Things to Never Say to a Dealer - Manville Area Credit Union (2024)

FAQs

What not to say to a car dealership? ›

Fundamentally, says Bill, "dealerships like to move money around. So it probably also is not in the buyer's best interest to mention right up front that he or she has a car they want to trade in. Because once we know that, we know you're looking to get as much money as you can out of the trade-in."

If you want to beat car dealerships at their own game, you need to first understand the true market value of what you're buying and trading in. You should also get quotes via phone or email before you physically go into the dealership, and then skip all the extras they'll push you to buy.

The Red Flags Rule (the Rule), enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), requires automobile dealers to develop and implement a written identity theft prevention program designed to identify, detect, and respond to warning signs—known as “red flags”—that indicate that a customer or potential customer could be ...

When negotiating, it helps to be able to justify what you're asking for, he adds: "Instead of saying, 'I want to pay this,' try something like: 'I've looked at five or six different cars that are similar to yours in the market. The price range goes from $19,500 to $20,700. I'm comfortable making an offer of $19,100. '"

Monday is usually the best day of the week to buy a car. This is when showrooms will be the least busy, which means you'll likely get more time and attention from the sales staff and have more time to go on test-drives. Edmunds suggests Tuesday is a better option than Monday if the car dealership is closed on Sunday.

In the United States, it is not customary to tip a car salesperson. However, if you feel you received exemplary service and expect to buy from the salesperson again in the future, perhaps slipping the salesperson something extra would help you be remembered.

"This Is the Maximum I Can Pay Each Month"

Tell a car salesperson your budget for monthly car payments, and guess what? That's what your payment will be, no matter how much the car should have cost. That's why you first want to negotiate the total price, interest rate, and trade-in value.

Learn about Your Dream Car

Before you ever step foot on a dealer lot, you need to know the specifications of the vehicle you want to purchase. Include safety ratings and check out Consumer Reports. Sales staff will know you are not messing around when you can tell them more about the vehicle than even they know.

How much can you talk a dealer down on a new car? ›

However, you can use the guideline of 2 or 3% on less expensive brands, and 5 to 10% on luxury brands as a rule of thumb. Regardless of if you're buying a Kia or a Mercedes, the reality is there isn't too much room to work with when just looking at the mark up. This is where factory incentives come into play.

You want to focus on the numbers you care about — including your monthly payment, down payment, and auto loan's length, interest rate and overall cost. “Know what those numbers should be, according to your budget, before you go into the dealership, and make sure you stick to those numbers,” Burdge says.

Remember: Don't reveal too much, downplay your emotions and always negotiate the sticker price first. More on Car Buying: 23 Things Car Dealerships Don't Want You to Know. 30 Biggest Do's and Don'ts When Buying a Car.