How To Buy Your Dream Car And Avoid Car Dealers' Dirty Tricks

By: Amit Laufer

How to buy a new Car

Buying a car is usually our second biggest investment after our
home purchase and most of us will do it more than once in our
life.

There is something emotional about cars, it represents our taste
and style, our economic status and our character. Some women
even claim that a car is a man's extension of his reproductive
organ. One the other hand (the good hand) there are women out
there that might express their exhibitionism and extravagance by
choosing to drive a red flashy car for the whole world to notice
them. Both sexes would agree they sometimes feel they "fall in
love" with a certain car model.

There are people who get very existed from a small scratch on
the cars lower side, as if it were their own skin. The beauty of
the car, its aerodynamics shape, the gadgets inside, the seats
the feel of it all play a major part in our decision making.

In our modern life it's almost impossible to function without
one and it's expensive to acquire, to finance and to maintain.

Buying a new car is a lot of fun, the new car has its unique
smell no doubt about it, the very fact you can afford to own a
brand new car is a great feeling.

When is the best time to buy a new car?

There are two "best times" to buy a car. The end of December is
a good time for car buyers to buy a new car. Everyone is out
buying Christmas gifts, leaving new car dealer lots void of
customers, motivating dealers to cut costs, and break year end
sales records. Another good time to buy a car is July to October
as new car dealers sell off cars at low prices to clear space
for new car models. Secret factory to dealer incentives can be
$1000-$6000 in addition to new car consumer rebates!

How and where to search for prices:

Invoice price - what the dealer pays the manufacturer - has
become the real negotiating point. Allowing for the dealer's
need to make a profit, the price you pay should be somewhere
between sticker and invoice.

Virtually all car buying sites on the Internet show invoice and
in most cases their buying tools automatically add
option/package invoice amounts as you work your way through the
process.

Any car buyer, with very little effort, can get an accurate
summation of a car's value, which immediately puts him or her in
a stronger negotiating position.

Happily for the consumer, the Internet now allows a prospective
buyer to uncover market conditions at any moment in various
parts of the country. www.Edmunds.com/

for example, reveals the True Market Value: www.CarsDirect.com/,
which sells cars online, has its own version called Guaranteed
CarsDirect price www.Intellichoice.com/ sorts out the Best Deals
of the Month.

The negotiation phase and the dirty tricks:

After you made your research via the Internet, it's important
you make some phone calls to car dealers and ask for some
written offers to be sent to you via the fax or email for the
car of your dreams. That way, you can compare prices between
several dealers without being pressured by a salesperson.

You would be much better off selling your old car yourself
rather than to trade it in through the dealer because the dealer
will have to earn some money on it as well.

Remember, everything is a negotiable, car too. Buying a new car
is tricky from the moment you step into the car dealership
arena, you might be manipulated by scam artists, well trained
sales persons that will use every trick in their fat book of
tricks to extort every last Dollar out of your bank account.

There is one well known trick they teach in car dealers sales
courses, it's called "throwing a lowball", in this tactic a
customer is offered a very good price on a car, Perhaps as much
as $700 below competitors prices. The good deal, however, is not
genuine, its only purpose is to cause a prospect to decide to
buy at this dealership and not from the other dealers. Once the
decision is made a raft of purchase forms are filled out,
extensive financial terms are arranged. The dealer knows,
customers develop a range of new reasons to support the choice
they have now made.

Then something happens. All of a sudden an "error" in the
calculations is discovered, It might be the salesman forgot to
add in the cost of the air conditioner and if the customer
insists on having it, then $700 must be added to the price...

The cover up operation is played sophistically, some times they
let the bank handling the financing find the "mistake", other
times the boss is not approving the deal because "we'd be losing
money". They make it look as if it's not that big mistake as
it's a relatively small percentage of the price of the car and
as they stress out it only brings it to be equal to competitors.

The impressive thing about the lowball tactic is its ability to
make a person feel pleased with a poor choice. If anyone tries
to change the originally-quoted terms or talk you into buying a
different vehicle, just say "no" and go somewhere else.

If you are interested to learn about many others car dealers
scams and how to avoid them go to:
www.carbuyingtips.com/scams.htm

Until all the papers have been signed there are still ways in
which a shrewd dealer may add to his profit by talking you into
extras you don't want and probably don't need. These can include
added and overpriced insurance, extended warranties, rust
proofing (absolutely unnecessary), paint or fabric protection,
anti-theft plans, and more. Smile and firmly turn them all down.

Finally, before you drive away, do a careful inspection of the
car, looking for scratches or dents, anything that mars the
perfect finish. If you're not happy, get a written agreement
(known as a Due Bill). It means you have the right to later
return the vehicle in order that flaws can be corrected.

About the author:
MBA - International Trade & Finance - Heriot-Watt University.
Bsc. Computers and Information Systems - Long Island University
- C.W Post Campus. Hobby: Photography & Cars. Married with two
Children.

http://cars-i-like.com