Here’s my gift to the community. Please nominate it for a 2020 Hacky Award in the category: Best Reply from a Dealer to An Online Quote Request"
Enjoy. (emphasis below mine)
There is no such thing as best price over email. There are generally two prices that are given out over email. The first price is known as a “low ball” price just to get you through the door. Then when you get down to the dealership there are several reasons why they won’t honor that price. The second price is a very conservative price, generally MSRP and very much in favor of the dealership. You’re not interested in either of those prices, you’re interested in the best price, am I correct in saying that? That’s why you need to sit face to face with our senior manager so we can provide you with the price you’re looking for. once you have selected an actual car that you are committed to purchase. Your presence in the dealership is your best leverage.
I replied something along the lines of “You are an Internet Sales Manager who wants me to come down in person to negotiate the price?” Was going to go with “Don’t tell Jeff Bezos, his entire business model is shredded by your 'Best Price in Person Theory” but clearly it would fall on deaf ears.
For the nice customers - “This is what I can provide over the internet. There may be more room however I am not authorized to provide further discount via email. Also we do beat any legitimate monthly lease price by $10/month”
For the not so nice customers - “You have to be in-the-door for an out-the-door”
It looks like that salesperson needs a mini-vacation.
So is there still room in a deal if you send the dealer one through Edmunds? I’ve done some truecar and edmunds, I get a text and a phone call asking me to come in. I commit to coming in and then an hour or 2 before I do they call saying the car is sold…
The problem is that in many dealerships the “internet sales manager” is really just a lead generator. If you are doing any serious negotiations through email I’ve always found that the best route is to email the real sales manager directly.
If it is pre-owned this happens all the time. If it is new then most dealerships have multiples of the same vehicle assuming it is not a rare and glorious vehicle.
I think the point is valid in that, if you are standing in the dealership, you are probably more serious about making a deal than if you are just kicking tires asking for quotes through email. With that said, the same can be accomplished by offering your credit card to put a reservation on the car in question if they will come to your price.
“99% of my inventory can be negotiated online however per my General Sales Manager this vehicle falls into the 1% of vehicles that must be discussed in-store. It is a low-supply, high-demand car that is selling very quickly!”
Siejammy, to rephrase your answer (because you certainly don’t want to agree with this “ISM”)-you are saying that an offer you get in person at the dealership tends to be better than the usual inflated BS one given out to a random internet inquiry (who may be a tire kicker or a unsophisticated car buyer), which is generally true. But that assumes you don’t properly follow up to the online full MSRP reply wherein you exhibit your leasing savvy and therefore get a legit, aggressive quote. That is, you can prove that you are not a tire kicker online, too, and get the same ‘manager’ price online. Do this at 5 plus dealers in the region and most of them will invariable be better than that deal you got on the lot.
Also, you and the “ISM” in question assume that there are not efficient, honest, and serious, no BS Internet Sales Teams out there. They’re are in the minority but you will find them and they will give quick, aggressive pricing without of bunch of baloney and are invariably the ones I wind up closing with.
No, your presence in the dealership is NOT your best leverage…unless you have better offers in hand THAT YOU GOT ONLINE so when can threaten to walk out of your local dealer and act on it without hesitation.
I have found the “we will beat any price by $10” promise to have been broken so many times that it is slightly less dubious than a drunken frat boy’s promise to ‘only put the tip in’. So much so that I am going to report the next dealer who refuses to honor such an offer to the state authorities, if not file a civil action.
Just last week after this offer was made to me–by a dealership we visited in person–and, of course they couldn’t beat our best online offer, explaining that it’s “a much bigger dealership than us, with way more inventory and volume, we can’t compete with that.” This description of the competition is not true, by the way.
And oh, the price we got was the result of about five minutes webchat exchange and one 5 minute phone call to resolve ambiguities.
Woah there fella. My point is, if you know your numbers and the deal is achievable, and are willing to lock in the car with a deposit if they will meet you on the ask, you have more leverage in person than in email. Generally, the unicorn deals achieved here required some kind of good rapport with the sales person or dealership. Emails ‘exhibiting your leasing savvy’ do not motivate dealers to take a bigger hit on a car.
Still, being nice can most likely let you get a good deal.
Don’t spam ISM’s a bunch of numbers, some may get back to you but I would think that they have already summed you up as a person who may be difficult to work with. Just be $0.02, but it takes no time to add a “Thank you” to an email.
Well today ended up differently. The dealership reached back out to me to see what I was looking for. I gave them a number, 2 color options and said I was willing to put a deposit down for them to get the car as long as I got the offer in writing. Im looking at the SI sedan as I drive the turnpike every day and want something small and fun to drive. It’s been near impossible to get it in blue in my area. (PA). 1st dealership I went to to test drive it let me walk when they threw out a ridiculous payment. Im sure some smuck took that deal. I will be putting a deposit down on one tomorrow as long as the numbers we spoke about are in writing. I offered to do the deposit in person or over the phone. Whatever was easier for them,
