car at that price. If not, you will go with the other offer. There will be no negotiation — they have one shot at a best price.
The dealer probably won’t want to do this, and they will certainly want to know where else you’re looking. If they won’t do it, too bad. If they want to know the other dealers, too bad. Likewise, the other dealers will want to see what’s in the sealed envelope. Don’t show them until you get their “one chance only” best offer.
The negotiator who explained this to me said that two dealers refused to go along with this, but a third did so after a lot of grumbling. They gave him a price that no one else came close to beating. When he picked up the car, the sales manager asked him who he was, and what he did for a job. His response was that he was a professional negotiator, and this sort of thing was what he did professionally.
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Ron Mason
April 20, 2020
Oh no, you can’t do that!!! LOL… They hate it when people do anything other than what they expect them to do…
I will find my car, get the best feasible price I know I can get, and then make a call to the nearest dealer… I will tell them what I want and what I am willing to pay. Then I’ll tell them against all their best efforts to get me in, to call me if they can meet my offer, if not I thank them for their time and they never have to hear from me again…
All that, “No Haggle Final Price” crap is just that… CRAP!!!!
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Jennifer E Jeffries
April 29, 2020
As long as your offer is fair, I think that is the best approach.
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Steve Rubin
April 19, 2020
I do something similar (done this with the last 2 cars I’ve purchased, both luxury Japanese brands). Once I’ve determined the car with the features I want, I use TureCar to get the latest selling data distribution in my georgraphy. I use their submission process to get the exact price of the car from a local dealer.
I then email a number (usually at least 8 - 12) dealers within 200 miles or so of my town and tell them to give me their best OUT THE DOOR pricing on this car (and then give them all the details and a selection of acceptable colors). They get one chance (they’re told that) so the price better be their best. Once I have that, the lowest price (within reason) wins.
When I go to the dealership, there is NO discussion on price, it’s already been determined IN WRITING. I had one dealership tell me that they don’t work that way. I responded and told him that he’s got nothing to loose because he would NEVER see me if he didn’t do it that way. He wouldn’t so I never saw him.
This takes all the BS games out of the equation. YOu’re usually working with a more seasoned business man that handles the internet sales. On my last car (a LExus sports car) I got a price from the local True Car dealer that was significantly less than his competitions. Greatest experience and he and I still keep in touch. When I was doing the paperwork with him I said (since it was the end of the month) you must have had a bad month. He couldn’t answer that question (which I understood) but I could tell that was the case.
This is the ONLY way I shop for cars now a days. I had another dealer once tell me that the smart people do it this way, and the uninformed still come in to play the games (and usually lose).
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Jason Wilson
April 19, 2020
When they take your keys to figure value on your trade in. Then when you say thanks I’m still shopping they hesitate or have 3 different people try to hard sell you. That’s when you get up and tell them to **** off, and that you’re never doing business there as well as you’re telling everyone. One d
… (more)
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Gabor Vajay
April 19, 2020
I understand the tactic, but I would not do that. Or if I did, I would go back to the original dealer and buy their car. We may discuss the price a bit, but they would get the sale. Only fair.
Upvote
Reply
Ron Mason
April 20, 2020
I can appreciate your sense of fair play, however sadly they undoubtedly fail to share your feelings when cash is on the line…
FAIR PLY FOR A FAIR DEAL!!!
Upvote
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2
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David Brower
April 21, 2020
Works on cheaper cars too. Email is a fantastic leveller.
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Ralph Crawford
April 21, 2020
I had a “salesman” ask for our keys, the whole ring of them, that he placed in his desk drawer which he then locked.
As soon as they ask for your keys - just get up and walk out.
95.9K views
View Upvoters
216
20
Add Comment
Keith Knuuti
May 23, 2020
There’s another version of that was explained to me by a guy who taught negotiation at a business school.
