Thinking about buying a new car soon? Are you prepared to handle the most common car salesman tricks? If you’re on the hunt for a new car, you’ll need to go to a local car dealership to do it. However, it’s important that you tread carefully. There are many car salesman tricks that may influence your decision-making process and make it harder for you to make the right choice. Luckily, we’re here to help. Below we’ll give you our top tips for dealing with tricky car salesmen so you can be happy with your final purchase decision.
1. Do Your Homework
When getting to ready to look for a new car, you need to be prepared. By doing your research beforehand, you’ll have a much better time dealing with a car salesman. Try to have an idea of what kind of car you’re looking for in mind before you get to a car lot. What features do you need? What is your price range? Are there specific models you’re interested in? Additionally, you’ll want to know what type of protection the cars you’re considering will come with as well. While a manufacturer’s warranty will be included, you’ll want to find out what else is protected as well. You may also want to consider getting Lemon Proof protection if you want to make sure your money is spent wisely when buying a car. If possible, visit a dealership’s website and look at their inventory online before you go to a dealership in person. By having as much knowledge at your disposal as possible, you’ll be much harder for a salesperson to fool and you’ll be able to spot any bogus claims they make more easily.
2. Be Ready to Negotiate
One of the most important things you need to do when getting ready to buy a car is to learn a few negotiating tactics. While you may think that you can only negotiate with a used car salesman, the truth is that you can do some negotiating for the price of a new car as well. The listed price often has some wiggle room so you’ll usually want to see if you can get a bit less for it if possible. It’s also important that you know how to be assertive when dealing with car salesmen. Car salesmen will often do everything they can to get a sale and may even try to bully you into a purchase before you’re ready. Be ready to stand your ground and to push back against any pressure that you’ll face when talking about the price of a car.
3. Always Test it Out
If a car salesman ever tries to force you into buying a car before you’ve taken it for a full test drive, you may want to reconsider. It’s crucial that you take a test drive and get a full feel for a car before you buy it. Find out how it handles and how it feels to be on the road with it. Additionally, be sure to test everything on the vehicle including the steering, the brakes, the windows, and all of the little electronic features that it comes with. Taking a test drive is an essential part of the buying process, so take your time and make sure you feel comfortable in a car before buying it. If you discover you don’t like driving it weeks later, it won’t be easy to take it back.
4. Bring a Friend Along
There is power in numbers, and it will be easier to stand up to pushy car dealers if you have a friend with you who will have your back. They can also act as the voice of reason. Make sure to bring someone with you when you’re shopping for a car. If you’re all alone at a car dealership, you’ll be more susceptible to pressure and may rush your decision. By having a friend with you, you’ll feel much more confident and will likely be more assertive. Additionally, it’s even better if you can bring a friend along with you who knows a lot about cars and can help you with your buying decision.
5. Don’t Show All Your Cards
Car dealers like to adjust their sales pitch based on the needs, frustrations, and interests of their customers. For this reason, it’s better if you don’t show all of your cards too soon. When going into a dealership to look for a car, you may want to be more on the quiet side. Don’t let a car salesman know too much about you too soon. For example, if you let a salesman know exactly how much money you have to spend early on, it will make negotiating much more difficult. Whatever number you tell them, they’ll be sure to try to get every last dollar from you. Wait for the right time to show your cards if you want to have the best chance of getting a good deal.
6. Watch Out For Extra Fees
One way that car dealerships can trick you is that they’ll list their car for low prices, but then tack on a lot of unnecessary and unexpected fees when you’re finalizing the purchase. Car dealers will get a lot of money from you through the hidden costs that come up during the sale. To combat this, make sure to ask early on what you expect this from the car dealer that you’re visiting. Find out what kind of difference you can expect from the listed price of the car as compared to the take-home price. Remember that extra fees can add up quickly. It’s much better to find out what you can expect early on since can be much harder for you to back out once you’re sitting down doing the final paperwork.
7. Know Your Financing Options Beforehand
Car dealers make a killing off of financing options. While it would be ideal to buy a car outright, it’s not always possible. If you need to rely on financing options to get your vehicle, make sure to do plenty of research beforehand. Know what your options are. In many cases, it’s better to look for financing on your own than to rely on the options given to you by the dealership. You may want to get a car loan from a credit union or consider going with an online peer-to-peer (P2P) lender. Car dealers and car salesmen know that they can make a lot of money with higher interest rates, so make sure you look for better options elsewhere. If you do, you’ll likely pay a lot less for your car in the long run.
8. Go Slow
One thing that car dealers love to do when selling a car is to inspire a sense of urgency for your car purchase. They’ll try to convince you to make your purchase decision quickly instead of thinking about it carefully. Many salesmen will even make it seem as though if you don’t buy the car you want the first time you come in, you may not a get it at all. The price may go up or you may miss out on your chance for some other reason. While you may be eager to get a new car, it’s better not to go too fast. Ideally, even if you like a car you should tell a salesman that you want to go home to think about it and that you may call them in a few days if you’re interested. Don’t make the mistake of buying a car too soon without taking time to fully consider the pros and cons.
Surviving the Most Common Car Salesman Tricks
While it can be difficult to buy a new car, making the right decision isn’t as hard as it may seem. However, you will need to watch out for these car salesman tricks so that you don’t rush your decision. Make sure to use the tips above if you want to have the best time dealing with a car salesman while also ensuring that you’re spending your money as wisely as possible. Need extra protection when buying your new vehicle? Click here to contact us and to learn more about Lemon Proof protection.
