I know the car business, inside and out.
Okay, so you need a new(er) ride. Maybe yours is slowly dying, or maybe you just want something to fit a changed lifestyle. You get on the Internet, or pick up a magazine at the store, or you drive around and around and around … There are so many choices, and ALL of them say “No Credit: No Problem!!” (Yeah right.) After what should take about three days, three weeks later you are still in your old car wasting yet another weekend, wishing the earth would open up and swallow every slimy car guy you’ve ever spoken to! (And, the ones that call and call and call … )
After spending what felt like an eternity (actually three years) in the car business as a vendor of used car advertising, selling to the same guys that are selling to you, I’d like to share a few insights into what I’ve learned:
Car dealers aren’t all shysters out to get you, but some are.
The car business, like any other business, is just that … a business. Just like Warren Buffett and Wal Mart, they buy low and sell high. Unlike any other business, though, the merchandise is all negotiable. And, some dealers actually like to make customers happy; you just have to find the right ones. Because of my affiliation with over fifty car dealers in the Atlanta market, I know exactly who to call to find the sweetest, but hungriest one out there.
A hungry dealer isn’t a greedy dealer, and there is a lot less ego involved. Plus, there are so many factors that go into the pricing of a car, and what you’ll eventually “get” to pay for it, that it becomes a magical cross your fingers and hold your tongue right sort of thing, unless you do your homework, or have someone who knows these guys do it for you. And, I’ve already done all of your homework!
New cars aren’t always (or are they?) the way to go.
I know you’ve heard the old and worn out advice that you lose 20 percent of the value of the car when you drive it off the lot, but I’m here to tell you, with rebates on top of rebates, and 0 percent financing thrown into the mix, you can actually purchase a car or SUV for the price it will be when it makes that fateful journey off of the lot. We recently purchased a 2008 Chevy Avalanche with leather and all of the options for almost $15,000 below sticker price, and it actually has some equity in it right now!
PREVIOUS PAGE
