What in the hell is wrong with car dealers?

[plifter]

Why do they have to be crooks? Why would it be so difficult to put the actual price they want for the car on the sticker?
I went used car shopping and it's crazy! I called one dealer and asked about a car that I saw on their lot while they were closed. They told me on the phone that they wanted 12,900. When I got there to test drive it the price suddenly dropped to 10,900. Now I looked up the book value and the average retail value was 8,700. My part of the country tends to have a lower cost of living so I would expect that the price here would be below the average retail.
I think I'm just going to offer them 8,200 and if they say no then I'll keep looking. I didn't realize it could be this rough. The only cars I've ever ought before were from individuals and not dealers.

 

[Warik]

How are they crooks? They aren't stealing anything from anybody. If someone gives a used car dealer $10,900 for a car worth only $8,700, then how is it "crooked?" The people gave up the money! It's their responsibility to do their homework.

-Warik

 

[IMBIG]

Why do they have to be crooks? Why would it be so difficult to put the actual price they want for the car on the sticker?
I went used car shopping and it's crazy! I called one dealer and asked about a car that I saw on their lot while they were closed. They told me on the phone that they wanted 12,900. When I got there to test drive it the price suddenly dropped to 10,900. Now I looked up the book value and the average retail value was 8,700. My part of the country tends to have a lower cost of living so I would expect that the price here would be below the average retail.
I think I'm just going to offer them 8,200 and if they say no then I'll keep looking. I didn't realize it could be this rough. The only cars I've ever ought before were from individuals and not dealers.

I agree.. its business

 

[Natymike]

two words, buyer beware. You should know that the dealer is trying to make as much money as he possibly can.

I have 3 freinds that are car dealers and they laugh and tell stories about how they bought a used car in the paper for 200$ and re-sold it to someone for $1200, they do this all the time. Is it ethical? no, is it wrong? no. Buyer beware.

 

[Warik]

Just use the money you have as a downpayment on a new car. You'll a) know the history of the vehicle you're buying (it has no history), b) it'll last longer, and c) you can actually sell it in a few years instead of donating it to a junkyard.

Besides, it's August... this is the best month to buy new cars. At the end of the month the dealers are desperately trying to get the 2001 models off the lot that they'll practically give them away.

-Warik

 

[AAP]

Go to www.kbb.com and make sure you compare the price with the quotes there. It is a business, though not the most honest one.

I second the idea of saving for a down payment. It is a much wiser investment.

 

[thesuperstar]

http://www.kkb.com
http://www.edmunds.com
http://www.nada.com
http://www.thesuperstar.org

 

[Latimer]

The pricks.

 

[plifter]

How are they crooks? They aren't stealing anything from anybody. If someone gives a used car dealer $10,900 for a car worth only $8,700, then how is it "crooked?" The people gave up the money! It's their responsibility to do their homework.

-Warik

I wasn't implying that they were criminals. They just aren't very straight forward with their business deals. My dad gave me the best advice for dealing with them last night. he said just look at a price guide, figure out how much you're willing to spend on the car and offer them that amount. The dealer can either take your offer or not.

 

[AAP]

The new mega car dealerships, like AutoMax, CarMax, etc... now have the price listed on the windshield. It is non negotiable. You never have to deal with a dealer. You walk the lot, look at the price and cars (and their lots usually have 500+ cars less than 3 years old) then go to a cashier and pay. Of course you can test drive it. But they have the lowest prices as they usually buy all their cars from car rental places. No haggling is their advertising method.