Dealerships Low Balling Trade in Value

[Docwagon1776]

True statement. No matter how they flip the numbers around to make you think you're getting more, rest assured they're giving you wholesale pricing for your truck.

Eliminate the shell game by negotiating the prices separately and being willing to not trade. Most people are stuck because they *have* to trade and *have* to finance in order to buy their new vehicle and get trapped in the cycle of playing a game they only think they understand and think they are good at.

My answer to "do you have a trade?" is always "Potentially, but that's not important until I find the new car I want and we come to agreement on price for it." Then stick to that. When it comes time, I'll point out that my car is a one owner, I have all the maintenance records, and I will allow them to contact me to provide history to a customer who's looking at it *as long as they are always the middle man and don't provide my contact info directly*. In over 20 years, I've had one call, so it's not much of a commitment.

Cardinal rule of negotiation: He who cares least wins. You aren't doing me a favor to sell me a car, I'm doing you a favor to take one off your hands. You aren't doing me a favor to take my used car, I'm doing you a favor by giving you quality inventory to screw the next guy with.

 

[nlambert182]

Yes, it's a shell game and they're masters at it, I should know, I sold Lincolns for a year at a Stealership. Most valuable lesson I've ever received.

Wife's grandfather was a car dealer.

By the time he passed, he was old and just stuck some of his cars on other dealer lots on consignment. I used to run his cars from auction, do their cleanups, and prep them for the lot.

He taught my wife and I their ways so that I wouldn't fall victim to some of the shenanigans. Great man, and many a valuable lesson. When he had his lot, he didn't take trade-ins, nor credit cards. You paid cash or cashier's check, and you paid his price. Otherwise he wasn't much for haggling or trying to play games. He was fair, but firm.

 

[Tray Burge]

Eliminate the shell game by negotiating the prices separately and being willing to not trade. Most people are stuck because they *have* to trade and *have* to finance in order to buy their new vehicle and get trapped in the cycle of playing a game they only think they understand and think they are good at.

My answer to "do you have a trade?" is always "Potentially, but that's not important until I find the new car I want and we come to agreement on price for it." Then stick to that. When it comes time, I'll point out that my car is a one owner, I have all the maintenance records, and I will allow them to contact me to provide history to a customer who's looking at it *as long as they are always the middle man and don't provide my contact info directly*. In over 20 years, I've had one call, so it's not much of a commitment.

Cardinal rule of negotiation: He who cares least wins. You aren't doing me a favor to sell me a car, I'm doing you a favor to take one off your hands. You aren't doing me a favor to take my used car, I'm doing you a favor by giving you quality inventory to screw the next guy with.

Always negotiate the car price first, then bring up the trade. Tell them no when they ask up front about a trade. Do your homework, know the value, most don't, they buy on emotion, "got a ringer here, boss!"
However, the price of the car will now go up with a trade in or they'll just hide it in a "doc" fee or some other BS accounting, dealer prep or some other way.
Never buy based on a payment if financing, you're screwed if you do, oldest and most successful trick in the book is to sell the payment. Easiest way to real someone in if buying on emotion.

Just helped my daughter buy her first new car, told her to just listen, act like non-chalant and show zero emotion. Explained everything they were doing behind our backs and just trust me. She was like, damn dad, you gave those guys hell. I told her I enjoyed beating up car salesmen. lol
The salesman said what the hell did I do because I had every single manager in and out of the office before she purchased and he'd never seen that before? Went through like 5 different managers, another old trick is to wear you down so you'll just give up and buy.
I just told him, it wasn't my first rodeo.
The only thing worse than a car salesman is an insurance salesman, I've been both. lol

 

[Docwagon1776]

Just helped my daughter buy her first new car, told her to just listen, act like non-chalant and show zero emotion. Explained everything they were doing behind our backs and just trust me. She was like, damn dad, you gave those guys hell. I told her I enjoyed beating up car salesmen. lol
The salesman said what the hell did I do because I had every single manager in and out of the office before she purchased and he'd never seen that before? Went through like 5 different managers, another old trick is to wear you down so you'll just give up and buy.
I just told him, it wasn't my first rodeo.

If you enjoy it, good on you. I find it boring and don't deal with it.

I've detailed my process before, but essentially I buy like a fleet manager and have my price set before physically arriving at the dealership. If that number changes, I walk. I don't finance and I don't buy anything in the F&I office. I was in and out in about 20 minutes when I bought my Power Wagon. My only surprise was they let me drive it home without waiting for my personal check to clear, especially since I'd never bought from them before. I was planning to just pay for it then come back the next week to get it once the check cleared, but they trusted me more than I would trust me...

 

[nlambert182]

I buy campers that way... but sometimes it's fun to get in front of the car salesman and watch my wife go through an epic meltdown with them. She is NOT one to mess with and they typically think they'll get one over on her because she's a woman. It's one of the most enjoyable things in the world when she speaks their language with a few extra expletives added in.

 

[Tray Burge]

Nothing more fun than beating up on a car salesmen when you're in the market and looking at buying one at a stealership. I'm always nice and cordial though. lol