Anyone here lease a new car exclusively via email?

What percent (would you guess) were cool with discussing the math via email (instead of in the dealership)?

I am going to guess 50%.

From my experience, it was 50% or less. However, the number actually varies depending on various factors, including what brand you’re looking for. If I recall correctly, I had more managers willing to talk numbers for Infiniti compared to managers from Acura.

However, it’ll all depend on many things, such as your location, vehicle, message in your email, etc. Just make sure you sound serious/set on getting the car and provide as much information as possible if you want them to give you a worthwhile reply. For example, I had all the lease terms defined (e.g 15k/yr, 36mo, $0 down) as well as the vehicle information (e.g. white w/ black interior, premium package, etc.).

Nice.

Next time you might try attaching a pic of your driver’s license and proof of insurance - even a copy of a personal check. To be safe, I would blur out some stuff.

I would also let them know what tier credit you fall under:

Tier 1+: FICO score 720 and above.
Tier 1: FICO score 690-719
Tier 2: FICO score 670-689
Tier 3: FICO score 650-669
Tier 4: FICO score 630-649
Tier 5: FICO score 610-629.
Tier 6: FICO score 580-609.
Tier 7: FICO score 579 and below.

Doing those extras shows you mean business.

Then you don’t sign the paperwork and they take the car back. It’s no different than you being st the dealer except you didn’t have to drive out there.

I was able to get “the math” (drive off and monthly) from about 70% of Chevy and subaru dealers I contacted a few months ago via email or phone.

I didn’t bother inquiring on things like MF and residual until I had already found the price I wanted and just wanted to doublecheck the math.

The drivers license and insurance seems unnecessarily dramatic until you need to do a test drive or a credit application.

But I agree providing a credit tier for quote purposes would be vital, though. Although unless your credit score is on the super high or super low end, there’s always a chance that you may find yourself a notch higher or lower once your credit is pulled.

So I was going to take many of your suggestions on here about making deals through email, but I can’t seem to find actually e-mail addresses for who to deal with at each dealership. Most websites have a page where you can request a quote, but if they actually respond, its usually to tell me to come into the dealership. :frowning:

They do not want to negotiate by email. If they do, they lose.

You have to write a “purchase order” via email.

Tell them exactly what you want… and use jargon and industry lingo to let them know you are an insider yourself.

Send them everything filled out - from the discounted sales price you want to pay, to the bogative fees you are willing to pay - even the Money Factor.

About your problem with getting the right contact:

Track down an internet manager.

I use Google to find it.

Here is the search syntax:

site:dealershipwebsite.com internet manager

For example, when we search Google for:

site:infinitioflexington.com internet manager

We see:

Meet Our Departments - INFINITI of Lexington

Click on it to see the entire staff directory (along with its phone and email contact info).

Now, if there is no internet manager, I would go straight to the top and contact a general manager or sales manager.

Remember, it is all a timing game and number’s game.

New Year’s Eve falls on a Saturday. This is huge. End of month, end of quarter and end of year on a Saturday is the perfect storm. HUGE manager quota bonuses are on the line. If they need one more sale to make quota, you will literally steal your next car.

Wait it out until Saturday the 31st and you win!

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Thanks so much for all the info! That really helps a lot! I e-mailed 3 dealerships today, so far I have yet to get any quotes, but one dealership responded that they were working on one for me. I’m not holding my breath :wink:

My pleasure to help out.

With that said:

I would not ask for quotes.

Instead, send them a “purchase order” of exactly what car you want with exactly how much of a discount you want off MSRP (even if it is a lease), etc.

This way, they can either accept your order or deny. No games. No haggling.

Asking for a quote is a surefire waste of time. Plus, you will NOT get the absolute best price available.

As your X3 deal demonstrates, sometimes there is no substitute for just going in person. If when Maserati or Volvo was having their blow out deal, someone had emailed them, they would have lost out since the dealers sold the cars quickly on first come first serve basis.

Great feedback thanks!

Is there an easy way to look through dealer inventory for the features I want in an X3? Seems you have to judge it by price and then go into the listing and figure it out.

I do not look at available inventory…

I just build my car online, then send my “purchase order” by email.

Dealers will swap within their network for the car we want. Piece of cake.

ah gotcha! that makes it a lot easier. :slight_smile: Thanks.

That will not get you the best deal. Dealers will be more presssed to deal on a vehicle already on their lot.

With my system, most dealers will not like my deal. They will ignore my “car purchase order.”

But some will take the deal - even if they do not have the car on their lot.

Try it.

Moaning and doubting does you no good.

Just make it happen.

You have nothing to lose except a little bit of time.

When this works, you will be AMAZED!

Yea, definitely worth a shot at it. I sent requests for quotes to 3 dealerships yesterday and still haven’t received one. I’ll resend some requests with car purchase order and see if that helps.

in my experience penny earner sales people will say anything on email which has no value.

This is my experience:

  1. Sales man offers a price $40k.
  2. I counter by saying $39k.
  3. He replies, if he can do $39K, do we have a deal.
  4. I say yes, and that evening show up at dealership.
  5. He helps with test drive and then his manager shows up for paperwork.
  6. And he wants to start over again on price. His argument, they never agreed to anything. It was all if–then–else.

And this is all with highest volume car dealership in state.

And here should go the best part: “…It’s available on DVD in 4 easy installments at $19.95 each”

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I usually got quotes. Quotes that combine financing are leasing or trade-in are always trickier, because there are more moving parts. But here’s what I can recall specifying in the little web form.

  • Specific year, model, and trim level (usually matching something showed on their website)
  • lease term
  • lease mileage
  • no trade in
  • estimated credit tier
  • desired range of drive off amount (it helps if you know approx what acquisition fees and docs and taxes are going to be)

… that’s all I can remember. and then I’d say most dealers were able to get me a price.

I just leased a vehicle from an out of state dealer. The price they are offering was substantially less than prices from local dealers. I hoped that I would be able to complete the paperwork by email, but the dealer is FedEx-Ing me all the documents to sign.