Whether you are shopping for a new car or a used one, you know how overwhelming the process can be. No matter how much research you’ve done, or how hard you’ve bargained, you may still second guess yourself, wondering if you struck the best deal.
Here are five things dealers may not tell you that can save you money on your next car purchase.
Invoice Price Isn’t Our Bottom Line
Most of us know that the sticker price is just a starting point for negotiations. And we may even know to research the invoice price. But most of us don’t realize that even when we buy a car “at invoice” the dealer has plenty of other ways to make a small profit. One of those ways is something called the “dealer holdback.”
According to Edmunds.com, an amount called a “holdback” is 2-3% of either the MSRP or the invoice. After the car is sold, the manufacturer pays this amount to the dealer, hence the name “dealer holdback.” On a $20,000 car, a 2% holdback would be $400.
Ummm, There’s Been An Accident…
Shopping for a used car? Your car dealer may be just as reluctant as your teenager to mention that the car’s been in an accident. “When it comes to accidents, it’s don’t ask, don’t tell,” warns Michael J. Sacks, automotive consumer advocate and director of communications for 1 800 LEMON LAW. A dealer is not going to come out and say a car has been in an accident. You must ask. If you don’t and you find out later, how can you prove the car was misrepresented?”
In addition to asking specifically about accidents, you can check a vehicle’s history through Carfax. “While a Carfax report does not guarantee a problem-free used vehicle, it does help to reduce the risk. Never buy a used car without reviewing its history,” insists LeeAnn Shattuck, Chief Car Chick with Women’s Automotive Solutions.
Low Monthly Payments Are Our Friend, Not Yours
Yes, most of us know that just focusing on the monthly payment, rather than the overall cost of the car, is a mistake. But that’s not stopping us from taking out loans of five years or longer. Experian reports that the average loan term for a new vehicle jumped to an all-time high of 65 months in the last quarter of 2012, up from 63 months in the last quarter of 2011.
The minute you start talking monthly payments with a dealer you’re in trouble, warns Shattuck.
“If you tell the dealer, ‘I can afford $300 a month,’ all they have to do is play with the loan term and get you the payment you want without getting you a good deal on the car.”
The longer your car loan, the more likely you are to be “upside down” on your loan, owing more than the vehicle is worth. That’s especially risky if you drive a lot of miles since the high mileage will also cause the car to depreciate more quickly. “The more miles you drive per year the shorter your loan term should be,” she insists. In addition, interest rates for 60- to 72-month loans tend to be higher. A higher rate combined with a longer term can add up to thousands of dollars by the time the car is paid off.
Your Credit Score Is Different Than Ours
If you’ve checked your credit reports and scores before you started auto shopping (smart move) you may be surprised to learn that the credit score the dealer sees is different than the one you have obtained. Credit.com’s credit scoring expert Barry Paperno explains:
While the typical FICO score predicts the likelihood of any account on a consumer’s credit report going delinquent, auto dealers often use the “auto score” version of the FICO formula to predict the chances of an auto loan — not just any account — incurring late payments. To do this, the FICO auto scoring formula gives slightly more weight to auto loan-specific information on the credit report, such as auto loan payment history. The result is often a higher auto score than standard FICO for a consumer with positive auto loan history (all things on the credit report being equal), and a lower auto score if there is negative, or a lack of, auto loan history.
Of course, you still want to check your credit reports and scores before you need to finance a vehicle. Ideally, you should check them at least a month before to allow time to fix mistakes you may find on your credit reports. (You can use Credit.com’s free Credit Report Card for an easy to understand overview of your credit, along with your free scores. You can update your Credit Report Card monthly.) In addition, though, you’ll want to shop for a car loan before you set foot in the dealership. If the dealer knows you have already lined up financing, they can’t charge you a higher rate on a loan because your credit “isn’t good enough.” All they can try to do is match or beat the rate on the loan you’ve already lined up.
It Doesn’t Have to Be That Difficult
Dread haggling? Don’t make it harder than it has to be. “The actual process of negotiating a price for a new vehicle is a lot simpler than most people realize,” writes Mike Rabkin, a professional car shopper who walks car shoppers through the process. “It’s all about who you talk to and how knowledgeable you appear.” One strategy, he says, is to bypass the sales person and go straight to the decision maker. That person could go by different names, depending on the dealer: sales manager, general sales manager, fleet manager, Internet manager, etc.
“Whatever you do,” says Rabkin, “make sure you get competing quotes from at least four dealers. To know a good price, you have to know what a bad price is,” he says. “Competition is what makes them more competitive. Even if you don’t plan to shop at other dealers, you have to let them know you are shopping around.”
Other experts agree. “You can buy a car with minimal haggling by calling and speaking to the fleet manager directly,”says Blair Natasi, PR director for MyRedToy.com, an online reverse auction service for car shoppers.
Or find a dealer that is transparent with customers.”The world of car buying is constantly changing and some dealers are finding that less pressure and more transparency helps their sales and earns them enthusiastic customers,” says Edmunds.com Sr. Consumer Advice Editor Phil Reed. “These enlightened dealers realize that many shoppers are well informed and they accept this and are willing to expedite the sales process accordingly. (They understand) how important customer satisfaction is for repeat sales.”
How do you find a straight-shooting dealer? Reed suggests: “You should try to learn as much as possible about a dealership before you give them your business. There is always the BBB to consult. We have dealer ratings and reviews on our site. You can always type the name of the dealership and ‘reviews’ into Google and you will get reviews from a variety of sources. Word of mouth from friends and family is also quite valuable, and it’s not uncommon for friends to refer you to a specific sales person. It’s important, however, to do all of your research on the price of a car, because a referral doesn’t mean you have an inside deal.”
And if you’re still not comfortable negotiating for the best price, you can hire a professional like Shattuck or Rabkin. The car I previously owned was purchased with the help of a professional car shopper and I was confident I got a good deal. I was able to pay it off early and drive it for a long time. My past car I purchased on my own, with help from my hubby, and while I think we did OK, I do wonder if we could have done better.
Image: iStockphoto
You Might Also Like
Getting a new car is a big decision, and you should choose your n... Read More
October 20, 2020
Auto Loans
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, around 2.3... Read More
July 20, 2020
Auto Loans