If there was ever a time to get a good buy on a new car, it’s now. Finding the best discounts when purchasing a new car can be hard work, but it’s become increasingly less difficult in the last few years.
When trying to get a discount on a new car, there are a few guidelines one should go by: being an informed buyer is the single most important factor as far as getting discounts on new cars and not paying too much; using an online referral service to get discounts at participating dealerships can be a rather quick and painless way of chopping thousands off the price you pay for a brand new car; and setting your watch for 30 minutes when you go to do the final haggle gives you power over the sales staff, making it harder for them to not say yes to that extra discount if it means you’re about to walk out on them.
Remember, whatever dealership you go to, its staff members are very aware of the components that affect the price you as a consumer pay for a new car. You should be just as informed as these people, or at least somewhat understanding of what affects the cost you pay. Being an informed new car buyer will help you seek, and possibly get, discounts on certain costs that normally are applied to purchasing a new car. Most times these prices are inflated by the dealership so having an informed understanding of what these costs normally are in your area is a great tool to have when going to battle a crafty salesperson. Understand what sort of manufacturers’ discounts are available and see what special incentives are being offered by the manufacturer as well. Remember, it’s your job to know what discounts are available, not the salesperson’s job to explain it fully. His/her job it is to sale the car at the highest possible price to benefit the dealership, not the lowest price to benefit you. The vast majority of car salespeople are paid on commission, so getting the most money out of you is beneficial for them as well. An hour of basic research informing yourself on these matters before going to buy can save you thousands of dollars.
When looking for discounts on a new car, using a referral service can help you shave hundreds, if not more, off the offered price at participating dealerships. Auto.com, Edmund.com or CarsDirect.com are good examples of legitimate referral sites where you can get good discounted prices on a car you want to buy by spending less than 30 minutes online. This is how it works: you go to an online referral site and give them certain information, such as what you are looking for, price range, where you live and your email address, and the site will email you a free referral to a nearby participating dealership. When using the referral code, you are given a preset discount off the purchase of your new car. Cooperating dealerships agree to give discounts to referral site users in exchange for the considerable extra business that’s often thrown their way from the referrals. These sites are free and discounts can be in the thousands.
One last trick you can put up your sleeve to squeeze an extra last minute discount out of the dealership is giving the salesperson a time limit. Make sure this is only done when you are ready to buy, have financing through the bank already and are ready to seal the deal. It’s human nature that in the first 30 minutes of a sale you will get all the leeway you’re going to get out the salesperson, so any longer than that and the salesperson is chipping away at your discounts by convincing you to add on unneeded plans and services that come with unneeded fees. Let the salesperson know up front that you intend on buying but you will not be held up more than 30 minutes to get the job done. This will not only eliminate many of those phony, “let me talk to my manager about this” walk-away tricks the selling profession has become so comically famous for, but it will cause the sales team to offer more than they normally would to close up a quick deal. Don’t be rude but be forceful as it’s your money. Take control of the situation and you can possibly make away like a bandit, shaving thousands in discounts on that new car you’ve been eying for months.
