Confessions of a mediocre negotiator

Ask the Hackrs
1

So, we need a small to midsize SUV. We have a Ford CMAX which is ending in a month, over miles. I thought I would see if I could get another Ford, and get the over mileage fee waived.

Turns out, Ford doesn’t let you have a transaction late in the game with a third party–I have to buy it, or turn it in to Ford. I guess I could buy it and then sell it immediately to Carmax or private party, but seems that would incur sales tax hit.

Looked at the Edge. SEL. I said, 10% off. The sales manager said, well, that’s below invoice–I can’t do that. He shows me the paper with the invoice price. Also X plan and A plan. I realized, we might qualify for one or both of those plans. (Brother in Law might work for Ford)

This is what I got:

52%20AM
52%20AM1172×490 62.3 KB

But it isn’t much of a discount, either way.

Meanwhile, my wife likes VWs. I’ve texted with Jason in SoCal about a Tiguan, but he doesn’t have the car we’d want.

Found it closer to home. Wrong color, but wanted to get a price.

Here was the quote:

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0T SEL Premium 4motion stock#V180882
Automatic 8-Speed
OPTIONS: roof rack kit, trailer hitch
Color: pure white/ gray leather
MSRP: $39515

Your Special: $36,528

I subsequently found out that we qualify for X Plan or whatever it is with VW. They say that’s 500 below invoice. I wrote him about that. He said the invoice on this car is 37k something.

But he’d be willing to do 500 off my “special” deal. of 36.5. So 36k even. 9% off.

The problem is, the APR on the MF is 6% right now. Incentives aren’t crazy good.

Questions: How do you guys get dealers to go well below invoice?

Same email to four dealers?

Do you mention, holdbacks and so on?

Thanks, guys.

2

What’s the payment and have you tried plugging it into the calculator and working the numbers for yourself? Start working multiple dealers, you probably have the vw partner program, it’s supplier pricing.

3

Don’t ask a dealer for a quote. You need to know what you’re willing to pay before you talk to the dealer, then tell him what your price is. He may or may not agree, but if you let him serve the ball, you’re going to always be playing defensively.

1 Like
4

Why not ask for a quote? You need to play all the dealers off each other.

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5

If you throw out the first number, you’re setting expectations of the price range you’re looking at. You can then use their counteroffers to play off each other. If you just ask them for their best price out of the gate, most are going to start way higher than where you want to be.

6

Oh and x plan and vw partner program are basically the same kind of deal. A plan is as cheap as you can get on Ford

7

Thanks for this. I basically said, I want 10% off on the Edge, and then he played the, well, this is my invoice cost.

I guess my question is, What’s the next play?

or would you just send an email to the internet sales manager which says,

"I’m looking for this car for [MSRP - 11%] I know people in the area are getting it. Can you do this deal. I’ve got x-plan or whatever if that helps. "

(And never get into invoice price, etc.

Thanks

8

If you are not afraid of getting rejected, you go there, sit down, and tell them what you could pay and stay put. Then walk out. They may call you back in a couple of days with a better deal. They always have hidden ways to bring your payments a little down.

1 Like
9

As stated before, do everything over the phone or email, don’t play the games, that’s all you’ll do if you go in

3 Likes
10

Your first mistake was talking to him in person. Don’t step in the door until you have the deal worked out in detail in writing.

I’d do a bunch of research to find out what people in the area are getting, and then I’d break down the entire deal you want (specify price before incentives, what the base mf is, etc.) and email a slightly more aggressive deal to the sales manager of several dealers. Let them counter and use those counters to play off different dealers.

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11

If you can get A plan, you don’t need to play all the games

12

Also, invoice cost is not what he paid for the vehicle. There’s generally lots of room to go below invoice, particularly on a car like the ford edge which isn’t really a hot commodity.

13

Simply saying I want 10% doesn’t work. You need to pick a car and email them a detailed quote. You have to show them you mean business and not just pulling numbers from thin air.

14

If you’re looking at Tiguan and Edge, take a look at Equinox. There was a good thread about it a day or two ago

1 Like
15

lol, one thing i have learned is, never ask dealers for % OFF, research what others are paying and what you are willing to pay.

Go into the dealership, tell them what you are willing to pay, if they can come closer, they will give you a counter offer, if cant, they will just kick you out like they did with me lol.

I went in to lease a durango for $550, dealer offered me 2 jeep renegades for that price and said durango cant do.

If you are fed up of BS, just call their internet business manager and ask for a quote, tell them you are going to want the delivery today.

Anyways good luck with your search, Fords AFAIK dont lease their SUV’s aggressively, the latest quote for Explorer i got was $700 with 5K down.

16

Go to another dealer, tell them you need a much better deal (by email). Then go back to the initial dealer and tell him what the other dealer gave you.

17

Sowmwhere on this forum there is a link to generate $2000 private cash offer for Ford. You that to get additional savings

Here is the link:

18

Doesn’t work with a or x plan

19

can you do better than a plan or x plan? The numbers for vw were 500 below invoice.

if the invoice is high, and it looked high to me…that’s not great.

Invoice was high on Ford, also.

20

Look in to Enclave. There are still good rebates on them.