kurichan

I now have two dealers who have taken my deal at 5% over dealer cost (not invoice) via the fax method.

When I say dealer cost, I mean Invoice minus Holdback, not invoice.

I am saving $2,800 over an MSRP deal.

All I missed out on in this deal was the chance to gab with "friendly" salesmen. Oh well. I guess you can't have EVERYTHING!!

Johng316

Way to go, Kurichan!!

It was easy this way, wasn't it? I've never experienced a more pain-free way to buy a car. AND get a good deal.

Congratulations!!!

John G

5StarSuzuki

Nearly every manufacturer pays the salesperson at least part of his commission. Nearly ever manufacturer pays bonus money based upon JD Power and asoc surveys also. As a matter of fact, most manufacturers are so high-tech they pay you directly onto a credit card! I have a Suzuki E-Count credit card, which i get paid directly into. I won't give exact numbers...but I get X amount of dollars if I get a high SSI score and sell a brand new vehicle...with no commission percent to fool with. So your salesperson gets paid SPECIFICALLY to treat you properly and explain your vehicle. Most manufacturers also have rewards/spin plans also. If you get your high ssi score you spin the wheel for more money.

I bought my mitsu down the street because I want to give my local dealer the business...and they gave me information and a test drive... They gave me the price...I said OK. I paid 1000 over invoice...no negotiation. I could have bought it within 50 miles away for invoice probably...but I know what it feels like...

Nothing pisses a salesperson off more than some *******, who goes into a dealership...takes the salespersons time ...and then faxes every dealership within 5 states (And of course you'll go back to that dealership for service?). On the otherhand...if they are requesting more than msrp...they are the *******s. Remember...put yourself in the salespersons shoes...WHO IS PROVIDING A SERVICE TO YOU...(He may even have evo payments to make )

ExoByte

iTrader: (1)

I'm happy to have pissed off my salesperson. He didn't tell me anything about the car I didn't already know (I probably knew more than he did), and he wouldn't go below MSRP. It's my money, I will spend it on the dealership who will give me the best deal. Overcharging me and trying to screw me financially is not a service IMHO.

5StarSuzuki

Well...thats sort of understandable...If its 500 dollars between local and 100 miles away, pay the 500

ExoByte

iTrader: (1)

Why? I'd drive 100 miles for $500.

Volkmann

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like most of you people have never had jobs in sales before. Try it sometime and see if you can hack it. Sales can be very fun and financially rewarding. Sales can also be very difficult, tiring, frustrating, and grueling. I think I happen to be very fair with customers and take care of them. I have had absolute mootches that want something for nothing and try to beat me up for a friggin quarter. I have had customers lie, cheat, and practically steal to get what they want. Salespeople are actually more honest because everything is on the net. If you take it on a percentage basis a can of Coke has more mark up in it than the percentage of most new cars. Yes I agree there are some ****bag salesmen out there but, most are just trying to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. Most customers I deal with seem to be really good people that just want a fair deal which is perfectly acceptable.

Johng316

Volkmann,

I appreciate your point of view and your experiences as a sales person. I've been in sales for 15 years, though not in car sales. I have recruited extensively for the retail auto industry, however, so I know the business very well (from the top down). I understand compensation and sales commission structures for line salesmen, sales managers, F&I managers, dealership general managers, and dealership owners better than most line salesmen do. I myself have worked on an extensive commission structure for years, though I don't currently.

I'm not anti-salesman by any means or anti-commission. I am PRO getting the lowest possible price on a commodity item (new car qualifies, as does a can of coke), and I am PRO doing it in as hassle-free and time-respectful way possible.

When I buy a new car, I personally find that I have a much better chance of reaching my PERSONAL goals of lowest price, least hassle, least time invested, by going around the line salesman and working directly with the sales manager. When buying a car, I find that the line salesman typically interferes with these goals. That's just me and my personal experiences, and YMMV.

I can be an advocate of lowest price, least time; and you can be an advocate for personal service that a good salesman can offer, and I don't think we have to be at odds. Each person has different goals when buying a new car. I'm simply offering an alternative.

I believe that only the minority of people will use this fax approach, so I wouldn't be too threatened by these ideas if I were you. I do know, however, that most people probably share my goals, if not my methods.

A friendly suggestion: Using the phrase "you people" seems to communicate hostility.

Regards,

John G

GPTourer

I am glad you are enjoying your car and glad that you did give me the first shot at selling you. Incidentally, just to set the record straight, I did not have the car you wanted, so it put me in a bit of a spot to make your deal work. At the time, Evos had just started coming in and a silver A61 was a hot commodity so it would have cost me more money just to get the car and have it brought in. (the dealer wanted to charge me more then invoice to "buy" it, and would not accept a car in trade) plus I would have had to pay for the shipping. I obviously couldn't pass those costs ont to you because your offer was firm, so I had no choice but to "decline." As your offer would have been less then 750 over.

But then, the deal changed and you got a different car anyway, a silver A00 which you didn't tell me was okay, so again, there was still little I could have done.

Johng316

For the record, David was an excellent sales guy. Excellent service, and all-around great guy.

David, I apologize if I miscommunicated. My first choice was actually Blue, which I understood you would have on the lot within a few weeks (it was being shipped). I would've waited for it. I understand that when you have to swap with another dealer, you lose the holdback, which was a key part of the price offer I was making. I understand if you couldn't make the numbers work. That Blue was on its way, though, so I couldn't understand the decline completely.

I haven't seen too many Evos around B'ham... are they mainly selling to folks who live elsewhere? I saw a white one on 280 the other day, but it had dealer tags and a window sticker, so I thought it might be a sales manager on his way in to the office and not an owner.

Regards,

John G

GPTourer

Thank you. It was a pleasure to have helped you. You were the first person to test drive an EVO at our dealership BTW. Have you been embarrassing your friend with the WRX yet? When he's ready to come back to Mitsubishi, please send him my way.

Oh yeah, sorry, I had forgotten all of the details. It is all hindsight now, but if the car had been there right then, things probably would have gone differently.

Out of the eight we have sold, only half of them live in the Birmingham area. Maybe next year I can add to that number.

Volkmann

iTrader: (1)

The hostility stems from shrinking profit margins, tire kickers, joy riders, and people just wasting time with no intention of buying a car. I actually had a lady get mad at me for not being able to secure financing for her lousy credit. Pay bills on time everytime generally = automatic approval when financing. I love working with customers that know what they want and are reasonable in their requests. Some people are so hillarious they think I have like 10 grand mark-up in all my cars. Feel like saying: "Get your catchers mit you are way out in left field."

kurichan

This is all pretty simple for me.

I want the cheapest possible price with the least hassle and effort.

Buying by fax turned out to be the ticket. Based on how quickly fleet managers get back to you, you can really guage whether they want your business. I also prefer fax over e-mail. Paper is still more tangible; more real, and I think that in a situation like this, more effective. I live by e-mail, but chose faxing for that reason.

Also, when I finally sat down with my fleet manager, he was low key and just a great guy. He literally said "I'm not a retail guy. I don't have to work like them, and thank God!"

I must say, I actaully ENJOYED this car purchase, it took me a tiny part of two days, and I got a great deal.

I'm tempted to write a book!

(Sorry 5StarSuzuki, but nothing will ever convince me that putting a salesperson in the mix when the buyer is savvy)