I personally always prefer doing deals via email/text vs. going into the dealership. You can show seriousness in a lot of ways, such as offering to come in right away to sign, offering to submit a credit app (once you feel like you’re close to reaching your desired target), etc.
If you go to the dealer you’re taking a huge gamble that you’re going to be there when the dealership simply does not need to make the sale so they won’t play ball. Whereas when you’re negotiating for a few days via email/text, for example, say it’s the end of the month and the dealer has to get that last sale in to meet a quota or whatever, the SA or SM might send you an email at the 11th hour and say “if you can come in right now I’ll do it for xx amount” or whatever. I’ve found that a lot of times (in a “normal” market at least, not right now), the right time to strike is when the dealer needs the sale more than you need to buy the car. That’s much more likely to happen when you’re negotiating remotely vs. in person. Just my experience!
I’ve been fortunate that it’s been a while since I needed to buy a car since I always have more than one vehicle. This week I had that situation with my brother where we were on a tight schedule and he wanted a particular car. I don’t like dealing that way.
My usual method these days is to figure out a deal that is actually reasonable. It might be aggressive, but it’s not impossible. It starts with a sale price that leaves a small profit for the dealer, includes any rebates or incentives I actually qualify for, an accurate MF, RV, origination, DMV fees, etc. and reasonable dealer fees inline with what dealers in the area typically charge. I start in order of the best compromise between what specs I want and the distance to the dealer, and once I’ve selected a car I send an email right to the sales manager and GM. I put together a spreadsheet with their stock number and all the broken down calculations based on the price of the actual vehicle they have. I include a recent printout of my credit score, and a short note saying that if they can match my numbers to send me a link to a credit app and call me for a credit card deposit. If not, I understand and appreciate their time and will consider them again in the future.
I really can’t imagine anything I do in person in a reasonable amount of time will demonstrate to the decision makers that I am a serious buyer and ready to move.
Sorry but you’re gravely mistaken, the days of cheap leases (note that I can only speak for premium brands) are long gone. Cars won’t sit on dealers lot for a long, long time; this is the strategy going forward.
Speak for yourself. Sounds like you just didn’t get a good deal and want to justify that.
People (myself included) are still getting 5-10% off BMWs in the current market. Stacked with incentives, shopping around, and being persistent…”cheap“ leases still exist (relative to msrp / other brands).
