Pretty dumb question, but I’ve been having trouble with the exact strategy when contacting dealers. I’ve read the wiki, and my strategy is usually find the car I want given what I have seen in “Signed” and tell the dealer the discount, incentives etc I want.
They will usually go to their manager and I’ll get a call to say to come into the dealership to discuss. I honestly can’t drive to each dealer that does especially with 2 small kids. When they ask for you to go into the dealer, is it mostly just to get you to fall in love with the car? What is their strategy?
Any tips, I’m located in Washington if that helps.
Tell them you have already driven the car and that you’re working hard and can’t come in during regular hours, and prefer to set everything up by email or text, and can then come in and sign once the contract is ready. Ask them if you can sign in your living room too, I’ve done that several times.
Work with a broker and ship it up if you’re on any timeline. Occasionally hacks are possible up here but it’s a numbers game - lots of threads about how to communicate what you want and get a response, but sitting in the store is a surefire way not to get it.
This is bad advice. Internet sales people are idiots 4/5 times. They dont even make the deals. Its always the manager. I have had better luck directly talking to the manager.
Even then, you can show all your card (in my experience), have to ease them in.
Eh, you have to have a brain of your own too. I have always targeted multiple internet sales managers and gotten real good info without having to visit or get on a phone. Info used to always get good deals with them or elsewhere. Again you have to have an educated brain of your own to negotiate well.
Doing all this correctly gets you to the decision maker. I have also emailed GSMs too with varied results. My best GSM experience was buying a 911 though as he was more personally interested since an expensive build and he made happen.
Bottom line is you need to know where you want to be. And ask for it and be patient too sometimes as they will come back. I’ve always shopped multi state too. Since internet era I have never walked into a dealership without having the deal done already.
Some dealers know how to deal with it, some dont. You have to ask, taxes and fees should be based on WA if you have the car shipped (or pick it up at one of the CA state borders). If you drive it off the lot, you have to pay CA taxes from my understanding.