You ask a dealer to put their best offer in a sealed envelope, with the understanding that you are going to look elsewhere and get another offer or offers. You don’t say where you’re going — it could be anywhere. If their offer beats the other offer(s), you will buy the car at that price. If not, you will go with the other offer. There will be no negotiation — they have one shot at a best price.
The dealer probably won’t want to do this, and they will certainly want to know where else you’re looking. If they won’t do it, too bad. If they want to know the other dealers, too bad. Likewise, the other dealers will want to see what’s in the sealed envelope. Don’t show them until you get their “one chance only” best offer.
The negotiator who explained this to me said that two dealers refused to go along with this, but a third did so after a lot of grumbling. They gave him a price that no one else came close to beating. When he picked up the car, the sales manager asked him who he was, and what he did for a job. His response was that he was a professional negotiator, and this sort of thing was what he did professionally.
Upvote
·
1
Reply
Ron Mason
April 20, 2020
Oh no, you can’t do that!!! LOL… They hate it when people do anything other than what they expect them to do…
I will find my car, get the best feasible price I know I can get, and then make a call to the nearest dealer… I will tell them what I want and what I am willing to pay. Then I’ll tell them against all their best efforts to get me in, to call me if they can meet my offer, if not I thank them for their time and they never have to hear from me again…
All that, “No Haggle Final Price” crap is just that… CRAP!!!!
Upvote
·
4
Reply
Jennifer E Jeffries
April 29, 2020
As long as your offer is fair, I think that is the best approach.
Upvote
Reply
Steve Rubin
April 19, 2020
I do something similar (done this with the last 2 cars I’ve purchased, both luxury Japanese brands). Once I’ve determined the car with the features I want, I use TureCar to get the latest selling data distribution in my georgraphy. I use their submission process to get the exact price of the car from a local dealer.
I then email a number (usually at least 8 - 12) dealers within 200 miles or so of my town and tell them to give me their best OUT THE DOOR pricing on this car (and then give them all the details and a selection of acceptable colors). They get one chance (they’re told that) so the price better be their best. Once I have that, the lowest price (within reason) wins.
When I go to the dealership, there is NO discussion on price, it’s already been determined IN WRITING. I had one dealership tell me that they don’t work that way. I responded and told him that he’s got nothing to loose because he would NEVER see me if he didn’t do it that way. He wouldn’t so I never saw him.
This takes all the BS games out of the equation. YOu’re usually working with a more seasoned business man that handles the internet sales. On my last car (a LExus sports car) I got a price from the local True Car dealer that was significantly less than his competitions. Greatest experience and he and I still keep in touch. When I was doing the paperwork with him I said (since it was the end of the month) you must have had a bad month. He couldn’t answer that question (which I understood) but I could tell that was the case.
This is the ONLY way I shop for cars now a days. I had another dealer once tell me that the smart people do it this way, and the uninformed still come in to play the games (and usually lose).
Upvote
·
7
Reply
Jason Wilson
April 19, 2020
When they take your keys to figure value on your trade in. Then when you say thanks I’m still shopping they hesitate or have 3 different people try to hard sell you. That’s when you get up and tell them to **** off, and that you’re never doing business there as well as you’re telling everyone. One d
… (more)
Upvote
·
6
Reply
Gabor Vajay
April 19, 2020
I understand the tactic, but I would not do that. Or if I did, I would go back to the original dealer and buy their car. We may discuss the price a bit, but they would get the sale. Only fair.
Upvote
Reply
Ron Mason
April 20, 2020
I can appreciate your sense of fair play, however sadly they undoubtedly fail to share your feelings when cash is on the line…
FAIR PLY FOR A FAIR DEAL!!!
Upvote
·
2
Reply
David Brower
April 21, 2020
Works on cheaper cars too. Email is a fantastic leveller.
Upvote
Reply
Ralph Crawford
April 21, 2020
I had a “salesman” ask for our keys, the whole ring of them, that he placed in his desk drawer which he then locked.
As soon as they ask for your keys - just get up and walk out.
