[Marioni888]

My daughter is in process of buying a used vehicle (range 20-25k).

Just today we went to 2 dealership and their prices were very high comparing KBB , Edmunds or private party sellers.

One was selling vehicle for 22.000 $ and real price for this car is 20.000 (suggested dealership price) $ according to KBB and other websites.

On top of that they are asking 1000 preparation fee (?) and 1.500 for taxes and fees.

Total 24.500 $ . Private party (Craigslist) is selling same car for 18.000 (negotiable).

We really wanted to buy it from dealer but all he is saying is he can bring the price down to 23.500$ which still too high.

Same thing is with other dealers . If they lower their sale price they will come with some other fees (tax,preparation...) and price will be always near what they said in first place. If I start to argue about it they will keep me in their dealership for hours trying to explain me about their business , new tires,100 point mechanic checklist,how they are better then others, and wasting my time for nothing.

CarMax is giving me good trade value but price of their cars are 2-4k more then others.

I remember 4-5 years ago you could negotiate with dealers and I always got good deal/price even after paying taxes and fees.

Did that change? Is economy that good that dealership can afford keeping high prices?

[Marioni888]

I forgot to mention that almost all cars cost more then in CA or Arizona, I wonder if its worth going there and then pay transfer fees here in Nevada

[Grand Marshall FIREBALLER]

Don't negotiate on the floor. Only show up to take a test drive and delivery. They will convince you the doc fee isn't negotiable. That's garbage. You tell them to knock the 900 off of the price. Doc fees are outrageous at 100 dollars, but better than 1000.

Don't make the trade part of the deal. Make it a separate transaction. Work from your price up, not their price down. Make it worth their while. A dealer really shouldn't make more than 3% total on the deal.

[Caltovegas]

If your with AAA or a credit union check and see if the have a car buying service to help with pricing.

[von949]

So your price range is $20k-25k, but you only want a certain car for the $20-25k?
The vehicles you find in this price range are not up to par with what you think it is worth?(according to KBB)
Does your daughter have a particular vehicle in mind?

[Onlyliveonce]

I can't believe buyers still walk into a dealer to negotiate. Stay out of the dealership until you have agreed to a price via the internet. I just purchased a car from AZ and never stepped foot in the dealership. When negotiating via the internet let the sales manager/internet manager throw out the first number. Never negotiate down from the window sticker MSRP, rather from the invoice price.
So many sheeple out there ready to be slaughtered by the dealership

[UTES]

Originally Posted by Onlyliveonce

Stay out of the dealership until you have agreed to a price via the internet.

I agree fully.

I've bought several vehicles dealing with the "internet manager." The last vehicle was a Jeep I purchased in Las Vegas at Sahara Jeep. I negotiated with 3 Las Vegas dealers and 2 Salt Lake City dealers. The Las Vegas dealers initially started $2,000 higher than the Salt Lake Dealers. But, during the negotiation process, the Las Vegas dealers actually agreed to a lower final price and fees. It took about a week to make the deal through emails - but it was worth the effort.

Bill

[timtemtym]

I only buy cars when the economy is awful. My current one is from 2008 when they couldn't give away a new car. There was a line of salespeople waiting when I pulled up so I knew it was the day to buy.

Go in with the price you want to pay. The drive out price. I had a friend who worked for CarMax so she told me exactly what a fair price and a good deal would be for the 09 Accord I was getting. They matched the price I wanted and it was done.

But I definitely agree it is so much better to negotiate online first. Clark Howard used to recommend doing it over Fax (before internet was huge). Get it in writing and settled before going in there. I love the face to face negotiations, but it's not for everyone.

[Girlesq]

I just bought a car last month and negotiated heavily until I believed I received a fair price. I purchased a certified preowned under the book price, and got a decent price for my trade in. Could I have done better? Possibly, but I'm satisfied with how the transaction went.

[pommysmommy]

I am in the process of buying a car. I have been emailing with the salesman at the dealership and have been sending him the prices I am finding on the internet for the vehicle I want. He is bringing the SUV to my workplace on Monday so I can take it for a test drive. I won't go to the dealership unless they give me the price I am willing to pay. I refuse to spend hours at the dealership haggling over the price.